The Kingdom of Harburg, founded Imperial Age 456, is a small, secluded country, flourishing in a hilly valley nestled between high mountains. Its territory was originally part of the Aswanian Empire, until the population rebelled to the Empire’s tyranny and founded a country of their own.

The name of the country – and of the ruling dynasty, the von Harburg (formerly the de Arwas) – comes from the name of the country’s main landmark, the royal palace, which at the time of the kingdom’s founding was known as Old Castle Harburg.

Many kings have sat on the Harburgian throne, all of them from the von Harburg dynasty.

Kendrik I de Arwas, the Founder

Born Imperial Age 422, died 491, reigned 456-491, not crowned.

Kendrik de Arwas was a general in the army of the Aswanian Empire, commanding two legions. Around the peak of his career, he became disillusioned with the leadership of the Empire: the emperor was just a figurehead, and the ruling council of nobles was gathering power and wealth in their own hands.

Therefore, Kendrik decided to desert, along with his legions, and found a country of his own. During his campaigns he’d happened across Castle Harburg, which was then an old, deserted fortress, and realised it would be the ideal place for his soldiers and their families to settle. He forged an alliance with the locals living in the lands surrounding the castle: they would allow the deserters to live there in exchange for protection against the armies of the Aswanian Empire.

The Aswanian soldiers and their families, a multicultural group originating from every corner of the Empire, quickly bonded and became friends with the locals, and true to his word, Kendrik fought with everything he had to protect the newly founded country.

He died in battle against the Aswanian Empire, sword in hand, aged sixty-nine.

Even though Kendrik didn’t think of himself as a king, but just as a soldier and a general, he is retroactively considered to have been the first king of the von Harburg dynasty.

Izaak I de Arwas, the Warrior

Born Imperial Age 451, died 501, reigned 491-501, not crowned.

Son of Kendrik I.

Izaak de Arwas was five when his father deserted from the Aswanian Empire, and he was brought along to the newly founded country of Harburg.

When he came of age in 466, Izaak became first a soldier and then a general in his father’s army, fighting with him to protect their new home; he was by Kendrik’s side when Kendrik was slain by the Aswanians, and he picked up his sword and carried on his fight.

He, too, died in battle against the Aswanian Empire, aged forty-nine; like his father, he is considered to be a king only retroactively.

King Izaak II de Arwas, the Builder

Born Imperial Age 481, died 555, reigned 501-555, crowned 527.

Son of Izaak I.

Izaak was twenty when his father was killed in battle. More of a scholar than a warrior, he left the fighting to his generals and his armies, while he busied himself with his studies. He was a proficient architect, and he designed the walls surrounding the capital city himself, also overseeing their building.

During his reign Kendrik I’s prediction came to pass, and the Aswanian Empire all but imploded on itself, fragmenting into several smaller states, all of which saw themselves as the rightful continuation of the Empire; the most notable of these were Upper Aswania and Lower Aswania, both of which continued the war against Harburg for several decades more, gradually decreasing in intensity until it was nothing more than irregular border skirmishes.

Because of his accomplishments, he was acclaimed as king by both the nobles and the common people twenty-six years into his reign; he is, therefore, the first of his line to be officially crowned king.

Izaak II died peacefully in his sleep, aged seventy-four.