Augustus I

Emperor Augustus Fredrich Manstein

A National Hero, A Powerful God, A Brutal Conqueror and a Broken Man. All these and more can describe Augustus Manstein the First, Emperor of the Second Forzorian Empire, Lion of the Ancients, Successor of the Kaldins and Alois, Master of the West and The Great Liberator. He was born heir to one of the 12 noble families of the Forzorian Warring States but died as Emperor as a united and greater Forzorian Empire and founded a dynasty which has lasted for nearly one and a half Millenia.

The Manstein Family

The Manstein Noble Family had been one of the 13 Noble families that survived under the Tekederian Rule of Forzoria, the Families ancestral seat was on the western coast of the Emerald Lake, in the Castle known as the Tower. The Tower was originally a single stone watchtower meant to watch the nearby road, but overtime the tower was expanded and fortified and would at an unknown time become the home of the Manstein Noble Family. While no records exist of the Manstein's ascension, the family itself claims that they became the masters of the Tower when it was rewarded to the family's legendary founder Fredrich Manstein, a questing knight who supposedly saved the eldest daughter of a minor lord and was rewarded the tower and her hand in marriage.

The House of Manstein took for its symbol the black twin headed Eagle upon a blue field, after the rise of Augustus I the family changed to the color of the eagle to Purple, and a crown of wreaths was added for the eagle to grip its talons upon. When used on the Imperial flag, the field of blue becomes a field of white, but maintains the field of blue for house flags and official sigils. The only noticeable exception to this rule is the personnel banner of Prince Flavius the Golden Eagle, where the eagle was a Golden Color upon a purple field.

The Life of Augustus

Childhood

Augustus was born to Flavius Manstein, later Flavius X, the eldest son and heir of the head of the family Tribunius VI. While Augustus' father was of noble birth, his mother was an exotic woman from across the continent who met his father after their troop of performers spent a week at the tower and the two had an affair, shortly after they married, and Augustus war born from the union. Flavius was always distant from his son, spending little time with him and even less time after he ascended to the position as lord of the family when Augustus was 8, with this lack of attention from his father, Augustus spent his days with his mother.

His mother's name is not recorded in any record, but Augustus himself referred to her in his journal as Lion Mother, his writings go into depth on what they did together. She taught him to wield a sword and bow, how to dance and write, how to sing and play several instruments, she also spent a great amount of time with Augustus simply bonding as mother and son would, reading his stories, going on walks through the family forest and spending a great amount of time on the beaches of the emerald lake where he often looked for seashells as a child to gift her.

When Augustus was 6, his mother gave birth to his younger sister by the name of Justina. Augustus was known of being very caring and protective of Justina, often spending long hours with her, reading stories and often sneaking her sweets from the kitchen when she was forbidden from eating such sweets. Just like Augustus, their father spent little if any time with his daughter, leaving the raising of her to his wife and servants.

At the age of 14, Augustus would be the center of attention at a massive dance held by his family to celebrate his 14th birthday, in attendance were several prominent merchant clans, the head of each clan spent the vast majority of the dance with Flavius X, for some unknown purpose. Meanwhile Augustus spent the entire dance on the floor, dancing with girl after girl after girl, be they a merchant's daughter, the daughter of a prominent citizen, or his mother and sister etc. It was clear to anyone watching that he was miserable, that was until he slipped out of the room.

What exactly occurred isn't known, but twenty minutes after slipping out, he slipped back into the dance hall with the daughter of a merchant lord by the name of Lara. They took to the dance floor and very clearly enjoyed each other's company, by the end of the night Augustus had not danced with anyone else after his dance with Lara. The Young Manstein would be called out of the room by his father, and 15 minutes later he would return, and his father made an announcement.

See, the night was spent publicly as a celebration for Augustus' 14th birthday, but in truth it was a sort of competition between merchant clans and prominent families to win the young heir's hand for their daughter. One merchant clan had just about succeeded in convincing Flavius X to marry Augustus to a fat, dull 4th daughter would have drained the family coffers on luxury and useless things. That was until Augustus and Lara had taken to the floor, and with some very subtle threats from his wife, Flavius instead agreed to have Augustus betrothed to Lara.

Son of a Lord

In the Year 50BIC, Augustus would turn 18 and become an adult in the eyes of his family, shortly after his 18th birthday he would be married to Lara, but before they could fully settle into their life, Tribunius VI would be killed on the field of battle by the forces of House Wolff, and Augustus' father would ascend to the position as head of the family, and he would quickly send his son and what remained of the Manstein levy to join with House Daggerov against the forces of House Wolff.

The war with House Wolff would last two years, finally coming to an end in the Battle of the Caverns. The Caverns was the great fortress of House Wolff located on the southern shores of the Emerald Lake, built atop a large system of caverns and caves that once were mined for emeralds. The caverns became a vast underground network lived in by House Wolff, filled with storerooms, bed chambers and grand halls. It was a great fortress, the Manstein and Daggerov forces would have no way to breach it directly, so Augustus laid out a plan.

While the Bulk of the Daggerovs and Manstein forces put the castle to siege, Augustus took command of a small core of forces and began to explore nearby caves and old emerald mines, eventually he found a cave system that while not connected to the Caverns, was adjacent to them, so him and his men began digging. After several months of careful digging, Augustus and his men breached the caverns in the dead of night and began to lay barrels of a material known as blasting powder within the Caverns.

After setting off the blasting powder buried in the caverns, the Entire Fortress began to submit to a sinkhole forming from the collapsing tunnels and mines, the last members of House Wolff were crushed in the dark and lightless caverns of their great fortress, bringing an end to their Black eye prophecy are foretold. The War had come to an end, and the Daggerovs now held the Throne and Crown of Forzoria, and Peace had come to the realm.

Augustus would have no time to rest though, as King Leonhard I would appoint him commander of the Royal Army, and he would spend the next decade on campaign against bandit armies, uncooperative merchant clans and other forces attempting to raid into the kingdom. The Most notable campaign undertaken by Augustus was the Expedition of 44BIC, when he took command of a 1000 strong Manstein Levy and lead them south towards the Republic of Valstov, crushing the Republic's main army and liberating Forzorian citizens taken as slaves' months prior. This expedition is said to have had a profound effect on Augustus, with him talking extensive time to describe his horror and disgust with the system based on his limited exposure during the expedition.

In the Year 40BIC, as Augustus lead his forces in an anti-bandit campaign around the lands of the old Wolff families, he would receive news from his home that would shatter him, his mother had passed away in her sleep and his father made his intention known to not grant her a proper funeral. Augustus rode day and night directly home, resigning his post as head of the Royal Army and quickly arrived home to have a "civil discussion" with his father.

Augustus was enraged with his father's decision and spent hours in a back-and-forth shouting match with him, which only ended after Augustus was hit over the head and locked within his room. But during that night, while Augustus was watched closely by the guards and his wife, someone had snuck into his father's room and plunged a dagger into his heart, killing the man before slipping back into the night. In but a fortnight, Augustus had lost both his mother and father, and had now ascended to the position of head of the house.

Lord Augustus

Augustus would hold a massive funeral for his mother and father, seeing both their bodies properly seen to and entombed into the ancient burial grounds of House Manstein, which to this day is unopen to any who are not a part of the household. After his ascension, Augustus would throw himself into his work out of grief, spending little time with his family and often touring his lands and seeing to its administration directly. This would greatly affect his health but win him the love of his people and levy, who saw him as a very visible symbol of the peace and prosperity they enjoyed.

During this time, he would become known as the Roaming Lord, often staying in taverns and small villages, instead of traveling with a large escort and noble tent. It should be noted that despite this reputation, Augustus maintained an air of authority and superiority over his subjects, keeping himself as a ruler to them and nothing else. Despite this, his writings go deep into his philosophical ideas about rulership and his opinion the state of the nation, and these early writings demonstrate early ideas and connection between the concept of slavery and the practice of serfdom in Forzoria.

For 10 years this would be the status quo in his life, before Augustus came down with a horrible sickness and was brought home in the year 28 BIC and would be trapped for nearly 3 years, finally getting his wife pregnant and having a son, who he named Flavius in honor of his father. This brief period of peace and quiet for the Lord would be cut off in the year 25BIC, when the events of the Great Purge would take place.

Augustus would survive the attempt on his life, successfully wrestling the dagger from the hands of his assassin and stabbing him in his throat. His Son would also survive, with a maid who was taking care of the boy managed to distract the assassin long enough for guards to arrive and slay the man. However, his dear sister and wife would not be so lucky, both were slain in the night by the assassins targeting them, while one managed to escape, the other was captured. Following a brutal torture session, with some sources claiming Augustus personally took part, it was revealed the Daggerovs were behind the attack.

The Civil War

Upon learning of House Daggerov's responsibility for the assassination attempt, Augustus would rally his House's Levy and declared his intention to overthrow the Daggerovs for their foul crimes against him and all of Forzoria. This spark of his revolt set off a wildfire, many of the commanders and minor nobles loyal to the Daggerovs switched sides, merchant clans bankrolled the Manstein war effort and those that stayed loyal simply couldn't match the strategic mind of Augustus.

The first major battle of the war would be the Siege of Talon Castle, a Manstein held castle along the border of the Daggerov Heartlands, the castle itself was understaffed and under supplied, with the past decades having no reason to fortify and maintain a fortress along the border with the overlords of the House. The Castle would hold for 3 months before a relief force commanded by Augustus' close friend and commander Fredrich arrived and relieved the defenders, the Daggerov force laying siege were broken and forced to retreat, with the castle reinforced for the war to come.

Following the Siege of Talon Castle, both Manstein and Daggerov forces would clash in several small skirmishes, neither side willing to commit itself to a full battle before they were ready. This series of skirmishes would last though the winter of 25BIC into mid 24BIC, when the Royal Army marched upon Augustus' camp as he laid siege to the city of Fraum, caught between the cities garrison and the royal army, Augustus had to move quickly if he wanted to survive the day. He took command of his entire cavalry core and immediately rode in the direction of the approaching army and fell upon them while they were crossing the Bridge of Golden men, famous for the solid golden statues of men lining its sides. He managed to crush 1/4th of the army which had already crossed the river and was awaiting the rest of the royal army.

Following the Battle of the Bridge, Augustus and his cavalry forces harried the Royal Army during their entire march to the city of Fraum, and by the time they arrived, their force had been depleted and the city had fallen to the forces of the Manstein rebels, with the black eagle of the family flying proudly over the main gate. The capture of Fraum and destruction of the royal army had given an opening for Augustus, one which he exploited as he and his army marched upon the castle of Blackmont, the capital of Forzoria and ancestral home of the Daggerovs.

The Fortress of Blackmont would be kept under siege for 4 years, with its vast stores and skilled garrison holding back against any attempt to storm the fortress, but as the siege raged on and the morale of the defenders began to wane, Augustus appealed to many of the soldiers and commanders he led during his time as head of the royal army, offering amnesty and mercy. After several attempts, where Augustus rode near the walls appealing to the men inside, their will to fight finally broke.

In the middle of the night, the gate was open and the forces of house Manstein occupied the castle, any solider who refused to surrender was killed, and the entire Daggerov family was gathered in the grand council chambers. It was here that the darkest part of his life truly began, Augustus ordered the entire Daggerov family: man, women and child be killed with no exception. Not only did he have them killed, but he had them brutalized in a fashion like ancient Stullmen blood sacrifices. No writings from Augustus exist from the event, but journals of his close advisors and commanders confirm such events, but all state they don't know what he wanted besides bloody revenge.

After the end of the siege of Blackmont, Augustus would return to the Tower and briefly enter a period of mourning, the kingdom fell into chaos as no proper authority could exert control with house Manstein spread thin and their lord absent, the whole thing threatened to collapse. After a month of isolation, Augustus marched his forces out of the Tower and began to stabilize the country, throwing back raids, suppressing bandits, forcing merchants to submit and destroying robber barons who took advantage of the civil war. Following this, he would declare himself King Augustus I of Forzoria, and begin his twenty-year reign as king.

King of Forzoria

Upon claiming the Throne, Augustus Marched his armies south into the lands of modern Moldexia, waging an extended campaign on the Republic of Valstov, who took advantage of the civil war's chaos to raid southern Forzoria for slaves and to maintain the chaos. The war was practically decided before it began, Augustus forces launched several smaller incursions into republic territory, quickly destroying smaller republic armies before gathering together and marching directly on the city of Valstov, the republic practically capitulated as the city collapsed into anarchy and the Royal Army marched right in.
Upon his arrival, Augustus had what remained of the Republics ruling class gathered and held as hostages, while this was happening the Republic's entire slave population was set free by his order. This act of freeing slaves laid the groundwork for the formation of several cults and societies based around Augustus, the most well-known from the slaves was the Cult of the 1000 blades, which was made up of freed gladiators. This capitulation of Valstov was only the beginning.

Augustus would launch a 4-year campaign across Moldexia, conquering minor kingdoms, tribes and rump states. These lands would one day become known as the Province of Moldexia, named after the largest of the states that once constituted the region, the Kingdom of Moldex. Following the conquest, Augustus would spend another 3 years consolidating his rule before departing the region back north in into the heartland. Here he spent 2 years rest and recuperating, before marching east into the mountains of modern Darklan.

Augustus would only spend 1 year in the mountains, exerting control over the few native clans and nomads in the valley plains, he would construct several forts and gaining oaths of loyalty before he marched back west into the heartland. Upon arrival he would return to the Tower and spend another year directly ruling his realm and laying out several new plans to integrate Darklan and his next military campaign.

Augustus Would march north, into the modern province of Liglen, it was here he would spend 9 years on an extended campaign against the Kingdom of Triburgh, finally crushing the Kingdom's Army at the battle of Triburgh and officially annexing it and acquiring the vast majority of Modern Liglen. After the end of this campaign, the man would return to the Tower and finally settle in, this would be the last time he left Forzoria.

After only a year in the Tower, Augustus moved himself and his court to the western shore to a recently founded city, built to the exact specifications of Augustus and his chief Engineer. This new City would be the site of a massive event attended to by merchants, minor nobles, prominent citizens, foreign dignitaries, religious officials and the average citizen. Here, in a grand cathedral built near the center of the city, Augustus was crowned by the officials in attendance as Emperor Augustus Manstein I, Lion of the Ancients, Successor of the Kaldins and Alois, Master of the West and The Great Liberator. The Empire of Forzoria was born, and a new dynasty was born.

Emperor of Forzoria

One of the first and major acts undertaken by Augustus upon ascending to the imperial throne, was rewarding titles and land to his close and advisors, creating a new class of nobility in an empire where they had gone practically extinct. Along with this however, he also maintained central imperial control over all Roads in the Empire, along with the cities paying taxes directly to the crown and not to any middleman. Augustus also broke up vast estates and distributed vast amounts of to the common citizen to form vast farming families, creating a farming middle class.

Augustus also led a massive purge of the city of Fraum, finally finding and destroying the assassins of Fraum, those who provided the assassins for the murder of his dear wife and sister. Following this purge, Augustus formed a new organization to act as his bodyguards, personnel army and spies, which one day would transform into the modern Imperial Guard, the single most prestigious group in all the empire, and the deadliest.

Augustus would organize the Imperial Army, requiring each Noble Family to provide a percentage of their forces to the crown, along with City Militias and Guards organized into regional branches of the army. Augustus assembled a small, and rather weak Imperial Fleet, which faced a great many of challenges as there was little need for ships in the past centuries in Forzoria, so the fleet often sat in port, looking pretty. Augustus also laid the groundwork for the Modern Home Army, appointing a trusted commander with the power to call upon the levies of his vassals if enemy soldiers ever set foot in Forzoria when he was away on campaign.

Augustus I would pass away in his sleep, at the age of 89 in the year of 21 IE, a grand funeral ceremony would be held in his families' ancestral lands, where he was buried in the ancient catacombs alongside his father, wife and sister, and all his ancestors. He would succeed by his only son Flavius I, who much like his father's childhood, spent little time with him.

Legacy

The Legacy of Augustus Manstein is immense, with the shockwaves of his actions still felt to this day across the empire and the continent. To this day children learn of his achievements, politicians and military commanders' size themselves up to his legacy and come short, and the emperors who sit upon his throne, looking upon with awe and envy at his greatest achievements. Other's though, see him in a light of negativity, a monster, an unstable maniac, and a man not even worth contempt.

The single most visible symbol of his legacy is the Empire he forged. The Forzorian Empire now stretches across the continent, hundreds of millions call it home, its military is unmatched, its economy soars to new heights, its contribution to technological and cultural advancement are unparalleled. All look upon the empire with envy and pride, a nation that has lasted for over a thousand years and promises to last a thousand more without ending, but the empire is still but a small part of his legacy and heritage.

The Imperial Family, the House of Manstein, once but a minor player in Forzorian Politics over 2000 years ago, now stands as the last one standing of those old and ancient families that once called the Mansteins rival or vassal. The Imperial Family are known for their imperial purple eyes, a visible symbol of their house and the right to sit upon the throne and rule the Empire. The family has achieved beyond legendary status in the annals of history, holding upon the empire for over a millennium with no signs of slowing down or imminent removal from power.

Perhaps the strangest part of his Legacy, it is said Augustus upon his death ascended to the heavens and not content with being another spirit to roam it, carved out a realm of his own and ascended to the status of God. In the Modern Empire he is seen as it's patron Deity, his descendants claiming a divine right to rule not just from their blood or eyes, but from the reputation of the Empire's founder. Even in the Modern Imperial Religion, Augustus is viewed diversly, standard doctrine sees him as a man who ascended to the place of God upon his death, but a growing movement has outright denied his divinity, instead seeking to transform the Credo Imperatoria into a Civic religion and the view of Augustus to shift from God to the Nations Father and First Protector.

The Negativity surrounding his legacy has long been ignored by the imperial government and society, but many have begun to question the man's action. His continued loyalty to the Daggerovs until their purges targeted him and his family, the seemingly endless wars of conquest and destruction he waged, the clearly unstable mind he possessed after the death of his wife and sister, the slaughter of the House of Daggerov in such a bloody and complete manner, and a few other facts, have long since marred his reputation in the eyes of a few. While the vast majority of imperial society remain loving of Augustus, there is a growing movement that questions him.

Divine Domains

Augustus is the Patron Saint of the entire Forzorian Empire and it's people

Holy Books & Codes

The Credo Imperatoria, also known as the Decrees of Alexander I, Imperial Faith and Code of the Emperor is a series of writings and decrees by Emperor Alexander I and religious scholars that defined the structure of the church and the beliefs of the faith.

Holidays

August 8th, Augustus Birthday is celebrated with massive festivals and parties.
June 18th, the day of his death, is a day of mourning and quiet contemplation.

Divine Classification

God

Current Status

Dead

Ethnicity

Forzorian Culture

Church/Cult

The Second Forzorian Empire

Age

89 at time of death

Date of Birth

8th of August, 68BIC

Date of Death

18th of June, 21IE

Life

68 BIC 21 IE

Circumstances of Birth

Result of Affair

Circumstances of Death

Natural Causes

Birthplace

The Tower, Manstein Lands

Place of Death

The Imperial Palace. Forzorian Empire

Gender

Male

Eyes

Purple

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

White

Height

5'11

Belief/Deity

The 2 and 1(As followed)/Credo Imperatoria(As God)

Aligned Organization

The Second Forzorian Empire