Venitius
Count
The Reign of Iohann I
A year after the great Hälmarian victory at the Battle of the Hyrmadon River in 759, the King of the Hälmarians, Magnus VIII died. And so his son, nicknamed "The Blade of Hyrmadon" ascended to the Throne in Heranthis, the ancestral Capital of the Hälmarians. Wielding Lacrimosa as his sword of state, and carrying an orb, the young prince was crowned "Iohann I, King of Hälmar and Lord of Hilmirfjall".
The beginning of his rule was not very successful. Due to many men being killed in the previous war, and many villages looted, the King of Halmar had to attempt to raise the morale of his people. The victory at Hyrmadon River and his coronation only kept up morale for so long. Iohann decided to fund the reconstruction of raided villages and aid families without a man able to work with the Royal Treasury.
He also increased taxes that the Nobility had to pay, established feudal taxes, and demanded taxes on anything he or his ancestors had given away. The nobility became increasingly angry at the new king, until two barons decided to rebel against him. The King quickly marched to face the rebels by assembling his veterans, including Gutenviem's skirmishers, which would later form the Light Brigade. Even to the reign of Iohann IV, the Light Brigade still exists and is commanded by a Gutenviem. The King fought the rebels at Pelendale Ridge, in 762, and routed a force of 10,000 rebels.
After 10 years, the Hälmarian economy was as it was before the war. Deciding to expand the territories of the Kingdom, he attacked the Southern Baronies of Bermia, who had formed a separate state from the other baronies of Bermia. He attacked the Southern Baronies' army at Mount Ferathonian, where he was forced to attack a fortified position. It was a crushing defeat for the Bermianese. The Hälmarians lost less than 5,000 men. He then defended his newly-annexed territory against the Northern Bermianese barons at the Siege of Fort Carolus. Iohann marched triumphantly into the Southern Bermianese captial, Fransaborg, which was the capital of the Southern Baronies of Bermia, in July 772.
With the western border secure and the Bermianese forced to pay a tribute, the victorious king marched to conquer some territories to the east of the Hälmarian lands. At the battle of Taynag, the King recieved an arrow to the cheek (well, under the eye at least). He survived the wound and commanded the battle for another half hour with an arrow sticking out of his face and won the battle. He then fell unconscious. So for 3 days the king lay on the surgeon's table, while the surgeons attempted to pull the arrow (which came in at a difficult angle) out. He managed to pull through, thanks to the Royal surgeon, his commanders (who held him down on the table), the Royal brewer (whose vintages kept the King quiet) and his troops (who encouraged him outside of the tent). However, he was scarred for life. In celebration of him surviving, Iohann married his chancellor's daughter and she gave birth to a son 2 years later. She later gave birth to 2 daughters and another son.
The next few years of his reign were uneventful. There were a couple of small bandit rebellions, and the like. He then started cutting the extra taxes the nobles had to pay due to the fact that Hälmar's economy was improving. The country was at peace. Until 779.
Yet another clan from the north decided to attack the Kingdom of Hälmar's lands. However, the size of the clan was disturbing. Over 50,000 men had set off from their capital in the hills, and hundreds of Hälmarians serving in the militias and private armies of Lords were killed trying to defend the border. The most crushing defeat that this clan had dealt the people of Hälmar was on the banks of the Tebsvar River, in January 780. Two Hälmarian Earls and over 20,000 men had been killed. Seeing a chance for plunder, another clan joined the invaders. The force now consisted of 40,000 men. King Iohann, the Southern Lords, his veterans and unblooded troops marched to face the clansmen at the Vanguard Fjord, where a vanguard of brave Hälmarians had held off the previous invasion 200 years earlier. The battle was bloody, with many falling on both sides. The ice turned to red. Yet, after 5 days of progressive fighting, the clansmen fled, with less than 1,000 men returning to their homeland. Many were missing or captured. Even more were dead. The Hälmarians lost 10,000 men, with many more missing. This was to be last invasion that the clans would attempt for centuries, and Iohann's last battle. A memorial to the dead was built there on the order of King Iohann.
Iohann died in his bed, at his palace in Heranthis. The "Blade of Hyrmadon" had died, only miles away one of his greatest victories, in 794, at the age of 69. He is remembered as one, if not the greatest of Hälmar's heroes. His statue still stands tall in the town squares of Hyrmadon and Heranthis, now renamed Närke. On his deathbed, he told his son, to "look after his country, and serve it proud". Iohann's son, Carl III, made the country pay a heavy tribute to the Laurians after acting brashly. The Blade's son had submitted to his father's foes.
Iohann's last words, were reputed to be "Victory to the proud! I have done my duty to my people. Let one who bears my name take up my sword and lead my people to glory, and do his duty!"
Author's Note
The "clans" are an offshoot of Nords and Hälmarians. They got separated from these two factions centuries ago and formed clans and petty kingdoms to the North and West of Hälmar.
Thanks to Tiberius Decimus Maximus for some place names.
A year after the great Hälmarian victory at the Battle of the Hyrmadon River in 759, the King of the Hälmarians, Magnus VIII died. And so his son, nicknamed "The Blade of Hyrmadon" ascended to the Throne in Heranthis, the ancestral Capital of the Hälmarians. Wielding Lacrimosa as his sword of state, and carrying an orb, the young prince was crowned "Iohann I, King of Hälmar and Lord of Hilmirfjall".
The beginning of his rule was not very successful. Due to many men being killed in the previous war, and many villages looted, the King of Halmar had to attempt to raise the morale of his people. The victory at Hyrmadon River and his coronation only kept up morale for so long. Iohann decided to fund the reconstruction of raided villages and aid families without a man able to work with the Royal Treasury.
He also increased taxes that the Nobility had to pay, established feudal taxes, and demanded taxes on anything he or his ancestors had given away. The nobility became increasingly angry at the new king, until two barons decided to rebel against him. The King quickly marched to face the rebels by assembling his veterans, including Gutenviem's skirmishers, which would later form the Light Brigade. Even to the reign of Iohann IV, the Light Brigade still exists and is commanded by a Gutenviem. The King fought the rebels at Pelendale Ridge, in 762, and routed a force of 10,000 rebels.
After 10 years, the Hälmarian economy was as it was before the war. Deciding to expand the territories of the Kingdom, he attacked the Southern Baronies of Bermia, who had formed a separate state from the other baronies of Bermia. He attacked the Southern Baronies' army at Mount Ferathonian, where he was forced to attack a fortified position. It was a crushing defeat for the Bermianese. The Hälmarians lost less than 5,000 men. He then defended his newly-annexed territory against the Northern Bermianese barons at the Siege of Fort Carolus. Iohann marched triumphantly into the Southern Bermianese captial, Fransaborg, which was the capital of the Southern Baronies of Bermia, in July 772.
With the western border secure and the Bermianese forced to pay a tribute, the victorious king marched to conquer some territories to the east of the Hälmarian lands. At the battle of Taynag, the King recieved an arrow to the cheek (well, under the eye at least). He survived the wound and commanded the battle for another half hour with an arrow sticking out of his face and won the battle. He then fell unconscious. So for 3 days the king lay on the surgeon's table, while the surgeons attempted to pull the arrow (which came in at a difficult angle) out. He managed to pull through, thanks to the Royal surgeon, his commanders (who held him down on the table), the Royal brewer (whose vintages kept the King quiet) and his troops (who encouraged him outside of the tent). However, he was scarred for life. In celebration of him surviving, Iohann married his chancellor's daughter and she gave birth to a son 2 years later. She later gave birth to 2 daughters and another son.
The next few years of his reign were uneventful. There were a couple of small bandit rebellions, and the like. He then started cutting the extra taxes the nobles had to pay due to the fact that Hälmar's economy was improving. The country was at peace. Until 779.
Yet another clan from the north decided to attack the Kingdom of Hälmar's lands. However, the size of the clan was disturbing. Over 50,000 men had set off from their capital in the hills, and hundreds of Hälmarians serving in the militias and private armies of Lords were killed trying to defend the border. The most crushing defeat that this clan had dealt the people of Hälmar was on the banks of the Tebsvar River, in January 780. Two Hälmarian Earls and over 20,000 men had been killed. Seeing a chance for plunder, another clan joined the invaders. The force now consisted of 40,000 men. King Iohann, the Southern Lords, his veterans and unblooded troops marched to face the clansmen at the Vanguard Fjord, where a vanguard of brave Hälmarians had held off the previous invasion 200 years earlier. The battle was bloody, with many falling on both sides. The ice turned to red. Yet, after 5 days of progressive fighting, the clansmen fled, with less than 1,000 men returning to their homeland. Many were missing or captured. Even more were dead. The Hälmarians lost 10,000 men, with many more missing. This was to be last invasion that the clans would attempt for centuries, and Iohann's last battle. A memorial to the dead was built there on the order of King Iohann.
Iohann died in his bed, at his palace in Heranthis. The "Blade of Hyrmadon" had died, only miles away one of his greatest victories, in 794, at the age of 69. He is remembered as one, if not the greatest of Hälmar's heroes. His statue still stands tall in the town squares of Hyrmadon and Heranthis, now renamed Närke. On his deathbed, he told his son, to "look after his country, and serve it proud". Iohann's son, Carl III, made the country pay a heavy tribute to the Laurians after acting brashly. The Blade's son had submitted to his father's foes.
Iohann's last words, were reputed to be "Victory to the proud! I have done my duty to my people. Let one who bears my name take up my sword and lead my people to glory, and do his duty!"
Author's Note
The "clans" are an offshoot of Nords and Hälmarians. They got separated from these two factions centuries ago and formed clans and petty kingdoms to the North and West of Hälmar.
Thanks to Tiberius Decimus Maximus for some place names.
