Sieglinde of Jerusalem

It cannot be said that the Fafnir-blooded Hohenschlacht family did not pay it dues to feudal honor. In the first crusade, the firstborn son, Siegfried, died in glory when charging Jersusalem. After that , the Baron himself gave his life in battle in service of the Emperor, in his wars in the Balkan.

Being raised as the equal of her brother, hero of the first crusade, the girl learned everything about the art of knighthood from her heroic father. Female knights are a rare thing, but father Hohenslacht was determined to have his daughter ascend to this noble rank. Being raised pretty much as a boy, Sieglinde went through knightly training, squire-hood and beyond, proving herself the equal -or more likely, the superior- of any man she'd come across.

When the Third crusade called, the Hohenslacht family were put in a very difficult position : either they obeyed the Emperor's call, and sent a noble knight in his feudal service; or they failed to do so, and lose their feudal rank. For the good of the family, Sieglinde decided to take up her noble burden. The Hohenschlacht family would send a knight, and any man that would dispute her status would better be very sure of himself, or find himself in a duel he definitely had better avoided.

## Role during the Crusade

Along with her loyal steed Brunhilda, Sieghilde left to defend her family's honor. Soon after arriving in Jerusalem, it became clear to Sieglinde that the crusaders were heavily outnumbered by the armies of Saladin. Twelve true knights, that is what they had to defend Jerusalem. Amongst them, she met one young noble by the name of Jehan de Sanct Cyr and a priest, Wielebrand van Brabant. To Sieglinde the situation reached a low when, by order of the Lord Commander, a bunch of civilians got knighted, feeling her honor getting insulted.

The two knights, along with Wielebrand and the local Sheik Haqim El Tikriti started their quest together. Sieglinde and the rest of the company quickly came to understand that the biggest threat wasn't outside, but rather inside the walls of Jerusalem. With no king in Jerusalem, the corrupt Lord Commander had taken over. Days later, after meeting Saladin along with the Lord commander, the company decided they would give Jerusalem what it needed: a true King. The same day they cooked up a new plan, for some people the highest level of treason. They would perform a coup d'etat.

Sieglinde her task was clear: get as many knights as possible on her side. And so the next day she did, she sat together with a few other knights who already saw the nearing doom approaching. They saw reason and give Sieglinde their word to be with her when the Coup succeeded. With that, the easy part was over, as most knights were loyal to their Commander.

One conversation escalated and Sieglinde challenged a knight to a duel for the honor. She ended up cracking the man's shield in half and ending his life by forcing her sword down his throat, turning the man into a blood fountain, and shoving the corpse off the wall. With the burning sun of Jerusalem behind her and blood-covered clothes, she performed a speech calling out the current Commander and challenging every person who stood against her.

Sieglinde's martial prowess was proved in the battles around Jerusalem, where she ascended to the position of Lord commander of the city. While considered too formidable a warrior for any husband to dare approach, this did not seem to deter the erewhile (short-reigned) King of Jerusalem, Jehan de Sankt Cyr, whom she wedded, thus becoming Queen of Jerusalem in title.

## Life after the Crusade

During her later life in Francia, she gave birth to several strong sons and daughters and remained an important political figure within the House. Considered the most feared fighter in knightly duel, her very presence deterred potential challengers to the House and secured their position of power for a very long time.