The Imperial Family

Kaiser Wilhelm

The Head of State is Kaiser Wilhelm, a canny politician, who knows when to listen to others and when to stand firm. Because of this, he has maintained his position for as long as anyone can remember, despite the political minefield of Reich politics. He appears to be in his late thirties, although like the Royal Family of Sable, to whom he is closely related, he has remained much the same in appearance for as long as anyone can remember. 

He has the bearing of a soldier, and has a surprisingly distinguished war record for his apparent age, holding the ranks of both Generalfeldmarschall and SS-Obergruppenführer. However, he also has something of a reputation as a diplomat, and recently concluded a mutually beneficial agreement with Emperor Sirius of the Empire of Eboracum, to the surprise of both the Gods of Eboracum and the Reichsführer-SS, which among other things gave the Reich access to the Aurellis Transport System.

Wilhelm is tall, standing about 6'1, and is very solidly built. He speaks English (the common language in Sable and the Commonwealth) with a distinct accent. He is understood to be a ritual magician, albeit not a particularly dedicated one, although he is not thought to be Talented in the true sense of the word. While married, the Kaiser is known to be something of a philanderer if he gets the opportunity, although opportunities are rare as the Empress Elsa is a jealous and suspicious woman.

He and his father, Robert of Sable, seem to have an understanding, and actually get on moderately well, all things considered. Indeed, this understanding is one of the major reasons why outright war has not erupted between the Kingdom of Sable and the Reich which surrounds it, on Magica Superior itself, and is supported by both monarchs. 

In view of his relationship with King Robert, the Kaiser has also seen to it that a small Reich diplomatic mission has remained in Sable throughout the extra-Shadow hostilities, and has allowed the same concession to Sable in Berlin. As an extension of this, Wilhelm recently attended the wedding of Crown Prince Dominic, in Sable, and King Robert returned the compliment by attending that of Crown Prince Johan.

The Kaiser has a small but fanatical group of bodyguards, formally known as the Imperial Knights, under the command of Oberst Heinrich Baumann, which protects him and the Kaiserin. Other members of the Imperial family are protected by a special unit within the SA, with the exception of Prince Theodor, who has made his own arrangements.

General Prince Johan, the Imperial Heir

Hochprinz Johan is a serving military officer, holding the rank of General in the Wehrmacht, specifically in the Auslands-Heer. He has proven himself in the war, and is known to be one of the best commanders in the the Reich forces - better even than his father, with whom he has a good filial relationship. He stands about 6'1", and is quite well built, and looks almost of an age with his father, rather than significantly younger: more like a brother than a son, much like King Robert and Prince Andrew in Sable.

He is known to be Talented, specialising in combat and communications magic, the common belief being that he inherited that ability from his mother, rather than his father. However, rumours have occasionally suggested that it actually comes from his Sable relatives. Whatever the true source of his Talent, he is a skilled practitioner of the magical arts, and especially their application on the battlefield.

When he is not at the front in the war against Sable, he does his share of Imperial duties, although he often seems reserved on those occasions, and it sometimes seems that he is uncomfortable with that side of his life and would prefer to be in the field with his men.

He is well respected by the Reich Citizenry, although his public reserve means that some people are unsure what to make of him. He married Juliana Lambert in September RY152, to the general adulation and celebration of the population of the Reich. Juliana gave birth to twins, Sabine and Rafael, about a month early, at the beginning of June RY153.

Crown Princess Juliana

Juliana Lambert is Lebensborn, and was brought up in Berlin. Despite being Talented, she opted to do State Service, which she served with the Heimat-Heer, before she went to mage college in Hamburg. After mage college she returned to Berlin to study law, and then went into practice in the city. She proved her talents in this regard very quickly, and then built herself a as a trial lawyer. She met Johan at a gala charity event held in the city, and when it became obvious that there was something between them, Johan petitioned the Imperial Council for clarification of whether they would be allowed to marry. It is said that the Kaiser himself intervened, and the Council allowed the union.

Prince Theodor, KSS (Summer Circle), Third in Line to the Imperial Throne

Theodor is cut from a very different cloth to his brother. He stands about 5'11", and is not as heavily built, and while he is also in the military, his connections are to the Waffen-SS, where he holds high rank, rather than the Wehrmacht. He is believed to have a decent working relationship with the powers that be within the Schutzstaffel. He is a competent general, if not quite as good as his father and brother, and is a well-liked commander among his men.

The fact that he does not have the pressures of being heir on his shoulders means that Theodor is much more willing to relax in public than his brother. When off duty he has a reputation as a party animal, and is often found gambling or dancing in the nightspots of Berlin, or drinking in the Beer Halls around the Fatherland. However, if circumstances require it, he can play the dutiful, easy-going Imperial Prince with aplomb, and is popular with the people.

Given their liking for seeing plots, schemes and relationships among the important people within the Reich, the press would have the Citizens believe that while Johan is the Kaiser's favourite son, Theodor is the Kaiserin's.

He is Talented and also a skilled artist who has exhibited on occasion. He remains unmarried and is showing no signs of wishing to settle down, although he has now acknowledged that he has a Lebensborn daughter, Astrid Hagen, born in RY092. He was honoured as a Knight of the SS with the establishment of the Summer Circle in February RY154, and promoted to Obergruppenführer on 1st July RY154.

Princess Wilhelmina

Wilhelmina - Mina, to her family and friends, and to the press who follow her life with interest - is the Kaiser's younger twin. She has supported her brother since the early days of the Reich, is often seen with the Imperial Family on State occasions, and seems genuinely fond of her kin. She is rather smaller than the Kaiser, standing about 5'6" and is quite lightly built. Her features are somewhat softer than his, although she can be a fearsome advocate of a cause she truly believes in. She is thought to to get on quite well with her sister-in-law, Elsa, but rather less well with Frida Ragnarsian, wife of Rupert Delatz, although this may be the press playing on non-existent rivalries between the three most powerful women in the Reich.

Her official position is Chancellor of the University of Berlin, where rather than being a figurehead, she is very involved in both the running of the University, and planning strategies for its future. She is known to be a talented artist, and has exhibited on a number of occasions to critical acclaim. She also sometimes visits the Außenhandel Shadows, especially if an Imperial Royal is expected to attend an important function, and acts as an unofficial ambassador for her brother. Having spent most of RY154 away from official duties due to ill-health, she finally returned to her position as Chancellor in February RY155.

Princess Astrid

Astrid Hagen is the Lebensborn daughter of Prince Theodor. Little is known about her, except that she grew up at the Bremen Lebensborn Centre, she is reputed to have a very strong mind, and she chose to train as a mage, rather than undertake State Service. She left the Reich many years ago, since when it appears that she has been teaching magic at a college on the world of Fürth, in the same region of Shadow as the Reichsprotektorate of Neubrandenburg. However, she has recently returned to Berlin, and was shortly afterwards acknowledged as Theodor's daughter by the Prince, the Kaiserin and the Imperial Council. The identity of her mother has not been made public.

Her status within the Imperial Family was recently confirmed by the Imperial Council, and she has been accepted as Theodor's child with full Imperial privileges. Under Reich law, all Lebensborn children are considered legitimate. Moreover, among the nobility, the Lebensborn child of a noble is treated as an equal within that noble's family. Astrid's confirmation may therefore be taken as precedent that while the Imperial Family is considered above the Higher Nobility, the Lebensborn laws apply.

Astrid has recently taken up a position as a senior tutor at the SS-Schule Haus, at Bad Tolz.