Eternity RPC Board
12-30-2016, 01:22 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-02-2017, 03:46 PM by Seperallis.)
Previously posted by Flo in the old thread.
> > Otto II "the Confessor" von Hapsburg < <
Duke of Austria, Tyrol and Upper Burgundy
Count of Österreich, Znojmo, Steiermark, Tirol, Innsbruck, Passau and Aargau
Marshall of the Holy Roman Empire
Commander of Armies in the Holy Roman Empire
Born 14 July, 1089: Died 12 March, 1152
![[Image: QvNu9ly.png]](http://i.imgur.com/QvNu9ly.png)
Otto II was a man who thoroughly loved war, and everything about it. A man who had a great vision, for a crown.
Some say his love for war came from his grandfather, though Otto II was considerably more adept than his ancestor. Otto claimed his love came from young days on horseback with old grandfather Werner, who would tell him tales of old battles and ancient generals. Otto had determined, from a young age, that he would follow in the footsteps of these ancient leaders, and would someday be considered one himself. His military career would be spent serving his liege, the Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire. Otto spent much of this time training troops for his liege in Luxembourg. But all the while, Otto was pulling the strings back in Österreich, through his adept council.
His ambition knew no bounds, and Otto determined that he would be destined to be the Holy Roman Empires first king. Already the most powerful elector-duke, becoming King was the next logical step, Otto believed. Alas, ambition rarely goes unchallenged, and the son of his fathers enemy and cousin, the Duke of Bavaria, stood in his way. Duke Rudolf of Bavaria assumed the throne of his duchy only a year after Otto assumed the thrones of Austria and Upper Burgundy, and so the two would develop a heated rivalry. Otto, ever the aggressor, took advantage of his superiority over the newly crowned Duke Rudolf, and within the next decade, would seize Innsbruck from the Bavarian demesne. Otto was not yet finished, and already put plans into motion, sending his chancellor, the count of Neuchatel, to discover, or create, documents giving Otto rightful claim for several key locations presently lorded over by the Bavarian Duke. In time, he would also seize the counties of Salzburg and Tirol from the Bavarian Duchy.
Sadly, Otto had troubles with succession. His eldest son, who would be the third Otto to rule Austria and Upper Burgundy, chose instead a life of faith and simplicity, becoming a monk in Bohemia, where he went by the name Ota. Following his training in Bohemia, Ota returned to found a monastery in Österreich, where the finest lager in the province was brewed. With Ota removed from succession plans, the crown fell to Otto's youngest son, the infant Schwanz, who had already proved to be Otto's favorite son, his estranged monk of an eldest son removed from his father's concerns. Tragically Schwanz would not live past two, as he was taken by an unknown illness. With both of Otto's sons either dead or estranged, the crown fell to Gerberga, the eldest daughter and would be Duchess. Gerberga was a charitable and kind soul, who found interest in counting coins and managing accounts. Her husband, Prince Konrad of the Holy Roman Empire, was married in matrilineal fashion, and Otto gave up on the prospect of a son succeeding him, though that wouldn't stop him from bedding a new wife, after his first died.
Fortuitously, Gerberga's husband, Prince Konrad, would be declared Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire in 1132, providing much prestige for the would-be Duchess. The first son of Geberga, named after her late brother Schwanz, was born prior to this, but would be the first of the Hapsburgs to have blood-claims to the Holy Roman Empire.
Throughout Otto's life, he found himself in possession of large sums of money. In his zealotry Otto often found it fit to donate surplus funds to the various holy orders, so that they may fight the infidel across Christendom.
In 1138, Ota, the once heir of the Duchies of Austria and Upper Burgundy, the monk and estranged son of Duke Otto II, died, at age 30. The young man died on a journey to the monastery in Bohemia where he learned his trade. While on the path, he stumbled, falling into a river where he promptly drowned, caught in his monks robes. Otto II shed a single tear, wondering what could have been of his son, had he chosen a different path.
Otto, prepared to wage war against his cousin Rudolf yet again, was hampered by the crown laws set in place by his son in law. When civil war was waged to lower the crowns authority, Otto stood by and watched, prepared to wage war as his son-in-law faced a superior enemy in his angry subjects. His impatience grew with age. Once a kind soul, Otto had grown to be more angry and wrathful, before eventually his kindness was but a distant memory. The crown laws hindered Otto continuously, as he saw his rival and cousin, as well as his daughter, die in quick succession. Now, Burchard, a simple child, was duke of Bavaria, and Otto had his chance to claim the entire duchy, but the crown laws continued to hamper him. The civil war waged on, and it soon became clear that the rebellious subjects would see victory, which brought pleasure to Otto's old soul.
In 1142, Otto's luck turned, as the civil war ended, greatly lowering the crown authority in the HRE, and a son was born. At the ripe old age of forty-three, Mechtild, Otto's second wife, gave him a new son, Adolf, who surely would inherit. The war against Bavaria was quick and decisive, and soon Tirol and Salzburg were under the enlightened rule of Otto II of Austria and Upper Burgundy. During the war, his chancellor "discovered" documents validating his claim to the county of Aquileia. A short war later and it was in his demesne. Though a powerful duke-elector on assuming the throne, Otto II was now nearly over half as powerful as his son-in-law and liege,Kaiser Konrad II.
This power gave Otto II confidence. After constructing a new church in Österreich, dubbing it Sankt Polten, he was given the name "the Confessor". Though not a legendary administrator, Otto II increased the centralized power of the Duchy, and his reforms allowed for a larger demesne than previously held. After a few brief wars, the Duchy of Tyrol came under the control of Otto II, connecting his two realms for the first time.
Alas, before Otto II could gain control of the last de jure county of Tyrol, he went to be with the lord, at the ripe old age of sixty-two. Otto II then passed on his title to his surviving son, now Duke Adolf I von Hapsburg, who would be given all of his fathers titles, as well as his fathers size-able fortune. Along with the titles and riches came his fathers dream, of an Austrian Kingdom. Little Adolf had his work cut out for him, however, as his uncle, the Emperor, surely would like to cut down the strongest duke-elector, and the heir to the empire, his other uncle, would surely wish to do the same. Would little Adolf's Aunts claim their original birthright?
![[Image: JM79szZ.png]](http://i.imgur.com/JM79szZ.png)
> > Otto II "the Confessor" von Hapsburg < <
Duke of Austria, Tyrol and Upper Burgundy
Count of Österreich, Znojmo, Steiermark, Tirol, Innsbruck, Passau and Aargau
Marshall of the Holy Roman Empire
Commander of Armies in the Holy Roman Empire
Born 14 July, 1089: Died 12 March, 1152
Otto II was a man who thoroughly loved war, and everything about it. A man who had a great vision, for a crown.
Some say his love for war came from his grandfather, though Otto II was considerably more adept than his ancestor. Otto claimed his love came from young days on horseback with old grandfather Werner, who would tell him tales of old battles and ancient generals. Otto had determined, from a young age, that he would follow in the footsteps of these ancient leaders, and would someday be considered one himself. His military career would be spent serving his liege, the Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire. Otto spent much of this time training troops for his liege in Luxembourg. But all the while, Otto was pulling the strings back in Österreich, through his adept council.
His ambition knew no bounds, and Otto determined that he would be destined to be the Holy Roman Empires first king. Already the most powerful elector-duke, becoming King was the next logical step, Otto believed. Alas, ambition rarely goes unchallenged, and the son of his fathers enemy and cousin, the Duke of Bavaria, stood in his way. Duke Rudolf of Bavaria assumed the throne of his duchy only a year after Otto assumed the thrones of Austria and Upper Burgundy, and so the two would develop a heated rivalry. Otto, ever the aggressor, took advantage of his superiority over the newly crowned Duke Rudolf, and within the next decade, would seize Innsbruck from the Bavarian demesne. Otto was not yet finished, and already put plans into motion, sending his chancellor, the count of Neuchatel, to discover, or create, documents giving Otto rightful claim for several key locations presently lorded over by the Bavarian Duke. In time, he would also seize the counties of Salzburg and Tirol from the Bavarian Duchy.
Sadly, Otto had troubles with succession. His eldest son, who would be the third Otto to rule Austria and Upper Burgundy, chose instead a life of faith and simplicity, becoming a monk in Bohemia, where he went by the name Ota. Following his training in Bohemia, Ota returned to found a monastery in Österreich, where the finest lager in the province was brewed. With Ota removed from succession plans, the crown fell to Otto's youngest son, the infant Schwanz, who had already proved to be Otto's favorite son, his estranged monk of an eldest son removed from his father's concerns. Tragically Schwanz would not live past two, as he was taken by an unknown illness. With both of Otto's sons either dead or estranged, the crown fell to Gerberga, the eldest daughter and would be Duchess. Gerberga was a charitable and kind soul, who found interest in counting coins and managing accounts. Her husband, Prince Konrad of the Holy Roman Empire, was married in matrilineal fashion, and Otto gave up on the prospect of a son succeeding him, though that wouldn't stop him from bedding a new wife, after his first died.
Fortuitously, Gerberga's husband, Prince Konrad, would be declared Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire in 1132, providing much prestige for the would-be Duchess. The first son of Geberga, named after her late brother Schwanz, was born prior to this, but would be the first of the Hapsburgs to have blood-claims to the Holy Roman Empire.
Throughout Otto's life, he found himself in possession of large sums of money. In his zealotry Otto often found it fit to donate surplus funds to the various holy orders, so that they may fight the infidel across Christendom.
In 1138, Ota, the once heir of the Duchies of Austria and Upper Burgundy, the monk and estranged son of Duke Otto II, died, at age 30. The young man died on a journey to the monastery in Bohemia where he learned his trade. While on the path, he stumbled, falling into a river where he promptly drowned, caught in his monks robes. Otto II shed a single tear, wondering what could have been of his son, had he chosen a different path.
Otto, prepared to wage war against his cousin Rudolf yet again, was hampered by the crown laws set in place by his son in law. When civil war was waged to lower the crowns authority, Otto stood by and watched, prepared to wage war as his son-in-law faced a superior enemy in his angry subjects. His impatience grew with age. Once a kind soul, Otto had grown to be more angry and wrathful, before eventually his kindness was but a distant memory. The crown laws hindered Otto continuously, as he saw his rival and cousin, as well as his daughter, die in quick succession. Now, Burchard, a simple child, was duke of Bavaria, and Otto had his chance to claim the entire duchy, but the crown laws continued to hamper him. The civil war waged on, and it soon became clear that the rebellious subjects would see victory, which brought pleasure to Otto's old soul.
In 1142, Otto's luck turned, as the civil war ended, greatly lowering the crown authority in the HRE, and a son was born. At the ripe old age of forty-three, Mechtild, Otto's second wife, gave him a new son, Adolf, who surely would inherit. The war against Bavaria was quick and decisive, and soon Tirol and Salzburg were under the enlightened rule of Otto II of Austria and Upper Burgundy. During the war, his chancellor "discovered" documents validating his claim to the county of Aquileia. A short war later and it was in his demesne. Though a powerful duke-elector on assuming the throne, Otto II was now nearly over half as powerful as his son-in-law and liege,Kaiser Konrad II.
This power gave Otto II confidence. After constructing a new church in Österreich, dubbing it Sankt Polten, he was given the name "the Confessor". Though not a legendary administrator, Otto II increased the centralized power of the Duchy, and his reforms allowed for a larger demesne than previously held. After a few brief wars, the Duchy of Tyrol came under the control of Otto II, connecting his two realms for the first time.
Alas, before Otto II could gain control of the last de jure county of Tyrol, he went to be with the lord, at the ripe old age of sixty-two. Otto II then passed on his title to his surviving son, now Duke Adolf I von Hapsburg, who would be given all of his fathers titles, as well as his fathers size-able fortune. Along with the titles and riches came his fathers dream, of an Austrian Kingdom. Little Adolf had his work cut out for him, however, as his uncle, the Emperor, surely would like to cut down the strongest duke-elector, and the heir to the empire, his other uncle, would surely wish to do the same. Would little Adolf's Aunts claim their original birthright?