Court of Bavaria

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Regensburg
Seat of the Bavarian Dukedom

With a history going back to that of the Roman Empire, Regensburg has long served as a major center of both political and religious significance: It served as the initial seat of Louis the German, the first King of East Francia; some of the earliest Bohemian converts to Christianity were converted in Regensburg; and its location on the Danube have made it a major center of trade in the region.

If anywhere has benefited form the Magyars, it has been Regensburg: People from razed towns have fled to the ancient Roman fortress-town, causing the population to rapidly grow over the last few decades. Most of the recent development has been outside Regensburg's walls, forcing renewed fortification efforts to contain the ever-growing city.

To avoid any trouble should a small Magyar raiding party unexpectedly reach Regensburg, the duke generally holds court in a meeting hall inside the city walls. The hall is a short walk from the city's marketplace and accommodations, although visitors are provided with most of what they would want at the duke's expense.

Current Affairs

The Magyars: Bavarian politics currently revolve around her barbarian neighbors. Carinthia is already in chaos as a result of their raids, and they threaten to do bring the same devastation to Bavaria proper with each passing raiding party.

Foreign Relations

Saxony: United by their common position as Germany's frontier, the two dukedoms have signed a treaty of defense.  

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Victor I
Herzog zu Bayern und Markgraf zu Kärnten

Appearance: Medium-length dark-brown hair, reasonable build. Commonly is sitting down, seeming not to pay attention to those around him. Will usually speak without making eye contact. When he stands he is rather tall, but if not addressing or trying to impress someone he will generally not carry himself as such.
Personality: Distracted, preferring to draw or study an object than deal with others. When he responds to others, his answers are very short and he rarely looks up from his activity while speaking. When necessary, he will carry himself as a duke, using his large stature, powerful voice, and his ability to manipulate people to intimidate and impress those around him, but he'll often return to his normal behavior as quickly as possible.

Victor became Duke of Bavaria after returning from a particularly devastating battle against the Magyars in 908. Much of Bavaria's nobility did not survive the battle, including his father, both of his older brothers, and the previous duke. In spite of his unusual nature and somewhat younger age, he was left as the most powerful man in Bavaria; with the support and encouragement of his mother and cousin, he easily seized the dukedom.

Those who are unfamiliar with Bavarian politics often assume that Victor is incompetent, or at the very least uninterested in the dukedom. His unusual manner is the root of this misconception: He frequently is writing on a piece of paper, making small hand motions in the air as he stares off at nothing, talking quietly to himself, or fidgeting with some small object while court is being held. The continued presence of his mother and cousin do little to assuage the notion that Victor is on the throne to be maniuplated, not to rule.
However, there is a duality to the duke that those who frequent his court would remind visitors of. While he sits in his throne, an observant eye will notice his intense stare as he watches some squabbling courtiers, small facial reactions to remarks not addressed toward him, or the occasional moment where you meet his gaze and he smirks knowingly before he continues drawing. Although he will say the bare minimum to hold court, there are times where the duke will speak on his own behalf; during these times, he will carry himself with the confidence and pride expected from a duke, and it quickly becomes obvious that he keenly observes every word and mannerism of those around him. Detractors in a position of apparent strength have been brought down in an instant simply by the duke rising to utter a single sentence; his reputation in the duchy is so strong that his opponent will sometimes back down before the duke has the opportunity to make them do so.
The massive difference between the two Victors have led some to dismiss his normal behavior as a farce meant to keep his enemies off guard. Those closer to the duke are far more sympathetic, knowing that if either personality was to be an act, it would be the stronger of the two.

House of Victor

Although not its founder, the House of Victor gets its name from Victor von Ingolstadt, a powerful Bavarian count that lifted the family's status in the region to where it could challenge, and eventually replace, the Bavarian duke. Currently, the two most powerful families in Bavaria are branches of the House of Victor: The elder branch descended from Victor von Ingolstadt and the younger branch from his brother. The older branch has long been the dominant one, currently holding the dukedom, but recent troubles caused by the Magyar invasions have and Duke Victor's odd manner threaten that position, causing some to whisper that the next duke should perhaps come from the younger branch of the family if things do not improve.



Family Tree
Adalricus
├ Victor von Ingolstadt
│ └ Amaliricus & ♀Juliane (b.872)
│ │ ├ Victor, Duke of Bavaria (b.890)
│ │ └ ♀Rosemarie (b.894)
└Heinrich
│ └ Leopold (b.884) & ♀Kirsa (b.885)
│ │ ├ Addler (b.906)
│ │ ├ ♀Selma (b.905)
│ │ ├ ♀Margarete (b.90 cool
│ │ └ ♀Katharina (b.910)  

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Important Individuals & Groups

Countess Juliane
As the mother of the duke and holder of most of his late father's estates, Juliane holds great influence in the Bavarian court. Having frequently managed her family's estates while her husband and children were at war, she gained a reputation as a shrewd negotiator and skilled diplomat even before she supported her only surviving son's ascension to the dukedom. It is because of this reputation, her late husband's estates remaining in her hands, and Duke Victor's generally quiet demeanor that she is considered by some to be the real power behind the throne.


Count Leopold
Head of the younger branch of the Victor and cousin to the duke, Leopold is also the second most powerful man in Bavaria behind Duke Victor (or, as some would argue, his mother). He supported the duke's ascension to the throne along with his, his motives are unclear: Although it's difficult to imagine that he had no ulterior motive in doing so, he has made no indication that he plans to abuse his relation with the duke. Still, although his words and actions are supposedly those of a loyal vassal, it is hard to ignore the fact that, should Duke Victor die without an heir, Leopold would inherit everything and be the only serious contender for the dukedom.  

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History of Bavaria

Bavaria been a center of East Franican power since the kingdom's founding, its first king having briefly styled himself King of Bavaria. Its ties to Carinthia are related to Bavarian kings as well, with Arnulf of Carinthia utilizing both as his bases of his power. In recent decades however, Bavaria's dominance has waned in the face of the Magyar invasions, nearly all of which pass through Bavarian territory on their way to more lucrative destinations.

Geography

The terrain of Bavaria and Carinthia is a mix of high plateaus, low wooded mountains in the north, and mighty mountain ranges to the south. The mighty Danube river passes through northern Carinthia and divides Bavaria in two: Two thirds of Bavaria lie to its south, connected to Regensburg by the Danube's tributaries, while to the north lies the Nordgau, an area larger than Thuringia but made up of largely untamed forests.
The eastern and southern frontiers are largely defined by mountain ranges. Low, wooded mountains serve as a border to Bohemia to the northeast, while the Alps serve as a southern frontier, as well as a large portion of Carinthia. The northern third of Carinthia is made up of a large basin around the Danube river; due to its it is not uncommon for this area to be considered more as a part of Bavaria than of Carinthia.  

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