Mattheas the Magnificent

Lord of the Jehnidy (356-398VC)
 Predecessor: Hejnrik I
 Succesor: Hejnrik II
INTRODUCTION
Mattheas the Magnificent (337-398VC) was Lord of the Jehnidy and continued his Father, Hejnrik I's war of authority against the Loren dukes of Joraje. Mattheas was given his epithet in his later life as he was known to be a brilliant administrator, jouster, fighter, diplomat and even musician. His success in the war against the Loren dukes strengthened the Jehnidy position and significantly expanded his demesne.
EARLY LIFE
Mattheas was born in 337 to Hejnrik I and his wife 'Matriarch' Martha. He grew up in Mibram where his father took him on hunts and prepared him for competitions. Despite Hejnrik's best efforts to stop her, Martha taught Mattheas how to sing and play the harp which he excelled at. Mattheas often disagreed with his father who was publicly abusive and strict. Instead he favoured his mother, Martha, whom was posthumously referred in family records as 'The Matriarch'. Mattheas was tutored by Nemoj Zarudin, a philosopher and Werran scholar from Kredow. 
EARLY REIGN (356-466VC)
Hejnrik I's early death to an anger induced heart attack in 356 left a 19 year old Mattheas to rule the Jehnidy state. His father had started an aggressive war against Zavan of Joraje (not to be confused with Zavan Komas who did not live to become Zavan II) with mixed success. Hejnrik's strict preparation of Mattheas was to ensure that Hejnrik's perpetual fury against Zavan could be continued. After 4 years of relative peace, Zavan pushed forward to capture Mibram leading to the Battle of Merkenthal in 460. There, despite his bravery, Mattheas lost and retreated to Mibram. Zavan offered to end the war if Mattheas denounced his father's authority and swore fealty to the Loren. Mattheas refused and Zavan attacked the following year where he was defeated crucially at Cunderf and forced to retreat. Zavan gave up trying to deal with Mattheas and went to his country lodge in Kadelom to hunt and dine. This allowed Zavan to make considerable gains in Western Karred in 462 and 463. When Zavan returned from his luxury hunting retreat his armies under his brother Karel of Pascinhof were routed at Dobrel, losing the town to the subsequent siege. 
SIEGE OF MIBRAM (464-465)
Zavan, realising his failure to properly command the war levied his troops from around Joraje and prepared a siege on Mibram in the summer of 464. Mattheas had retreated and pulled back garrisons from Karred to defend the West March. Zavan initiated his siege but had hesitated until all that year's harvest had entered the Jehnidy city. The Siege of Mibram in 464-465 was fruitless and plagued by bad weather and dysentery. In spring 465 Zavan died and his brother Karel commanded the siege until he too died in Summer 465. With that, the new Loren Duke Vilém of Brod abandoned the siege and returned to Lorenvald castle in Karred. Mattheas's ability to remain besieged by a superior army for an entire year won him the money of the burghers, awe of the people and respect of his nobles.
MARRIAGE TO TEREZA THE FAIR
In 465 Mattheas met Tereza of Stolyno at a banquet and they married soon after. Mattheas had married down to the daughter of a Knight but it is said that their love was great. Tereza gave birth to her first child, Jakebo of Chrazim in 466 who soon became Mattheas' favourite child.
FINANCIAL CRISIS (465-474VC)
The Treaty of Karoly Brod in 465 let Vilém live in peace for 5 years during which time the Loren treasury began to collapse. Vilém was deemed as gluttonous, spineless and self-serving by his vassals, and also fiddled heavily with the taxation system. The Loren Pfund had inflated in value with the silver boom of the 340s. The price of silver had dropped and the coins fell below their value. In an attempt to resolve this he minted a new coin, however this coin was not minted in large enough quantities to be used throughout Joraje and a dual currency system was created where merchants found the new currency was worthless in areas not under Loren influence. By 370 the crisis became so bad Lords were minting their own coins of different silver percentage and value. Vilém was forced to sign the Second Treaty of Karoly Brod. When a new currency was finally stabilised in 373 Vilém became ill and was secluded to his chambers whilst Mattheas and Tereza launched an attack deep into Horak lands. Mattheas crossed at Prodso ford and laid waste to the hinterland surrounding Aam and Cerke Loda before praying at Arryet abbey and returning to Mibram. Vilém's death the following year begun the reign of a new Loren duke, Jindrich of Lorenvald.
WAR AGAINST JINDRICH LOREN
==== 1st phase ====
In 376 Jindrich Loren counterattacked the Jehnidy and took the castles of Kredow, Kosztejn, Plpava and Feronisk. Mattheas was caught offguard by the sudden attack from the new Duke of Joraje but quickly returned fire by seizing Dobrel and Neubrach. In 478 the two forces clashed at a Skirmish near Plpava where in the midst of rain and fog, Mattheas lead his forces to a decisive victory against the Loren Duke. The Battle of Plpava in 378 facilitated Mattheas's movement towards Hrad Šteck, the impregnable bastion of the Loren family. The Siege of Hrad Šteck ended with a Jehnidy victory in 379 and a forward base in the centre of Karred. In 384 after years of succesful campaigning the Jehnidy controlled most of Karred including Aam, Neubrach, Savahoff, Ternyvik, Kunvald and Beldymhoff. Jindrich Loren held out in Pecka and Lorenvald. However, Mattheas fell ill in 384 and gave command to his 18 year old son, Jakebo of Chrazim.
2nd phase
Jakebo began with a siege on Pecka in 385 which failed after Jindrich lead a relief army of cavalry to victory just outside the walls. Jakebo then lead a strike deep into Karred and defeated partisan general Vaclaf Demysle at the Battle of Aldeburk Forest in 386. As Mattheas fell deeper into illness Jakebo returned to Mibram to prepare for his succession but miraculously Mattheas survived, many seeing it as a sign Werry still had more for Mattheas to do. Jakebo would find less success on his return as most of the cities taken following Siege of Hrad Šteck had returned to Loren control. Jakebo was victorious at Kolndul Gate in 389 but was defeated at Vadorin in 390. In response to the lack of progress Tereza the Fair herself left Mibram in 391 and lead the Jehnidy troops to Victory at Rybniko but failed to capitalize on the victory and allowed Jindrich Loren to escape.
3rd phase
Mattheas returned in his 50s to command the Jehnidy armies at the Battles of Nibenhof and Kruysenfal in 393 and 395 respectively along with his sons Jakebo and Hejnrik. Despite Jehnidy victories ramping up again, Jakebo of Chrazim died in 396 and his father fell ill once again that same year. The Treaty of Korahora was signed in 396 and Mattheas, Tereza and Hejnrik all returned to Mibram. 
DEATH, SUCCESSION AND LEGACY
After 2 years of illness Mattheas died and his second son Hejnrik II became Lord of the Jehnidy and would continue opposition to the Loren family until his capture in 413 at the Battle of Eshkonitze. Mattheas would be known as the ideal statesman, experienced in combat, diplomacy, chivalry and even musicianship and would define the Jehnidy spirit for centuries to come.