You are the third son of Prince Mikołaj Radziwiłł the Red, a brother to the (at the time of your birth) recently-deceased Queen Barbara and cousin of the influential Prince Mikołaj Radziwiłł the Black. Your father -- "Rudy" -- gives "Czarny" a run for his money in terms of wealth, respect, and titles, with vast tracts of Lithuanian land and noble ears under his control.
It is true, that while Birże Radziwiłłs headed by
"Rudy" (
"The Red") were richer, the Nieśwież line of his cousin
"Czarny" (
"The Black") was more influential so long as he lived. It was he, who in 1547 got the whole family the title of Princes of the Holy Roman Empire. By custom, all the ancient princely families descended from Giedymin or Ruryk could use their titles freely, while any other foreign title (count, baron, duke, prince, etc.) given to Polish nobility by foreign powers was frown upon and in time they will be all forbidden. No Polish title of that kind exists beyond the old princes. Radziwiłłs were not among them, but because of their huge influence, they managed to push through and nobody ever questioned their title. Beyond that, huge protectors of Protestantism in Lithuania and with great influence there overall.
"Rudy" actually was something of a viceroy of the GDL when king Sigismund II Augustus died. One more thing: his is not the Grand Hetman of Lithuania anymore. The Hetman office became for life in 1581 (all the other offices are for life and cannot be taken away unless high treason is on the agenda) and until that time the king could dismiss him at will. He is the Lithuanian Grand Chancellor and Voivode of Wilno now. Fun fact: being a third son may lead to some funny arguments.
"Czarny" could not agree with his younger brother Jan about who inherits what after their father's death. They finally went with the bizarre solution of dividing
everything in half: every scrap of land, every building, every outhouse. Luckily for
"Czarny", his brother soon passed away and he got everything.
You are the first surviving son of Hieronim Sieniawski, heir to the Voivode and aging patriarch Mikołaj. The friendship your grandfather formed serving under the great Grand Hetman Jan Amor Tarnowski against the Tatars and Moldavians in the decades leading up to your birth lead to a strong familial bond and alliance, culminating in the Sieniawski family's adoption of Tarnowski heraldry. This association of your family with the Tarnowscy have led to a great increase in familial estates and responsibilities in the years since. Although nominal Calvinists, only Grandfather seems to profess the faith seriously, while the family is united by its strong support for the Piast faction and a strengthened union between the Kingdom and Grand Duchy.
The patriarch Mikołaj died in 1569. Hieronim is the current head of the house. His younger brother, also Mikołaj, lives. The Sieniawski family had the Leliwa coat of arms since times immemorial, much like the Tarnowskis. Remember, that currently you can only adopt commoners, not other nobility. Until 1578 adoption was technically legal, ennoblement by the king as well. Starting with that year both required additionally the Sejm's consent. The same with the indygenat, that is, conferment by the king of the rights of a Polish noble to a foreign noble. These three paths were the only way to earn nobility in the Commonwealth. Naturally, the Sejm wanted to limit this as much as possible in order to stop abusers, like rich burghers and other unworthy individuals from earning nobility, thus starting with 1578 it became harder to be a
knight. As for the Sieniawskis, an influential family to be sure, somewhat supportive of Protestantism. Hieronim is currently Castellan of Kamieniec (Podlaskie Voivodeship) and a famous soldier known for his bravery. His brother Mikołaj is the Field Crown Hetman, spending his time in the Ukraine, guarding it against Tatar incursions.
Although not necessarily projecting power like the Radziwiłłowie or Tarnowscy, your family is by far the most influential in Halicz or Kameniec and perhaps in all of Podolia. Your grandfather Jan was Voivode of Podolia and died a few years before you were born, but not before marrying the heiress of the once-rival Buczacki family, only strengthening the family's grip over the region. Though Tworowski control over the region is beginning to slowly wane in the years after Jan's death, your family still commands great sway among Pole and Ruthenian alike at the cost of being stereotyped as provincial; Tworowscy would much rather rule Podolia than politick in the Sejm, or so they say. Your father and house head Krzysztof, meanwhile, is not without his own troubles.
Ok, after some quick research I must admit that I found no Krzysztof. Jan Tworowski was indeed Voivode of Podolia and Field Crown Hetman to boot and did took the heiress of the Buczacki fortune as his wife. His descendants started to use the name of Buczacki-Tworowski because of the prestige associated with it. He had a few sons (eldest Andrzej dies in 1569, no children; Jan dies around 1557, had a son and descendants; Mikołaj lives), but no Krzysztof among them, unless of course he is fictional. Fun fact: Mikołaj, a Calvinist (converted from Catholicism), married in 1570 a daughter of Radziwiłł
"Czarny" and is a local Starosta of Bar.
You are a scion of the House of Firlej, a disparate yet influential interdenominational family smattered across several estates in central Poland, a week's ride or so from Krakow. Several Firlejowie have ascended to voivodeships throughout the region over the years, but your father Jan is quickly gaining influence as a potential leader for the Lutherans and Calvinists of the realm; by the time of your birth, he will be on the cusp of his election to the Senat and then onwards to several Voivodeships. His impassioned oratory and resolute stands for Protestantism will soon make him a powerful man indeed, and you in turn a powerful man's heir.
Nice, nothing to add. Jan Firlej was indeed a force of nature for the Protestant cause in the Commonwealth. Great Crown Marshal, Voivode of Kraków, very rich, very influential. Unfortunately he died in 1574. One note, that both Sieniawski and Firlej families were ardent enemies of the Executionists. They and their ancestors benefited from the previous kings' grants and treated them more or less as their private property. Having to lose them (one of the main goals of the movement was to revindicate all the grants of land, etc. that have been illegally retained by the beneficiaries and their descendants so that the Crown may benefit from their return) would be a bad thing for their estates. Thus, they greatly supported the Union of Lublin as a red herring.
[X] Into the princely Lithuanian House of Radziwiłł.
