Lukas Vanir
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Lukas Vanir (2nd of Snow's Maiden, 1533 - 7th of the Grand Harvest, 1612), known as Lukas the Learned, was a Haeseni soldier, statesman, and philosopher who served as the second Lord Maer of the Haeseni capital of St. Karlsburg, and as the fourth Lord Palatine of Hanseti-Ruska following the resignation of Duke Henry Kovachev.
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Early Years
Lukas was born in the frozen forests of Salvus to Britannus Vanir, the only remaining scion of House Vanir in the aftermath of the Dukes' War, and Emilia Vladov. The family had lost their lands and their home of Kraken's Watch after the war, and so Lukas was brought up in the outskirts of the Kingdom of Salvus, surviving by hunting the little game that lived in the woods. In his personal journals and in records from his later political campaigns, Lukas recalls that these years taught him resilience and determination. He would carry these traits and the lessons of his youth with him when his father retook the Vanir's ancestral lands during the Riga War, with the assistance of Petyr Barbanov and the others in the Carnation League. Despite being too young to actually fight, it was here that Lukas got his first glimpse at the politics of the real world, understanding the nature of power and what drives humans to do what they do, writing in his journal:
Here it is, that my family who lost everything to men we knew and trusted, shall now regain what we lost through the actions of men we hardly know.
It was here that the young Lukas began to form his identity as a supporter of Barbanov and the polity that would soon become Haense. After the passing of his father and the accession of his elder brother Fiske as Baron, he would lobby for further support of and closer ties with Barbanov, a cause that Fiske accepted open-heartedly, given his own friendship to the Barbovic Duke. When the descendants were forced to flee Vailor and migrate to the Isles of Axios, Lukas and Fiske traveled with the Carnatians, swearing fealty to and setting up camp with Duke Petyr. When Emperor John III granted Petyr the Kingdoms of Hanseti and Ruska and bestowed him with land in the north of Axios, Lukas would follow his family and move north to establish the new Margraviate of Vasiland.
Early political career
Advisor to the Margrave
In the new Margraviate, Lukas played a key role as advisor to his brother in both political and military affairs. Lukas was given command over the levy forces of House Vanir, tasked with recruitment, training, and equipping all soldiers sworn to Vanir. In this task, he performed well, employing a qualified officer corps and recruiting local merchants and craftsmen to keep the levy equipped. As commander of the levy, Lukas fought in the War of Orcish Submission, making a name for himself among Haeseni circles. In letters written to his brother, Lukas writes of the war:
The orcs barely put up a fight, leaving only a few defenders to stall our advance while the populace evacuates. With what courage did these uruks attack our Empire with the Axis coalition, when they can hardly defend themselves? Where are their allies now? How quickly old loyalties and friendships are forgotten in the shadow of power and conquest.
Following the end of the war, Lukas resigned as commander of the levy, opting instead to travel the world and sail the seas, hoping to discover new lands and treasures for Haense. Although ultimately unsuccessful in his venture, he returned to Axios in 1588 after eight years at sea with a renewed spirit and sense of duty. He sought for a position in which he could make use of his experience as commander of the Vanir levy, though the absence of a central army and the high barriers to entry in the Karlsburg City Guard officer corps presented few opportunities. Instead, on the advice of his brother and family, Lukas entered the St. Karlsburg's Lord Maer's race of 1591.
Lord Maer of St. Karlsburg
The campaign for Lord Maer was the shortest and most unconventional in Haeseni history, with Lukas' only competitor withdrawing from the race after just one debate. Lukas was sworn in as Lord Maer on the 15th of the Sun's Smile, 1592, and entered office with an ambitious agenda. His first act was to clearly establish travel routes between the Imperial city of Johannesburg and St. Karlsburg, paying carriages to ferry travelers back and forth between the two cities. This travel network became especially useful when the city of Johannesburg was besieged by Coalition forces during the Coalition War. With the capital threatened, there were many in Haense who began question whether the Kingdom should remain loyal to the Empire, or if it should secede and hope to achieve fair terms of peace with the Coalition. As Lord Maer, Lukas would often exchange correspondence with King Marius I, both to keep him informed on the happenings of the city and to offer his opinion on different matters. As a veteran of the Axis war, he believed in the ability of the Empire to overcome the siege and turn the tide of the war, writing:
WIP
Lord Palatine of Hanseti-Ruska
WIP
"Greater Man" Philosophy
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Issue
Name | Birth | Death | Marriage | Notes |
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Astrid Vanir | 1563 | 1608 | Drasko Kovachev | First-born daughter of Lukas and Isabelle. |
Adeline Vanir | 1572 | 1582 | Unwed | Second-born daughter of Lukas and Isabelle. |
Harald Vanir | 1575 | 1599 | Odette Ruthern | First-born son of Lukas and Isabelle.
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