In Heilbronn, crowns rest on heads only slightly more secure than those on execution blocks. Kings are not born—they are forged through ambition, treachery, and survival.
The throne offers power but never security:
Every night brings assassination attempts
Every meal might carry poison
Every advisor has their own ambitions
Every heir is both insurance and threat
In Heilbronn, a king's authority extends only as far as their ability to inspire fear or loyalty—often both.
Bloodline Claim: The traditional path—survive your relatives, outlast regents, prove stronger than your siblings
Marriage and Murder: Wed into royalty, then engineer convenient accidents
Military Coup: Build loyalty among the armies, then strike when the current monarch shows weakness
Merchant's Gambit: Amass enough wealth to buy armies, starve cities, and make kings kneel to gold
Puppet-Master: Control a weak but legitimate heir, ruling from shadows until the moment to step forward arrives
The Red Month: Your first thirty days determine your reign—eliminate threats swiftly and publicly
Strategic Marriages: Bind powerful houses through children and bedchambers
Religious Endorsement: Control or create faith to legitimize your rule
Foreign Alliance: Secure outside support against internal enemies—but never trust your allies
The Empty Treasury: Discover how your predecessor hid wealth that now funds your enemies
Remember: In Heilbronn, no king dies peacefully. Your reign begins with blood and ends the same way. The measure of your success is not justice or prosperity but simple endurance—and perhaps, if you're clever enough, a lineage that survives your inevitable fall.
The greatest kings in Heilbronn's history weren't the most beloved or righteous, but those who understood that the crown is merely a target you place upon your own head.