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Library

Welcome to the grand library! Here, you shall uncover secrets about distinguished individuals. Isn’t that delightful? The library is enormous, but Kim made me organize the character alphabetically. As new fascinating characters emerge, I shall promptly update our collection. Should you have any questions, do seek the ever-knowledgeable Mr.Sterces.

Every individual has multiple tabs: Facts, Story, Map, Music. When a character can be discovered in a Quest you can find that info in the ‘Map’ tab. Navigate between these to thoroughly acquaint yourself with the subject of your investigation.

Arbella Stuart

Uncrowned Queen of England

Facts

  • Became the ward of Bess of Hardwick
  • Lived, involuntarily, in Hardwick Hall
  • Received education fit for a princess
  • Had a claim on the throne
  • Only wanted freedom
  • Married William Seymour in secret
  • Was arrested for it in the Tower of London
  • Died 5 years later after giving up completely
  • All because of too ambitious mother figures

Her Story

In a previous story I spoke about Bess of Hardwick. The business woman of the 16th century. She is an example for knowing how to play the game in an unfair world. She married 4 times and went from a normal lady to one of the richest and most powerful people in England. But like many who had great plans. She might have been too ambitious. Many whispered she killed her husbands, but no evidence can prove this. She also didn’t marry them just for money.  Her husbands were very much in love with her and she answered their affections.
But she has a dark page in her story She had a granddaughter: Arbella Stuart The uncrowned Queen of England When her parents died she became the ward of Bess. She  lived was imprisoned in Hardwick Hall. She received the education fit for a princess, preparing for the crown. She wanted freedom and to make her own decisions. She wanted to marry, but the Queen and Bess didn’t allow that. Even though she had a better claim to the throne her cousin, James VI, became king. But freedom was out of the question.
She married William Seymour in secret without permission of the king. Both of them were arrested, but the lovers still wrote letters. Until James heard and took her away. Arbella and William tried to escape and they almost made it, but then Arbella was imprisoned in the Tower of London and she never saw her husband again. She died 5 years later after giving up completely. All because the Queen and Bess had been too ambitious and Arbella was the victim. She only ever wanted freedom. And now she is almost forgotten. The uncrowned Queen of England. How history could have been different if she would have been Queen.
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Bess of Hardwick

Second richest woman in England

Facts

  • Noble lady in the 16th century
  • Became the second richest woman in England
  • Married four times and outlived all
  • Was destined to be independent
  • Besties with Queen Elizabeth I
  • Had to keep Queen Mary prisoner

Her Story

We live in a time of Equality. Where women don't have to hide behind men. We have never been more independent But it used to be different. 500 years ago one woman couldn’t accept her dependency. She was destined to be independent and knew how to play the game. All to get what she wanted. This woman is Bess of Hardwick, who grew up in a respectable family but without a title. She knew what to do to gain a title and grow her fortune: Marry. She married four times. Outliving all her husbands and becoming the second richest woman in England. Her first marriage was at age 15. But she was a widow a year later. She had to fight for her husband’s fortune, but she won and her ambition grew. She married a 20-year older rich man. But 8 years later she was widow again with a huge debt.
No problem, she married an even richer man. Obviously, he died and left most of his estate to Bess. She was wealthy now and could live independently. But she wanted more. Husband 4 was an earl and one of the richest and most powerful of England, but the drama in this marriage was too much. Bess had to run from her home and went to Hardwick Luckily, the earl passed away. And this unleashed the full potential of Bess. She wanted to build a huge house; Hardwick. A house with ‘more glass than wall’. But that wasn’t all. She was good friends with Queen Elizabeth I And matched her daughter to Charles Stuart, whose heirs had a claim to the throne. Besides, Hardwick only shows her initials. Because this was her legacy, and HERS ONLY She is an absolute boss, but she also had a dark side.
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Cleopatra

Queen of Eqypt

Facts

  • The Queen of old Eqypt
  • Had to share her throne with her brother-husband
  • Yes... they married siblings
  • Spoke many languages
  • Was an educated genius
  • Seduced two of the most powerful men
  • Could read people as a poem

Her Story

Cleopatra came from a royal family. She was a very impressive woman. She was a political genius, educational legend, she was skilled in piano, chess, swimming, martial arts, law, finance, archaeology and spoke multiple languages. Oh and she was excellent in making alliances. Nevertheless, Cleopatra had to marry her brother because she wasn’t allowed to rule by herself, but her fate was much bigger than her father could’ve ever imagined. But why did she have to marry to her brother? Her family, believed they were gods as well. She had to reflect the Goddess Isis and her brother, Ptolemy XIII the God Osiris. So, they always needed a female and male heir. Gods marry their siblings, so they had to do too.
The fact that Ptolemy was only 10 when they married, was obviously not important. Later on, when he died, Cleopatra had to marry her other brother, who was even younger. In Egypt it was normal that a woman was, almost, equal to a man Therefore Cleopatra was able to fully grow in her potential. And oh man she did. She was charismatic but not afraid to say what she thought. Which was intimidating for the Romans. Who, were the other big guys of that time. I’m not saying I become obsessed with someone I investigate, but I have practiced my Egyptian eyeliner and read books about her seduction games. Besides, she absolutely made becoming extremely intelligent sexy on a new level.
But the question remained: How was Cleopatra able to seduce two of the most powerful men of that time? As I pored over historical archives and navigated through dusty tomb like documentaries, I discovered her method. Some call her the ‘prostitute Queen’, but that doesn’t do her justice at all. She was wise, extremely wise, and everyone underestimated her. She could be playful for one second and then a powerful queen the next. She knew how to mirror a man and become exactly what he wanted. Julius Caesar was bewildered by her self-confidence and intimidating charm. But for Mark Antony it was different. She knew he was a man of pleasure, so she dressed up as a Goddess and portrayed herself as a woman of exotic refinements. She knew his strengths and weaknesses and could play into that.
So was it love? Or seductions? We know that she was incredibly intelligent and able to read a man like a poem and play into it. But I do believe she actually had a loving relationship with them. Even though they were wrapped around her finger. What can we learn about this? Seduction is more about reading the other person and knowing their weak spots and playing into it. Rather than focusing on ourselves. Cleopatra’s empire was in demise when she became Queen. But she made Eqypt grow more than her father could have ever thought. But what if she wouldn’t have been the great seducer? Where would Eqypt have been? Would Rome have taken over fully? 
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Eleonore von Schwarzenberg

Vampire Princess

Facts

  • A princess in the 19th century
  • Nicknamed the Vampire Princess
  • Was rumored to have wolves in her castle
  • Tried all magical methods to prevent from dying
  • Became a mother in her fourthies
  • Three vampire burials were discover in her village
  • Wandered through her castle in the middle of the night
  • Was permanently ill
  • Had a terrible husband, who we call Mr. Stupid face

Her Story

Eleonora was a member of the Lobkowitz House and she married into the Schwarzenberg family. She married Adam Franz zu Schwarzenberg. We call him husband Stupidface. Why? Because he banished his wife from Vienna. And ok I am a woman, so I am on the side of Eleonora, but I mean who banishes their wife? Who does that? Their marriage... was difficult from the start and they had a twelve year crisis where they just didn’t see each other. 12 YEARS
She was claimed to have cheated on him.... Yet the real reason was that their marriage was forced by Adam’s father while Adam was in love with a beautiful Maria. Eventually they did meet each other in Prague at the St. Vitus Cathedral and they rediscovered each other. Kind of. Eleonora gave birth in her 40ies and her husband died shortly after at a hunting accident. This was the moment to shine for her, right? No. she became fatally ill. She put her hope in various unusual healing methods. She contacted alchemists and occultists. But nothing worked and she died.
In the 18th century, Eleonora’s century, a real Vampire hysteria could be found in the Habsburg lands. People went above and beyond to prevent descendants from turning into a vampire. They burned them, excavated cemeteries and beheaded people. Out of fear. For vampires. Eleonora started strange occult methods to be able to conceive a male heir. She kept wolves, to be able to drink their milk. Which would be fertility enhancing. But those wolves would howl in the night, in the castle.
She gave birth at a very very late age, which was also perceived as non typical. And when her husband died and her health became worse, she started to use obscure remedies. And of course they rumoured she tried to get her husband back from the dead. And due to her illnesses she suffered insomnia and wandered restlessly through her castle at night. So we have howling wolves, weird remedies, flickering lights in a castle and a night princess in Krumlov. She also showed the symptoms of vampirism; bloodless, exhausted and confused.
When she died, her autopsy showed she had end-stage cancer. But the cause of death was never registered. Besides it was uncommon to do an autopsy. And the price for the autoposy was more expensive, which made people assume a kind of silence allowance was being paid here. They also removed her heart and she wasn’t burried next to her husband in Vienna. Besides, why was her coffin far from everyone else and walled up with only her name? In 2007 three male skeletons were found in an old cemetry in Krumlov. They were different from everyone else. They were weighted with stones and they had strange injuries. One of them was beheaded and his head placed between his legs.
Everything was done to prevent these three men from rising. This was a vampire burial. So we can imagine that the strange stories about Eleonora made people question her. Besides, it could be that her story was an inspiration for the poem of Lenore in 1773, which was very influential on Vampire literature. Some claim even “Dracula” is inspired by her.
So where can we find this woman? Because obviously every secret has a location. We travel to Austria and more specifically to Vienna. She lived in the Schwarzenberg Palace in Vienna. But she also lived, as I stated before, in the castle in Krumlov, which is in Switzerland. But the cemetry of Krumlov is just as important. So to say it bluntly, was she a vampire or not? I mentioned I really loved this discussion. Because it doesn’t make sense. It’s like picking an orange, claiming it’s yellow and then changing the color orange to yellow.
Anyway, let’s discuss all the accusations. Firstly the wolves. She was told to use Wolfsmilch, which is translated into Milkweed. But Milkweed is a common medicine from the early American folklore. Nothing to do with wolves. Besides, how did they capture female wolves that were producing milk? For years? Nah. Second of all. she was ill. If I remember correctly, she was ill throughout her life. Very often. I don’t blame her for trying everything possible. Especially with the insomnia. And if someone is ill, they will indeed became bloodless, confused and exhausted. Not a vampire.
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Ludwig 11

Bavarian "Mad" King

Facts

  • A king of Bavaria of the 19th century
  • Was accused of being 'mad'
  • Mysterious death
  • Was probably gay and hated himself for it
  • Never married
  • Had mental illnesses in his family
  • Loved building castles
  • Preferred opera's and art
  • Was rumored to be in love with Wagner

His Story

First things first, Ludwig the second was a born on 1845 (in Bayern) in Germany. Germany was still divided in multiple 'countries' with multiple kings. Bayern had the Wittelsbach family, which is Ludwig's family. He was the Heir to the throne and had a little brother Otto. He loved to spend as much as time as possible at the summer castle of the family; Hohenschwangau. They normally had to reside in München. Ludwig spend a lot of time alone, or just with his brother and nanny. He started to escape the reality of being a royal and became fascinated by medieval love and hero stories. Besides he had a great love for Opera music. Especially the music from Wagner.
His father, the King, was not happy with how Ludwig spend his time. He wanted Ludwig to be fully focused on preparing for the crown and he wanted his son to be tough instead. His grandfather Ludwig I, on the other hand, was a great architect himself and also could be distracted from his duties. Which is why he had to abdicate the throne. But Ludwig II was not the only one behaving interestingly... His mother and brother also had some odd issues. One of his cousins believed she had swallowed a glass piano. Mental difficulties were common in the Wittelsbach family. Another cousin, who you might know as Queen Sissi of Austria, had to deal with depression, anxiety and anorexia herself. 
Ludwig II himself was most likely gay, which was not acceptable in his time, and didn't feel like he had much in common with the people around him. So he isolated himself and spent more time focused on Art and Music rather than ruling, once his father had passed away. But, you might have heard of him due to something else: His Disney castle.  Well the castle that Walt Disney took his inspiration from: Neuschwanstein. Ludwig II was, much like his grandfather, a builder. He loved to design new castles and implement the craziest things into them. He wanted to fly, in a swan, from one castle to another, he wanted a lake in a cave underneath his castle, he had a diner table that worked like an elevator. 
He was very innovative but very misunderstood and after spending way too much money... His ministers declared him to be 'crazy' and made him abdicate the throne.  But what is even crazier; only a few days after his arrest he died. And up to today no one knows how he died. Whether it was a murder or suicide. We also don't know whether he was crazy or not.  But, like any good researcher, I looked and read through his files and I believe I have an answer.  So, if you ever have the liberty to visit one of his castles (which you should they are amazing), please find the Quest of Ludwig in the Study and help me find the answer to his true story.
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Sisi

Empress of Austria

Facts

  • The Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary in the 19th century
  • Her husband Emperor Franz Joseph was madly in love with her
  • All around the world people came to see her because of her beauty
  • Probably suffered from anorexia
  • Traveled around the world
  • Had a tattoo of an anchor on her shoulder
  • Her seductiveness outlived her beauty
  • Started hiding when she became older
  • Her family suffered from mental illnesses, as did she
  • Asked for a ' fully equiped insane asylum ' once
  • Was disgusted by physical love
  • Wrote poems to ' Future Souls '

Her Story

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The White Lady

Ghost Legend of Hohenzollern

Facts

  • Ghost of Hohenzollen Castle in Germany
  • The White lady is former Countess Kunigunde
  • A story about sacrifices for love
  • Her spirit is trapped in the halls of the castle
  • Everyone who sees her dies soon after
  • A painting of her hangs in the library

Her Story

This story all starts with a Countess. A Countess called Countess Kunigunde and her love for Duke Albrecht. Their love was mutual but Albrecht’s parents were not accepting of their love. He wanted to marry her, but couldn’t because of the four eyes between them. The countess assumed he meant her children. This story is about how much a Countess would sacrifice for the love of a Duke. As an answer to his claim, she pierced the eyes of her own children and murdered them. Duke Albrecht wanted nothing to do with her. She was sorry. Of course, she was sorry. But it was too late. Her soul was cursed for eternity and her spirit trapped in the halls of Hohenzollern. She roams the cursed halls in her ghostly white robes. Those who have seen her, almost always die soon after.
In 1589 Prince John George of Branderberg saw he and passed away 8 days after. In 1619 three young men saw her in one of the halls. One of them was whacked by her and instantly fell to the ground. In 1628 a young prince of the house of Hohenzollern saw her. She whispered the Latin words ‘Veni, judica vivos et mortuos’ which translates into ‘Come, I judge the living and the dead’. He died the day after. In 1667 Louisa Henrietta of Orange died of an illness after seeing the White Lady sitting at her writing desk. In 1678 Margrave Erdmann Philip of Brandenburg saw her sitting in his armchair. He tried to run but when he mounted his horse, he was thrown from the horse. The Margrave got up and went to his chamber, but he still died after two hours.
In 1806 Napoleon Bonaparte spend a night in Hohenzollern. He didn’t get a glimpse of the lady, but the next day he left and referred to it as ‘the cursed castle.’ In 1840 Frederick William the Third saw her before he passed away. In 1861 Frederick William the Fourth had the same experience. In 1914 the White Lady appeared before Archduke Franz Ferdinand just before he was assassinated. She is said to be at peace now After the last King abdicated, she was said the find peace. But be warned. Because when she sees you, it is too late. What is the best part of this story
A painting of the White Lady can be discovered in the library of the castle. And her story is written in the basement… I have to be honest to you traveler, normally I don’t get scared. But when I visited this castle, it felt like it would be a perfectly normal day. Of course, I knew about the White Lady. I had done my research. 20 Minutes after entering the castle the sky turned dark and for an hour, I saw one of the most impressive thunderstorms I had witnessed. Coincidence? Perhaps. But this Ghostly legend feels… different…
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Arbella

Bess

Cleo

Eleonore

Ludwig

Sisi

White Lady