[en] The Tavern at the Inn

[conquestare legionare]

how dare you disgrace the king !!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRR :angry: :wink: . He is king xuca of serbia , he is pure royality blood (or maybe not) You peasants!!!!.


beer on my expense !! to everyone. LONG LIVE THE KING :cheers: (aslong as he hires me :rofl: )

[Angryminer]

Oh, hey, beer! :cheers: King Xuca, wohoo! :go:
I'm a beer-fueled royalist :wink: .

Angryminer

[Xuca]

LONG LIVE THE KING! Wait, that's me... long live the me! no...ah...what was I about to do?

[Mirrakor]

aeh...yes, hes righ*hicks* Long live the me! :cheers: *slobber*
lon..g..lige..the..Hing!:cheers:

[conquestare legionare]

more parts of the story please !!!!! cheers mates . :cheers:

[Traveller]

Well, you're a bard yourself! If Xuca doesn't hire you as his bodyguard unit (f.e.), then you could do it by yourself! :wink:
Btw maybe I'll continue my "history lesson" in Monday... Or am I making it too complex?

[Xuca]

Adventures of Xuca

26th june

Few hours before my coronation, a Greek soldier came to me, saying that he deserted from the Byzantin armies, and he offered me his services. After many attempts of my murder, I don't know if I could trust anyone. So, my reply was:
"Noble legionare, I am afraid that I cannot trust you. However, I belive that everybody deserves a chance. You have a week to prove your loyalty. Be awised that we may not be able to wait for you, and you'll have to find us."

[Kuno of Gersenau]

June 23 - Log of Kuno's doctor

3 days ago we took over the city of Adrianople. Our troops are now waiting here for the reinforcement...
Sire Kuno didn't get better untill this morning. The last days he talked in fever, he often used the name "Sakim", but the words he said were confusing and without any sense.
"sakim...lalaa...wine...good morning town guard...pirates..." just to give an example.

Then this morning the fever had gone and he slept calm without talking...
Sire Kuno has his bed in the former palace of the commander of the city. The other leaders have their rooms here too. They had a meeting in Angryminers room and i went there to report them the good news about Sir Kuno's health.
They looked happy and even a bit surprised, especially Sire Sakim.

Then happend something I still can't belive. Sire kuno suddenly stood in the door behind me. He staggerd, and his red face and the sweat on his forhead showed, that it was a big effort for him to come over here. His eyes looked wild, it seemed that it was getting dark again in them...
He made some steps into the room, then he closed his eyes, opened them again and started to talk some words:

"Danger...wine....Sa"

In the middle of his last word he fell unconscious down on the floor. When I knee down beside him I could see that the fever had startet again. The effort to come over here was too big, but maybe it had startetd already before and his "visit" was the result of a new "fantasy"...

We brought him back in his bed, the illness is now again as worse as it was when it started. God may bless him...

[Kuno of Gersenau]

ok, I just wanted to write again something...;)

A XXL-beer for all from a still sick man...:cheers: :sick:

[Angryminer]

Nice update! Very well written! :go:
Cheers to the sick man! :cheers:

Angryminer

[Kuno of Gersenau]

Thank you, I just hope beer is a good medicine :lol:

[Angryminer]

Beer stimulates the kidneys, so the poison leaves your body faster :wink: .
That's a good reason for a second beer, isn't it? :cheers:

Angryminer

[Kuno of Gersenau]

Oh yes it is! :cheers:

And maybe for a third one too? :cheers: :wink:

[Prince Eric of the Lorah Clan]

A XXL-beer for all from a still sick man...:cheers: :sick:

The medicine... er... beer is served! :cheers:

[Dobber]

June 27 - Dobber's Log

We are finally on the march to Adrianople to join with our Allies, and we have a new King in our midst. King Xuca, who's coronation we attended yesterday on our day of resting Hawk_Knight and Sir Richard's troops. A messenge has been sent to Adrianople to announce we will be arriving in 3 days with 160,000 troops.

[Sakim]

Sakim's Journal - June 28th

A messenger arrived today from Comrade Dobber, announcing the arrival of the northern Allies in 2 more days. They are 160,000 strong. This news came none to soon, for it has become quite risky to remain in the Allied camp. Five days ago Kuno temporarily awakened, jabbering incoherently before passing out with the fever once again. I now know the strength of the enemy and cannot risk discovery. I pass the word that the remainder of my men are to prepare to leave.
I met with Traveller and Angryminer and told them that I was going to ride out with my men and head northwest to meet up with Comrade Dobber, and tell them of the Caliph's fleet off the coast to the south of us.
We left under the cover of darkness and headed northwest. After we were some distance from the fortifications of Arianople, we circled wide of the city and headed southeast for Constantinople where the Caliph was waiting with our Byzantine Allies.

[hawk_knight]

Hawk_knights log 27 of june

we had begun our march to Adrianople. the morale of the men are high and are ready for a long march of three days. i said to dobber and richard that we should rest at night for eight hours. On day we could have a break of two hours so that they can rest a bit. So that we will not lose time that we need to get as quickly to Adrianople. I also said to dobber and richard that my men are eager for battle and that they has asked me a couple of time when they will fight.

[Richard]

Knight Richard's adventure
Chap. 21: The march to andrianople
June 27,1005
Today we began the march to Andrianople and Constantinople. Everything is going according to plans, men are eiger to fight, there are enougth supllies for 2-3 weeks and Hawk Knight send word for the transportation of more. Also I finally met Sir Xuca, he was crowned King of Serbia after we without knowing,brought the ladder of the Serbian rebels together with the other 399 prisoners we catched some days ago. After he was interroged and executed for his treason, Xuca was crowned King. He is still a little weak, but he is marching along side his man.
Also, a greek soldier Annouced his presense yesterday. I think he voluntired his small force to fight for our cause in exchance for osem gold. I don't know what was Xuca's decition, but I hope he didn't accept as it could be a trap. The man should prove himself loyal first.
On other notes I resived a letter from my beloved. She talked about the different things that have happened, My king finally destroyed the last norman resistance, but is ill from a diseace. She also seems to be still worried about that dream she had, but I wrote her that I will be with her soon and that this war will soon end, although I know it will take many weeks,maybe months to break the great walls of constantinople.
I wish this war ends soon to be with her, but I must fight, for most injustice has to be stoped withing the walls of constantinople.

[Traveller]

Btw I've scanned one whole book and I'll upload here one map from there. I've "translated" it to English, so that it would be easier for us to know where we are:
Map of Bulgaria at the time of Samuil (http://img378.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bulgariamapsamuilen0zp.jpg)

[Traveller]

Traveller's Log - Month of Izok (June) 28th
History, mystery and...

I've been so busy for the last week I couldn't even find spare time to write something here! Many things have happened, so I should report them here before I foget them.
First, fortunately, the food convoy from Ohrid has arrived. It should be enough for a week or two, including that we shared it with the local population. This would definitely gain us some more support from the locals in case of an enemy siege.
But, second happy news, 8 days have passed since we took Adrianople and there is no enemy on the horizon. Obviously the Arabs have continued towards Constantinople to join the Heretic and the Emperor and await further instructions there. Besides, if they're really such a big fleet as Kuno had told me, then they would need more than a day only to land all the troops. And would the Romeans let them all in Constantine's City? I'm not sure they trust the Fattimids enough, despite of their "alliance". Furthermore, it's clear this alliance couldn't last long - if Basil defeats us and takes care of his "Balkan problems" he would turn his face back upon the East and to the Holy City. I hoped I could talk with Sakim and that he might be able to persuade the Arabs in eventual negotiations! But we'll see about that later...
Third, it seems that our behaviour towards the people of Adrianople might pay up. A few days after the we captured it, when the food came and we shared it with the starvened population, strategus Nikulitza came to me. He told me:
- I was thinking for the last three days. About many things - myloyalty and oath I had given to the Emperor, my own blood and my duty to our Tsar... Could I ask you something? Why did you not kill or imprison me as a traitor when you had this chance? Every other commander would have done that!
- I'm not every other commander. I could hardly even say I'm a comander at all! I'm not a noble by birth, I'm a snob, as my Mercian friends joke - sensa nobilitas. I'm not a judge to convict you to prison or death. And I know the burden of war, I've seen its horrors. You were faithfuly serving your Emperor, but now it's time to serve your rightful Lord. And I think you deserve this second chance!
- Yes, I see. And I thank you! I see you have a good heart - you spared me and shared your army's food stocks with the enemy. You know that the Romeans here are more than the Slavs, but you treated them as your own folk! This made me think and convinced me of some things. I had mistaken once and now its not hard for me to return to my real path. And I promise you that I'll not divert from it! I'm with my own now and I'll stay with my own.
He told me we should be careful of some nobles in the city and that maybe we should exile them somewhere beyond the Danube. He handed me a list with the Emperor's most loyal and dangerous supporters and I'll order them to be moved tomorrow with their whole families, first to Plovdiv and after that somewhere else by the Tsar's orders.
Nikulitza also invited all of us to his quarters at late evening for a feast (if possible with these food stocks) and merriment. I believe he was honest with his remorse and that many more people will follow his example. Or at least I hope so... I'll do all my best to bring justice with us, not just to conquer the enemy's lands. But those, who serve a threat would have to go!
After our meeting I went to speak with Angryminer and Sakim and to tell them for the banquet this night. Unfortunately, Kuno's still in fever and doesn't stop to talk incoherently, so we would have to go without him. And just after we gathered and I told Angryminer and Sakim the news, Kuno's doctor came and told us Kuno's getting better and has stopped talking in his fever. That's good news indeed! And then Kuno walked in, staring his eyes on us. It was obvious it's hard for him to move, but he was standing there and said: "Danger... Wine... Sa..." After that he felt unconscious on the ground. We were all very surprised. "Haha... I guess he's heard of the feast too and wants some wine!", Sakim tried to joke. Really strange thing! Now Kuno's even worse. I hope he'll be better and soon - I have the feeling we'll need him in a short time!
Now, the fourth news: A messenger came today from Sire Dobber. He wrote that he'll be coming somewhere around June 30th with distant reinforcements - an enormous army of 160 000 men. I hope that Tsar Samuil will sent more food supplies with them when they come closer to Ohrid. And maybe he would join us soon after that, himself... But there were even more good news in his letter - it appears that Xuca is alive, he has faked his death in order to capture the assassin and furthermore - he's now crowned as king. Knez Xuca! Haha, I can't believe it! How strange is this world and men's fates...
After we read the letter, Sakim told us that he's leaving the camp immediately and will be riding north-west to meet his old friend. He'll also be taking a small group of his men, just in case they stumble upon some enemy detachment. I told him he shouldn't worry, the lands there are safe, but he insisted - there might also be some bandits and such. Allright! When he went to prepare his horse and his men, I told Angryminer I'm becoming suspicious of this guy. Just a few men have remained from his squad and we receive no real news from the direction of Constantinople. I believe he's got frightened from the sight of the Fattimid fleet or maybe he just doesn't want to fight with fellow Muslims. I don't know, but I haven't seen him in battle and I wouldn't count on him in one. I told Angryminer I'll sent 5 horsemen to look after them from a longer distance, to stay preferably unnoticed, and he agreed. We'll also send scouts in south-eastern direction on our own...
Now I have nothing left to do, so I'll spare my free time to finally finish re-writing the historical information about the war:
"As a result of the successful campaign of the Komitopuls, most of the eastern Bulgarian lands were freed. In 977 Boris II and Roman were released from Constantinople with the intention to settle the things down and take the power, instead of the Komitopuls. But Boris II was mistakenly killed at the border, because he was wearing Romean clothes and was not recognized by the border guards. Roman stayed alive and took the crown, but he was benevolent to Samuil and gave him much power over the kingdom. Roman had been castrated in Constantinople, so he couldn't have children and Samuil was the obvious next king after him. Between 979 and 985 the Bulgarian armies captured whole Epir, Tessalia, reaching Peloponesos and the Corinth isthmus. As an answer, in 986 Basil II marched through Adrianople and Plovdiv towards Sredetz and besieged it. The siege was unsuccessful and he had to retreat. In the morning of August 17th he was surrounded at Trayanovi vrata (Trayan's gates) and suffered a terrible defeat. He barely saved his life and when he came back shamefuly to Constantinople, his power was shaken. Civil war began in Byzantium. At that time he contacted Aaron, Samuil's older brother, with the intentions to draw him to his side. He promised to give him his sister as a wife and Aaron agreed with the claims to get the Bulgarian crown after his brother's been taken care of. But his betrayal was soon discovered and the court convicted him and his entire family to death. Only his son, Ivan Vladislav, was spared, due to the request of Samuil's son, Gavril Radomir. The Bulgarians continued their successful campaigns and liberated Drastar and the old capital of Veliki Preslav. In the meantime, Tsar Roman was kidnapped and taken hostage in Constantinople again, where he died in 997. When news of his death came to Ohrid, Samuil was officialy crowned as Tsar. He continued his campaign and joined Dyrrachion. The Arab invasion in Asia Minor forced Basil II to seek peace with Bulgaria and Samuil accepted. He used this to undertake a campaign in the lands of the Serbian clans. In an year he took almost whole of the Adriatic coastline, whole the way to Zadar, including the principalities of Bosnia and Raska. He captured the Serbian Knez Ivan Vladimir, but later returned him to his throne as Bulgarian vassal, together with his daughter as a wife, who had fallen in love with him during his captivity in Ohrid. Due to the Bulgarian expansion in Serbia, the Magyars declared war. And although a peace treaty was concluded, strenghtened with the marriage of Samuil's son, Gavril Radomir, and Stephen's daughter, Margareta, relations remained bad. In the meantime Basil II managed to weaken the Arabs (and as we see, even to ally with them). In 988-989 he had also concluded an alliance with the Russes, which accepted Christianity from Constantinople, although Bulgarian missionaries have been baptizing them since the times of Tsar Boris I and they were already writing on Bulgarian alphabet. Soon after the royal marriage between Bulgaria and Hungary, Basil II allied also with the Magyars, the Croats and with Venice. In the spring of 1000 the Emperor launched a massive campaign against Bulgaria. He, himself, marched through Plovdiv towards Sredetz and while the Bulgarian troops were being engaged there, his comanders Teodorakan and Nikifor Ksifius ravaged the north-eastern lands and captured Preslav and Drastar. Several months later the Romeans conquered also the fortresses of Voden, Verea and Servia. In 1001 Basil II besieged Bdin and after 8 months the Danubian stronghold surrendered. But soon after this he sailed to his Italian provinces and Samuil managed to reconquer back his lands."
We know what happened after that: Basil II launched another wave against Bulgaria, but the Balkan passes were prepared and kept the enemy away until Xuca arrived and took care of the Romeans, which had landed with their fleet to the north. After this we launched a counter-attack and destroyed the Romean forces at Matorie gori (old Bulgarian name for the Balkan mountain). The remaining Romean forces withdrew to the bigger cities, mainly in Constantinople, and our troops reached and took whole Hellas and besieged Adrianople. Now we have this city and when Dobber arrives with the reinforcements (and if our scouts reports are good), we'll continue towards Constantinople! There are much more unknown things, hidden in our future, but with such a force I believe they'll be favourable for us...