Edel od Gajmerski

Edel od Gajmerski (5th April, 222 TE - 7th October, 273 TE), more commonly known as Edel I, was the head of the Gajmerski Ducal House and former monarch of the Duchy of Riverlain-Gren. Edel was selected as the Prince of the, at the time, Mlodeish Principality of Lesser-Riverlain-Gren as a result of his and his staff's effort to industrialise and unify the Grenian People, which were spread apart in disunified nation-states, ultimately reorganising it into the modern Duchy.

As a result of the Gradia city fires (245-247 TE), most records of the city, aswell as Edel's early history and birth, were burnt and permanently destroyed[1]. However, due to speeches and interviews, it is known Edel was killed at the age of 51 and was born in Gradia to a Lesser-Riverlainite, lesser-middle class, farm-owning family.

He also has taken a number of military roles, particularly  'General-Kommandete' in Soliana, leading his Fusilier Guard against Yizawan Eliyawin-Nuwan during the Battle of the Sacrifices[2]. This battle specifically was one of his first outside of Rathnir. This ethnically-Grenian contingent was noted as being "severely under-equipped," most likely because of supply boats arriving late to the battle.

During the Disaster at Hesia, Edel was heavily wounded by the Simulami forces. After the fatal defeat of the remnants of the Grenian Legion, Edel, aswell as his family, was evacuated on the LNGS Suwerennoshc, where Edel and his wife (who was also injured) died.

Edel has also been criticized by some communities, as he was known for being an avid hater of Vulpers and Nekojins, writing the book ' Nekonology'  which discusses the "demonic origins" of both. This status has made him unfavourable in certain communities and local cities, sometimes causing brief street-brawls between his supporters and opponents. To further this idea, Edel founded the  'Catfolk Hunting Association'  within the short-lived duchy, which was reorganised into the infamous  'Commission for Catgirl Affairs' soon after the founding of Hesia.

Biography
There are very little known or proven records before Edel's rule, mostly because of poor record keeping and several fires in the main city, Gradia. It is confirmed he was born on his parents' farm on the banks of the River Gren, around the city Gradia. The last name "Gajmerski" was, originally, "Gajfl." It was changed to his current name during his industrialisation of Gren due to the suffix "-merski" and the middle suffix "Od" relating to nobility and wealth in the civilisation. Everything before the official industrialisation comes from his personal journal, speeches said by the Duke, or remnants from the fires.

Birth and early age
Since early Grenian civilisation was based on a single family system, Edel was not originally of noble birth. He was born on 5th April, 222 TE, in his mother's bedroom, as was customary at the time, in the Gajfl Family Farmhouse - located on the River Gren in the village of Gradia.Calilon Halfe, the doctor that watched over Edel's birth, described the scene as, " Surprisingly, the birth was much calmer than earlier anticipated. However, I was made aware after, that Mrs Poulnia [Edel's Mother] was in much more pain after the Prince's [Duke's] birth."

As a child, Edel helped on the Gajfl farm to, "gain experience," mostly working with the potatoes and carrots. It is believed he worked long hours, due to Gradia not having any public education until later. The rest of his youthful years are unknown and up to speculation.

Education
Edel entered education significantly late, only learning how to read and write at the age of 16, where he began to read texts and legends of the Grenian Cultures. He was awfully limited in the choice of books, which were all released by Grenian authors and writers, due to the Grenian states' lack of outside trade.

Learning basic mathematics, Edel was able to calculate income and expenditure of his household. This eventually landed young Edel a job as an extremely poorly paid accountant for a blacksmith in central Gradia, where he worked until his parents convinced him to join the newly constructed Gajmergradian Military Academy.

As Lesser-Riverlainian, and Grenian culture as a whole, was based around the noble act of fighting for your nation, Edel was heavily attracted to that idea. The tuition fee was quite expensive, but was paid for by his parents and his small savings from his accounting job. There he learned how to command, fight, strategize, manage equipment and several other key military factors. He also learned how to duel others with a sabre, which was called 'Menszura' (which is a static form of duelling) which influenced his policy of permitting Legion Officers to duel.

Young Military Career
Due to his affiliation to the prestigious academy, Edel was given a commission by the Prince of Lesser-Riverlain-Gren, and became a young officer at the age of 19, where he served for 2 years at the rank of Captain- Lieutenant (Captain Second Class).

He fought in small raids around Lesser-Riverlain, even leading a platoon during the short Riverlain Conflict (which was a war between the Principality of Lesser-Riverlain and Greater Riverlain that lasted 7 months) which was garrisoned on the border and served as a reserve, not seeing frontline action.

His soldiers were also one of the first to discover a Goblin patrol on the south of the Palace (Lordship) of Stegtin-Plesz, which was the first time Grenians were made aware of the Askonian Empire, which encircled the entire Grenian Region. The interaction seemed and was peaceful in the eyes of the scouts.

Rise to power
The commonly accepted method that Edel, at the age 21, ascended to power within Lesser-Riverlain-Gren was the one forwarded by his own publication.

Shortly after the discovery of the Goblins, Captain-Lieutenant Edel mentioned this interaction to the Prince of Lesser-Riverlain-Gren, he was in, "much distress. The distress of the prince led him to take his family into self-exile which was shocking to most of his courtiers, as it was seen as an opportunity for trade by most of them. As the courtiers of the Prince were made up exclusively of his family and friends, he forced them to come along, which led to my [Edel's] noble promotion to becoming the Prince as I [he] was the only one left in the castle."

This idea is the one claimed by Edel himself in one of his journals found within the Gradian palace. Many critics of Edel have claimed this  'story' as a fanciful mockery of the previous prince and his court, which was, "corrupt and idiotic at times, but far off from the way Edel presents them in this piece of propaganda."

People that believe this idea usally believe the prince was overthrown by Edel in a coup d'état, which is also dismissed as Edel was relatively unknown within the military. As such, Edel's true coming to power is unknown, as only biased sources exist, perhaps due to the previously discussed fires.

Formation of the Council of Nobles and Staff
The Council of Nobles and Staff (CoNaS) was a short-lived government agency which helped to govern Lesser-Riverlain during Edel's early leadership. It also was the predecessor of the College of Electors and College of the People.

As a result of the empty government (as claimed by Edel), he immediately began to restore his political power by creating a small council of people to help him reinstate Lesser-Riverlain's power. The council itself was originally created on the 30th October 243 TE, consisting of the previous command of the 3rd Platoon, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, which Edel previously commanded during his youthful military career.

The staff was soon expanded, with the arrival of several new officers and nobles to the council. This was done as a measure by Edel to fill the government with intellectuals as he believed it was the, "only way to restore our nation's glory and to protect ourselves against the green horde [in reference to Askonia]."

Soon after the publication of the  'January Declaration' by Lengarz od Luyekmerski, one of Edel's friends that was invited onto the council, the Council was replaced by three colleges: the College of Electors, the College of Nobles and the College of the People.

College of Electors and College of the People
The three Colleges were the main governmental body of the: Mlodeish Principality of Lesser-Riverlain-Gren, Between the River Gren Confederation, Principality of Riverlain-Gren, and eventually the Duchy of Riverlain-Gren.

In its earliest form, the College of Electors was to be orginally comprised of seven Prince-Electors, which was later changed to  'six Prince-Electors' as a result of the deletion of the title of Arch-Bannerbearer. As the name suggested, the Electors were supposed to vote on bills and proposals created by the College of the People. The six members were to be key figures of the previous Council and Lesser-Riverlain Society. This College was headed by Edel I himself. The members, in succession, at the time of founding were:


 * Lord of the Three Colleges Edel od Gajmerski
 * Arch-Chamberlain Lengarz od Luyekmerski
 * Arch-Bishop (formal title was Prince-Primate) Emit 'Nugget' od Manmerski
 * Arch-Marshal Raine Funnymerska
 * Arch-Treasurer (Vacant until the promotion of Thomas Di Italiant’t Astaseul)
 * Arch-Stewardess Leoni Di Italian't Astaseul Groove Lanseul de Curassier

The College of Nobles was never fully implemented, which is why it is not mentioned in the January Declaration. The College of Nobles, at it's largest extent, was comprised of only one member who was the representative of the, at the time, Arch-Stewardess Leoni.

Similarliy, the College of the People was never fully adopted and was left barren during the lifespan of all Grenian nations. This was because Riverlain-Gren never fully expanded enough to warrant such an addition of government, which is why the College's only member was the head of it: Prince-Primate Emit od Manmerski.

All of this lead to the College of Electors being the only occupied college and making most of the decisions along with Edel.

Policies adopted during his reign
There were a number of policies adopted by Edel soon after taking his position. Most of these policies had to do with reformation of the Lesser-Riverlain Principality, as he believed Askonia was a threat all along, as they held much more land then the Gren River states combined.

During a meeting held between the College of Electors, Edel heard from Lengarz about fantastical buildings called factories and how they operated. This made Edel realised how outmatched his army of conscripts, armed with sharpened farm tools, was compared to his perhaps future enemis. Due to this sudden realisation, Edel and the rest of the College of Electors came up with several machinations to help ensure the state was properly industrialised before their thought to be enemy would advance upon their soil.

The industrial age of Riverlain was soon to be, with schematics for factories and powerplants beginning to be conceived by the Workers' Ministry. By the next two years, the main scheme was completed, with a new industrial district created for Gradia filled with plenty of industrial machines, factories, and powerplants blanketing the previously agricultural land. As Edel continued with his industrial plans, he scheduled a total reform of the nation's militia, which was organised into a single Gendarmerie Regiment, nicknamed "Xsiazse Edel" (Prince Edel). It was further divided into city companies, which include the Princely Gendarmerie Company 'of the capital Gradia' and the Elite-Gendarmerie Company, which was to act as an offensive force. The reasoning behind focusing on the military side of Riverlain was due to a series of small attacks on Gradia by bandits. As a result of law enforcement, the Gendarmerie changed the purpose to mostly staying as the police force within the nation and was used defensively.

Meanwhile, Edel appointed Lengarz to be the Chief Diplomat of the Principality. Using his knowledge of the threat of an Askonian invasion, he scheduled a meetings with all of the leading nobles of all Grenian States. Where the  'Confederacia Miedzygrenskarzeka' (Between the River Gren Confederation) was created.

Between the River Gren Confederation
In 247 TE, Prince Edel I became the Confederat of the Confederacia Miedzygrenskarzeka, which was a short lived state lead by Edel, a unification of the previous ethnically Grenian owned states of:


 * Mlodeskie Xiestwo Mwodszego Riverlainskie-Grenskie (Mlodeish Principality of Lesser Riverlain-Gren)
 * Mlodeskie Xiestwo Starszego Riverlainskie-Grenskie (Mlodeish Principality of Greater Riverlain-Gren)
 * Hrabiastwo Grenskiego-Palendomu (County of Gren-Palendom)
 * Palac Stagtin-Grenski (Palace [Lordship] of Gren-Stagtin)
 * Palac Stagtin-Plesz-Grenski (Palace [Lordship] of Gren-Stagtin-Plesz)
 * Xiestwo między Lergerska (Principality of Middle Leger)
 * Mlodeskie Markizstwo Perliaskie (Mlodeish Margraviate of Perlia)
 * Zachodnie Xiestwo Grenskie (Western Principality of Gren)

Edel believed the only way to sustain the foreboding invasion of all of the Grenian states, was to unite under a goal of protection and the idea of, "together we prosper!"

Invasion of the River Gren
Just as Edel and the College of Electors foresaw, the Goblin Army was seen amassing on the borders of the Confederation. Using the Casus Belli of squatting on rightfully Askonian land, the King of Askonia, Gobbo declared war on the Confederation and quickly defeated it as the Gendarmerie was, even considering droves of civilian donations, poorly equipped and funding, quickly having no choice but to negotiate.

The losing of the Confederation, and subsequent victory of the Empire, caused the Confederation to be, once again, reorganised into the Principality of Riverlain-Gren, as one of the Goblin Leaders, Galrouch, "Heard it from one of the citizens of the place."

First signs of Edel's Schizophrenia
During this time, Edel began to see his first symptoms of schizophrenia, sleeping much later than as usual of him, moving and thinking much slower then he usually was, and beginning to see his first appearances of, what others would call, "Cienie," ("Shadows"). As described by onlookers, Edel commonly spoke to people who were not there. Sometimes even causing extremely violent arguments between him and the hallucinations.

Such reoccurring  'shadow was commonly referred to ,by Edel, as Ania.' This apparition was seen in the form of his non-existent wife, who would commonly argue with him and yell insults at him, as inferred by witnesses.

Triva
[1]The Gradia City fires is the in-lore explanation of the loss of the several publications and books lost in Gradia via being misplaced in various chests.

[2]One of the earliest battle of the Mad King Arc in Anglunian; the battle was also known as the Battle of Zanathia or the Battle of Skjoldhenge.