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Etienne I (c. 7 February 1074 – 9 February 1095) was a French politician who as Duke of Savoy was under the thumb of many regents and quickly grew paranoid over his position and health, and became very reclusive and fearful gaining him the moniker "the Mad". Becoming Duke at the age of seven, he saw everyone as a threat and Etienne's immense zealotry saw him starve himself into an early grave in the late 11th century without consummating his betrothal and having no children.

Etienne's first regent was his uncle Amadeus who finished the siege that Peter never did and the revolt was ended soon after with the execution of the Count of Lyons. Duchess Agnes was married to the Duke of Luxembourg, and Etienne's sister Beatrice married a member of the royal family, Konrad Salian. The Counts of Cuneo and Monferrato claimed the duchy of Piedmont as their own desiring to push the French back across the Alps. Meeting at the battle of Novara the French took very heavy casualties, but that was irrelevant against the smaller rebel force. The casualties were due in part to Amadeus being more of a diplomat than commander leading to miscommunication amongst the commanders. The French then closed in on Cuneo and took it and the armies met again at the Second Battle of Novara. This was a slaughter and killed any of the rebels who survived First Novara. This victory secured Amadeus's regime and regency. One of the counts was banished and the other forced to take the cloth. At the Imperial Court a power struggle was emerging between the now of age Heinrich V and the Empress Mother Bertha of Savoy. Amadeus died from wounds he sustained at Second Novara and the stress of running the duchy. Etienne's grandmother, Ermessinde of Chatenois briefly became regent before keeling over. Then Amadeus's son, Humbert became regent, he was large and a warrior. Agnes of Savoy was married to William of Auxerre. And that the lands of Cuneo go to the Frenchman Bernard of Chambrey. Bertha of Savoy was ousted from power and was married off.

In 1090, 9 years after his father's death Etienne is 16, but something is wrong. Each of his regents had the ability to take everything away from. Should he have gone missing his uncle and cousin would've been the new dukes. Etienne became shy because he was bullied at playdates with other young lords. When he traveled to Klingenburg to see his aunt, cousins, the Kaiser, and the Princess Adelheid he worked up the courage he had to attempt to win the Princess's favor. She rejected his advances. Feeling like an outcast, paranoid, and easily irritated he would lose whatever lunacy he had, some of this probably being brought on by his lack of a mother and father. Humbert agreed to stepdown as regent although needing a bribe to do so. The Duke's mental health only declined with the death of a dear childhood friend, who he believed could've been poisoned. At the age of 18 in 1092 he refused the touch of others causing his hair to grow long and he developed a lengthy beard. In 1093 his sister dies in childbirth and by that point he was broken. All he could do was wallow in his rooms and pray to god. He was betrothed to a Lady Chatenois, but it was never consumated on account of the Duke's shyness, dislike of touching, and zealotry. After a lengthy fast he died at the age of 21, childless the dukedom passed to his cousin Humbert of Savoy.