Oledo I. The Conqueror
Oledo I initially took over as regent for little Magnus, son of Theodore II. However, the long regency government opened the possibility for him to retain power permanently. He had Magnus isolated in Bellorost Castle and then tried to legally assert his own claim to the throne. When the court rejected his claim, he had Magnus murdered, pretending the death was a suicide. He had himself crowned emperor in 1140, although he had effectively ruled since 1132. His rule was firm, suspicious and repressive, marked by rebellions, the Battle of the Deer Fields and suspicions that he had a hand in the death of his brother Theodore II.
Dynastic Information
Regent with too long a reign
Oledo I assumed power as regent for the four-year-old Magnus, the rightful heir of Theodore II. At first, his position may have seemed like a necessary and temporary solution. But the regency was to last for many years, and it was this length that began to change Oled's relationship to power. Instead of preparing the way for his nephew, he began to see him as a threat. He kept Magnus under house arrest at Bellorost Castle in the High Towers, far from the capital, the court, and the public. The boy had access only to teachers and guards, and his life was locked in a stone cage from the beginning.
The trial, the bribes and the murder of Magnus
Oledo tried to legalize his position and presented a case to the judges that Magnus should be unfit to rule and the imperial crown should fall to the regent. The dispute dragged on for a long time and divided the family and the nobility. Oledo tried to bribe the judge, but it was the revealed bribes that led to their exchanges and finally the court decided that the regent had no right to the imperial throne. This decision deeply affected Oled. He decided to remove the obstacle itself. Magnus was thrown from the tower and his death was ruled a suicide. Few people believed it, but Oledo took advantage of the new situation, threats and pressure on his relatives and in 1140 had himself crowned emperor.
The government with a closed hand
Oledo had to extinguish the consequences of his own accession to most of the government. Distrust of him was strong and larger rebellions began to arise on the fringes of the empire as many provinces felt neglected and unsupported. The emperor responded with force, trying to prove that his throne was not only the result of intrigue, but also the ability to maintain order. The most significant was the battle at Jeleni poli, where he triumphed over the houses of Zelin and Buel. This victory cemented his position but did not clear his reputation. Throughout his reign, he held the reins very tightly to prevent surprises, a coup or a new succession crisis.
The shadow of his brother's death
Later, testimony began to leak out that Oledo could have had a hand in the death of Theodore II. According to these claims, he was supposed to bribe the guards during the hunt so that they would not help the emperor during the attack of the black deer, or that they would mutilate him after he survived. These accusations were never fully proven, but they spread throughout the empire, reinforcing the image of Oled as a man who sacrificed his own blood for the crown. Oledo died of stomach ulcers and was succeeded by his only adult son, Eduard. His legacy remained deeply controversial. He was a capable wielder of power, but also one of the darkest rulers of House Youlender.