Albrecht I
During the latter days of Unklar’s rule, discontent spread through the
ranks of his armies. The troll lord, NULAK-KIZ-DIN ruled in the Horned God’s absence, and many resented his harsh and altogether evil ways. At the outset of the WINTER DARK WARS, Albrecht, Commander of the
67th Legion, the flower of the imperial cavalry, fomented rebellion. In secret he joined the COUNCIL OF LIGHT, pledging to break with Aufstrag and bring his men over. In turn, the Council promised him a kingdom for himself and his heirs. Soon thereafter, Albrecht openly broke with Aufstrag and during the battles with GRUNDLICHE-HOHLE, he left PASKEVITCH, the commander of all Unklar’s northern forces, to fight the war alone. Paskevitch’s armies, stripped of their cavalry, fell back before the dwarves and their allies so that Albrecht’s desertion allowed the dwarves and the Council to conquer the whole of the FLINTLOCK.
In the subsequent wars with Aufstrag, he soon established himself along the length of the OLGDON RIVER. He fortified the various fjords and bridges and built castles to guard them. He settled his own household in the VALLEY OF EICHEN and there constructed a great fortified castle, EICHENBERG. At the age of 61, in 1126md, Albrecht Cedric declared himself king. In these early years, his kingdom forged a fast friendship with the dwarf king, DOLGAN, and his folk of Grundliche-Hohle. The dwarves sent engineers and architects to aid the men in the construction of their castles and city. It proved a good beginning to an everlasting friendship.
For the next several years, Unklar’s minions struggled to regain mastery of the battlefields of Aihrde. To aid them they summoned the demon lord, KAIN, DUKE OF ALTENGRUND, and gave him command of their armies. Kain led three legions across the LUNEBERG PLAINS, threatening the west. In battle after battle the men of AUGSBERG, dwarves from the Hohle, and men from AACHEN and EISENHEIM fell to his conquest. Kain fought a brutal war, burning all the country he passed through. Any who opposed him, he put to death.
In 1129 md, Albrecht marshaled a great host of men and dwarves. He met Kain at the village of OLENSK and there, as told in the ANDANUTH, King Albrecht fought and won the most decisive battle (BATTLE OF OLENSK) in the war against Unklar. With him stood three thousand dwarves from the Hohle and several thousand men from Aachen and Eisenheim. The battle raged all the long day and into the night. The bloody struggle left thousands dead or maimed. In the end, all three imperial legions were destroyed, and Kain was forced to flee the field. Albrecht’s troops, however,
did not suffer lightly. ALBRECHT II died while trying to rescue the beleaguered dwarf lord OXLEIGH, who also died. FREDERICK, Albrecht’s third son, died leading a cavalry charge. FRANZ CONRAD, fourth born, lost an arm, but despite the wound drove Kain and his personal guard from the field of battle. A further nine thousand men were wounded or killed. The dwarves suffered greatest of all. One thousand six hundred beards died on the field, one in two that had fought there. Those that lived shaved a part of their beard in grief and were ever after known
as the BARTIGTOT. The friendship between the dwarves and the men of Augsberg grew all the greater.
In the meantime ALFRED, Albrecht’s second born, led a troop of cavalry across the Olgdon River into the Luneberg to drive to heel all of Kain’s people there. He led the flying column south to harry the retreating armies of Kain to the dark forests beyond and even to the sea. He burned Kain’s fleet and slaughtered the greater part of the refugees. Only Kain and a few of his soldiers escaped the boy.
The old king, broken by his losses, would not leave the stricken Franz Conrad’s side. Albrecht brought his wounded son back to Eichenberg, hoping for a miracle. In truth, to look upon Kain is an evil thing and no cure exists for the terror of it.
Alfred ruled by his father’s side for the next decade. In 1132 md, he converted to the worship of ORE-TSAR and took the cloak of a KNIGHT OF HAVEN. The religion gained a firm foothold in the kingdom. Slowly
the people of Augsberg recovered, but still they were forced to battle NORTHMEN, orcs and ungern from IERGAUL, goblins from the Flintlock, and the horrors from the Luneberg Plains. As Albrecht grew in years, he divested power into his son.
Eventually Alfred married the sister of THEODAHAD, KING OF EISENHEIM, THIODANN FJORGYN, heroine and companion of DALADON. Together they had a son, AETHELRED. In 1146 md, Franz Conrad died of his malady and King Albrecht slipped into a waking slumber; a madness of sorts. Franz was buried in a hilltop cemetery deep in the VORALBERG MOUNTAINS. ST. LUTHER attended the funeral and blessed the grave. He planted a tree there from the PALADIN'S GROVE. Folk flocked to the grave, for they believed that the spirit of Franz lived on in the tree and could heal any ailment. The truth of this is unknown, for the tomb of Franz Conrad has been lost these many years.
Soon thereafter Alfred’s men crowned him king. The dwarves sent many gifts of gold and canon as did other monarchs besides. In 1151 md, the River King, Albrecht I, died at age 88. The world groaned at his passing, for he truly had been the greatest monarch of his era and through his actions had saved much of the middle of Aenoch.
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