Duke Jakob Zapoden

Jakob of House Zapoden is the current reigning monarch of Kaedwen and it's territories. While originally born in Redania he later claimed what was left of Kaedwen after it's status as a kingdom had fallen. He is credited with saving the Kaedweni entirely and is loved by his people despite technically being foreign to their lands.

History
'''Jakob was born in 1237 to a knighted Oxenfurt Professor and a nurse. The youngest out of four siblings, it became clear to Jakob that unlike most nobility, he could not just sit back and relax in his life. As such, his childhood was spent trying to one up his siblings in terms of skill and ability in order to stay competitive. Jakob did this by pouring himself into his studies, learning as much as he could from poetry to medicine to history. However, as he reached adulthood and watched his siblings follow their parents in the academic life, Jakob decided to forge a different path and joined the Redanian military'''

'''While a noble, his minor status meant that Jakob would be forced to still prove himself as he always had. He was assigned to the northern marches of Redania and, owing to his amazing education, he was assigned to the Redanian liaison between the Crown and the Redanian Cossacks. The Redanian Cossacks were made up of Oferi immigrants to the region such as the von Everecs and served as a cavalry detachment known for their bravery and ferocity. However, they were also known for their boorish behavior off of the battlefield and as such needed someone to watch over them to make sure they did not raid Redanian settlements or cause a diplomatic incident.'''

'''While initially meeting failure due to his stern nature and need to have control due to his childhood, time spent with the Cossacks and his knowledge of their own native tongue helped to win them over. Immersing himself in the culture, he forged for himself his own Oferi sword and rode on an Oferi horse. Effectively, Jakob went native,  and showed respect to the Cossacks unlike previous liaisons. As such, he kept his position unlike many of contemporaries, remaining there for most of his career'''

'''However, Jakob and the Cossack's big break came in 1263 at the Second Battle of Sodden. Jakob led the Cossacks during the battle, with them suffering many casualties and Jakob even earning a scar upon his back from the fighting. However, due to him willingly fighting alongside them in the thicket of the battle, the Cossacks decided to bestow upon him a title reserved usually only for Oferi: Ataman. One of them, Olgerid von Everec, was also bestowed the title of Ataman after the battle due to his fighting abilities. Deciding to reward the both of them, King Vizimir II divided the Cossacks into two groups: The Redanian Free Company, led by Olgerid, and The Royal Host, led by Jakob. The two of them agreed, and both were formally recognized by the title Ataman and placed on the same level as Dukes'''

'''While Olgerid and his brother Vlodimir raided Termeria, Jakob and his men patrolled the passes and the land around them between Kaedwen and Redania. However, being called up to fight in the Second Northern War, he fought alongside Redania and fought bravely during the Battle of Brenna with the Free Company. However, unlike the end of the first war, Jakob and the Redanian Cossacks at large would not find the rewards they had like the end of the last war.'''

'''At the start of the war, King Vizimir had been assassinated, and in the chaos a Regency Council headed by head of Redanian Intelligence and Head of the Sorceress Lodge Phillipa Eilhart. Many in the Redanian military disliked the fact that both Radovid and the Queen Doweger were effectively being shunned during the regency of Radovid by the both of them, and slow resentment began to form against the both of them as trickles of rumors float that she caused the death of King Vizimir.'''

'''When Radovid finally gained control and Phillipa lost power, many cheered it including Jakob and the Host. However, the years of seething resentment against Phillipa morphed into a general dislike of all magic users. Jakob, being of an academic background, did not follow this trend. Radovid soon began to foment the flames of this, and when the Lodge was implicated in attempting to take control of the North, this sentiment exploded. Radovid pounced on this, creating a new branch within the Redanian Army known as the "Witch Hunters".'''

'''And so, the Royal Redanian Army began to splinter into factions. The factions were as follows:'''

The Loyalists, those who believed in Radovid's ideals of purging the North of all.

The Conservatives, those who believed in a return to the days before the Regency under King Vizimir and away from the current radicalization within the military.

And the Liberals, a smaller faction made of young officers who sought to radically change Redania into a Constitutional Monarchy and adapt to the changing times.

'''However, these tensions would not immediately boil over due to the outbreak of the Third Northern War. Identifying himself as a Conservative within the military, his Host would lay divided between those who were Conservative out of loyalty to the Ataman and those who were of the Liberal view. The Host however would put their differences aside to once again fight Nilfgaard, fighting throughout Velen and launching raids into No Man's Land just as the Free Company had done so many times. However, as the war reached a stalemate on the Pontar, the Liberal faction began to plot. It seemed like the faction was receiving aid from one Sigi Reuven, or by his true name, Sigiusmund Dijkstra. Dijkstra, alongside what remained of the Termerian Armed Forces and Intelligence as well as a certain Geralt of Rivia, began to plot the assassination of Radovid.'''

'''However, Dijkstra knew that if the plot succeeded, he would need at least some of the military on his side to ensure his control didn't immediately collapse following his coup. With the Liberals alone unable to do so, Dijkstra contacted multiple leading figures within the Conservative faction, including Jakob, about the plan. Quickly arranging a secret meeting, the Conservstive leadership decided, after much debate, that Radovid and his followers posed an existential threat to the core values of Redania and that for the good of the nation, he must die.'''

'''However, none of them truly trusted Dijkstra, and many consider him one of the reasons why Radovid was like this in the first place. So, an agreement was made to be sent to Djikstra by Jakob, since he was more well-versed in diplomacy. The deal that the Conservative faction would support the coup if it occured successfully and help to rid the military of the Loyalists, however, Dijkstra had to agree to respect Redanian tradition and keep the sanctity of the Redanian Crown. Giving this to Djikstra, he seemed to agree begrudgingly, but Jakob paid it no mind. After all, Djikstra couldn't afford to betray them, right?'''

'''And so, Dijkstra set the plan into motion, and the Witcher did nothing to stop him from taking over fully at the cost of a man who saved his life. With the coup successful and Dijkstra declared Chancellor and Regent, the Liberal and Conservative factions went to work on the Loyalist. In what became known as "The Hunter's Pruge", Witch Hunters and Loyalist officers were quickly put on military tribunals and were either court martialed or executed for treason. For his service, Jakob was promoted to the rank of General, and he became the main architects of the Nilfgaardian defeat and their retreat over the Amell Mountains.'''

'''With Redanian troops marching into Temeria and Dijkstra's promises to restore the Pre-War order, Jakob and his Host were joyful. They would go down as heroes, and perhaps maybe, they could even retire to the countryside and live their lives out in peace.'''

Then Dijkstra abolished the Redanian Monarchy, and the declared a Republic

'''The Conservative faction had been betrayed, but this had come to a shock to many. After all, half of the military were Conservatives by that point, and most moderate Liberals still wanted a monarchy, just with limitations. The sole reason Djikstra's authority didn't immediately collapse and a second coup launched was because of Dijkstra's rebuilt intelligence service and the infighting between the Conservatives and Liberals.'''

'''Soon, the Conservatives and Liberals morphed into the Monarchist and Republican factions as many Conservatives begrudgingly accepted the new order and some Liberals didn't. Many within the army began deserting, and Jakob was forced to make a decision: Accept Dijkstra as his commander-in-chief despite his betrayal, or desert. Gathering as many of those who would follow him, he slipped away from the frontlines with as much loot as he could, heading straight towards the Kestrel Mountains and hoping to cross into Kaedwen since it had fallen into chaos after Dijkstra declared the Republic. Most of the Host, mainly out of loyalty to Jakob, followed him alongside some Monarchist officers and remnants of the Kaedwen Army that were absorbed by the Redanian Military who wished to return home.'''

'''Crossing the mountains, Jakob would run into a man he had not seen in ages: Olgerid von Everec. Apparently, the man had gone through quite the ordeal and had turned a new leaf. Jakob couldn't believe that the man who had once lived life to the fullest now sat as this stoic, introspective man. Still, he brought him on as he longed for a new life, same with many his company as they traveled across the mountains.'''

'''When they arrived, Kaedwen was in chaos. With Aedrin's ruler restored, they had begun invading Kaedwen in the chaos of the Djikstra's declaration. With them already controlling nearly two-thirds of the former Kingdom, Jakob's band of men attempted to hold the line against Aedrin assault.'''

'''While outnumbered, it became clear that Kaedwen would not he the cakewalk Aedrin had expected. With winter soon approaching, Aedrin offered a deal to the Ataman: He would be allowed to control the remainder of Kaedwen, however, he could not elevate himself to the rank of King and must respect the new borders. In exchange, Aedrin would allow trade between the two sides and recognize them as an independent nation. Knowing this was his best chance of making a new home for his men,  Jakob accepted and in what amounted to an ad hoc crowning in a military camp, he was proclaimed "Duke Jackob Zapodej I, Duke of Kaedwen, Ataman of the Zapoden Host, the General Lord, and Lord of the Kestrel Mountains,". Accepting his title, he would then attempt to make a new home for his men and rule like a proper ruler should.'''

'''Due to many of his troops being Kaedwen when he crossed the Kestrel Mountains, the locals pretty much accepted him, especially compared to their last ruler and possible Aedrin domination. With Ard Carriagh left effectively a ruin due to mismanagement by Radovid, Jakob figured out a solution to host a palace for the Duke. Locals had said that recently, the Witcher stronghold of Kaer Morhren had been effectively abandoned after a strange assortment of people left the castle. Deciding to inspect it, he found a beautiful countryside with the castle sitting at the top of it, but left in ruins. It had seemed a battle had happened, especially so judging by what appeared to be the remains of a pyre. Exploring the keep, Jakob would discover a workshop, armory, and a library that appeared to have many dilapidated but still dilapidated schematics of Witcher weapons and armor. Deciding the place was more than worth it, Jakob would order the restoration of the castle, starting with the walls.'''

'''Whilst Kaedwen was harsh, it still produced enough to help with the restoration. By 1277, Kaer Mohren was rendered not only defensible, but inhabitable. However, while digging through the library, Jakob found something he couldn't believe. On a table in a far corner of the library beneath a stack of books, there lay a book title "Ghouls and Alghouls" by John of Brugge next to an old hat. In the book, there appeared to be seven letters, with one already being unsealed. Reading it, Jakob couldn't believe what it read'''

'''It appeared that this and the other letters had been penned by one Vesemir, seemingly the Grandmaster of the School of the Wolf. It appeared to be a letter addressed to all the defenders of Kaer Morhren should he die in the fight to defend someone named Ciri against…'''

He dropped the letter when it spoke of the Wild Hunt

'''The Hunt? True, he had heard a report during the stalemate of the Third War that a village in Velen had seen an unnatural frost, but he had that was some villager spinning tales. However, that would explain the apparent damage to the castle, and not to mention there were six other letters addressed to apparently who also fought at Kaer Morhren specifically.'''

They were labeled Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, Triss, Lambert, and Eskel.

'''There could be only one logical explanation: Geralt had to be Geralt of Rivia, the man who had helped kill Radovid all those years ago. He couldn't help but chuckle how their fates intertwined once again. Since this had to be Geralt, he reasoned that Yennefer had to be Yennefer of Vengerburg and Triss was of course referring to Triss Merigold. Jakob didn't recognize the others, but somewhere deep inside him, he felt a pang of honor. After all, he had claimed this keep even though it was the Witchers keep and while none seemed to wish for it anymore, he felt he owed it to give them these letters to the recipients.'''

'''Sending men out, he sent a man with Geralt and Yennefer's letters to Toussaint to have them given. However, he returned saying that neither of them were there and Geralt had embarked for Kovir. Knowing Triss was also in Kovir, Jakob has begun preparations for a trek through the Dragon Mountains to find both Triss Merigold and Geralt of Rivia.'''