Henry III of Wyrsia

**Henry III of Wyrsia**, nicknamed the **Lion of Stavia**, born **Henry Mitthel**, was the King of Wyrsia from 770 AW until his death in 812 AW. He is best remembered for leading the Wyrsian armies from the frontline during the First Fühlgartian-Wyrsian War, where he held off multiple overland invasions despite being heavily outnumbered. He also played a significant role in Wyrsia's recovery after its defeat in said war.

Furthermore, Henry III is also credited as the brain behind the Imperial Oceans Project seeking to counter Fühlgart's naval dominance at the time. He also set aside a state fund to have multiple Northern islands settled by Wyrsians.

## Biography

### Early Life

Born in Woodhall to Prince Gerald of Wyrsia, Henry Mitthel grew up with a fascination with tales concerning knights, duels, and warfare. He began studying tactics from a remarkably young age, mostly focusing on cavalry tactics. He began practicing with a sword and even received his own pony.

When Henry became a squire at the age of twelve, he was already better prepared than most. He excelled at almost every task granted to him and was made a knight at the age of sixteen, which is also younger than average. Now knighted, he was made a lieutenant in the Army of Woodhall by the age of eighteen, yet would climb to the rank of captain at twenty.

Through political maneuvering and military excellence, Henry established himself as the second-in-command in the Army of Woodhall. He fought in the Wyrsian-Innyrian War, mostly leading skirmishes and cavalry raids from the frontline, although he partook in the Siege of Innyria. By the end of the war, with the area around Innyria – now called Stavia – needing to be pacified, Henry II created the Army of Stavia shortly before his assassination by Naerisi agents in 749 AW. Henry's father, now crowned Gerald I, expanded the Army of Stavia further and ultimately assigned Henry as its general.

However, within the Army of Stavia were rogue elements seeking to attack the Kingdom of Fühlgart due to the Nordland dispute. They launched their attacks in 758 AW, against the wishes of both Gerald I and Henry. Subsequently, Wyrsia was dragged into the Wyrsian-Fühlgartian War, which they would ultimately end up winning. During the conflict, Henry would act as the main general of the Wyrsian force, managing an impressive series of victories before the war ended.

In 770 AW, Gerald I ended up abdicating and passed the Wyrsian crown to his eldest son, Zachary. However, Zachary II would soon end up ill with the Second Plague of Ihyll, which would kill him barely a month after his inauguration, with no legitimate sons to inherit him. Subsequently, Henry rushed back to Woodhall, where he was crowned Henry III of Wyrsia.

### Early Reign and the First Fühlgartian-Wyrsian War

Henry III's reign began with some minor purges of rogue elements in the military. Believing that a strong ground force was the key to the survival of Wyrsia, Henry III began an extensive series of reforms. New standards for the military, proper uniforms, officers' academies, and new doctrines, all were developed under Henry III's reign. While these reforms were extremely expensive, they turned Wyrsia's armies consisting of independent militias into one semi-unified professional force.

By the early 790s, a military buildup on the border between Wyrsia and Fühlgart revealed that these efforts hadn't been in vain. Henry III briefly moved the Wyrsian court to Stavia, so he could be closer to the frontline if a war was to break out. Sure enough, in 791 AW, the First Fühlgartian-Wyrsian War was declared when Fühlgartian troops crossed the border. Lands south of the River Suttock fell rapidly, as Henry III set up a defensive line on the northern bank of the river.

Henry III's line would remain unbroken for a year and a half, as Wyrsia's reformed military proved to withstand being heavily outnumbered. The naval part of the war, however, proved to be a disaster for the Wyrsians. With its navy largely destroyed, Wyrsia's major trade cities were soon blockaded, and the Wyrsian economy began to deteriorate rapidly as a result.

When the Fühlgartians captured Redmile through a naval offensive, Henry III was forced to pull the Army of Whaler's Bay off the Suttock line. This stretched the Wyrsian armies too thin, causing a Fühlgartian breakthrough. Once the Fühlgartians were over the river, they advanced rapidly, and Wyrsia's armies began a full-scale retreat. The final battle of the war was led by Henry III himself, a suicidal counterattack that would be the start of the Battle of Stavia. The Battle of Stavia would be a Wyrsian victory despite all odds, earning Henry his nickname as the Lion of Stavia. Still, Wyrsia's armies were too exhausted to begin a proper counteroffensive, and ultimately sued for peace, losing Nordland to the Kingdom of Fühlgart once more.

### Late Reign and Colonization Efforts

After Wyrsia's defeat in the First Fühlgartian-Wyrsian War, Henry III was left with the ungrateful task of facing the angry nobility and mending Wyrsia's battered economy. The first was solved rather easily, as Henry III was an extremely well-respected figure across Wyrsia at the time, preventing most rebellions through either respect or fear of the consequences. The economic situation, however, proved to be more tricky.

Ultimately, Henry III decided to kill two birds with one stone. He subsidized the logging industry massively, using the output for the construction of new warships. This scheme would later become the Imperial Oceans Project with the goal of creating a Wyrsian navy that could rival the Fühlgartian ones. As Wyrsia became an increasingly seafaring nation, it became crucial to claim some islands as overseas bases for its ships. Henry III set up a subsidies project, giving money to any Wyrsian willing to settle on a select group of islands.

Ultimately, this scheme would be a success, as under Henry III, Wyrsia would colonize the Sylvir Cluster, Frosthaven Island, Serpent Island, Speartip Island, and Fortress Island. Wyrsian explorers took to the sea in the search of new lands, while newly settled ones were developed in turn. Sure enough, Henry III had established Wyrsia as a major naval power in its own right, able to rival Fühlgart's own naval capacity. Shortly after, Henry III died peacefully in his sleep. His crown would pass to his son Virgil, who followed in his father's footsteps, preparing Wyrsia even more for another would-be war with Fühlgart.

## Career

Kingdom of Wyrsia

* Prince (723-770 AW)
* Squire (735-739 AW)
* Knight (739-741 AW)
* Knight Lieutenant (741-744 AW)
* Knight Captain (744-746 AW)
* Knight Commander (746-749 AW)
* Knight General of the Army of Stavia (749-812 AW)
* Heir Apparent (770 AW)
* King of Wyrsia (770-812 AW)

## Awards

* Service Medal - Kingdom of Wyrsia
* Chivalry Medal - Kingdom of Wyrsia
* Bravery Medal - Kingdom of Wyrsia
* Injury Medal - Kingdom of Wyrsia
* Innyrian Victory Medal - Kingdom of Wyrsia
* Fühlgartian Victory Medal - Kingdom of Wyrsia
* Hero of Wyrsia Medal - Kingdom of Wyrsia
* Wyrsian Defense Medal - Kingdom of Wyrsia

## Personality

Surviving sources describe Henry III as a true militarist. While he was one of the more violent kings in Wyrsia's history, he was ultimately still fair towards his subjects, which earned him the loyalty of his army. He was also a flexible leader, willing to accept different angles and inputs than his own. His shift in attention from land warfare to naval warfare illustrates this flexibility, as it were his advisors who suggested it first.