HISTORICAL MEMOIR OF KING MARIUS I

[Zanthuz 1835]

Spoiler

 

 

KING MARIUS I OF HAENSE

MARUS VAR ANDRIK BARBANOV

MARCIUS FILIUS ANDRIK BARBANOVI

[!] The third Haeseni monarch dressed in his royal garbs

 

@Piov

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PREFACE.

 

“Under the ‘Hereditary Semi-Absolute Monarchy’ that exists in the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, there exists a single monarch that rules from the time of his coronation to the time of his death. 

 

Haense’s third monarch led his Kingdom from the tender age of two till his young death in exile after trudging through great struggle with open war and open rebellion.

 

I like most who read this, wasn't alive to see King Marius rule his sovereign realm but, similar to some I’ve heard a great many stories by those who had relatives who were alive during his reign.

 

In this memoir, you’ll find the beginnings of King Marius’ life, his turn towards marriage, his struggling reign which included many noteworthy achievements and failures that continue to be studied and learned more about.

 

With this chronicle, I seek to dedicate it to the third monarch of Hanseti-Ruska. May you read this and be enlightened on the life of His Majesty, King Marius ‘The Good’.”

 

Sir Viktor Kortrevich.

Korstadt, 1786.

 

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CHILDHOOD.

 

The young princeling was born in the City of St. Karlsburg in the year 1584 in the grand palace of Ottosgrad. As a babe he took to the throne at the mere age of two, remaining under regency until his childhood rendered its end at age fourteen. Marius was fathered by King Andrew and mothered by Queen Reza the second king and first queen in their own right. From the moment he was able to walk to the time he reached the age of majority, Marius took to his studies while under regency which was led by his uncle, Prince Charles. 

 

It is noted that during his childhood he was well-favored amongst his peers which would remain true as he bared the crown of his nation following his turn towards adulthood. 

 

Unlike children his age, his maturity excelled past them as was to be expected when he was befitted the stature of being the third monarch of his Kingdom by just his second year of breath. 

 

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MARRIAGE & FAMILY LIFE.

By the time in which King Marius neared adulthood, a marriage was expected to follow. While history recounts the Queen to be, Adelaide vas Ruthern; many assume the marriage was but superficial and in some accounts believed to be for show. Nevertheless, two sons were brought into the world by the names of Peter and Stephen, the latter of which would be named the successor of King Marius.

 

[!] A painting of Queen Adelaide of Metterden, circa 1605

 

While actual memory of Queen Adelaide remains to be non-existent, it is widely recorded that King Marius similar to his youth was well liked by his people with the inclusion of his royal kinfolk. 

 

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REIGN.

 

At the dawn of his life which coincides with the beginning of his rule, he set the precedent of being the youngest Barbanov ever to become King of Haense in history. Following his late father’s execution by the hands of Emperor Philip by way of boiling of ‘milk’, Marius took to the throne at age two and officially sat upon the throne at age fourteen following his grand coronation. 

 

Twelve long years would stretch on as his uncle, Prince Charles led the Kingdom underneath regency. Without any known issues that arose during regency, King Marius elevated himself to his birthright position as he reached his fourteenth name day.

Transference from regency to proper rule came as a result of Prince Charles’ death during the first battle led against the Coalition. While Marius was dubbed ‘The Good’ by his reign’s end, it is known that the Coalition against the Holy Orenian Empire, the Brawm Rebellion and ultimately the Great Northern War placed severe suffering for the young King.

 

The Coalition War ensued as the Axionite forces slowly moved towards victory, as an immediate result the Hanseti-Ruska Crown expedited their forces into retreat as they declared for autonomy. A few short winters passed along, and the Holy Orenian Empire as it was known dissolved and saw formal recognition by Urguan. From that point, King Marius ruled as an independent King in the North. During the brief period where Haense saw independence, they disbanded vassal levies, reduced vassal fiefdoms, and imposed vassal taxes.

 

These taxes imposed by King Marius saw some resistance from houses like Amador; ‘The Memoirs of Alywin Blaxton’ perfectly reveal the baronial house’s perspective on King Marius’ reign. 

 

Following the abrupt dissolution of Oren, King Marius was declared the Defender of the Faith by High Pontiff Daniel IV. King Marius remains to be the first and only king to be declared the ‘Defender of the Faith’ by the Cannonist Church.

 

Shortly after the Coalition War saw its final end, the House of Barbanov and the House of Brawm saw increasing tension following the aftermath of balkanization. The Siege of Houndsden followed suit in the early year of 1600. The Siege lasted some months before defectors within the Brawm household grew in number, as a result King Marius and his royal commanders ordered for the Royal Army to close in on seizing and destroying the Brawm keep.

 

During the twenty-year long reign of the third monarch, it is widely understood that Marius saw more transgressions against his Kingdom. As a precautionary measure, King Marius travelled to the Kingdom of the Westerlands and requested to form a military alliance, but to no avail as their King, Caius I declined because they were preoccupied with the fight against daemons at the edge of the world.

 

Just a year following the end of the Siege of Houndsden, Prince Meric of Courland saw perish in Haense. At the time, King Tobias of Courland quickly assumed this was an act of aggression and would soon issue an ultimatum to the young King. To no avail though, as Marius himself issued an ultimatum of his own. In an illicit attempt to settle the growing tensions between the two Kingdoms, Princess Annabelle of Courland made her ways upon the Haeseni walls before promptly being captured and placed into custody by Marius’ command.

 

It was this act alone that led the Duke of Marna to negotiate for her release, which led to his prompt assasination. These disguised attempts to settle the ever-growing tensions between the two vast Kingdoms resulted in no compromise which would soon lead the two into the Great Northern War.

 

The Battle of Elba was the first battleground in which both Kingdoms’ forces met, unfortunately Haense’s forces clashed with that of Courland and quickly fell to defeat. Peace was offered by the Courlandic adversaries but, due to the inner workings of said peace offering the Kingdom of Haense swiftly refused. 

 

The war continued to rage forth as Haense suffered yet another crushing defeat at the Siege of Vasiland, which allowed for Courland to be in close proximity to Haense’s capital city of St. Karlsburg. With no other choice at play, King Marius settled to spare his capital and people. Marius capitulated before issuing a formal surrenderance to the Kingdom of Courland. The complete dissolution of the Kingdom of Haense followed and the division of its former lands were divided between Courland and Urguan.

 

From that point on, the royal household of Barbanov sought refuge in the Kingdom of Mardon where they lived in exile for the remaining years of their lives until House Barbanov saw a turn for a new page, and a new beginning.

 

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AULIC COUNCIL.

 

Under every Haeseni monarch since the dawn of this Kingdom’s rise to authority, there exists an Aulic Council which consists of a variety of lords and ladies most-worthy of said specified position. During the third monarch’s reign, King Marius had a small Aulic council which can be listed here:

 

• Lord Chancellor- Charles Bihar, Henrik Kovachev, Lucas Vanir  
• Lord Marshal- Henry-Otto Bihar
• Lord Steward- Cassian Colborn
• General- Eric Ruthern, Andrew Kovachev

 

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DEATH.

 

After the aftermath of the Great Northern War, Marius and his known household sought refuge in the Kingdom of Mardon. Seven years had passed since his Kingdom fell to the Courlandic tyrants, and as a result Marius exuded melancholic tendencies to which he became voraciously dependent on alcohol. This would lead the young monarch to an early grave in 1611 at the age of twenty-seven as he sailed a final day at sea off the coasts of Mardon.

 

 

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Published by Baruch & Kortrevich Publishing

Written by Viktor Kortrevich

Public Record found at the NGS Museum

[argonian 12836]

“Let two Courlandic nobles be murdered in cold blood, had a princess kidnapped, and then declared war, his second war of aggression, and he’s ‘The Good’? I don’t even want to hear about what ‘The Bad’ king did in that case.” says Conrad.