Aymar I (1223-1256)
The reign of Aymar I was to a large degree about Iberia. Already weeks after his ascension to the throne, he declared war on the kingdom of Galicia for their last remaining county, thus removing the kingdom from the map. Not long after the victory, which was of course easy enough, he targeted the kingdom of Navarra, the mightiest country in Iberia beside the Holy Francian Empire, for the duchy of Toledo. It was, despite the relative might of Navarra, a one-way affair.
Then gold struck, as a claimant to the Leonese throne appeared in Aymar’s court, asking for help to gain his throne, while promising his fealty in the case of victory. Aymar was all too eager to comply, and soon Leon was a part of the HFE.
Then it was back to Navarra, where the throne itself was in play. Another claimant, this time for the Navarran throne, visited the Francian court. War it was, Navarra fell, and was now the kingdom of Badajoz, effectively halved in size. But there was another claimant, so as soon as the truce was over, there was war again. Aymar now had the entirety of Iberia in his possession.
In the mean time in the Far East, a schismatic version of true Christianity in the eyes of the Catholics, Nestorianism, has come on the rise. The savage Mongols had united much of the East under their banner by conquest, and the Khan of Khans had adopted this version of Christianity for himself and his realm.
The bliss for the Nestorians would not last though, for as Aymar was warring in Africa to secure the African coast for his realm – with success one might add – the Mongols splintered. Nestorianism spread far, but not close to the whole of the realm, which still held much Muslim, Tengri and other faithful. Mongolia itself was quite secure for Nestorianism though.
By this time, Aymar I was ailing. He did manage to squeeze in a crusade in the end though, a crusade for Syria that while successful was not won with the HFE on top, so Aymar I did not get his pick on the throne. Not that it mattered much in the end though, as the new crusader kingdom of Syria splintered before a year had gone.
And so, on August 24th, Aymar I died, aged 53. His premature death was due to excessive eating and drinking, a vice that led to his body giving up the ghost all too early. He accomplished much, and his successor had much to live up to. Which he in many ways did, by looking east to the rival Holy Empire there, among other things. The new Emperor Aymar II had his vices though, as already at an age of 25 he was keep for his daily alcohol…