Frederick the Wrangler

Frederick I of Lithuar (born 23 Flowertide 990) is a Lithuari half-human nobleman and the effective claimant to the throne of Lithuar. Prior to his ascension in the Wilde Uprising, he was 9th Duke of Safford as well as Duke of Dorcaster, and Earl of Eastmarch. In his youth he earned fame as a skilled and zealous warrior, leading a corps of mercenaries and knights in the Ucral border skirmishes, which originally earned him the epithet the Ferocious. He then became known for his intrigues in Lithuari and Imperial politics to achieve autonomy for his estates, and to maintain the rights and privileges of the aristocracy. His belligerence against King Stefan and the royalist faction led by Lord Strongbow garnered him the nickname Frederick the Wrangler. He portrayed himself as an indulgent and generous dandy in public, flaunting his wealth and power; all while engaging in schemes and manipulations to counter the political moves of his rivals and shore up his support among the old nobility, such as launching a lawsuit in the Imperial Court to assert his independence. In the course of this action, however, it was determined that he had a valid claim to the throne, which heightened his ambitions.

In Frostfall 1020, he was elected anti-King by a council of nobles, including many sympathetic to his claims. However, he had broad support beyond his faction, as many nobles had lost faith in King Stefan, and the House of Wilde had long championed the traditional rights of the nobility. His army moved quickly to counter the royalist supporters and encircle the Royal Army, and by Yearborn 1021 he had secured his claims though the royal fortress of Steingard is still under siege. He was crowned in the city of Kingston by the archpriest of the realm, declared Lithuar's unilateral separation from the New Empire, and formed an alliance with newly-independent Skyshroud.