Kaiser Samson XIII

Portrait of Samson XIII by Bernhard von Ostringen

## Summary

Samson Samsonling XIII was the 48th Kaiser of the Samsonite Empire, and the youngest individual to ever hold the rank of Kaiser prior to the coronation of Leopold III in 2004. His reign was dominated by constant change, and is typically regarded as the point in Samsonite History which divides the modern Samsonite Empire from the "Old Empire." From the beginning of his reign, he had to contend with the growing threat of war with the pretender-king Andor Andravis. Further, he was left with the responsibility of re-militarising an empire which had existed in a state of peace for nearly two centuries. The War of Intrigue broke out not long into his reign, culminating into the first pan-Elgenean conflict, and was a humiliating defeat for the Samsonites. It is the events after the war, however, for which Samson XIII is well-regarded.

## Military Reorganisation (1714-1720)

Immediately following his coronation, Samson XIII began focusing heavily on the reorganisation of the Samsonite Military. The Samsonite Army was inexperienced, with no veterans to fill officer positions. The Imperial-Royal Cavalry Corps, having served as military police in some of the Empire's more rebellious provinces, had a much larger pool of experienced individuals to fulfill leadership roles.

Samson XIII had been left with Franz von Hogaland, a noble from the Whitecoast, as his marshall. Von Hogaland had been appointed by his father, and while Hogaland was not experienced in commanding infantry, he was a noteworthy artillerist and logistician. With no reliable alternatives, the Kaiser opted to keep von Hogaland in charge of the Royal Army. The IRCC, however, was in need of a new Cavalier-General, and the Kaiser was tasked with selecting an individual to fill the role. He eventually settled on Arnold Joseph von Durkich, a Senior Cuirassier from the South Outlands, as his new Cavalier-General.

Arnold von Durkich was known to be an inspiring officer, well-versed in traditional Samsonite stories of heroism, including the stories of Samson the Great's wars against the Mokosh, which he could recite from memory. As Cavalier-General, von Durkich proved to be especially capable of producing disiplined regiments, which gained a reputation for their cohesion among Sasagian soldiers.

## Alliance with Karlilych

As Andor Andravis's Sasagian regime grew more militant, Samson XIII began taking precautions for war. After beginning his series of Military reforms, he began looking to diplomatic options to avoid war. He began feigning cordial relations with the Sasagian Despot in 1721. Andravis took kindly to this, believing he had successfully negotiated his nation's independence. When he proposed a joint-invasion of Translavia in the spirit of expanding both their realms, Samson responded in agreement. The Kaiser, however, had no intention of invading Translavia and instead secretly sent a lone courier from Muddah to the seat of the Slavic Confederation, in Karlilych.

The High Chief of Karlilych, Dagor "the Elder," was himself preparing for an invasion by the Sasagians, and had been convening with the other chiefs of the Confederation for over a year to determine a course of action. When the Emperor's courier arrived, he spent many days pondering the offer. The Kaiser had proposed an alliance between the two, in the hopes of both armies being able to overpower Andravis's army by ambushing them together. Dagor Eventually sent his reply in 1723, agreeing on behalf of Karlilych, rather than the Confederacy. With this in mind, the Kaiser continued pushing for increased recruitment across his nation, hoping to bolster the army as much as possible before Andravis's invasion began in 1724.