The Balsic family, in the power vacuum created in the southwestern Balkans with the death of Serbian monarch Stefan Dushan, has established a new power center along the Adriatic near Lake Scutari, reviving the eleventh-century kingdom of Doclea, now known as Zeta, and in 1371 declares it an independent principality.
Đurađ, the eldest of the three sons of Balša I, announces to the Republic of Ragusa that he, Vukašin Mrnjavčević and his son, Marko, along with their armies, are in Scutari, preparing an attack on Nikola Altomanović.
Ragusa assists their campaign by providing ships to transport men and supplies, since their campaign is in Ragusa's interest.
However, the campaign never takes place, as Vukašin and Marko go to aid Vukašin's brother, Jovan Uglješa, in a campaign against the Turks, which ends in total disaster, Vukašin and Uglješa and their army being wiped out in the Battle of Maritsa.
