Immanuel-Ferrand Holswig-Schliestein is the uncle of Emperor Karl Franz. He is a Grey Guardian and, as of 2512, sat on the Council of State as the "High Chancellor of the Realm" and ran a subdivision of the Black Chamber spy ring called the Graukappen.[1a][2a]
Immanuel-Ferrand is normally a careful diplomat, but a notable flaw has allowed rivals to exploit him. He is myopic in his belief that the Empire would benefit if power were centralised, and he thinks his nephew is worthy of absolute authority.[1a]
Turmoil of 2512[]
Immanuel-Ferrand became one of the unwitting architects of the Turmoil of 2512. Acting on intelligence provided by Yann Zuntermein, funneled through Liepmund Holzkrug, his underling, he persuaded the Emperor to seize Ubersreik. Immanuel-Ferrand was led to believe that the Jungfreuds were planning to wage war on their neighbours, but since the takeover, evidence to support this belief proved elusive.[1b]Immanuel-Ferrand despatched his best agent, Emmanuelle Nacht, to help quell the unrest and gather information, preventing her from further researching the Purple Hand.[1a]
With Karl Franz becoming sick, thanks to the secret Chaos Cultist that acted as his physician, Immanuel-Ferrand supported the creation of a double to avoid the political problems. This was used by Elector Countess Emmanuelle von Liebwitz to gain his support in annexing Sudenland.[1c]
Aftermath[]
While Immanuel-Ferrand maintained his position in the first years after the Turmoil, his position had become precarious. Rivals began to assemble, with the most promising being Siegfried von Walfen, who gained the support of a hidden benefactor.[2b]
By at least 2522, his office had been passed to Siegfried von Walfen.[3a]