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Blessed Emperor Henri the Third, born Henrîche le troisième Ivrae de Sange, was the seventh Emperor of Regalia. Unlike the previous two Emperors of the same name, Henri III set himself apart from his decadent or narrowly focused predecessors by enacting many reforms throughout the Imperial Palace and Empire at large. While much of the growth can be attributed to Chancellor Vladimir Kade, Henri III is still respected as the Emperor that restored professionalism to the Imperial Seat, as well as created institutions such as the Violet Order and School of Sancella.
| Henri III | |
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| Notable Person | |
| Full Name | Henrîche le troisième Ivrae de Sange |
| Race | Ithanian Ailor |
| Date of Birth | August 2nd, 91 AC |
| Date of Death | February 19th, 161 AC |
| Claim to Fame | Regalian Emperor |
Origins and Early Life
Henri III was born to his father Henri II in the Imperial Palace. Due to his father’s decadent lifestyle, the young prince spent most of his time studying statesmanship under advisors, leading to a very stark difference between father and son. These tutors and advisors would frequently turn the prince away from courtesans and simple pleasures and highlight the issues with the Imperial Palace. Under the rule of Henri II, these concerns finally convinced the prince to act. After the mysterious death of Emperor Henri II in November of 122 AC, the Imperial Court took little time to declare Henri III the next Emperor of Regalia. With his reign came several decisions that shook the foundation of the Imperial Seat.
History
The first act that Henri III took upon ascending the throne was to address the growing threat of the Viridian Order. Like his predecessor, he shuffled around the guards in the Imperial Palace, but went a step further and began to draft acts that would reduce the Viridians to their original purpose as an elite band of warriors. Members of the military order saw these acts as a threat to their authority, and so began to craft a plan to usurp the Imperial Seat on New Year’s Day. However, several Viridians saw the threat their order posed to the Emperor and informed the Emperor of the plot. On December 31st, Henri III ordered the Regalian Navy and Viridian loyalists to bring forth the treasonous knights to the Imperial Palace, where they were summarily executed. Seeing that his hunch was correct, the Emperor enacted the Viridian Reform Act of 123 AC the following day, stripping the Viridians to a band of elite warriors and replacing the Imperial Guard and City Watch with the Tyrian and Violet Orders respectively.
With his position as Emperor secured, Henri went on to reform the Imperial Court. He immediately closed down the Effleur Estate, dismissing all of his father’s courtesans and mistresses despite the likelihood that one was his own mother. Further cementing his desire to be a faithful Emperor, he married the Chancellor’s sister, Ellea Kade, who was unique in that she kept her family name as Empress due to the political dominance of House Kade under Vladimir. With the Imperial Palace cleaned up from the hedonistic legacies of past Emperors, Henri looked to the faith.
The first change the Emperor did was establish the School of Sancella and redefine the hierarchy of the Sancella of Union, under the advice of Supreme Reverend Vidimar von Crowel. This decision helped to create the bureaucracy of the church, which is still in effect in the present day, while setting a procedure for individuals to enter the Sancella and become the leadership. Finally, the Emperor declared the start of the Second Holy Skagger War and saw the reconquest of Opper Calem by the Regalians.
Later Life
Henri III spent the rest of his life in constant meditation and atonement for the sins of his predecessors, which he viewed as a corruption of the Imperial Spirit. His piety was unmatched by any Emperor before or after, and he earned himself the title of the Blessed Emperor. In late February of 161 AC, the Emperor passed away, succeeding in his lifetime goal to restore House Ivrae and the Imperial Seat to respect.
Personality
Henri III was known before ascending as Emperor as a dedicated student and pious individual. After becoming Emperor, this devotion to the faith amplified, causing the Emperor to be very humble and solemn throughout his rule. Politically, he deferred all authority to Chancellor Vladimir Kade, who had already proven to be the most powerful man in Regalia for years. Those who spoke with the Emperor found a greater desire to do good in the world, as heavy religious overtones were present throughout the Imperial Palace.
Legacy
The largest legacy of Henri III are the various schools created with his early reforms. The Schools of Tyrian, Turall, Bloodcast, and Sancella can all be attributed to Henri III, with the Violet Order acting as the city defense charter for almost two centuries, before going through various charter reforms under the Kade Dynasty. Secondly, his starting of the Second Skagger War is praised by Calembergers as the end of Velheim occupation in the region and by the larger population of the Archipelago of beginning the end of the Horde’s power and thus helping lead to the unification of the Archipelago. His final claim to fame is the restoration of the Imperial Palace from a brothel into a true seat of governance. Despite his idle nature in politics, Henri III is regarded as one of several good Emperors in history, as his rule saw much-needed changes to the Holy City.
Extended Family
True to his name, the Blessed Emperor took only one wife, Ellea Kade. He had one son, Allamarich Ivrae de Sange, who would succeed his father as the only Alt-Regalian Emperor in history, Allamaria I. His mother was unknown to the public, but it was known that, due to his father’s habits, he had countless illegitimate siblings. However, he barely interacted with any of them.
Trivia
- Emperor Henri III’s rule saw an increase or popularization of self-flagellation. Many faithful Unionists chose to physically punish themselves upon confessing their sins, which they believed helped to atone for them.
- 30 years after the Viridian Coup, Viridian Primae Yvrize Clair-vois-blanc would implement the Code of Charlemois, ensuring that the Viridian Order would remain loyal to the Emperor above all else.
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