Alfredo I of Valvexia
| Alfredo I | |
|---|---|
| Our Great Protector | |
.png) Sketch of Alfredo I | |
| King of all Valvexia | |
| Reign | 8 May 947 - 6 March 978 |
| Predecessor | Monarchy established |
| Successor | Alfredo II |
| High Chief of the Valvexii | |
| Reign | 922 - 947 |
| Predecessor | Alanti da Reglas |
| Successor | Monarchy abolished |
| Born | Alfredo du Alanti da Reglas c. 896 Ahgorae, Valvexii Chiefdom |
| Died | 10 April 978 (aged 80 - 81 years) Ahgorae, Kingdom of the Valvexans |
| Burial | The Great Mound, Moundgarden, RCT |
| Queen-Consort | Marien Valiae |
| Issue | |
| House | Reglasi |
| Father | Alanti, Chief of the Valvexii |
| Mother | unknown |
| Religion | Valvexii Paganism |
Alfredo I of Valvexia (Alfredo du Alanti da Reglas; c. 896 - 10 April 978) was the chief of the Valvexii tribal nation who suscessfully led "the Great Confederation" against Swagotan and Davan migratory tribal groups during the Davan Wars. Following the victory, the other chiefs proclaimed him the "Great Protector of all Valvexia", effectively making him the first monarch of a unified Valvexia.
Early Life
Birth
From the inscriptions found in his burial mound at Moundgarden, Alfredo (born Alfredo du Alanti; lit. Alfredo, son of Alanti) was born sometime in 896 CE to Alanti, High Chief of the Valvexii, and an unknown mother. His father, who was elected High Chief in 892, was a member of the Reglasas, a warrior-centric family who claimed descendance from Reglasi the Wise, the legendary first chief of the Valvexii and one of the three sons of the goddess Valvexahni. Since he was born to the High Chief, he was more than likely born in the tribal seat of Ahgorae, which had a population of around 7,500 at the time of his birth.
Young Adulthood
Alfredo reached adulthood in 912 when he turned 16, with accordance to Valvexian tribal traditions. By that time, it was expected that males knew how to hunt and fight, skills that Alfredo was very proficient in. Under his father, the Valvexii began to expand exponentially, expanding westward into the lands of the Airenii. Alfredo often accompanied his father on his campaigns, learning skills and tactics that would help him during his own campaigns. It was also during the 910s where he would first come in contact with mirgratory tribal subgroups of the Davans and Swagotans, groups who had migrated into the Valvexian region two centuries prior. Most native Valvexian groups, including the Valvexii, viewed the Davans and Swagotans with distrust and distain, often leading to attacks and raids by both sides. It was during one such attack by the Davans where High Chief Alanti would be killed.
High Chief of the Valvexii
Alfredo, now 26, was elected High Chief of the Valvexii in 922, succeeding his father. He blamed the Davans for his father's death, and vowed to wage "perpetual war" against them and the Swagotans until both groups were driven out of Valvexia entirely. The first several years of his reign was focused on completing his father's subjugation of the Airenii, which he did after his 925 victory at the Battle of Talferi and the capture of Airenas (present-day Aire). Unrest in Ahgorae, mostly as a result of tension between Alfredo and the Valvexii War Chief Vildero Valiae, nearly led to civil war. Conflict was avoided when Alfredo agreed to marry Valiae's one-year-old daughter, Marien.
Formation of the Great Confederation
With the unexpected death of High Chief Alanti, along with a power struggle amongst the chiefs of the Woshon, Davan attacks and incursions into central Valvexia became more common. Out of concern for the growing threat in the south, Alfredo convened a meeting of some of the more powerful chiefs in Valvexia in the Summer of 930 at Raedolfen Hill. Attending the meeting, which became known as the Raedolfen Gather, was High Chief Pagonus of the Pagonii, High Chief Mariscko of the Upper Valtunii, Chief Vaella of the Upper Woshon, and Chieftess Aribeses of the Sesadanii. All agreed that the Davans and the Swagotans were a threat to the Valvexian tribes, leading to the formation of an alliance between those in attendance. The alliance, which would become known as the Great Confederation, would come to include the High Chiefdom of Ikara and the High Chiefdom of the Raavi later on.
War with the Davans
First War (933 - 941)
According to the historian Vaeda, the Davan Wars, also known as the Wars of Valvexan Reclamation, began on the Luxenhei in 933. Following mid-day celebrations and an offering to Ikari, the god of war, a combined Valvexii-Woshon force under Vaella and Alfredo's command attacked a Davan warrior outpost near present-day Alloveda, Woshon. After the attack, Davans who were captured or surrendered were executed by Alfredo, marking the first occurrence of Alfredo's controversial executions, leading to a tense relationship with the Davians and the Davian Empire over the following centuries. Following the attack and subsequent mass execution, Davan tribes began to form their own regional confederations as a defense against the Valvexian tribes. The most notable of these confederations was the one led by Ehdo, one of the few Davan leaders recorded by 10th century Valvexians. Alfredo and his allies continued to push the Davans out of Woshon from 933 to 935. The Davans living in Woshon, led by Chief Devdin, made an unsuscessful last stand on the banks of the Western Adenzen river in 935, but he and his forces were soundly defeated.
Ehdo's Confederation
With Devdin's defeat in 935, the remaining Woshonan Davans migrated southwest into the lands of the Womachii. Years prior, a Davan warchief named Ehdo began to consolidate his control around the Western Kherasini foothills, controlling a territory that stretched as far north as present-day Marienbourghe, Womach. When the Davan Wars began, Ehdo had already formed a regional confederation comprised of Davan tribes in Womach. As thw war progressed, along with increasing violence, massacres, and mass executions committed by the Valvexan tribes, more Davan tribes joined his confederation.
Alfredo and his new Womachii allies encountered Ehdo in Spring 936 outside Fortress Meteroe, a Womachii outpost. The Valvexii-Womachii force pushed Ehdo from the area and continued to clash with his forces for the rest of the season. Alfredo would drive Ehdo out of northern Womach entirely by defeating him at the Battle of Causiszka Field in Summer 936. Despite the defeat, Ehdo continued to harass the Womachii and Valvexii forces for the next several months until the Womachii cornered him and his forces at Lourenszen in Winter 936. Ehdo was killed by his own warriors in Spring 937, leading to the collapse of his confederation and any Davan resistance in Womach. The splintered remnants of Ehdo's confederation migrated further south into the dense wilderness of the Kherasini foothills and east into the Valtuni Plains. Alfredo and local forces would spend the next four years eliminating these Davan groups, concluding when the last Davans migrated across the Kherasini Mountains into Valdava.
Second War (941 - 945)
With the war in the west concluded, Alfredo turned his attention to the northeast where the Swagotans had been clashing with the Pagonii for decades. Not much is known about the early stages of Alfredo's involvement in the conflict, as Vaeda had travelled back to Ahgorae following Ehdo's defeat. Vaeda did document that Alfredo returned to Ahgorae in late 942 where he married his betrothed Marien Valiae. Alfredo, the couple's only child, was born the following Autumn in 943.
Afredo and his forces left Ahgorae in early 944 toward the Pagonii, who were encamped at Kavedesas (modern-day Kaveda). By the time of his arrival, the Swagotans had organized into a powerful confederation under the leadership of Theaotulla, a war chief who styled himself as "High Chief of the Western Swagotii". The Southern Pagonii, who were pushed out of their territory by Theaotulla, recognized Pagonus as the High Chief of a unified Pagonii people and began to arrive in Kavedesas to bolster his forces. According to Vaeda who had arrived in Kavedesas that Summer, Alfredo battled the Swagotans several times over the following months, leading to a Swagotan retreat from the area surrounding the Pagonii stronghold.
Third War (945 - 946)
Following their winter encampment, Theaotulla, now joined by his cousin Theoderi and his contingent of 400 warriors, advanced towards Kavedesas. With Theaotulla's force now numbering over 1200, the Pagonii forces in the area relied on guerilla warfare and hit-and-run tactics. Despite these tactics, the Swagotans continued to inflict casualties on the Valvexii-Pagonii coalition, notably at the Battle of Northern Cliffs in Autumn 945 which saw Alfredo lose 230 of his 600 force. Following their defeat at Northern Cliffs, Alfredo and the Pagonii retreated to Kavedesas, which was soon put under siege by Theoderi.
Battle of Kavedesas Plains
The siege of Kavedesas continued through the winter and into spring 946. Realizing the siege was dwindling their numbers, Alfredo and Pagonus agreed to break out of the stronghold and attack Theoderi's camp on the heights overlooking the village. Valvexii scouts noticed that Theaotulla's forces were farther away down river dealing with Yowanus, who had captured several Swagotan camps during the winter. According to Vaeda's Historua Belli Swagoten, Alfredo and Pagonus broke out of Kavedesas on the night of 10 May 946 through an unguarded gap in the wall.
That morning the combined Valvexii-Pagonii force hit Theoderi's camp from both sides, storming up the hillside paths unnoticed. The battle waged all morning and into midday. Theoderi was killed while trying to flee, causing most of the Swagotans to surrender.