Jan the Wise

Duke of Joraje 404-417VC
 Predecessor: Jindrich Loren
 Succesor: Bruno of Rund (as regent)
INTRODUCTION
Jan the Wise (387-417VC) was son of Jindrich Loren and Susanna of Samospeze. His ascension to the silver seat at a young age was turbulent however clever policies and the placation of the Great Houses managed to maintain Loren control, albeit weak, of Joraje. For this he received the posthumous epithet "the Wise". He married Helena of Pecka in 405.
EARLY LIFE
Jan was born at Hrad Stavlan whilst Susanna, his mother, was travelling to Lorenvald castle to give birth. For this he gained the nickname Stavlan. He was tutored by Agnis of Valy. The premature death of Jindrich left a 17 year old Jan sole heir to the Loren throne as his older brother, Zavan Komas had died but 5 years earlier to Hejnrik II's campaign against Jindrich Loren. Jan's early life had prepared him as a diplomat and scholar rather than a warrior, and this would go on to define how he would deal with the unruly nobles of Joraje.
EARLY REIGN + FIRST CRISIS (404-409)
Jindrich had lead a turbulent reign of alienating himself from his advisors, nobles and commanders culminating in the disastrous Battle of the Red Bog. The resultant Treaty of Mordibau allowed Hejnrik II Jehnidy to legally sit on a Golden Seat to defy Loren influence of Joraje. This, and other rebellious actions from the Great Houses such as Gerhard of Vitep and Janik the Blonde challenged Jindrich's authority and Loren influence in and outside of Joraje. The death of Zavan Komas in 499 and Jindrich in a 404 encouraged nobles to protest and many in 404 swore loyalty to the Gold seat of Mibram, ruled by Hejnrik II of Jehnidy. When Jan the Wise attempted to levy an army to confront and punish Hejnrik for his insolence in 405, dozens of Lords took their right to 'sceptre' and start arbitrary feuds to avoid joining Jan's army. Jan would fail to bring any substantial army and so in 407 bought the Golden seat of Mibram for a gargantuan price funded by debt. This was known as The First Crisis of the Golden Seat. Jan had therefore accomplished his first minor success, albeit a choice that was necessary to prevent civil war, and one that extracted a heavy toll on the declining Loren treasury. The remainder of his early reign was spent organizing marriages and treaties between his feuding nobles.
MIDDLE REIGN + SECOND CRISIS(409-414) 
To help heal the damage to Jehnidy-Loren relations, Jan had married his second cousin, Emma of Korchenoy to Hejnrik II. When Emma annulled her marriage to Hejnrik in 411 and escaped to Loren lands, a furious Hejnrik demanded that Emma be returned to Mibram. When Jan refused, Hejnrik simply had a second golden chair made for himself. The propaganda war that had been raging between a bloated Jehnidy family and the Loren house came to a climax as Jan levied another army. This time however, the Šternberk and Brehša families supported Jan who marched on Mibram in 412. The War of the Golden Seat (412-413) began here. Jan soon was repelled from the city and focused on the nearby market town of Mettl, capturing it in Summer 412. By Autumn, Jan the Wise had also captured Glostok, Kradow and Niza. Hejnrik's response would be a large attack on the cities of Neubrach, Dobrel and Savahoff in central-western Karred. In spring 413, Hejnrik had captured Dobrel and the surrounding hinterland, but had failed to take the major cities he intended to capture. Hejnrik's brother, Lephold z Ustyn had been captured at the Battle of Ustyn near Glostok. Hejnrik was forced to return to the west bank of the Orat where in 413 he was defeated at the Battle of Eshkonitze and imprisoned. Jan the Wise's victory won him the loyalty and respect of many Great houses and halted the expansion of Jehnidy influence in Joraje (he also received a free golden chair). This crisis would come to be known as the War for the Golden Seat.
LATE REIGN (414-417)
Jan the Wise's late reign, a brief period of 3 years, saw the most stable Loren family since the early 300s. Whilst the right to sceptre still remained, Jan had won the hearts and minds of his vassals and would have had a fully supported army if he had ever needed it. His late reign saw little combat as instead he encouraged economic prosperity in Joraje by giving charters to growing cities (such as the Kofkarta to the port city of Pruule), giving increased guild rights and commissioning the largest history of Joraje up to that point, called the Lorenskronik which was added to until the death of Chenek in 446. 
SUCCESSION 
Jan the Wise's death in 417 to an unknown and sudden cause left his 2 young sons, Ankred and Chenek unready to rule. Whilst Jan's brother, Prokop the Bad of Nidyitz was still alive, Jan ensured Bruno of Rund would be regent instead due to a lack of trust between the 2 brothers. Bruno would quickly reverse all gains made by Jan the Wise in a war against Prokop who contested his nephew's claim to the throne.