Albrecht II

Albrecht II, His Imperial Majesty of the Stahlheimian Empire and Son of Aldhard is the current Emperor of Stahlheim and head of House Falk. His reign started eleven years ago in 972 4E, and though he showed signs of being a promising leader his rule was defined by the Six Years' War. Stahlheim's defeat in the war greatly hurt the Emperor's support, especially given that he lead the army in the disastrous Battle of Alstedt, which effectively ended the war. He has since had to deal with the secession of Highreach, an unmitigated blow to Stahlheim's power that has lead to a vicious civil war. Though Albrecht has tried desparately to unite the Empire, circumstance and recent events have both forced him to fight several issues at once. His reputation and his country's status as the most powerful in Estoria is at risk should he fail to bring Highreach to heel.

### Appearance

The Emperor is generally considered a handsome man, though his appearance is hardly subject to criticism given his position. His hair is a pure black that nearly reaches his shoulders, often tied in an elegant top knot to avoid prohibiting his vision. He is clean shaven, boasting a sharp jawline and the pale skin frequently seen among the Stahlheimian nobility. His eyes are a warm brown and hold a certain sadness in them only those close to the man can aptly describe. For a man of 36 his features are generally wrinkle free, any scars from sparring sessions or training incidents long faded and hidden behind make-up at courtly events. He is still a very fit man, though his physical prowess is slowly fading with the stress of leading and the amount of time he must sit in court dealing with legislative matters.

The armor of the Emperor is fittingly elegant, though it is rarely donned save for when his presence is needed for the purposes of raising the morale of his loyal soldiers. His pauldrons are formed in the style of eagle's heads, eye holes set with rubies and beaks protecting his shoulders aptly. The imperial sigil of his nation is engraved upon his breastplate and cloak, and the roundels of his armor are two elegant sunbursts. His weapon is the warhammer of Aldhard the Great, *Stahlfist*, passed down to each Emperor who takes up the throne.

### Personality

The Emperor was considered a fair man who truly had the best interests of the Empire at heart, though his reputation was quickly tarnished by the Six Years' War. A string of Stahlheimian defeats lead to a decrease in popularity and a reputation of being an inept leader, and even a coward. This reputation has stuck with the Emperor despite his continued efforts to stabilize the country and prove his worth as a ruler. He is known by those close to him for having a temper that affects his decisions, most notably his hostile response to Archduke Reinhardt's threats to secede from Stahlheim.

Albrecht has never favored leading from the front, only doing so when it is necessary. He prefers the intricacies of politics to the field of battle, and though his dislike of battle does not make him an easy man to fight for his knowledge of diplomacy and political matters makes him at least knowledgeable. A majority of the issues that plague his reign seem to stem from already burgeoning issues from when he took the throne, out of his reach to stop with concurring events.

### History

Albrecht Falk was born the second son of the prestigious House Falk, a noble family in Stahlheim that boasts a blood relation to Aldhard the Great and that rules over the capital province of the Empire, Stahlberg. As such he was a strong and likely candidate for the Emperor's throne, and upon his older brother's death in a riding accident he became the head of his house. He spent much of his childhood enjoying the luxuries of high class life, experiencing a wealth of knowledge few could afford and living life with true happiness. This, of course, could not last forever, as it was ever ingrained into his mind that one day he would have to oversee the most powerful nation in the world.

The first two years of Albrecht's reign showed great promise, rife with developing trade agreements and improvements to infrastructure such as the country's roads and mines. This likely would have continued if not for the brewing conflict that led to the Six Years' War, an event that has defined his time upon the throne and greatly weakening the Empire. In failing to win a war against what many saw as an inferior country, he turned many former allies into critics and helped push an ever rebellious Highreach into secession. He has since had to fight a civil war to put down the attempts of Highreach for sovereignty, and if he cannot stabilize the realm soon he risks the country turning against him.