Valerian I Excelsior
Valerian I Excelsior | |
|---|---|
"The Rebel King" | |
 Official portrait of Valerian from Tyranian artist Andrius Canova, c. 1137 | |
| King of Tyrandor | |
| Assuming office 01 November 1136 | |
| Succeeding | Lucas I |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Valerian Excelsior April 17, 1100 Ascalona, Tyrandor |
| Died | 11 November 1157 (aged 54) Vyrakar Citadel |
| Cause of death | Tuberculosis |
| Resting place | Aula Regnum, Hall of Valerian |
| Nationality | Savottan-Tyranian |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Spouse(s) | Sofia Ducas (m. 1137) |
| Children | Lucas |
| Mother | Unknown |
| Father | Marten Excelsi |
| Relatives | Leonidas Excelsior (brother) † |
| Residence | Vyrakar Citadel, Tyran, Tyrandor |
| Education | N/A |
| Military service | |
| Nickname(s) | "The Rebel King" |
| Allegiance | Independent Tyran |
| Years of service | 1125-1157 |
| Rank | Commander-in-Chief |
| Commands | First Valerian Uprising (1127), Second Valerian Uprising (1128), Third Valerian Uprising (1131), Fourth Valerian Uprising (1134) |
| Battles/wars | Rebellion of Tyran, Cyrene (1136), Lacirima (1136) Vesar's Gate (1138) |
Valerian I Excelsior (born 17 April 1100), also known as the Rebel King, was the first King of Tyrandor and Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom of Tyrandor from 01 November 1136 until his death on 11 November 1157. He is recognized as the most important figure in Tyrandor's history, as his uprisings against the Abbasids and subsequent rule directly led to the creation of Tyrandor as a permanent free-standing sovereign power. In Tyranian culture, his name is often associated with folklore and localized legends, a certain mythology that complicates the historical and archaeological record surrounding him.
Valerian was born in 1100 to Marten Excelsi, the retainer of a local Abbasid warlord, and an unknown mother. He was the eldest of two children (Valerian and his brother Leonidas. Despite the modestly-privileged upbringing, he and his family were not treated particularly well by their host, Salim al-Hudaydah, the Lord of Vesar. It is believed that his mother died when he was young, and his father too when he was 16 years old. Such a development is suspected to have resulted in a deep resentment that would spur his later uprisings against the Muslims.
With Abbasid control over Tyran and its feudal holdings deteriorating at the onset throughout the 1120s, Valerian and his brother organized and incited revolts against the Abbasids four times-- the first in 1127, second in 1128, third in 1131, and fourth in 1134. Despite three consecutive failed revolts, imprisonment, and narrowly avoiding execution, he continued leading the Tyranians with the aid of his brother, culminating in the Battle of Lacirima in 1136, where Valerian and his rebel movement, largely under the leadership of Leonidas, decisively defeated and routed a much larger Abbasid army sent to stop him. This victory allowed him to march on Tyran unopposed, where upon reaching it he was crowned the first king of what is now modern Tyrandor.
