Cesan I
| Cesan I | |
|---|---|
| King of Valahandia, Prince of Doundain | |
 Effigy of Cesan I | |
| Reign | 1351-1378 |
| Coronation | November 8, 1351 |
| Predecessor | Aike of Iasgieria |
| Successor | Adalbert I |
| Born | c. 1320 Doundain, Valahandia |
| Died | 14 March 1378 (aged 57) Doundain, Valahandia |
| Spouse | Elske of Baltropp |
| Issue |
|
| House | Heinrichsoan |
| Father | Pitter Adelhardsoan |
| Religion | Catholic |
Cesan I, also known as Cesan the Great and Cesan the Bastard was the first Monarch of Valahandia, uniting the Eonedic clans after defeating the forces of Aike of Iasgieria, Cesan's uncle, in 1351. Although he was illiterate and had no formal education, Cesan proved to be a conscientious statesman and a capable military leader.
Early Life[edit | edit source]
Cesan was born in 1320 to Pitter, the brother of then Crown Prince of Valahandia, Heinrich, and an unidentified peasant woman, in Doundain. Rather than abandon Cesan and leave him to be raised by his mother, Heinrich informally adopted Cesan and raised him as his legitimate son. When Heinrich's wife died childless later that year, leaving Heinrich with no actual heir, it became all the more imperative that the court of Heinrich maintain the charade. Antje, the sister of Heinrich, ultimately revealed the truth behind Cesan's parentage to her husband, Aike of Iasgieria, prompting him to claim a right to the throne on behalf of his son, Lourens, when Cesan was a young man. Cast out from the royal family, Cesan took up work as a mercenary commander in the following years, and established himself as a distinguished battlefield tactician.
Valahandian War of Succession[edit | edit source]
As his death loomed near, Heinrich had his aids fabricate an elaborate narrative "proving" that Cesan was, in fact, his biological son, and that the entire affair was a conspiracy created to remove control of Doundain, the regional seat of power, from Valahandian hands (since Aike was head of the rival Iasgier clan). Upon Heinrich's death in 1347, few actually bought into the narrative, but even fewer noblemen were eager to bend the knee to a Iasgier. As a result, a number of lords backed Cesan's claim to the throne. When Cesan defeated Aike and Lourens at the Siege of Goderecht, he was recognized as the legitimate ruler of Valahandia and all Eonedic lands, essentially making him Emperor of the Eonedic Peoples, a title he maintained throughout his reign.
Reign[edit | edit source]
Cesan was coronated on November 8, 1351, but had great difficulty finding a reputable bishop willing to perform the crowning due to his dubious parentage. As a result, many rival noblemen called him a false-king.