Andesen I of Flatstone
King Andesen I Von Stone | |
|---|---|
 Andesen I depicted sitting on a throne within a tent in Onlo. | |
| Native name | Şotī Andeşen |
| Birth name | Andesen I Von Stone |
| Other name(s) | "The Warrior" |
| Born | 14th February 1285 Vedotī, Flatstone |
| Died | 22nd April 1354 Īnbā, Flatstone |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  Northern Ivili Clan Flatstone |
| Years of service | 1324-1354 |
| Rank | Commander in Chief |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Spouse(s) | Elīşa Von Stone |
| Children | Pejdeson Von Stone |
| Relations | House of Von Stone |
Andesen I Von Stone, the third king of Flatstone, inhereted Flatstone during a time of peace and prosperity. His father had built the nation up from ruins after two long wars of unification and a long gray period of internal conflicts prior. Andesen, the young king that he was, had large ambitions for his nation. He wanted to utilize the resources that his father had left him with when he passed away in 1301 and turn Flatstone into an empire in order to match the greatness of the accomplishments of his father. The young Andesen would be the first Stonish king to engage in war with another nation in Stonish history, the war in question being the First Stonish Invasion of Hoterallia. Andesen's political accomplishments are mixed, with an almost even amount of victories and defeats in his track-record. Many consider his invasion of Hoterallia to be a brutal failure, resulting in the death of multiple Stonish officers and thousands of Stonish soldiers, as well as the destruction of the Stonish navy based in the Sotigabon archipelago. However despite these initial setbacks it can also be argued that Andesen I redeemed himself during his invasion of Kakland, during which he and his officers achieved multiple victories and were successful at colonizing large swathes of Kakish lands in the early fourteenth century.
Early Life of Andesen I
Childhood
Andesen I spent the majority of his childhood in seclusion, hidden behind the success's of his father and the attention that he received in addition to them. To many, Andesen I served of very little political importance. It was only when Andesen I had reached his mid-teens that people started to pay attention to the fact that Ejek's time was near and sooner or later the nation would fall into the hands of his son. Andesen I had always had an interest for Stonish military culture. From a young age, Andesen I devoted much of his time to his studies. He'd often spar with his father and his fathers officers, practicing and utilizing the techniques that he had so often read about in the books provided to him by his father. Additionally, Andesen I loved to wear military style dress uniforms whenever he made public appearances with his father. It got to the point where this lifestyle became associated with the king. Many started to refer to Andesen I as the warrior king, a fitting name for a man who lead his nation into two different invasions against superior powers abroad.
Inauguration
Andesen I was inaugurated only a few months after the death of his father. This was because at the time of his fathers death, Andesen I was only sixteen years of age and needed a few more months till his seventeenth birthday, during which he would become eligible to rule. Andesen I received a relatively relaxed celebration held outside of the Vedoti palace in the capital of Vedoti. Many of his fathers advisors and officers attended the ceremony, as well as his mother and many of the wealthy amongst the general public.
Andesen I's Reign
First Kopen Uprising
Andesen I had little to do with the First Kopen Uprising. The most of his involvement involved a recruitment campaign of volunteers from throughout the Northern Ivili and Taverkny clans within the nation of Flatstone, however his efforts were largely unsuccessful, only having been able to round upwards of 500 men. It is likely that Andesen I did not care enough about the uprising to handle it himself. He left the uprising in the hands of the Southern Ivili officers, who he regarded as responsible for the souths inability to quell or discourage religious zealotry. He did, however, fund the Southern Ivili clan and their efforts to rally a capable fighting force to handle the situation. This small uprising had turned itself into a major point in Stonish history as it was the first time that the people of Flatstone saw any fighting for roughly a century prior to then. Fighting a campaign against a numerically superior force that was ill-equipped and experienced proved to be vital experience in the conflicts that would take place only a few decades later in Kakland and Hoterallia. The officers of the Southern Ivili clan learned a lot from the conflict and utilized their newfound knowledge by adjusting and reinventing their tactics, as well as encouraging the rest of the nation to follow suit.
Preparations for War
Andesen I had planned to embark on a glorious crusade since the day of his inauguration. He had personally pledged to seek out glory for his nation and it's people elsewhere in the world. He notified his advisors that preparations for war would begin as soon as the uprising in the south was put down. These preparations would begin with a reconstruction of the Stonish navy, upgrading many of it's outdated merchant ships to be better suited for long-distance travel across rougher waters and to shift Stonish naval doctrine away from merchantry to conflict. These changes were already implemented by his father, however they were implemented by his father many years in the past and Andesen I saw it fit for a change. Andesen I also called for a general mobilization, encouraging local rulers and clans to rally as many able-bodied men as possible throughout the entire nation. This was the first time that an actual army was successfully put together by any ruler of Flatstone, an important milestone for the young Andesen I who had been looking for a way to prove himself to his people and to his country. Upwards of 55,000 able-bodied men were rallied and were subsequently put through their paces, being forced to ruthlessly train for periods of up to five years at a time, sometimes longer. This fighting force was divided into subdivisions, with the first being dispatched for Hoterallia, being comprised of roughly 20,000 of the 55,000 men.
Invasion of Hoterallia
Hoterallia was Andesen I's envisioned "great conquest". He had hoped to divide the "politically unstable" nation into multiple smaller Stonish vassals loyal to the crown by decimating the nations ability to trade abroad and removing it's army. Andesen I personally oversaw this operation all the way through. He and his officers, the most notable being Gejt Kok, made steady progress, managing to deliver a devastating blow to the Hoterallian navy at Sotigabon and in the First Battle of the Sunadic, capturing a Hoterallian port off it's coast afterwards. However, when the Stonish army attempted to engage the numerically superior Hoterallian army on land, the Stonish officers significantly underestimated the abilities of the Hoterallian Daiki warriors and were swiftly defeated, being driven out into the sea where their navy was decimated by the Hoterallian war machine. Peace was reached as the Stonish fighting force returned to Sotigabon where it was trapped without the support of the Stonish navy. This dealt a tremendous blow to Andesen I's reputation as ruler, however little could be done about his actions at the time. Andesen I was quick to recuperate the nation, however, transitioning away from Hoterallia and seeking elsewhere.
Coping with his Losses
Following the devastating loss sustained by Flatstone during their unsuccessful invasion of Hoterallia, Andesen I spent much of the two years between his invasion of Hoterallia and his invasion of Kakland controlling the nation. He was desperate to maintain his position of power, turning the spirits of his people back around. He did this by making many promises, promises of conquest and prosperity abroad. He argued that one successful conquest would be enough to enrichen Flatstone, and that this one successful conquest would only be possible with the support of his people. At first, the public was reluctant tot trust their king that had discarded the lives of their sons and husbands, however given time many began to realize that Andesen I would not be going anywhere anytime soon, and because of this it was better to support his visions than to degrade the nation by going against them. By 1336, the people were ready for war once again.
Invasion of Kakland
Andesen I oversaw the invasion of Kakland, later named "The Great Heathens War" because of the extensive religious persecutions conducted throughout the course of the conflict. For the first few years of the war, Andesen I would be present at many of the battles that took place in and around Kakland. However, as the conflict dragged on, Andesen I left it in the hands of his officers, returning home to live out the later years of his life in peace. As time dragged on the conflict became more and more decentralized, with the two vassal kingdoms established by the Stonish kingdoms growing more and more distant from Flatstone itself. By 1354, the year of Andesen I's death, the Stonish invaders had been ousted from the nation and existed as little more than a religious and ethnic minority inhabiting the coastal regions of Kakland. Overall, Andesen I felt accomplished in his invasion of Kakland, having seized large amounts of wealth and revenue from his vassal kingdoms. The nation of Flatstone had redeemed itself, and Andesen I could sleep sound knowing that his people had regained their confidence in his ability as the ruler of their nation.
Pejdeson and the Question of an Heir
Pejdeson of Flatstone was the secondborn son of Andesen I, his firstborn having passed away at birth because of an unknown medical condition. He would go on to become the fourth ruler of Flatstone, inhereting the nation at a time when the nation was once again living in a period of prosperity thanks to the accomplishments of Andesen I. Pejdeson inherited the nation during a long period known as the golden age of Flatstone, having started during the reign of Ejek of Flatstone.
Late Life and Death
Late Life
Andesen I spent the majority of his last years reminiscing. It is believed that he wanted little to do with the political position of his nation. This was likely left in the hands of his many officers and advisors, the same ones that had been managing the conflict in Kakland for so long. Andesen I would die of natural causes in 1354 at the age of 69, making him one of the oldest rulers of Flatstone at the time. His reign lasted fifty-three years, making him second to Ejek of Flatstone at the time. His son Pejdeson would inherit the throne.