King Victor Vanzek

It was always assumed as Victor was growing up that he would be the next boyar of House Vanzek, but not that he would also be king of the Commonwealth. He took well enough to the lessons of rule, including the particulars of administration that he had to learn, and the many concerns that faced the house. When he came of age, he assisted his mother, the late Queen Aldona, often enough to get at least some appreciation of what was required to rule. Aldona died in 627, leaving open the question of who should rule next.

Victor did not necessarily plan to put himself forward to the Sjem. It was his aunt, Irma, who pre-empted him and did so, and was firm in pushing him towards it. His long-time friend, Grand Duchess Zaria Albalaski, then put her considerable influence behind him. Along with the marital ties to House Fletza, it at that point became a foregone conclusion that Victor would be elected king. Even if some were wary of a house ruling for two successive generations, there was no substantial objection.

His reign to date has been dominated by the same issues that face any Commonwealth monarch. Perils on the frontier are a perpetual concern, and the Commonwealth requires considerable internal cohesion and external support to deal with them. The disappearance of the Sikorin-Lindner expedition in 629 still weighs on him. With problems elsewhere in the empire, people looking to the Commonwealth as a potential source of soldiers, and Victor finds himself beset with questions about that too.

Victor married Agata Fletza in 609 and they have three children.

Victor is mild-mannered and inoffensive, and given to bouts of worrying. He was ushered into the position of king by circumstance, by a vociferous aunt, a faithful friend and a brother-in-law. He expected to be a boyar, dealing with the Prosna Valley and his house's land, but not the whole Commonwealth. He rarely exercises his royal authority, despite having been elected to hold it, and has to remind himself from time to time that he actually does have authority to address issues directly, despite an initial instinct and inclination to build consensus and garner support among the minor nobility. He is an amicable, personable individual, and often well liked by those who know him in person.

Victor has a broad range of education and experience, with particular focus on matters of governance and of the politics of the Commonwealth.