John I, Duke of Carnatia
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Jan Kovachev, known most famously as John of Carnatia, (Common: John Kovacs; High Imperial: Johannes Kovacs; Raevir: Jan Kovachev) (5th of the First Seed, 1480 – 17th of the Sun's Smile, 1573) was Duke of Carnatia from 1546 till his abdication in 1567, as well as most notably serving as general under both John I and his son John II and scoring numerous victories over the Grand Kingdom of Urguan and later the human rebels in the Second Rurikid Uprising and Carnati-Courlander War. He was well known for his longevity even into old age, serving in combat on the field till the ripe age of 85.
Biography
Inheritance as Duke
When Duke Stephen of Carnatia (Jan's grandson through his daughter Milena) died at the young age of 17 in 1546, the succession of the duchy was in crisis. Stephen had three other brothers: Waldemar, Francis, and Lothar, yet neither three were able to inherit (Waldemar was serving in Aeldin and refused to be bounded by the title, Francis had refused outright, and Lothar was in training for priesthood), and with those three unable to inherit, the conflict came to who was next in line to inherit. Some supported the son of the late Duke Siguine of Haense, Petyr Barbanov, however John I refused to have a Barbanov in fear of returned northern unrest, yet majority supported Stephen's grandsire: At the field of Marnadal, Jan Kovachev would be investitured as Duke of Carnatia by John I, and he would later return to the duchy in 1549 after nearly fifteen years of absence while serving on the field.
Issue
Jan never married yet carried a mistress, Henrietta of Marna, from which he legitimized all offspring between the union. Despite herself being of noble blood and the clear bond between the two, they never married. The historian Patrick Rusden accredits this to his father's harsh and often brutal treatment of his late wife and Jan's mother, Katherine, from which Jan swore to never behave as such.
Milena Kovachev, Duchess of Carnatia ( )
Sergei Kovachev ( )
