When last we left Emperor Kuno of Germania, a giant empire had just moved in next door while he was distracted with lesser matters. He was nervous, but hopeful: large empires like that are notoriously unstable, and it was clear the Umayyads had overextended themselves. Kuno began to prepare for war.
Alas, in a fashion that was by now typical of him, Kuno became distracted, first by yet another useless crusade (this time in Syria), and then when an invading power tried to steal the kingdom of Bohemia out from under him.
As he was in the midst of losing that second war, badly, disaster struck: Mairgred, the same woman he'd deposed after his cousin's death and then later seduced, pressed her claim to the empire and won. Kuno was once more demoted to King of East Frankia.
This time, he did not linger there for long. He immediately formed a faction to press his own claim and won the ensuing civil war handily. Kuno, therefore, was the 3rd, 6th, and 8th emperor of Germania.
Once back on the imperial throne, he managed to hold on to the kingdom of Bohemia as well, and then he once again turned his eyes toward the Umayyads.
By then, their realm had fractured somewhat, but they had some powerful allies. Kuno's first move was to assassinate the head of the mercenary band that was supporting the Sultan. This brought their military power more in line with his. Then he pressed his claim for the kingdom of West Frankia. He won.
He wasn't done yet though. He went on to press a claim for Italy. He won that as well.
After beginning his reign a friendless child embroiled in civil war, whose only solace was his cat, and after losing the imperial title twice and regaining it twice, Kuno had managed to grow Germania to the largest it had ever been.
But his personal life remained fraught: two of his sons died in battle, causing Kuno to have multiple mental breakdowns.
During his brief second stint as King of East Frankia, his character card began to read: "This is you, though you don't always feel like yourself."
Then when he was in his early 60s, he got cancer. The court physician made a desperate attempt to treat him, but the treatment left him horribly scarred and on death's door. And then the news came, his youngest son and heir, Rudolf, was killed in battle.
Kuno died shortly after, a successful, but broken man.
The throne went to his grandson, Rudolf's son Matthias, who was 11 years old, and had the face of an angel. Once again, a child was on the throne. Once again, powerful vassals started to cause trouble.