Chronicles of the House Karvuna - A Bulgarian AAR [HIP]

January 867

The bleak winter sun rises slowly over the Black Sea. I am awake.

Here am I, Petar Karvuna: a blank sheet of a man, an empty name.


True, I bear the title of Boyar – but to be honest, that also is an empty word. I have no noble ancestors, no powerful relatives, and I myself hardly know the history of my family beyond one or two generations. What I do know is this: my father, and his father before him, were loyal warriors of the great Balgarsko Tsars in the Byzantine and Serbian wars.

I was only 8 when my father fell before Raška, in yet another Bulgarian attempt to subjugate the proud Serbs. In recognition of my father's courage, the Tsar granted our family a small pension and had me educated as a court clerk. All that I am, all that I have, I owe to him. I am but a simple man, more familiar with the pen than with the sword, but should it come to it, I shall stand by my lord until death.

When Tsar Boris gave up his old faith to be baptized by Byzantine priests, a mere three years ago, my mother made sure I was made a Christian as well. It was never really a matter of belief; not for her and certainly not for me. But only so, she said, could our headless family hope to retain the Tsar's goodwill.

She had no idea how right she was. After a year, in 865, the religious tensions between Boris and parts of the nobility led to open revolt; the Tsar showed no mercy and, after the inevitable victory, had dozens of the old Tengri believers executed.

As he sought to replace them with loyal Orthodox followers, he somehow remembered me. I find it hard, even two years on, to understand why he chose a 15-year-old orphan to rule over Zagore. Perhaps he wanted to avoid giving any more land to his already powerful relatives; perhaps he simply saw in me a loyal servant, a vassal too weak to ever pose a threat.

To bind me even more completely to him, he promised me that, when the time would come, I would marry his youngest daughter, Vasilka. She is still a child, but I shall wait for her to come of age, and in our children's veins will flow the blood of Tsars!


March 867

The Magyar are coming! Tsar Boris has sent emissaries with orders to have all available warriors mustered immediately, as hordes of fearful horsemen are invading us from the North-East. This is no ordinary war; it is said the nomads are coming with wives and children to settle Bulgarian land north of the Carpathians!


As my meagre contingent of warriors disappears beyond the horizon, I cannot help but feel powerless, even a little bit guilty – should I have been the one to lead them? No, it was probably better for me to stay – after all, I don't have the least idea in matters of war...

June 867

I knew the Tsar could do it! Only this morning, a messenger came to the castle bearing fantastic news: Boris has halted the Magyar invasion at Temes! He ambushed the horse nomads on the footsteps of the Carpathians and made short work of them, the messenger says. Today is a great day for Balgariya!



July 867

Alas! We are beaten after all! It appears the army defeated by Boris was only one of two invading hosts – the second one, of much greater numbers, caught the Tsar by surprise and utterly destroyed his forces...


The Magyars have taken all land north of the mountains. I am told, however, that they did suffer significant enough losses, so that all hope is not lost of recapturing this area when the time of our strength comes again.


April 868

Disturbing news. Not everyone, it seems, recognizes me as the legitimate ruler of Zagore. In particular, there is one neighbour who claims his right to rule over all of Makedon.

An unpleasantly powerful neighbour: Basileos Makedon, Emperor and Autokrator of the Romans, Doux of Makedon and Thrake.


This has terrifying implications. At any time, the Byzantine Emperor could decide he wants to be Doux of all Makedon. And Zagore is part of Makedon. Should the Tsar then be unable to defend us against the formidable forces of the Emperor, the Karvuna would soon vanish back into the dark night of history.

I need a plan!


February 869

Once again, I am but a pawn in the Tsar's gambles for power. An obedient, happy pawn – for once again Boris, in an unexpected display of benevolence, has bestowed honour upon me: I am to be made Boyar of Kopsis!


What have I done to deserve this title? Little. This has probably more to do with the balance of power in Balgariya: the Tsar is wary of ruling too much land directly for fear of irritating his relatives, who are also his most powerful vassals. On the other hand, Boris doesn't want to strengthen them even more, so it makes sense that he'd rather have me grow in power – I remain, after all, quite insignificant.


August 869

Another revolt! Once again, the latent religious conflicts in our country lead to war. This time it's a powerful Tengri Boyar from the South-West of the kingdom, Marmais Makedonska, who leads the uprising.


I make sure to send Boris all the available soldiers in Zagore and Kopsis. The Tsar will almost certainly win this war, and when it's over, heads will roll – and loyal vassals will be rewarded!


May 870

The religious troubles rage on. It seems to take forever for the Tsar's army to put down Tengri rebels: although the Makedonska upstart was captured and made to convert to Orthodoxy, he was able to retain his lands. Shortly afterwards, another revolt flared up, this time in the North.


I am no fanatical Christian, but I'll be happier when we Bulgarians are all united under a common faith. The longer these struggles drag on, the weaker we are against our ennemies...

On the other hand, even if Marmais's timely conversion made it hard for the Tsar to strip him of his titles, he is still isolated and weakened by the war. It would be a good time to send someone to my liege and see if he'd maybe support me if I were to invade the Makedonska lands “independently”. We'd both win at this game: he'd replace a rebellious vassal with a loyal one, and I would become a Voivode, equal in rank to the Tsar's most powerful relatives...


January 871

At last! After years of patient waiting, Vasilka has come of age. She arrived in Zagore a few weeks ago, and before long we shall be happily married!



May 871

Fantastic news! Vasilka is pregnant! I'm sure it will be a boy – the next head of the House Karvuna. We'll name him Boris, in honour of our glorious Tsar. Boris Petarov Karvuna – that does sound good, doesn't it?



March 872

The council of the lords of Balgariya has met to discuss the Tsar's rule. My voice doesn't matter much, but nonetheless I make sure to be as demonstrative as possible in my support of Tsar Boris; I know he'll hear about it somehow, and I like to be on his good side...



July 872

Success! It seems Boris did hear of my support – he has sent word that I may invade Marmais's lands and make myself Voivode, should I vanquish the Makedonska in battle. He even produced an ancient document which is supposed to invalidate Marmais's right to rule in Ohrid. What's more, he assures me that, although he can't possibly support me militarily himself, he has ordered the Princes to lend me their help.


Muster our warriors!

Chapter II: A viper in our bosom? (872-880)​

October-November 872

Curses! The invasion will have to wait. The Tsar has decided that the time had come to retake our lost lands in the North and push the Magyars back!


Indeed, the time has come: the Magyar leader, Álmos, is long dead – as is his son, Árpád, whom Boris vanquished personally four years ago, at the time of the invasion. The great horse warriors have nothing more than a child to lead them in battle – poor Linütika doesn't stand a chance against the man who once defeated his own father!

Of course, nothing personal – Boris is merely bringing the True Faith to those pagans... Ha! Every day I see more clearly why he accepted to be baptized. Christianity might be a bit boring as a way of life, but it does come with some handy perks.

As I join forces with the Tsar on the way north, a messenger from Zagore catches up with us and delivers wonderful news: my wife is expecting a second child! I inform the Tsar immediately and we drink to victory and to the imminent birth of his grandchild...



June 873

Another boy! I am still leading my men under Boris's banner in the North, but the joyful news have made it all the way here: Petar Petarson Karvuna, my second son, was born a few days ago!



August 873

Finally, Boris has made his first conquest! Or should I say, he's started retaking some of the land lost five years ago. From a child. But no matter, Csanad is Bulgarian again!


I doubt the Magyars will ever recover from this defeat, seeing as they have been deprived of their great leaders, pushed back against the mountains, and surrounded almost entirely by Christian powers. I won't be the one to mourn them.


February 874

Please, let it stop! I keep having bad dreams these days.


I suspect this might have to do with Vasilka's strange behaviour. She never seems quite there, and I often have the impression she's really talking past me, not to me. In fact, now that I think about it, she's never been quite the same since I came back from that campaign in the North. I hope nothing bad happened during my long absence...


November 874

Finally! I have been waiting and preparing for this for years now. We shall march against the Makedonska and surprise him before winter sets in. My own small army wouldn't make it alone, but luckily my alliance with the Tsar holds, and his relatives will be supporting me in this war.


We'll make it quick.



April 875

I'm starting to be seriously worried about Petar, my second son. He seems to be a … peculiar child, to say the least.


I guess I should seek advice with my Patriarch and hear what Christian doctrine says about this.


My very own son – a spawn of the Devil? My wife, the daughter of a noble Tsar – a witch? Now my dear Patriarch, I appreciate your advice, but we shan't be having any of that here. That thing with the Devil is a good story for sure, and useful to keep children quiet, but superstition – be it Tengri or Christian – shall have no place in the Karvuna family! As for imprisoning my wife and son on account of the most dubious suspicions, all elementary rules of human kindness forbid it.


June 876

The war is over! The Makedonska abdicated and I have been made Voivoide of Ohrid by the Tsar. This is a great day for the House Karvuna!



August 876

Alas! In the midst of our glory, we Karvunas are struck by disaster! My son and heir, little Boris Petarov, has suffered a stroke during the night. We found him in a terrible state this morning. Who knows if he'll ever recover enough to become the next Voivoide of Ohrid!


I'm starting to worry that there might have been some form of truth to my Patriarch's words of warning about Petar, my strange child. Not that I believe in the Devil, of course – but judging from his reaction to the incident, something clearly is wrong with him... I will have to watch him more closely.


August 878

A third son! Things are not going so badly after all. Even if Boris never recovers from his attack two years ago, and even if the public suspicions about Peter prevent him from ever ruling after me, there will be someone to follow in my steps: Kresimir Petarov Karvuna!



March 879

The cursed Makedonska is at it again! Does he ever do anything else than conspire and revolt against his betters?


I'll have him crushed and erase his name from the history books! I'm sure my Tsar won't mind. In fact, I'm pretty certain I can count on his help, albeit unofficial, to put the rebels down...


May 880

After a year-long campaign, Marmais Makedonska has finally been captured.


I'll make sure he never becomes a problem again... Adieu, you stubborn upstart! You were unlucky enough to stand in the way of the House Karvuna!

Chapter III: In the Shadow of the Empire​

February 880

A sad day for the House Karvuna! My eldest son, Boris Petarov, has died.


He had been declining ever since he suffered that attack four years ago, but it's still hard to see him go. The worrying thing is that it now falls upon Petar to lead our House, should something happen to me. I've never been able to warm up to that child very much...


March 882

Worrying news from south of the Byzantine borders: some Greek noble is trying to forge a claim on my lands in Strumica! I'll have to see that this doesn't get out of hand...



June 885

Another son dead! Poor Vladimir died of the slow fever, like so many in the country these last months.


I can't help feeling, though, that my misfortune is somewhat special. What have I done, that my children all seem to die young or suffer from strange illnesses and unexplained curses?


September 885

As little as I may like him, Petar is the next head of the Karvuna. I have to make sure he marries someone of his rank – maybe marriage will make him a more normal man... Heaven knows I could do with a bit of normality here.

Some of the lands recently reconquered by Boris upon the Magyars are being ruled by a very young lady of Greek origin, Dana Kometopoulos. Since I have been watching for twenty years over the Tsar's southern border, it only seems proper that my son should be betrothed to someone used to this kind of hardship. She'll need resilience to deal with him, too, but I've told the emissary not to mention any of that...



June 886

There are interesting developments in the independent principality of Rashka, west of my lands in Ohrid. It seems followers of the old Slavic faith, led by one Slavko Thopia (an appropriate enough name) have revolted against the Voivode and managed to secure de facto independence for a small area at the Bulgarian border.

… To war! The One True Christian Faith must be defended! And all that.



February 887

Well, that was a short war. The Slavic followers hardly put up any resistance at all. Fortune, it seems, still smiles upon the Karvuna!



March 887

Once again I spoke too soon. The old rivalry between the Bulgarian Tsars and the Emperors of Rome has flared up again: Emperor Basileos wants to retake part of the Adriatic coast in Dyrrachion! He seems to believe that, because this land was once part of the Roman Empire, he has a right to it even today...


This is dangerously close to my lands. I need to do all I can to help Boris repell the invaders, or I might be next in line to attract the Emperor's appetite for power!


July 887

Boris has scored a first brilliant success against the Byzantines – with my help, and in my lands.


Nobody knows for sure, however, what tomorrow will bring or quite how many men the Emperor still has in Anatolia to throw at us. But this is too serious to simply give up... onwards to Dyrrachion for the next struggle!


September 887

Don't those people have any honour? How can they betray their liege in the middle of this crucial war for mere matters of belief? Seriously, I thought we'd solved that issue.



April 888

Finally, after years of arduous negociations, after giving away many gifts and honourary positions, I feel secure enough in my power to reform the inheritance system. Tsar Boris has shown us the way forwards: the family lands must be kept together if we are to avoid chaos!


Of course, this means passing everything on to Petar, and I still don't know whether I can trust him. I guess it's only fair to give him a chance; he's been pretty quiet recently...


June 888

We've been headed for this for some time, but it still hurts: the Bulgarian army is no more. We have been beaten down by the Byzantines battle after battle, despite standing our ground bravely. Even the Italian mercenaries hired by the Tsar didn't make a difference in the end...



September 888

The time for negociations – surrender, really – has come. Dyrrachion has fallen. There is nothing left between my lands and the resurgent Roman Empire; Balgariya has been cut off from the Adriatic. The future doesn't look good for the country, nor for the House Karvuna which is perhaps now the most exposed to the Emperor's ambitions...

@mrmastro, DensleyBlair & Shrano: thanks for the appreciation! As I said this is a first for me so any comments on layout, style etc... are more than welcome!

@DeamonBlackFyre: hmm... I'm not sure why Armenia exactly? But I can say this much: in the grim future of House Karvuna, there will be Armenians. It isn't too clear yet quite how and when, though.

More coming soon!

May 889

I have ordered all members of the House Karvuna to wear black today, for this is a day of mourning. My lord the Tsar has passed away.


He was a great man who did what he could for Balgariya, and without him the House Karvuna would hardly be worth mentioning. We shall ever hold his memory sacred. When I assured the emissary that I would be the new Tsar's first and most loyal servant, he simply replied that Vladimir had never expected anything less of the Karvuna – and offered me to rule over some of Vladimir's former lands, which he could not continue to govern directly from his new position. I was only too glad to accept – loyalty pays in Balgariya!


Vladimir is a good man and could become a great Tsar. I like his simplicity and honesty, even if I've heard he can occasionally be, let's say... a bit harsh. Hopefully we won't have to taste any of that.



June-July 889

Petar has finally come of age! I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, he has repeatedly proved that he is an exceptionally gifted young man, well versed in all the aspects of governing – he is much more of a warrior than me, for instance.


But on the other hand, he seems to have no notion of good and evil – or perhaps he does have a notion of it, but he's just... rather on the evil side. In fact, nobody seems to like him and even I, his father, would have a hard time if I was asked to name a single virtue of his. Can he ever rule over people who hate him – and whom he hates? Will the name of Karvuna go down in history in black, cursed letters?

Difficult, terrible questions. In the meantime, I suppose I should really land him, so that he gets a chance to put his education to good use and to prepare for taking my succession one day...



February 890

A fifth son! Or should I say, a third son – two are long dead. At least there is some hope that my legacy will be passed on to little Gavril, even if he is never to rule as a Voivode after me. I hope nothing happens to him, and that he can grow to become, one day, a fairer face of the House Karvuna than his brother!


It seems no measure of good comes to me without a measure of bad. Vasilka has died shortly after giving birth.


I have taken to mourning again, although I feel in fact a kind of lightness since she went. The castle is strangely quiet and pleasant without her or Petar around. I had almost forgotten that feeling...


March 890

I have found a way to test Petar's abilities while getting rid of him, at least temporarily. I made him my spymaster – he does have quite a talent for intrigue after all – and sent him to Constantinople as a spy.


Only good things can come out of this: either he succeeds and we'll profit from the Byzantine discoveries, or he fails and I'll have less cause to worry for the future of our House...


August 890

Not so soon!


Balgariya mourns again, for the Tsar has died of unknown causes. His only son, Frujin, is too young to ascend the throne quite yet – and I fear he will have to contend with his powerful uncles before he can do so securely! Moreover, it seems his father's virtues were not passed to him properly...


As always, the Karvuna shall stand by their Tsar – whether he be a fearful warrior or just a boy. Internal dissentions only weaken us. I'm bracing for war.


September 890

This will be a difficult winter. Already the new Tsar's uncles are organizing powerful factions to topple him. Two of old Boris's sons, Iakov and Rasate, have openly stated their claim to the title.


Within days, open conflict erupts. Iakov is the first to take arms, but he is also the more isolated, politically, of the two brothers. This will be interesting to watch.



May 891

A clever move from our young Tsar! I'm beginning to warm up to him. Once again my interests correspond to those of the royal house: he gets rid of an annoying vassal at a time when he can't affort having any more opponents, and I gain some more land to rule over – albeit indirectly. I'm sure I'll get on just fine with Prince Gavril... who knew I would one day have a royal prince as my very own vassal?



September 891

As I predicted back in Autumn, Iakov was too isolated to stand up to the Tsar. Frujin's clever political manoeuvers meant that the actual campaign was only a formality in the end; the rebel prince has been put in prison.



January 892

Well, this is annoying. I begin to understand why the Tsar wanted to get rid of Prince Gavril: he's a downright pain, that man! Now he's supporting old Marmais's claim on his former lands... I won't have any of that, royal blood or no royal blood!

Chapter V: Magyar hammers, Roman anvils (892-908)​

July 894

At long last, I have a healthy, normal, well-educated adult son!


Kresimir is no genius, but he's no idiot either, and he has a good heart – although sometimes he is a bit too quick to believe whatever nonsense those priests say. In any case, he needs land to rule; he shall have my old fief of Zagore, whilst I concentrate solely on Ohrid.



October 894

I am a grandfather! My son Petar has had a daughter from his northern wife. Welcome to the House Karvuna, little Tereza Petarova!



May 896

Both good and bad news have arrived from Csanad today. The good news is that my daughter-in-law, Dana, has given birth to my first male grandchild, young Dragoman Petarov!


The bad news, however, is that she died shortly after giving birth. Dragoman is Boyar of Csanad before he's even able to understand the meaning of such a title.


My son is now a widower at 23. Why does there always seem to be a dark cloud enveloping him and all those around him? I hope Tereza and Dragoman are safe, alone with him in that old castle in the mountains of Makedon...


October 896

They're at it again – Magyars! It seems the horse warriors have smelt the weakness of the young Bulgarian Tsar and want to retake Csanad... We have to ride against them immediately!



March 897

Alas! A curse is upon the Karvuna once more! Kresimir was wounded today in the struggle against the Magyars, and he passed away shortly thereafter. He was only 18! What have I done to deserve this? What have we all done?


On this dark day, I decided that someone had to pay for this. I led my men to battle, rage in my heart, and we fought like lions. It might even be that we decided the war for the Tsar: the Magyar Chief Linütika was slain today by Karvuna soldiers!



May 901

Ah, Gavril, Gavril, aren't we having the time of our lives together? You're my last remaining son; Petar I don't count. In my old age, in my solitude, it's only with you I find solace and joy. You shall grow to be a good, kind man, and one day a good ruler.


As soon as you're old enough, you shall have all the land I don't personally need. I have begun to see that a man's happiness bears no relation to his worldly power. You will compensate me for the eternal cause of sorrow that is your elder brother.


November 904

The Romans are coming again!


Old Basileos really wants to go down into history as the man who led the Empire to its greatest period of expansion for a long time, it seems. I'm not sure Frujin is up to the challenge, but we shall help nonetheless...


April 905

My worse fears are confirmed. We are completely unable to stand up to the imperial armies! We are outnumbered two to one at Hvosno. I'm not sure we'll come alive out of this, even...



August 905

A shameful day for Balgariya! The Tsar surrendered all territories in Raška, which the Romans call Thema Rascia. With every campaign that passes my lands in Ohrid look more and more like a frail enclave surroundered by imperial territory...



December 905

I have decided to betroth Gavril to the Sardinian Duca's daughter, Adalasia. Her father is far away and will be of little help in case of troubles, but the emissaries assure me that she is a loving, kind young lady. Gavril's happiness is what really counts.



February 906

Gavril has become a man! Granted, he hardly looks any less shady than his strange elder brother, but in fact I know him to be a simple man like me, one who will make the best of his situation in life and try to help others whenever possible.



August 908

Ha! How ironic! My “demon” son has been imprisoned for spying by... the very head of the Orthodox Church, Patriarch Thomas III. I wonder if some time in the dungeons of Constantinople would cure Petar of his strangeness?

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@Ticket Cookie & Tanngnjost: welcome on board, glad you're enjoying it so far!

@Specialist290 & DensleyBlair: Petar the younger is an interesting character indeed. It's almost a shame I haven't got more control over him! Still, pretty unexpected things happen to him in the next few chapters... hmy:

Chapter VI: Petar's last War (908-913)​

November 908

Disturbing news. Apparently, being imprisoned in Constantinople doesn't prevent Petar from keeping up with the plotting and scheming. He seems to have found a new wife: the daughter of a pagan baron from one of the last Tengri regions in Balgariya... she's even four years older than him! I wonder what he's up to with this...



October 909

A herald from the Tsar has arrived. I wonder what he has to say?


Tsar Frujin of Balgariya and Wallachia! I suppose that does sound quite good. It's only a matter of prestige, though, because Frujin rules over that area already.


March 912

A second grandson! Gavril's Sardinian wife bore him a son today. My son decided to name him Petar in honour of me – how kind!


Meanwhile, another Petar – my troublesome son – seems to have escaped the dungeons of Constantinople. Whether he pulled that off honourably through paying ransom, or whether he resorted to more “unusual” means – whatever may have been up his deep, dark sleeve – I know not.


Avril 912

The familiar sounds of war are coming from the Byzantine border once again. Tsar Frujin has called his subjects to arms in order to retake the lost lands of Raška!


He seems to believe that the new Emperor, Leon VI, will be unable to mobilize the Empire as completely as his glorious father, who recently died at the grand old age of 75. To be completely honest, I don't think we can do this. Ah well, at least it's good on Frujin to try...


July 912

Argh. This hurts!


I was leading my men in the mountain area close to the Makedon border when a stray arrow hit me in the shoulder. The doctors say it should heal given time, but meanwhile I can barely do anything on my own. This war is over as far as I'm concerned...


November 912

Gavril, whom I've made my chancellor, reports that there seems to be an opportunity to claim the lands north of Zagore on the Black Sea coast. I suppose this makes sense: my very name says I should rule there, doesn't it?


I can only assume some ancestor of mine once lived by the Black Sea, perhaps in the heroic times of Khan Krum. Who knows? In any case, Voivode Bernardin is politically isolated and too young and inexperienced to pose much of a problem...


December 912

Terrible news are coming from the south. Frujin's army, having entered imperial territory, has been completely wiped out. This will end in disaster again...



April 913

My wound still hasn't healed; my arm and torso feel weaker than ever, and I can see dark thoughts on the face of my doctors. Only short flashes of happiness remain to me; this morning, for example, I was presented a portrait of my eldest grandson, Dragoman. He seems a handsome young man, and they tell me that, although he is by no means a model of virtue, he does have his good sides. That is enough for me.



July 913

This is the end for me, I can feel it. I can barely move or breathe anymore. Dear Gavril has been with me these last few weeks, and I see resignation and sorrow on his face already. Not a single sign of life has come from my eldest son in these difficult times...

As I contemplate the long years of my life – it is now almost half a century since I was made a Boyar by dear old Boris – I feel heavy, weary. I've spent my life loyally serving three Tsars, fighting Magyars and Romans without fail – to no avail, or so it seems. We Bulgarians have been losing more ground than we have gained, and our southern neighbour is stronger than ever under the second Makedon Emperor...

The future of my family itself is also extremely uncertain. Once I am no more, my estranged son Petar will be head of the House. Whether he is at all suited for this is very dubious; he's been ruling his own lands for a few years now, but this will be something quite different in proportions. At least I hear that his children haven't inherited his... strangeness. Still, a few mistakes or excesses on Petar's part would be enough for the fortunes of the Karvunas to change dramatically – but perhaps it doesn't fall on me anymore to ensure that the House prospers. Perhaps nothing really falls on me anymore... I feel so... weak...

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@Elm0_: thanks for the subscription! I hope you'll enjoy yourself here