CK2 Succession Games: Habsburg & d'Ibelin

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> > Adolf "the Great" von Habsburg < <
King of Finland
Duke of Austria, Tyrol, & Upper Burgundy
Count of Österreich, Znojmo, Steiermark (1152-1208), Tirol, Innsbruck, Passau (1152-1204), Kärnten, Ösel and Aargau
Steward of the Holy Roman Empire
Born 17 February, 1142 : Died 16 August, 1211 (Aged 69 years)
Reigned: 12 March, 1152 - 16 August, 1211 (59 years)


Adolf the Great, at the height of his abilities.


At the age of 10, Adolf, son of Otto, inherited the most powerful Duke-electorate of the Holy Roman Empire: Austria. For three generations, the fortunes of the Habsburg dynasty had grown through right and conquest as his military-minded ancestors carved out a kingdom in all but name across the empire's southern marches.

Indeed, Adolf himself seemed to be shaping up to follow in his father's footsteps as a great commander of men, but his Chancellor-regent, the Count Salvatore of Grisons, had other plans. Filling the court with great men of ability from across the known world, Count Salvatore was determined to mold his young ward into a worldly eclectic, effective ruler instead of a military strongman to reign with an iron fist, like his father and grandfather: the great generals Walram von Schwyz & Ambroos Flamens, the strong fighter Goubert de Hauteville, the young master of numbers Photios of Blachernae...by these men and more, Adolf saw himself tutored by the best minds and peers the modern world had on offer, and he excelled in his studies.




Adolf also inherited his father's wars, though they ended quickly enough; the war over the county of Chur with Swabia ended quickly enough in Austria's favor, further expanding the realm. Any further ambitions were soon halted, however, as his Uncle-Emperor soon passed laws further restricting the freedoms of his vassals by making intra-empire wars illegal as he consolidated further power to the throne. Adolf begrudgingly accepted the new norms.

Truly, he became accustomed to them fairly quickly, having not inherited his father's grand, sweeping ambitions. With a new era of peace sweeping the empire, Adolf spent much of his time socializing, inviting many of his vassals and other lords for feasts and attending others' in kind. He married Marina, princess of Leon, and forged Austria's first external ally. Nearly always at court in Austria, Adolf earned many friends and had that which was so rare amongst his contemporaries: a happy marriage. All in all, Adolf's early reign remained very peaceful, and the realm - and his coffers - prospered under his management.




Adolf wasn't a zealot, by medieval standards, but he was a good God-fearing Christian, so when a peddler selling a holy relic - the finger of Saint Thomas - came to his gates shortly after the birth of his daughter Elisabeth, he of course had to have it. God might not have been too happy with greedy moneymakers attaching prices to the holy bodyparts of his disciples, though, as he quickly came down with a deep, unexplainable illness that wracked his body and left him bedridden for a year. Thankfully, eventually, Adolf made a slow recovery, though the illness was to have dire and lasting effects later in his life.

God's punishment was not to leave him. Just like his father, the he suffered uncertain succession; though he loved his daughter very much, he really wanted a son to pass along his family name. However, despite many attempts, the couple failed to produce more children. Though he loves his wife, this troubled and stressed him deeply, the constant pressure of producing an heir eventually taking a toll on his health. In an effort to relax himself, he took up hunting, and for a while, he felt better. He bought a wonderful little hunting dog named Dennis, and being out in the wilds of the forest, so peaceful, made him forget for a time his woes...even if he was actually a pretty bad hunter, just being out made him feel good.

But then, he saw her, the young temptress Kunigunde. All alone in the woods she lived, yet she was a right beauty like he had never seen. And smart, too! Asking for the pleasure of his company, Adolf could only oblige, and they enjoyed each other's company in her cabin, talking at length until sundown. Of course, one simply cannot travel through the forest at night. Surely it's okay to just spend the night, until the light of day makes travel safe again...




A year and a half later, while attending to the business of ruling his realm, Adolf received a most peculiar missive from Pope Anastasius. Apparently, he was declaring a holy crusade for the most troubled land of Finland. Now, Anastasius was a wicked person, a most sinful and decadent pope and much of the Catholic world resented him. However, he was still Pope and, for all his sins, still spoke for God, so while other rulers ignored the call to arms, Adolf pledged his support, drawing up his levies and personally leading his armies north through Sweden, accompanied by his trusted general Stephen and his marshal, Walram. Deus Vult!

After a year, Adolf finally stood on the shores of Finland, that great heathen and wild land, full of murderous tribesmen. The war, however, didn't last very long after that; while the Finns and their allies fought bravely, theye were, after all just heathen hordes, and the larger, well-trained armies of Adolf easily repulsed them, occupying vast swaths of the Bothnian coast. It was only a matter of time before Finland came under the control of the crusading armies.




Nothing could be gained without tragedy, as, still in the middle of handing out titles to newly conquered land to many of his loyal servants and retainers, having just returned to court in Vienna, Adolf learned that his most loyal and trusted marshal, the man who had served as head of his armies since he was but a child, Walram was assassinated by the bite of an asp, placed in his chambers by a traitorous chambermaid paid off by the Count Siegfried of Schwyz.

Even though the maid was "dealt with," Walram was a friend, a fellow crusader, a man with whom Adolf had broken bread and shed blood. He was livid. Such a slight demanded vengeance - no, justice. Merely days later, he drafted a missive, declaring war once more on the duchy of Swabia over the county of Schwyz, ignoring his liege's laws. It didn't matter to him...only Siegfried's blood could quench his wrath now.




The war ended after three years, forcing Swabia to relinquish the county to Adolf, but the struggle wasn't over; Count Siegfried knew exactly what was in store for him, and immediately raised his armies in rebellion. Of course, his struggle was fruitless as none could stand alone against the might of Austria and the rebellion was soon crushed, with Sigismond captured, stripped of his title, and locked in the deepest, darkest hole in the dungeons of Vienna to rot and die.

Oh sure, he could ask God for forgiveness, but Adolf had none to give. In fact, even the utter destruction of Siegfried could not quench his bloodthirst, which came pouring out like a river through a freshly-broken dam; Adolf's armies marched across all the southern extents of the empire as he pressed the claims of his vassals and courtiers and expanded his realm. From Nordgau, to Monferrato to Kärnten, Adolf became as Death, destroyer of worlds.

Eventually, his rage calmed when he received word that his daughter, Elisabeth, would be married to the heir of Castille, and that they would be taking her name. Such happy news!




Also, a Kitty!




For the next couple years, the life of Adolf quieted down as he resumed taking an active role in ruling his realm and in attending to the affairs of the Empire as steward of the HRE. Adolf "the Great" soon became known as a just and wise ruler, loved by both his people and his vassals. However, the illness he received earlier in his life returned, leaving him bedridden and infirm once more...but this time, his mind slowly deteriorated over the course of several weeks. On good days, he was still his old self, wise and quick of thought, but on his worst days, it was as if someone had drained him of both his mind and his will, and he became a husk of a man staring blankly at the floor. Eventually, when the bad days started outnumbering the good, he was forced to sign away rulership to his regent.

Adolf, aged 45, retired from the court and the public eye, spending most of his time with his pets.




Aw, no, not Kitty! Adolf probably didn't notice, but his wife Marina at least knew of his love for the kitty, and pressed for a proper stately court funeral for the thing. It's what Adolf would have wanted, surely.

The King reigned in name, at least, for another 24 years, oblivious to the intrigues of the world around him, though the intrigues did not forget about him. He was oblivious when the inheritance of Castille for which he had labored earlier fell through as its excommunicated King was deposed by French interests. He was oblivious, too, when his old steward rewrote the laws to make the vassals of Finland all but autonomous. He wasn't as oblivious when his new steward, his own son, started taking money from the treasury, the KING's treasury, to give to the poor and needy, but what was there to do?

At least his wife Marina had his back, even after all these years. While Adolf's son stole the county of Passau from his father with a forged writ, Marina had his wife imprisoned and executed for plotting to kill her husband. In retaliation, their son stole Steiermark from his father, transferring it to himself. Surely all this drama would have been interesting to witness, were Adolf not busy petting the head of his aging dog while rocking back and forth in the corner of his room.

His son, at least, was a capable steward, just as Adolf had taught him to be. Under his care, many new constructions were began: the cities of Imst, Formback, Lienz, & Aargau all were built and incorporated in the twilight hours of Adolf's rule.

Not even Adolf could rule forever. Sickly, infirm, and incapable, Adolf nevertheless left a long and lasting legacy upon the history of the Habsburg family, and the history of Europe. He died in his sleep at the age of 69, to be succeeded by his only begotten son, Adolf.