Dowager Magdalena Jovanovik

The Red Empress

Magdalenas ascension to the throne of Dredaria was clean and quick when her mother died of wounds from a battle making her ascend to the throne at the age of 18. The new Empress took up her mothers mantle and resumed the war against a small kingdom who had rebelled against their rule leading the charge into battle from upon her steed. The rebellion was quashed and the fields were left bloody and broken in her wake as she led her armies to victory always on the front fighting alongside her people. At the sight of her armor stained crimson in the wake of the war she was dubbed The Red Empress, and the rebelling lands were absorbed into Dredaria. To appease the people she took an Emperor Consort, Eckehardt Jovanovik and had her first child Rupert Jovanovik. Her other children were born in short order and even during her pregnancies she led with the iron fist and strong resolve her people now came to expect of the Jovanovik women.

  Her time as empress was the most successful of any before her as she conquered Kingdom after Kingdom the colors of Dredaria flying in each city and village brought into their fold. Those who rebelled were crushed without mercy, those who aided and praised their new ruler were showered in gifts and opportunities. Despite her reputation as a warmonger she was also praised by pushing the envelope when it came to modern comforts as she wished for her Kingdom to the most glorious and beautiful in the country of Waylia. Stipends were given to artists and musicians to provide them with the ability to further their craft, often being commissioned after this sponsorship from the Empress by other nobles. Farmers were gifted more land, though this often meant that family farms were combined with others to become more efficient. Although she was considered a cold ruler as she favored logic and efficiency over protecting others feelings or emotions, she did help boost Dredaria to the grandeur it encompasses today.

The only time she has ever truly seemed to lose her convictions of sticking to logic and rationality came after the assassination of her eldest child Rupert Jovanovik. When she and the search party discovered his corpse on the edge of the Palace grounds with an arrow through his throat and a hole dug under the wall she partially lost herself to the fury. What few Kingdoms still remained independent all swore they were innocent of the crime as the last thing they wanted was to draw the ire of a much bigger and more powerful Kingdom. Likewise within the borders of the Kingdom all denied knowledge of the crime, nobody claimed responsibility or tried to follow up, and it drove the Empress to anger. Most clues ran into a dead end, all leads just opened more questions, and she was furious as all trails went cold the more the royal guard and investigators looked into it. Magdalena began to bring in anybody suspicious to the Palace dungeons for further questioning, anybody suspicious or who may have had a motive was brought to the Imperial Palace, and many were not seen again. After the weeks of looking inwards she finally turned her gaze to the small kingdoms surrounding Dredaria, they claimed innocence but she knew they would do anything to make her weak in the attempt to try and keep them from being able to conquer others. The Imperial Army was brought at each kingdoms doorstep with demands that they either admit to their crimes, give them information as to who did it, or submit and join the Empire. Most Kingdoms easily bent the knee knowing they could not hope to stand against their army, others rebelled. Those who refused to submit were razed, its citizens displaced and then dispersed elsewhere in the Kingdoms lands. By the third anniversary of Ruperts assassination no other Kingdoms remained to be conquered, and she was no closer to solving his murder than she had at the start.

The Dowager

Now in her golden years Magdalena, after the death of her husband Eckehardt, has taken the title Dowager Empress and become a close confidante for her daughter Minerva Jovanovik the current Empress of the Dredarian Empire. She watches over her grandchildren in the Imperial Palace often putting together coursework and working in the capacity as an advisor. She has set her sights to making sure her grandchildren are prepared for the hard work required to be a noble in Dredaria, as well as playing matchmaker for those old enough. The Empire believes quite well in political alliances through marriage and she spends a good chunk of each day going through candidates to make sure they are worthy of marrying into the Jovanovik bloodline.

Known for being the Empress to conquer the most land in her time ruling.