Rachel I

Rachel I
Countess of Rosalica and Helenica
Reign	9 May 1554 - 3 June 1560
Margravine of Rosalica
Reign	3 June 1560 - 2 February 1691
Coronation	8 July 1560
Successor	Rachel II
Born	(1530-12-07)7 December 1530 Rosalica Castle, Rosalica
Died	2 February 1691 (aged 160) Rosalica Castle, Rosalica
Spouse	Rein Vandale (m. 1554; died 1555) Ewoud Janssens (m. 1560)
Issue	Rachel II
Names Rachel Primula Andisson
House	Andisson
Father	Ludger Andisson
Mother	Margarita Laninga

Rachel I (Rachel Primula Andisson; 7 December 1530 – 2 February 1691) was Countess of Rosalica and Helenica following a political marriage between her and Count Rein Vandale on 9 May 1554. Following the Westmound Heights Agreement, she united 15 counties, including hers, to form the Margravate of Rosalica. She would continue her reign, now as Margravine, from 3 June 1560 until her death in 1691. Rachel served as the first of the five monarchs of Rosalica.

Rachel was the daughter of Ludger Andisson, Count of Rosalica, and Margarita Laninga, his first wife. In her early years, Ludger arranged a political marriage of Rachel with Rein Vandale, Count of Helenica. In 1554, Rachel was married off to Rein Vandale, and upon Ludger's death a few months later, she succeeded her father and became Countess of Rosalica. Rachel ruled next to Rein Vandale until his death in 1555, which upon she merged the two counties under her banner while facing opposition from remnants of the House of Vandale. Her claim was solidified in 1557 where the members of the House of Vandale submitted to Rachel following her victory at the Siege of Crenlaught.

Her next goal was to bring the small counties of Westmound Heights under her rule to secure Rosalica's western and southern borders. The elven nobles of the Westmound Heights Counties were at first opposed to Rachel's attempts to grow her influence over the region, even at times attempting to assassinate her. Through economic and military action, delegates from the Westmound Heights Counties finally agreed to negotiate a union with Rosalica. This would conclude with the signing and ratifying of the Westmound Heights Agreement in 1960 which officially established the Margravate of Rosalica with Rachel serving as its first monarch. In the same year, Rachel married her lover Ewoud Janssens, a travelling merchant from Valerica.

As Margravine, Rosalica would see sweeping economic and social reforms within the region, most of which was championed by Ewoud. Poverty saw a decline with the promotion of better education, health, and housing. Defense also became a main priority under Rachel's reign with the establishing of a national army and the building of fortresses and defenses along Rosalica's northern border. In foreign affairs, Rachel's main focus was first on ending the South Ethalrian conflicts and any form of hostilities with Ethalria due to the rising power that was Great Morstaybishlia. Along with ending aggressions, Rachel would concede South Ethalria to Ethalria and heavily promote trade between the two kingdoms. The friendly relation between Rosalica and Ethalria would continue to exist into the 18th century. Building better relations with Valerica was also an important piece of Rachel's foreign policy of standing up against Great Morstaybishlia. This included acts such as building trade routes between the two nations to assisting Valerica with military operations.

It is believed that Rachel was heavily stressed for most of her life which made her extremely weak and ill. After over a 130 year reign, the longest length of reign for a Rosalican monarch to date, Rachel passed away at the age of 160 in 1691 to which she was succeeded by her daughter, Rachel II. At first disliked by a majority of the population, mainly prompted by disgruntled nobles, for her brashness and short temper, she became celebrated in her later years for bringing prosperity to the region and securing Rosalica's independence from both Great Morstaybishlia and Ethalria.