Kiordan II, Emperor of Kurburg was Emperor of Kurburg from 590 to his death in 636. He was also King of Garlesca from 570, Duke of Wossaham from 569, and Duke of Wielkoskela by virtue of his marriage to Marla Highwind from 590, holding all three titles until his death.

The last male of the Skyward dynasty that had ruled Wossaham starting from two centuries ago, Kiordan inherited the Wossler and Garlescan thrones after the deaths of his parents Raimund of Kurburg and Euphemia of Garlesca before he was five years old, though the Imperial throne passed firstly to his uncle Alfons Skyward, then to his cousin's husband, Valdemar Waveguard. Through a series of negotiations and alliances, Kiordan successfully convinced a majority of four Electors to depose Valdemar and elect him as King of Otharn in 587. Winning the ensuing civil war, Kiordan was crowned Emperor in Brisca in 590.

Kiordan's ambitions stretched far across his dominions. Fashioning himself after the Briscan Emperors of old, he tried to expand Imperial control to west of the Spine and revive the idea of a universal monarchy. However, the Ilsadian League became his enemy, and it eventually prevailed against him in the First Ilsadian War. He was unable to stop tensions between Tarelis and Southsward from erupting into the Travrikan Fratricidal War.

Kiordan's successes were mostly outside of military affairs. A noted polyglot, he spoke at least five languages (Garlescan, Otharnic, Tarelo-Southswarder, Ilsadian and Oldspeak), and there is evidence that he learned Skelan as well. Perhaps influenced by his guardian and regent, Birnardu of Lecannu, Kiordan confirmed privileges and protections for his vermin subjects, including the slow elimination of slavery in Wielkoskela. He also managed to reform the old and decrepit Imperial law codes.

Kiordan is generally seen as an able politician, an adept diplomat and a patron of the arts by historians, but his death in the Battle of Revesvakt against the forces of Knud Waveguard, Duke of Raskia threatened to undo his life's work. Wielkoskela was retained by his wife, while he was succeeded in Wossaham and Garlesca by his daughter Lorelei as he fathered no son. His grandsons Konrad Truetide and Kiordan Streambattle would be crowned Emperor of Kurburg and King of Skela after his death.

Birth and Childhood

Kiordan was born in 618 at Wossaham. His father was Erlend II, Lord of Kaldos, and his mother was Lorelei, Princess of Garlesca. As the second son to both parents, he was not initially seen as important, though by both Travrikan and Otharnic Law he is entitled to a share of their inheritance.

In 628, he was sent to Arnet to be fostered under King Gudmund III of Triel for around a year. During his stay, he befriended Alkan Shellheart, Skipper of the Triel Otterguard and his younger brother Alef. Around the year 631, he met Egil Skulason, youngest son of the merchant Skuli Arnasson, as one of the elder weasel's tactics. Despite getting off to a rocky start, the two became fast friends until Kiordan's death.

In 632, Southswarder and Travrikan forces participated in the War of the Grey Horde. Kiordan followed his father to Mossflower and stayed in Redwall Abbey for a period of three years.

Lord of Meraholmer

Kiordan I
Kiordan I
Emperor of Kurburg
Reign	25 May 590 - 20 February 636
Predecessor	Valdemar I
Successor	Konrad IV
King of Garlesca
Reign	3 November 570 - 20 February 636
Predecessor	Euphemia I
Successor	Lorelei
Regent	Alfons of Kurburg ; (570-578); Balduin of Schwaden ; (578-580); Birnardu of Lecannu ; (580-584);
Duke of Wossaham
Reign	26 July 569 - 20 February 636
Predecessor	Raimund I
Successor	Lorelei
Duke of Wielkoskela
Reign	14 September 590 - 20 February 636
Predecessor	Marla
Successor	Marla
Alongside	Marla
Born	Kiordan Skyward; 12 June 565; Wossaham, Duchy of Wossaham
Died	20 February 636 (aged 70); Revesvakt, Lordship of Helskerland
House	Skyward
Father	Raimund I of Kurburg
Mother	Euphemia I of Garlesca

In early 635, Thordan was recalled back to Kaldos and was selected to become Lord of Meraholmer by his father, succeeding the childless Lord Holmger IV. Perhaps influenced by his friendship with Egil the weasel, he took measures to improve the lives of his vermin subjects, which led to widespread dissent from woodlander Islanders, who promptly invited Duke Knud III of Doma to replace him, which he swiftly did on 3 November, with Thordan being compelled to surrender after Canute swore to leave the vermin who hid him in peace. After a harsh captivity lasting for a month, Thordan was rescued and reinstated by forces led by his Emperor Kiordan II in person on 18 Waterfall, with Knud being slain in the confusion.

During his rule, Meraholmer was drawn into the Marratz War, with Kiordan supporting his father by sending a fleet of ships to defend Kaldos. However, Lord Erlend was killed at the Battle of Viksten in April 636, causing Kiordan and his siblings to surrender their domains a few months later. Erlend's children would later by exiled to Redwall Abbey, where Kiordan's brother Sigurd and sister Marianna would join the Redwaller Order.

Loss of Territories

In 638, Kiordan was called back to rule Iskellon as Duke alongside his mother. Despite his grandfather's wish to have his maternal half-brother Corrado inherit the duchy, Lorelei convinced her mother to let Kiordan rule instead. Corrado, being uninterested in the duchy, quickly complied, and Kiordan was able to ascend to the dukedom after his grandmother's passing.

Despite good initial relations with his liege King Gudmund, Kiordan began to draw the king's ire due to his pro-vermin policies, leading to a damaged economy in Tarelis and a strong duchy within its borders - two things Gudmund would not stand for. After Gudmund sent an ultimatum to Kiordan to cease his efforts in emancipation, Kiordan declared war on Tarelis with Imperial support.

Using Southswarder mercenaries, Kiordan's forces won a victory at Haleheath, though Kiordan's military ineptitude prevented him from pursuing further gains. His army would almost get destroyed at Brixbridge two months later. This, added to a Tareller invasion of Ilsadia by Alkan Shellheart, to the quick signing of the Peace of Voswor, which involved the loss of most of Iskellon to the royal domain. Kiordan would only retain Grolice, Lesno and Oplen.

War of the Three Realms

When Southsward and Tarelis seemed likely to be at war again in 641, Kiordan was given a choice to side with either kingdom. Southsward had annexed Kaldos while Kiordan was still bitter about losing Iskellon. His brother Emperor Konrad IV made the decision to invade both kingdoms, in a decision most likely unknown to Kiordan.

Kaldos surrendered to Kiordan personally in February 641, and most of Travrik soon followed. However, Alef Stalwart, now Duke of Norandt, was unable to take the city of Gystra on the border with Southsward, and once again Kiordan was forced to pull back to avoid overextension.