Gotthard the Cruel (Merveilles des Morte)

Gotthard the Cruel
Portrait of Gotthard, 1524
Born	8 October 1489 Erfurt, Thuringia, Holy Roman Empire
Died	1 December 1526 Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire
House	House of Jenagotha
Father	Thin White Duke
Mother	Blanche de la Marck
Religion	Jungism

Gotthard the Cruel (8 October 1489 - 1 December 1526), also known as Gotthard the Giant due to his extremely large stature and physique, was a Thuringian knight and mercenary. Gotthard was born to the Thin White Duke and Blanche de la Marck, a secret, forced concubine seized in the Lenzburg-Premyslid. He grew up neglected and mistreated much like his one full-brother August, but unlike him Gotthard became hardened by this care, becoming a cruel and abusive man, especially to his own brother. Gotthard showed little interest in a typical education and was only interested in fighting. He commonly fought with many of his siblings and others at court, and developed a reputation as a brutish sadist.

At the suggestion of his father, Gotthard left the Thuringian court in search of adventure and fame as a warrior, eventually becoming a knight and making a name for himself as a participant in local tournaments. His first true conflict would be the Wolfen War, which he served in at the young age of 15. Nevertheless he made a name for himself and a small fortune sacking Catholic villages, having been drawn to the Protestant Reformation. Gotthard dismissed priests, who he saw as weak, lazy men, and gladly partook in the seizing of church lands. Gotthard became a feared mercenary, his small band of companions known for their harshness and destruction, bordering dangerously close to banditry.

Gotthard respected his half-brother Hugh the Heir and fought on his behalf against Henry IX following the death of the Thin White Duke. His true fame came during the Nuremberg War and the conflicts in Bayreuth, which saw Gotthard tasked with unleashing cruel destruction across towns loyal to Ottokar I and Bohemia. He would gain a number of minor titles as a result, many greedily stolen from lords he attacked under loose pretense. It was during one such foray in Bayreuth that Gotthard was mortally wounded after his robes caught fire. He would suffer an agonizing and painful death, dying almost a month later in Nuremberg. His skull would be presented to the Emperor as part of subsequent peace negotiations.