Kirstan Teufel
Deputy Knight of the Order of the Red Maple
Deputy Knight of the Order of the Red Maple from 215 AU until his death in 252 AU and ancestor of Wyland Teufel.
Early Life
Kirstan grew up within the Order as he was his fathers first born son and therefore was destined to become an Order Knight just like him. He would spend his days training with his father in combat of all types, reading, writing, manners, and histories. Born after the Wythian-Lagonan War, Kirstan only knew a time of peace in the Empire, but his father always warned him that as a Knight of the Order it was their duty to be ever watchful of enemies be they foreign or domestic. Kirstan's father also sired three more children, two boys Tilo and Heydenrich, and the youngest a girl Margryte. Kirstan did not see much of his younger siblings due to his intense training, but he would try to find as much time as he could with them.Life as a Knight
When Kristan became of age at 18 he was knighted into the Order and would work alongside his father in Tel-Raiq, furthering the defenses of the Empire against the Lagonans if a future war were to take place. At this time the Order was at the height of its power, being able to extend their influence anywhere in the Empire quickly. Kirstan was a part of that extension, but with their power, infighting began to occur in Ahorn-Tor and became so bad Kirstan's father had to return to the fortress and settle the growing disputes leaving Kirstan to command the Order's Tel-Raiq garrison. It would be soon after that civil war would break out within the Order, and after months of fighting, Bertold of house Hongeäußert, an old friend of Kirstan and his father, had made his way to Tel-Raiq with his weakened forces to request aid from Kirstan. It was here that Kirstan received news of his fathers murder by the leader of the last great house with the Order, Jander der Verräter. Swearing vegence on his fathers killer, Kirstan and his men vowed to join Bertold, and several months later they would return to the mainland with a force to equal Jaspers.Siege of Ahorn-Tor
Jasper would not risk an open battle, and so found himself under siege within the Order's fortress of Ahorn-Tor. For three months, the fortress held, and could've held for three years, if loyalists to Bertold had not secretly opened a backdoor for him, Kirstan, and some of their men to impregnate the fortress and open her gates to the full might of Bertold and Kirstan's forces. The siege would end when Kirstan defeated Jasper in single combat after Bertold had fallen.Later Life
Kirstan would be elected Deputy Knight of the Order after the Siege of Ahorn-Tor, and would pass multiple reforms that dramatically reshaped the Order. This reshaping would condense the Order into itself, reducing the amount of outside influence on it except by royal decree. Following the siege, Kirstan would also bring his siblings to live in Ahorn-Tor with him, and they would grow up to serve the Order in different capacities. In 237AU Kirstan would wed Marie Händlerin, the daughter of a prominent Acton merchant and sire four children with her. In his later years, Kirstan would begin researching the events leading up to the War of the Weeping Maple so that future Order members could learn from their mistakes. What Kirstan would uncover in his years of investigations would sour his heart, and he began whispering traitors words against the Emperor. What these words were are unclear, but was later revealed that Kirstan had been for years amassing an array of alliances and resources, presumably against the Emperor.Death
In 252 AU Kirstan was ordered by the Emperor to appear at his royal Dalhurst court in earnest. Leaving with his entourage, Kirstan would arrive in the capital and meet with the Emperor himself. Official Imperial reports claim that when Kirstan entered court, he was exposed for his insurrectionists actions, and given the choice of public execution, or death by his own hand there. Choosing the latter, he would produce his blade, begged for forgiveness for himself and the Order, and plunge the blade deep into himself, a mortal wound, bleeding out in front of the Emperor and staining the courts Alessan rug in the process. Curiously, court historian Bertram Schreiber wrote a different account in secret. Found in the dark recesses of imperial records, Bertram wrote the following,August 3rd, 252AU The Deputy Knight of the Order of the Red Maple arrived today upon the request of his imperial majesty. As soon as his red cape had entered the courtroom and knelt in the presence of the Emperor, the room was ordered to evacuate at speed, except for the Royal Guard and the Emperors closest advisors. The Emperor himself spoke to Kirstan, and asked him why he conspired in the shadows against his excellency. Kirstan, unmoving from his position spoke 'My liege. My Emperor. For generations the Order has served you and your family faithfully and without question, but no longer can that mission be carried out with the knowledge that I have acquired. You orchestrated our war, you worked to weaken us, and for that I, and the Order can no longer trust your leadership and command. May Sankt Johann forgive me for my words and actions'. The Emperor, in all his divinity, was unmoved by these words, and gave Kirstan two options. He could go back to Ahorn-Tor and assemble any forces he had acquired for his rebellion, but the Emperor would spare no man, woman, or child, and would completely wipe the Order away with ease. The second option, Kirstan could die here and now on his own accord, but he would be brandished a traitor to the Empire, and would be soul accountable for his actions, leaving the Order in place. Kirstan chose the second option, and drew his own sword on himself.In the aftermath of Kirstan's death, news moved quickly of his actions, and the Teufel family name was tarnished. The Deputy Knights of the Order of the Red Maple would thereafter be assigned by the Emperor himself, to ensure obedience and compliance.
Species
Ethnicity
Children
Sex
Male
Belief/Deity
Wythian Pantheon
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations