Emperor Karlo The Great
Emperor and Autocrat of the Hasdinians Karlo Krauling (a.k.a. der Große (The Great)
The eldest son of Radimane and his 1st wife Adalhaid, Karlo was his legendary father's favorite and succeeded him to the imperial throne upon his death. Karlo was the final Krauling Emperor as after his death the empire would shatter into separate kingdoms and realms.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Tall, thin and frail for much of his life, Karlo did not inherit his father's robust frame but was also noted as being quite tall in comparison to his contemportaries.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Son of Emperor Radimane and his first wife Adalhaid, Karlo would be born in the same place as his father, in the Hasdinian stronghold of Martestac. Karlo inherited the lands around Achestad and the imperial honors as Emperor of the Hasdinians upon his father's death in 172 B.E. He continued his father's work of unifying all the vast Herodi tribes into a single realm and greatly expanded the imperial powers at the expense of the growing nobles of the land. Through marriages and personal appointments, Karlo reinforced his family's claims on corners of the vast empire, mainly in Hasdulia, Great Salia and Lakia. This practice reduced the various warlords, who had previously been outside the jurisdiction of the emperor, to imperial subjects under the authority of his trusted family members. He is also credited as the first Hasdinian ruler to call a Hoftage, an imperial assembly where the polciees of the imperial court were laid out to the various vassals and subjects of the emperor. The Hoftage was also a great way for Karlo to mediate and end disputes between his vassals, especially those between his brothers who often quarreled with one another over trade and land disputes.
In foreign policy, Karlo was generally benevolent to the recoiling Rasenna as they paid the powerful Hasdinian emperor tribute in exchange for peace between the two empires. Relations between the empires were generally better than they had been when Karlo's father had been in power as Karlo married the Rasennan princess Theakina, daughter of the Emperor Alexius Rusokastra. He promoted histories of his dynasty that traced them back to the hero Gundhar, the famed dragon slayer and a figure that earned the Kraulings even more prestige. Karlo was also a figure of importance for the Mundana Ecclesia which holds that he secretly adopted their rites and was a practicing adherent to the Ecclesia during his life. This claim is disputed which is why Karlo has not been appropriately given Blessed status by the Ecclesia who still hold to the belief that the Emperor was one of their own.
Karlo has been consistently depicted in historiography through different eras as a successful ruler. Current opinions of his rule are mixed, while not denying his strong character and his many fruitful initiatives, some of his actions have been called into question. Karlo's relationship with his half-brothers sowed the seeds for the breakup of the empire after his death as his brothers, in particular Mauger, envied the imperial throne. Others have pointed to his sons, the Princes Karl and Heinrich as products of lavish lifestyles at the court in Achestad and point to this as a fault of the emperor who did not prepare his sons for rulership. This fault is generally ignored as while Heinrich is typically vilified for his actions towards Karl in the years after Karlo's death, Prince Karl himself succeeded his father and grandfather in leading successful military ventures and seemed to be an energetic and engaged ruler, if not a vain and insolent prince prone to temperamental fits of unjustified anger.
Nevertheless, as one of only two recognized Krauling Emperors, Karlo is generally viewed as a successful ruler nearly on par with his legendary father. During his thirty-three-year reign, the Krauling golden age reached its climax and after his death, a period of familial infighting shattered the empire and split it into regions led by members of his family or powerful warlords.
In foreign policy, Karlo was generally benevolent to the recoiling Rasenna as they paid the powerful Hasdinian emperor tribute in exchange for peace between the two empires. Relations between the empires were generally better than they had been when Karlo's father had been in power as Karlo married the Rasennan princess Theakina, daughter of the Emperor Alexius Rusokastra. He promoted histories of his dynasty that traced them back to the hero Gundhar, the famed dragon slayer and a figure that earned the Kraulings even more prestige. Karlo was also a figure of importance for the Mundana Ecclesia which holds that he secretly adopted their rites and was a practicing adherent to the Ecclesia during his life. This claim is disputed which is why Karlo has not been appropriately given Blessed status by the Ecclesia who still hold to the belief that the Emperor was one of their own.
Karlo has been consistently depicted in historiography through different eras as a successful ruler. Current opinions of his rule are mixed, while not denying his strong character and his many fruitful initiatives, some of his actions have been called into question. Karlo's relationship with his half-brothers sowed the seeds for the breakup of the empire after his death as his brothers, in particular Mauger, envied the imperial throne. Others have pointed to his sons, the Princes Karl and Heinrich as products of lavish lifestyles at the court in Achestad and point to this as a fault of the emperor who did not prepare his sons for rulership. This fault is generally ignored as while Heinrich is typically vilified for his actions towards Karl in the years after Karlo's death, Prince Karl himself succeeded his father and grandfather in leading successful military ventures and seemed to be an energetic and engaged ruler, if not a vain and insolent prince prone to temperamental fits of unjustified anger.
Nevertheless, as one of only two recognized Krauling Emperors, Karlo is generally viewed as a successful ruler nearly on par with his legendary father. During his thirty-three-year reign, the Krauling golden age reached its climax and after his death, a period of familial infighting shattered the empire and split it into regions led by members of his family or powerful warlords.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Continued many of the successes of his father
Maintained dominance over the disgruntled nobility of the empire
Published and revised ancient legal codes
Expanded the Empire's borders east toward the Soklyraka River
Sponsored and commissioned numerous histories about his family and father
Sponsored numerous building projects and refurbishings of dilapidated structures
Maintained dominance over the disgruntled nobility of the empire
Published and revised ancient legal codes
Expanded the Empire's borders east toward the Soklyraka River
Sponsored and commissioned numerous histories about his family and father
Sponsored numerous building projects and refurbishings of dilapidated structures
Failures & Embarrassments
His immediate family fell from power soon after his death
Resided over a period of decentralization that ended the Empire
Resided over a period of decentralization that ended the Empire
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Secure his realm, oversee the development of the empire, and promote his family's interests
Virtues & Personality perks
Conscientious
Diligent
Studious
Courageous
Gregarious
Paternal
Dutiful
Diligent
Studious
Courageous
Gregarious
Paternal
Dutiful
Vices & Personality flaws
Cautious
Trusting
Overbearing
Condescending
Stubborn
Trusting
Overbearing
Condescending
Stubborn
Social
Reign
172 B.E - 139 B.E (33 years)
Family Ties
Son of Radimane and his 1st wife Adalhaid
Half brother of Sigismund, Clovis and Mauger
Father of Heinrich and Karl
Grandfather of Reinhart Krauling
Great Grandfather of Liutolf and Konrad Krauling
Half brother of Sigismund, Clovis and Mauger
Father of Heinrich and Karl
Grandfather of Reinhart Krauling
Great Grandfather of Liutolf and Konrad Krauling
Religious Views
Deeply pious and a fervent believer in the goddess of the Hasdinians Wera. Karlo is a figure of speculative religious behavior as he is generally thought to have secretly been a worshiper of the Mundana and thus, the first of the Hasdinians to convert to the faith of the west. Nevertheless, this information is not completely verified, despite the Mundana's assertion of their first confessor being the last Krauling Emperor.
Social Aptitude
Conciliator and a firm believer in direct solutions, Karlo's ability to deescalate disagreements between his half-brothers were what maintained the shaky unity of the empire. Karlo was a notable caller of an annual Hoftage, an imperial assembly that let him present himself as a sort of "first among equals" in the empire. It was this imperial assembly that let Karlo gauge the loyalty of his subjects and adjust his demeanor towards them respectively.
Speech
Karlo's voice was sometimes a source of mockery from his subjects who privately dubbed him "Der Blauhäher" or The Blue Jay for his voice which supposedly was very high in pitch.
Relationships
Ethnicity
Date of Birth
14th of Modia
Date of Death
9th of Calvelt
Life
216 B.E
139 B.E
77 years old
Circumstances of Birth
Son of Radimane and his wife Adalhaid, born in Radimane's own birthplace of Martestac
Circumstances of Death
Died of fever in his capital of Achestad at the age of 77
Birthplace
Martestac, Tusica
Place of Death
Achestad, Great Salia
Family
Spouses
Theakina Rusokastra
(spouse)
Curtea
(spouse)
Siblings
Children
Gender
Male
Eyes
Dark Brown
Hair
Long, Straight, Neat, Black hair and beard
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale White
Height
6'4
Weight
200 lbs
Quotes & Catchphrases
Epitath: "Look low all who come before, raise thy head all who come after for in the dirt lies the Emperor of divine blood and enlightened thought."
Belief/Deity
Wera Goddess of the Hasdinians
Aligned Organization
Arish
Lakic
Agrihenian
Character Prototype
Otto the Great
Comments