Wolfkrone (ヴォルフクローネ王国?) is a small kingdom in the Holy Roman Empire said to lie near to Ostrheinsburg. It is believed that the King of Wolfrone at the time fell prey to the Evil Seed and descended into madness; in a attempt to attack Nightmare head-on, he then lay siege to Ostrheinsburg Castle, losing many men in the process. Though the Wolfkrone Kingdom has a long and storied history, its name fell into obscurity after the sixteenth century.
It was founded by "The Wolf". The kingdom is also one of the strongest allies to the Aval Organization for generations.
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Soulcalibur VI[]
Wolfkrone Kingdom (1)[]
A small kingdom said to lie near Ostrheinsburg. It is believed that the king of Wolfkrone at the time fell prey to the Evil Seed and descended into madness; in an attempt to attack Nightmare head-on, he then lay siege to Ostrheinsburg Castle, losing many men in the process. Though the Wolfkrone Kingdom has a long and storied history, its name fell into obscurity after the sixteenth century.
Wolfkrone Kingdom (2)[]
A small kingdom on the west bank of the Rhine, a river which divides the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire. It takes the wolf as its national symbol, and has become well-known for its powerful standing army.
Wolfkrone is a land with old roots, one that can trace its founding legends all the way back to the time of ancient Rome. Though it has had its share of hardships, the people of Wolfkrone have preserved their bloodline through the ages by occasionally merging with other countries or splitting into multiple families. The current Kingdom of Wolfkrone was recognized as a sovereign state at the end of the 14th century, and it has since established its presence amid other world powers through exceptional diplomacy and military strength.
The reigning king George von Krone is renowned as a superb general, and his elite vanguard, the Silver Wolves, have gained widespread acclaim for their exploits on countless battlefields. After the king fell ill, Princess Hildegard von Krone took his place as regent. With the help of her advisors and retinue, she has maintained her kingdom's autonomy ever since. Unlike many of its contemporary neighbors, Wolfkrone does not subscribe to Salic law, which forbids women from inheriting the throne. Thus, Hildegard is recognized as the legitimate successor, and of late her many admirers have flocked to the capital of Stolzstadt to witness her beauty and genius.
Wolfkrone has prided itself on the valor and bravery of its people since the time of the founder king, "the Wolf." However, the year 1583 has brought grave perils that continue to test the limits of the kingdom's courage and strength: Nightmare and the Evil Seed. The Azure Knight's castle is located in Ostrheinsburg on the opposite bank of the Rhine, the river that forms a natural border between Wolfkrone and the Holy Roman Empire. Thus, a careless attack could be misconstrued as an invasion of the Holy Roman Empire itself. Should one small crack appear in Wolfkrone's friendly relations with the empire, there is no doubt that the Kingdom of France to the west would not miss the opportunity to expand its own borders over Wolfkrone land.
The current political balance is only maintained by constantly strengthening the kingdom's armed forces, continued talks with surrounding territories, and Hildegard's own impressive military prowess. Even so, this delicate equilibrium teeters on the verge of destruction. A kingdom that dedicates itself to such a nonaggressive defense policy will surely see its power eventually whittled away.
The Krone Family[]
The Wolfkrone Kingdom's royal family, the head of which has traditionally assumed the throne.
The Krone family is one of the Seven Great Houses of Wolfkrone, along with six other families represented by the six (formerly seven) lilies of the valley inscribed on the national flag. Members of the Krone family—including King George and his regent Hildegard—place great value on honor, and they are taught from a young age that an oath sworn upon the name of Krone is worth more than life itself.
Lord Filbert, who revived the Wolfkrone Kingdom at the end of the 14th century, claimed the founder king "the Wolf" himself first spoke the words of the family precept: "True warriors think not of themselves, but of others." Even now, those words are deeply engraved into the hearts of all who inherit the Krone name.
The royal family's emphasis on honor, sincerity, and selflessness is a source of pride and admiration for all the nation's citizens, and it is this noble spirit that has allowed them to keep the throne throughout Wolfkrone's long history.
The Silver Wolves[]
Wolfkrone's elite cavalry. They take their name from the wolf, the kingdom's guardian beast.
Since long ago, Wolfkrone's soldiers have been renowned as undefeatable in close combat due to their use of the kingdom's unique fighting style, Große Erbschaft. However, with firearms playing an increasingly large role in military affairs, the kingdom's armies have begun to struggle in recent years. To overcome this obstacle, King George formed a special cavalry unit adapted for the changing battlefield. When formations crumbled after a charge on horseback or the soldiers were faced with a head-on battle with infantry, they were trained to quickly dismount and effectively fight with sword and spear instead. George's ultimate goal with the Silver Wolves was to create a moving fortress.
As the kingdom's elite shock troops, the Silver Wolves' core strategy was to fluidly change battle formation according to the situation and end up in a deadly circle surrounding the enemy. Then, once they dismounted, those caught inside the circle faced certain annihilation. It eventually became an ironclad rule among mercenaries to run away before the Silver Wolves could get off their horses.
Though each and every Silver Wolf was a first-rate warrior, their true value lay in their loyalty and discipline. In battles against musketeers, these riders risked their lives charging forward through a hail of enemy bullets, then dismounted amid the ranks of the enemy to claim victory before their foes had a chance to reload. In a world where firearms were quickly taking over the battlefield, the effective application of a specialized strategy of this nature was likely only possible for the Kingdom of Wolfkrone, which had maintained a professional standing army since the 14th century.
Though the Silver Wolves' eschewal of the caracole can be likened to the tactics of Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus, their combat role and strategies were wholly unique. Opinions are now split among war historians about the true effectiveness of the Silver Wolves' approach to battle.
Places in Wolfkrone[]
Residents[]
- Alfred von Krone
- Dietrinde
- Theobald
- Garibrand von Rüdiger
- George von Krone
- Gerhilde von Egilmar
- Gisele
- Grimgerde
- Helmwige
- Hildegard von Krone
- Ortlinde
- Rossweisse
- Schwertleite
- Siegrune
- Waltraute
- Wilhelm von Krone
Trivia[]
- Wolfkrone is a fictitious kingdom located in the Holy Roman Empire.
- During the events of Soulcalibur IV the city was destroyed.
- There is in fact a river in the Black Forest known as the Wolf River. It lies in an area east of the Rhine known as Baden-Württemberg and lends its name to the German towns of Wolfach and Oberwolfach the later of which bears a red wolf as it’s heraldry and formerly had a castle. Given Nightmare’s fortress was said to be in Black Forest and near the Wolfkrone kingdom it’s possible that the Wolfkrone kingdom is based on this area of Germany.