The Unhappy Tale of Ernest of Briesgau
1083-1085: A Time for Change
Ruprecht of Briesgau was disappointed that his gambit to acquire his young son greater influence in the world had failed. However, there were still many young and eligible young women available. Ruprecht decided to take a bit of time and look about carefully. The Lord, however, seemed to have a different idea on the matter. In September, in the year of our Lord 1084, Ruprecht of Briesgau was called home to the gates of Heaven. Ruprecht's lands, titles, and claims fell to his only son, Ernest.
Ernest was as much an opposite of his father as a son could be. Where Ruprecht was known as a bold and forthright soldier, Ernest had only mediocre skill with the sword. He was, however, far his father's superior in matters of money and intrigue. He always sought to live in the mold of his father, but Ernest was not the rigoriously moral person his father was. Ernest was calm, measured, and calculating. It was often said that Ernest could make a profit selling Christianity to the Pope if he wanted to and, soon after Ernest's ascention, the finances of Briesgau took a dramatic swing upwards.
Ernest did not particularly mourn his first wife, as he only knew her for a few months and never in good health. Ernest also had a healthy belief that a leader should not cloud his judgement with silly concerns of love and romance. Marriage was a business, much like any other aspect of ruling a realm, and had to be managed with care. Ernest continued his father's careful search for a good wife. He first came to Passau, where his father once had sought a bride for him. The Count of Passau had been blessed with one son and four daughters. Unfortunately for Passau, however, his son was born of a pesant woman and stood little chance of being recognized. Ruprecht knew that whomever could marry into that family would stand a good chance of seeing those lands joined to their own, and so he resolved to seek the hand of Elizabeta, the eldest of the Count's daughters. Passau, having long ago resigned himself to seeing his lands pass away, relented and agreed to the marriage.
1085-1100: Growing into the mantle
Elizabeta was pregnant by their first wedding anniversary, and gave birth to a strong young boy in January of 1087. Ernest named the boy Rűdger, after his grandfather. More good news was to follow when the last vestiges of smallpox vanished from Briesgau in 1089, and then the subsequent births of two daughters (Mathilda, in 1091, and Gerberga, in 1092).
During the later part of 1091, Ernest held a tournament to celebrate the birth of his daughter and the new pregnancy of his wife. During the tournament, the Duke of Őstermarch went out of his way to be an ass. Ernest held his tongue during the event, but wrote a sharp letter to the Duke afterwards. This lead to a flurry of insults that threatened to grow into a war. Ernest, whose army was still recovering from his father's adventures in Pommerania, thought that rather than pressing the matter and claiming that the Duke's unchivalrous behaviour warrented a relinquishing of his throne that he would seek instead to make ammends. While Ernest considered it to be a modest and wise thing to do, many in his court disagreed. They reminded him that his father would never had countenanced such an affront. Ernest's peacemaking wound up costing him a claim to a powerful seat, and with nothing to show for it.
The spat with the Duke of Őstermarch, and managing a growing domain and household, taxed Ernest greatly. The wear began to show until, in 1094, Elizabeta finally had to talk about it to her husband. She was shocked by his explosion of anger at suggesting that he take things easier, and never mentioned the subject again. Still, it became widely known that Ernest of Briesgau was something of a short-tempered man, and many courtiers started making excuses to avoid being in the presence of their increasingly moody liege.
1100-1106: The End of Ernest
The turn of the century was an eventful time for Count Briesgau. in the early part of February, after returning from a visit to Ernest's pregnant sister in Bearn, Elizabeta fell ill with malaria. Malaria had been ravaging Bearn for some time, but they all thought that she would be safe from it in the winter. She was not, however, and died before April had come to pass.
Ernest by this time had shed what little love he had for his wife. He had long ago come to see her as an asset, much as he saw his children. He had maneuvered Rűdger into the position where he stod to inherit both Passau and Briesgau, as Rűdger was the eldest legitimate male of his mother's line and Passau was governed by the semi-sallic custom of primogeniture. Ernest thought to try to have one more son, and to put him into a position to where he could inherit as well. Elizabeta was barely in the ground before Ernest announed his betrothal to Adehild of St. Galliens.
As the year drew to a close, however, manly voices began to echo throughout the hills and mountains of southern Germany. "Deus Vult!" the cry went up. "God wills it!" The Pope sent forth a proclimation to every man that recognized the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, and called him forth to wage holy crusade against pagans, heretics, and heathens. Ernest was swept up in the momentum, but he was swept up only because he saw an opportunity to add to his son's inheritance. Calling up every last man available, Ernest mmediately set out north.
Mecklemberg quickly fell to the ravanous German armies, and Pommerania had fallen many years before. The tribe of Slupsik became Ernest's target of choice. Bavaria, however, had the same ideas, and managed to conquor all the Slupsik tribes before Ernest could even arrive north.
Ernest had spent the greater portion of his fortune expanding the highway system of Briesgau before he had left, and so his County was quickly falling into debt. Ernest did not want to go home empty-handed, and so he declared war on the Prussian barbarians. He was greatly outnumbered, but Ernest believed that his liege lord would come to his aid, and that he might be able to steal some land from under their noses while they did the major fighting. So, he camped out in Bavaria's new lands, and waited for reinforcements.
Ernest could not believe his luck when the Prussians took to the sea and attacked Pommerania. Ernest raced forth, eager to sieze some land. During his assault, he heard word that the Count of Passau had finally died, and that Rűdger had ascended to the throne. An estatic Ernest sent congratulations to his son, who replied that he had just chosen a bride and was eager for his father to meet her.
Ernest assaulted the pagan lands for almost two years. As the first of the lands grew close to falling, scouts reported that the Prussians were returning. Ernest smiled, for he knew that his army of 500 would gain great acclaim for finishing the Prussians off. Ernest did not even bother to ask why the Prussians would be coming through Bavaria's land, or ask how many of them there were. He was thus surprised when the Prussian army numbered in the thousands rather than the dozens. Ernest's army was annhiliated, and the Count barely escaped with his life.
Ernest returned, and set about making inquiries as to what happened. Much to his surprise, the Prussians easily overwhelmed Pommerania and the Bavarians, and had reconquored the lands German Crusaders had taken only a short time before. Ernest had almost no army, was in debt, and had learned that his liege, the Duke of Schwabia, had fallen to the Prussians during their assault on Pommeraina. Ernest went to Ulm to make homage to his new liege, only to learn that his new lord lived in some backwater island called Ireland. Some mongrel named Art MacGillápadraig, Duke of Leinster, had managed to gain the Duchy of Schwabia. Ernest swore that he would not kneel before some foreigner.
Stewing, he decided to go meet his son and his new wife. Ernest was stunned to learn that Rűdger had married some barren old cow in her 40's. Ernest upbraided his son for his idioticy. Rűdger shot back that he truly loved his wife, and would not seek an anullment.
Many believe that this was the moment that Ernest went insane. Ernest was quickly diagnosed by his doctor as insane upon his return to Briesgau. Ernest had the man executed. He then swore to save his son from himself, and dedicated himself to murdering Ursula of Anhalt- or "The Worthless, Barren Cow", as he had formally demanded she be called. She sent several assassins after the woman. Several came close, but aborted before they managed to do it. Ernest's health deteriorated during this time, and he fell into illness. In March of 1106, word reached Ernest that he finally succeeded. Ursula was dead. By December, Ernest had gone on to his final reward as well.
