The Duc who took Averoigne’s throne by his wife’s blood two weeks after the heir was murdered, was publicly accused of the murders, was crowned anyway — and died suddenly two years later with the war going his way.
What We Know (all GM)
- Duc d’Envers, husband to Estoile, sister of the late King Etienne de la Courcel.
- Summer 1731: claims the throne by right of his wife’s blood, immediately after the assassination of Marie-Celeste de la Courcel and Marc Abayante.
- Guillaume de Fausseflammes publicly accuses him of being behind the assassinations and counter-claims the throne.
- Late Summer 1731: takes Vyones unopposed, plans a quick coronation, and is crowned by Louis d’Allissy, Archprelate of Vyones and the late king’s own key advisor.
- Acting as king, he nominates Jehanne d’Allais — a rich nobleman of a minor house — as head of the decapitated Order of the Owl.
- Summer 1732: his forces and Fausseflammes’s clash in several significant engagements.
- Fall 1733: falls suddenly ill and dies. Succeeded by his eldest son Rincon, whose poor reputation derails the negotiated end to the war.
Why He Matters
He is the obvious answer to The Night in the Royal Castle — and obvious answers in this campaign have a habit of being the first layer. His single most consequential act was not taking the crown but buying the Order of the Owl, within weeks, for a man his own knights could see through.
Speculation
He “falls suddenly ill and passes” at the exact moment his enemy is besieged and the war is nearly won. Compare the Averoigne pattern generally, and note that Sultan Fahim’s health is a state secret in Hazad for precisely this reason: in this world a convenient illness is a political event until proven otherwise.
Relationships
- Estoile de la Courcel — his wife, and his entire claim.
- Rincon d’Envers — his eldest son and successor.
- Louis d’Allissy — crowned him.
- Jehanne d’Allais — his appointee over the Order of the Owl.
- Guillaume de Fausseflammes — rival claimant and public accuser.