| Louis the Pious' Sword Belt | |
|---|---|
|
Origin |
Louis the Pious |
|
Type |
Sword Belt |
|
Effects |
Alters the existing order of succession for leadership |
|
Downsides |
Internal discord, acts of prostration, loss of prestige |
|
Activation |
Primogeniture-related inheritance |
|
Collected by |
Warehouse 8 |
|
Section |
|
|
Date of Collection |
1402 |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aquitaine from 781. As the only surviving son of Charlemagne and Hildegard, he became the sole ruler of the Franks after his father's death in 814, a position that he held until his death except from November 833 to March 834, when he was deposed. Though his reign ended on a high note, with order largely restored to his empire, it was followed by three years of civil war. Louis is generally compared unfavorably to his father but faced distinctly different problems.
During his reign in Aquitaine, Louis was charged with the defense of the empire's southwestern frontier. He conquered Barcelona from the Emirate of Córdoba in 801 and asserted Frankish authority over Pamplona and the Basques south of the Pyrenees in 812. As emperor, he included his adult sons, Lothair, Pepin and Louis, in the government and sought to establish a suitable division of the realm among them. The first decade of his reign was characterized by several tragedies and embarrassments, notably the brutal treatment of his nephew Bernard of Italy for which Louis atoned in a public act of self-debasement.
Succession of the Line[]
On 9 April 817, Maundy Thursday, Louis and his court were crossing a wooden gallery from the cathedral to the palace in Aachen, when the gallery collapsed, killing many. Louis, having barely survived and feeling the imminent danger of death, began planning for his succession. Three months later he issued an imperial decree of eighteen chapters, the Ordinatio Imperii, that laid out plans for an orderly dynastic succession. If one of the subordinate kings died, he was to be succeeded by his sons. If he died childless, Lothair would inherit his kingdom. In the event of Lothair dying without sons, one of Louis the Pious's younger sons would be chosen to replace him by "the people".
Above all, the Empire would not be divided: the Emperor would rule supreme over the subordinate kings, whose obedience to him was mandatory. With this settlement, Louis attempted to combine his sense for the Empire's unity, supported by the clergy, while at the same time providing positions for all of his sons. Instead of treating his sons equally in status and land, he elevated his first-born son Lothair above his younger brothers and gave him the largest part of the Empire as his share.
The ordinatio imperii of Aachen left Bernard in Italy in an uncertain and subordinate position as king of Italy, and he began plotting to declare independence. Upon hearing of this, Louis immediately directed his army towards Italy, and headed for Chalon-sur-Saône. Intimidated by the emperor's swift action, Bernard met his uncle at Chalon, under invitation, and surrendered. He was taken to Aachen by Louis, who there had him tried and condemned to death for treason. Louis had the sentence commuted to blinding, which was duly carried out; Bernard did not survive the ordeal, however, dying after two days of agony. In 822, as a deeply religious man, Louis performed penance for causing Bernard's death, at his palace of Attigny near Vouziers in the Ardennes. This act of contrition had the effect of greatly reducing his prestige as a Frankish ruler. In the 830s his empire was torn by civil war between his sons that was only exacerbated by Louis's attempts to include his son Charles by his second wife in the succession plans.
Effects[]
Activates when received as a hand-me-down from inheritance or estate, whether explicitly willed or merely found. The general line of succession should be related to primogeniture (the eldest male receiving all properties) to activate. Afterwards, it changes the conditions for succession, allowing other family members or associates to instead lawfully be named the successor. Some will split among individuals while others will place one person as the sole receiver.
This shuffling of pre-determined lots rankles all who are passed over for a substitute, breaking tension where there was once frail peace. The main recipient, or even the activator if still alive, will experience deep pangs of guilt and confusion. Acts of prostration to beg for forgiveness are common, although rescinding the offer doesn’t usually diminish the newfound enmity between folks. As a whole, whoever receives the goods at the end of the day becomes a self-loathing miser, a laughingstock or nuisance to everyone else they were previously friends with.