Cassida of Luria

== Description ==
Cassida of Luria is a relatively average looking Imperial woman. Her jet black hair frames her relatively frail looking body. Though, all that meet her immediately feel the immense aura of Authority and Discipline she exudes.
== Biography ==
Cassida was born the only child of Duke Reginald of Luria, ruler of the Duchy of Lauria under the Longoine Kingdom. The duchy was not particularly rich but boasted a proud martial tradition and Cassida was educated in matters of war, statecraft, and diplomacy from her earliest days.
At the age of 20, in 1520 AtS Reginald suffered a mortal wound in a duel against another noble who had mocked Cassida's mother for dying during her birth. After his death soon after, Cassida became the new duchess. She inherited a capable but small army from her father. She forwent the luxuries of the court in Luria, instead living in the regimental camps, where she personally drilled her officers and soldiers.
When the petty nobles of court complained about her absence from court, she dismissed them, seizing their titles and lands and assigned military commanders to oversee them under her rule. This led to the Laurian War of Rights, a conflict Cassida easily won, putting all the rebelling nobles to the sword.
Hearing the news of her brutal treatment, King Robrec of Chesterfield, Cassida's liege, summoned her to his court in Laurissone. Arriving with her personal guard, she appeared before the King. He issued the Chesterfield Decree of Rigths, demanding Cassida to submit to its articles, to which she is said to have replied:"My liege, you accuse me of tyranny for removing and punishing the ineffective, the lazy and the traitorous. And now you have summoned me, asking me to relinquish control over my army for being too effective, proactive and decisive. 
I reject your decree and will leave you free from your vassalage. I will return with the army you seek to destroy, we will bring the banners you wish to take and I wish you the best of luck when facing our steel and shot." - Cassida of Luria adressing King Robrec of Chesterfield.Following this even, Cassida returned, assembled her armies and marched against her former sovereign in the Longoine-Laurian War. After crushing the King's larger army at the Battle of the Longoine Channel, Cassida took the capital of Laurissone and issued the Lurian Decree of Rights. The Decree effectively annexed the Longoine Kingdom and seized the lands and titles of its nobles for Cassida.
The Longoine Nobility fled the fallen kingdom en masse and sought refuge in the surrounding kingdoms, to many of which they had family ties. Within months, these exiles convinced these kingdoms to band together in the Eccasiorian Coalition against Cassida, launching the Laurian Wars.
Through brilliant military and political manoeuvring, she managed to dismantle the coalition, annexing its kingdoms one after the other. When only a few members of the Coalition remained, the powerful Principality of Marle intervened in the war. While fairing much better than the coalition, Marle too was being pushed back and eventually sued for peace.
While it managed to avoid outright annexation, it had to pay yearly tribute and surrender the Crown of Marle. The remaining Kingdoms were annexed and Cassida and her armies brought their crowns back to Luria, returning to their home for the first time in six years.
Here she fused all the crowns she seized, including the Crown of Marle together, creating the Imperial Crown of Lauria and crowning herself as Empress of the new Empire of Lauria.
Category:Character