The last uncontested King of Averoigne. He died in Summer 1731 with no legitimate heir, and everything that has happened in the West since flows through the two weeks after his deathbed.
What We Know (all GM)
- King of Averoigne; lacking a legitimate heir — the Crown Prince had fallen in the Fifth Crusade (1715).
- Summer 1731: on his deathbed he designated his illegitimate daughter Marie-Celeste de la Courcel as his sole heir, witnessed by several close supporters.
- Among the witnesses: Marc Abayante, head of the Order of the Owl, whom he named Regent and Lord Protector until Marie-Celeste came of age.
- His sister was Estoile, wife of Michel d’Envers — the claim d’Envers used to take the throne.
- His nephew was Guillaume de Fausseflammes, Knight Commander of the Order of the Swan — the rival claimant.
- Louis d’Allissy, Archprelate of Vyones, was his key advisor — and crowned d’Envers instead of enforcing his will.
- Two weeks after his death, his heir and his named Regent were murdered. See The Night in the Royal Castle.
Speculation
He handed the kingdom to a bastard daughter and a knight-commander over the heads of his own sister’s husband and his nephew, both of whom outranked her by any conventional reckoning. Whatever he thought of the Order of the Owl, he trusted it with more than any king in living memory — and within a month everyone he named was dead and everyone he passed over was crowned or in arms.
Relationships
- Marie-Celeste de la Courcel — his illegitimate daughter and designated heir.
- Marc Abayante — his named Regent and Lord Protector.
- Estoile de la Courcel — his sister; Michel d’Envers is her husband.
- Guillaume de Fausseflammes — his nephew.
- Louis d’Allissy — his key advisor.