Sigismund III of Haense
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Sigismund Karl Barbanov-Bihar (Common: Sigismund Charles; New Marian: Siegmund Karl), (1815-Present), regally known as Sigismund III is the nineteenth King of Hanseti-Ruska and the first born son of King Heinrik II and Mariya of Aurveldt.
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Early Life (1815-1838)
Sigismund Karl Barbanov-Bihar was born on the 9th of the Deep Cold, 1815, in the capital of Haense, the Royal City of Karosgrad, as the eldest son to Heinrik II thus making him the Grand Prince of Kusoraev, the heir apparent to the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska. Some months after his birth, Sigismund’s mother, Queen Mariya, was mysteriously murdered in the King’s office in 1815, however this was later revealed over a decade later to be a convoluted means to end her marriage and escape to the Orenian Empire by faking her death.
During his early childhood, Sigismund was noted as being a recluse and rarely in the public light, instead keeping to the Royal apartments of the Nikirala Palace. Whether this was done at the behest of his father, for fear of losing his son similarly to Queen Mariya, or if it came around due to Sigismund’s own wishes, is unclear but it undoubtedly had an effect on the future King. Due to his limited access to the wider world, Sigismund had few childhood friends besides his own sister, Princess Petra, to whom he was incredibly close to throughout his entire life. With the kind princess being his primary source of companionship, and with little influence of his stern father on him as he was busy with rulership, Sigismund grew up a far more temperate figure than King Heinrik II.
Education
Sigismund received an education befitting a future King, being taught extensively in the subjects of politics, history, warfare, stewardship, and theology. Under the tutelage of future Grand Maer and Aulic Envoy Feodor May primarily, Sigismund progressed well with all his lessons, being an especially studious child and showing a great aptitude for writing himself, being able to convey himself well in the written word from an early age.
By far Sigismund’s favourite topic of study was history, but not for the academic practice of it. Instead he enjoyed the stories it told of bygone ages and the romanticisation of tales, taking a particular interest in the retellings of knights, folk stories and legends. Sigismund brought his passion for these into constructive changes and literary works later in his life once he was King of Hanseti-Ruska.
Though not an especially gifted swordsman himself, Sigismund was trained by one of the finest of his generation, Ailred, Duke of Vidaus, in the later half of his childhood after getting a late start. With the late Duke’s guidance, Sigismund became a capable enough swordsman and tactician, putting both to show during his reign later during the Urguani-Orenian War.
Reign
Sigismund became the King of Hanseti-Ruska at the age of twenty-three following the abdication of his father, Heinrik II, in the ‘Edict of Abdication of 391 E.S’[1] in 1838, the second time ever a King of Hanseti-Ruska has abdicated and the first time for non-illness related reasons. Whilst an unusual occurrence, and potentially problematic for Sigismund that a former King still lived to be a claimant to his new throne, Sigismund was accepted very quickly and with little controversy being widely more popular than his controversial father. Sigismund III’s coronation took place in the Basilica of Saint Henrik by High Pontiff Everard VI in 1840.[2]
Early Reign (1838-1849)
Sigismund III’s first act as King was to put to use the system his father had all but ignored, petitioning the nobility and gentry of Haense to send their sons to serve as pages below him in a notice from the Nikirala Palace[3] in 1838. This eased Sigismund’s transition into ruler as he not only came to know a number of current and future peers after his reclusive childhood but also gained favour amongst them for taking nobles from their families under his wing. Notably, Sigismund put on show the staunch difference from his father, where he was stern and cold, Sigismund displayed compassion by taking Mariya Vyronov as a page. This was unusual due to her family’s relegation from nobility to commoner the previous year and a large departure from the norm for an acceptable squire. Later in his reign, Sigismund began incorporating this system of pages into the ranks of the knightly Order of the Crow as squires, many of whom he trialed and taught personally.
The Haelun'orian War
Despite not yet being coronated, the young King immediately set off to establish a new strategy to face the Silver State of Haelun'or. It had been years since the Brotherhood of Saint Karl had seen any action against the Silver State, and many began to wonder how they were to fight the Haelun'orians if they would not come out to face them. As a result, Sigismund called upon the Duma of Haense to assemble and come together with a new strategy to continue the fight against Haelun'or in a meaningful matter.
While the assembled Duma did not come to an immediate conclusion about the exact strategy to take against the Haelun'orians, the new King was fully aware that the war with Haelun'or needed to be ended in a Haeseni victory. Grim news reached the court of the King, as word had arrived that the Principality of Savoy, a dominant power in the south of Almaris, had just vassalized the Silver State of Haelun'or. While this did not immediately mean war between Savoy and Haense, it made the new King more determined to find a way to win the war sooner than later, and hopefully before Savoyard intervention.
Eventually, following a series of peace negotiations between Haense, Urguan, and Savoy, the Silver State of Haelun'or would surrender to the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska and the Grand Kingdom of Urguan. Haelun'or would concede the sum of 10,000 minas to Haense, and the land containing and surrounding the Haelun'orian vassal of ando Alur to Urguan, along with a formal apology for past insults against the two victorious states.
The Northern War
The Northern War, called by most as the Nyrheim Northern War, had already been raging on since before Sigismund had ascended to the Crown. The previous administration under his Father had began to take steps to try and prevent the Svarling advance, but now Sigismund directly ordered his Meyster Knight Reinhardt Barclay to lead a detachment of Knights and BSK soldiers north to defend the Fennic Remnant from an imminent Svarling attack. This effort would come to fruition, as the Haeseni force arrived just in time to support the Norlandic and Fennic forces.
W.I.P
The Urguani-Orenian War
W.I.P
Titles, Styles and Honors
- 1815-1837: His Royal Highness, Sigismund Karl, Grand Prince of Kusoraev
- 1837-Present: His Royal Majesty, Sigismund III, King of Hanseti-Ruska
Full title as King of Hanseti-Ruska
The official title of Sigismund III are: His Royal Majesty Sigismund III, by the Grace of Godan King of Hanseti and Ruska, Defender of the Faith, Grand Hetman of the Army, Prince of Bihar, Dules, Lahy, Muldav, Solvesborg, Slesvik and Ulgaard, Duke of Carnatia and Vanaheim, Margrave of Korstadt, Rothswald and Vasiland, Count of Alban, Alimar, Baranya, Graiswald, Karikhov, Karovia, Kaunas, Kavat, Kovachgrad, Kvasz, Markev, Nenzing, Torun, and Toruv, Viscount of Varna, Baron of Esenstadt, Kraken’s Watch, Kralta, Krepost, Lorentz, Rytsburg, Thurant, Venzia and Astfield, Lord of the Westfolk, Protector of the Highlanders, etcetera.
Issue
| Name | Birth | Death | Marriage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edvard Arjen, Grand Prince of Kusoraev | 1841 | 1841 | Unwed | Firstborn son of Sigismund III. |
| Princess Klara Elizaveta, Duchess of Baranya | 1843 | Aluve | Unwed | Firstborn daughter of Sigismund III. |
| Karl Sigmar, Grand Prince of Kusoraev | 1846 | Alive | Unwed | Secondborn son of Sigismund III. Twin to Prince Sergei. |
| Prince Sergei Aleksandr, Duke of Rothswald | 1846 | Alive | Unwed | Thirdborn son of Sigismund III. Twin to Grand Prince Karl. |
| Prince Josef Frederik, Duke of Schattenburg | 1849 | Alive | Unwed | Fourthborn son of Sigismund III. |
| Princess Maya Ceciliya, Duchess of Kreden | 1852 | Alive | Unwed | Secondborn daughter of Maric. |
