Charles I, King of Aaun
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Charles Leopold Alstion was the firstborn child of Leopold John, Prince of Alstion and Victoria Elisabeth de Ravensburg. Upon the death of his father, he became the Prince of Alstion and later in his life in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Harvest Confederacy; he proclaimed himself as the King of Aaun.
Early Life
Charles Alstion was born in Savoy under the care of the Alstreims in castle Merryweather. Charles’ youth was unremarkable, he was kept under watch and key as the Alstreims feared that if any should find out his heritage a quick death for the boy would follow. Ulrich von Alstreim would tutor the young child in the way of rulership, justice and knightly values. The city of San Luciano would be destroyed by a cataclysmic Thanhium fallout in 1863. This devastated the Principality of Savoy, as many high-ranking councilors and leaders of the Principality would die in the destruction. Disillusioned by the crumbling government of Savoy, which was fraught with sibling rivalry and an ailing administration, Charles, accompanied by his father Leopold and their bannermen, traveled to the erupting Orenian heartlands and pledged their support for the Imperial side of the Brothers' War through a public letter in 1868.
The civil war revealed itself to be disastrous for the Imperial faction, as Peter IV would be captured in the Battle of Reutov and subsequently executed by his brother, Frederick, who proclaimed the Holy Orenian Empire dissolved and himself as the first King of a new Orenian Kingdom. During this Imperial collapse, the Alstions fled from the Heartlands with the remaining Loyalists, being guided by the Star of Saint Lothar on their southward journey to form the exilic Grand Duchy of Balian, being one of the founding members of Atrus. For some years, Charles thrived in these southern lands, but an inexplicable force had kept the Alstion desiring to return to the Heartlands, the Prophecy of Horen.
Quietly, Charles returned alone to the Heartlands, avoiding the ire of the Novellenist King, and thus joined the burgeoning Barony of Acre, becoming a forest ranger in the service of the Baron. It was later revealed that Charles' father had long since passed, and he had become the Prince of Alstion, inheriting the ancient Orenian legacy, though this heritage remained a secret and the now Prince kept to his humble life as a farmer and ranger. However, this peace was short lived, as in 1882 the Harvest Revolution began and Charles became a sworn bannerman to the cause - fulfilling his oath of service to Acre.
Baron Gustaf would eventually learn of Charles Alstion's heritage, of which was capitalized upon as another means to assist the Revolution. Subsequently, the Lord of Alba was elevated amidst the ranks of the Revolution, becoming an informal diplomat for its cause and forming great ties with the Reinmaren Minitzers that would later result in their inclusion in the Revolution along with international recognition from the Alstion’s connections.
Two years later, in 1884 the Harvest Revolution was over. The Kingdom of Oren was destroyed and most of its loyalists were stripped of their titles and land. Charles Alstion was however greatly recognized for his service and the Principality of Alstion found itself landed once more along the banks of the River Petra, thus ending the two centuries long exile of the Alstions. Gustaf de Vilain, the now de-facto head of the newly formed Harvest Confederacy and the Heartlands of Man it now governed, would go missing without a trace - presumed kidnapped by dark elves. His son Volker de Vilain succeeded him following a complicated bout of succession involving Gustaf’s brother, but would later march into the Kingdom of Balian, demanding the death of Lucius Galbraith - this backfired immensely as the allies of Balian came to its aid and Volker was soon deposed by Wolfgang de Vilain, a distant scion of their family. It was later rumored that Charles had planned for Volker's foolishness, but the Prince had remained adamant in denying this claim.
As a result, the Confederacy was partitioned and the Harvest Lord's lost faith in the Barons of Acre. Seeing this opportunity, Prince Charles exploited the Acrean political vacuum to maneuver himself as its preeminent leader, having achieved the overwhelming backing of the Barclays of Minitz in this endeavor. With such, the rest of the Lords of the Harvest accepted Charles’ rise to power, and was thus unanimously elected to lead the Confederacy.
Reign (1870 - 1923)
Death and Aftermath
Titles and Styles
- 1849 - Present: His Highness, Charles Leopold, Prince of Alstion
- 1893 - Present His Majesty, Charles I, King of Aaun, Prince of Alstion, Duke of Corazon, Lord of Alba
Issue
| Name | Birth | Death | Marriage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James I, King of Aaun | 1870 | 1937 | Edith of Reinmar | Firstborn child of Charles I and Eleanor of Provins, King of Aaun. |
| Princess Charlotte Henrietta of Aaun, Princess consort of Merryweather | 1877 | Living | Ottomar II, Prince of Merryweather | Secondborn child of Charles I and Eleanor of Provins. |
| Prince Emil Caius, Duke of Balamena | 1878 | 1919 | Lucia Marié de Lewes | Thirdborn child of Charles I and Eleanor of Provins. |
| Princess Anna Lucilla of Aaun | 1883 | 1954 | Sigismond, Count of Varoche | Fourthborn child of Charles I and Eleanor of Provins. |
