Dorreon Beth - 21st Known King of Revellia
Called Dorreon the Magnificent
King Dorreon Beth
"What Revellian king could ever surpass the life of Dorreon, let alone the myth?"Reign: 940 RA - 963 RA
Chief Justicars: Golbran Oishlog, Norshan Graunt, William Glast, Garland Beth
CORONATION
King Dorreon began his reign in controversy. His father, King Collium, had become deeply unpopular during his six year rule. His wife, who would one day be known and loved as the Storm Queen, was then only "Flaithe the False" who had thrown the canton into turmoil. His Chief Justicar, Golbran "the Goblin" Oishlog, was believed by many to have murdered King Collium. Dorreon began his rule, even before coronation, by throwing fuel on these fires. First, he released his uncle Prince Dorren from the dungeons. Prince Dorren had been taken plotting to seize the crown during the reign of Bennerog the Green Boar, who had spent his rule at war and left the realm to his squabbling family and counselors. Prince Dorren felt Revellia needed a strong king, and that he was it. "You'll find Revellia now has a strong king," young Dorreon insisted. One of the first things Prince Dorren did was prepare for war: he would soon be sent to the Rathlands in Ethel to help in the Stock Wars. At this point, Prince Dorren was known only as a traitor, and the peasantry were shocked that he was freed. This was nothing compared to the reactions of the nobility, however, when Dorreon declared that his Chief Justicar, Golbran Oishlog, would wed his cousin Helessa. Lady Helessa was the third daughter and fourth child of Princess Bialle Beth. Bialle had been thrice widowed and held a dangerous reputation, yet Helessa was so beautiful as to be called High Helessa by both the common and noble. Spells were written of her beauty, and both painters and sculptors were said to use her likeness to illustrate Lolliseri, the Host of Love (and, it should be added, temptation). Golbran Oishlog was Helessa's opposite in every way. Though named after the famed Ruby Prince of Clan Ainros, Golbran was no warrior. Short, bunch-backed, and ambling of gait, he had lost an eye during a hollymock with his own father, though even before this he was regarded by all as hideous. There is no record of Helessa's reaction to this news, but her mother was outraged. The Queen eventually calmed her, pointing out that Golbran Oishlog was the second most powerful man in Revellia, a high honor for the third daughter of any clan. But first, before the war or the wedding, must come the coronation. When serving as Chief Justicar, Flaithe "The False" had initiated the construction of the High Hostel in Revelback, but it would be another fifteen years before it was finished. Instead, they invited the Host Master to bless them in the Grand Square just outside of the site of construction. Barely more than the foundations were finished, but a great arch was quickly assembled to add gravity to the ceremony. The royal couple's first son, four-year-old Prince Garland, and his best friend Jonah Slabh, held the King's sword and shield. In a bold move, Queen Flaithe had her own sword and shield, from when she fought against Urudun before coming to Revelback, held by the twin daughters of Clan Sinachar, Alla and Evie, both six. It was a glorious event, praised by magicians and tellers for decades.
"Flaithe and Dorreon provide one of the greatest love myths of Revellia. Did they love each other from the start? Did Dorreon expose Flaithe? Was it passion, or a purely political maneuver? We will never know."
THE WESTERN THREAT
For the nobility, the glory of the coronation was soon forgotten. Many of the highest clans of Revelback began to note what was called a growing sentiment for Westerners. Since the reign of Maitiu Ainros over two-hundred years ago, the ruling families of Revellia had embraced and evinced Leante culture in all things: they converted to Host Keeping, followed Eastern naming conventions, and continued to incorporate Northern sensibilities into their reign. Naturally, this bred resentment in the Siiari (typically called "Westerners"), who lived chiefly west of the Nightfall and on the Green Isle. Deinain worship was still common in these areas and remains a significant force even today, many of them still rejecting mercantilism and restricting free spelling. This resentment would breed many Western rebellions great and small: the rise of Clan Ainros, who originally lived in the Fiirwood, has often been called a Siiari rebellion. In order to reconcile the West to their rule, many kings endeavored to place Siiari in key positions of power: wizards back when wizards were legal, later Chief Justicars, wives to powerful men, and significant chairs on the king's council. This reconciliation was entirely common, yet now the nobility began to object. Both Queen Flaithe and Chief Justicar Golbran were Siiari, the former from Dubraigh on the western coast and the latter from the Green Isle. Dorreon's Warchief was from Clan Aadh at Malbrand. His Chief of Ships was a Farre from Souwoth. Dorreon's own mother was a Sirtal from Dubraigh, as was his sister by law, wed to his brother Fremman. More importantly, both the Queen and Golbran Oishlog were highly controversial figures. The Winter Riots were still in people's memories, and while Host Keeper and Deinain worshipper alike partook in that violence, the poor were intrinsically connected to Deinain worship in the minds of most nobility, and Deinain worship was part and parcel with the Siiari. Yes, the High Hostel was being built, but at present it was nothing more than foundation, and little could be seen to prove the King's faith to the Hosts, the Leante, nor (most importantly) the nobility. This is supposedly why King Dorreon would spend the remainder of the Stock Wars focused on the Rathlands in Ethel, leaving Urudun to raid much of Western Revellia uncontested. This drove a poisonous spike between himself and the Queen, who twice threatened to reclaim her armor and lead an army west herself. "By this time next year, everyone west of the Nightfall will be worshipping the Thunder God," she is reported as saying, a reference to the Satari faith that was and is predominant in Urudun. When the King's Chief of Ships died, he passed the office to young Lord Carramar Uirlis, "a man so eastern he pisses sunlight," Oishlog said. Lord Carramar was young and inexperienced, and the royal navy was in truth ruled by Golbran Oishlog, who smiled and nodded politely to all Lord Carramar's orders, then did as he pleased regardless. When the King's Warchief died, he had meant to give the title to his uncle Prince Dorren, but the Queen (somewhat bitterly) advised that Prince Dorren was too controversial, and instead the honor went to Lord Adram Sorshan. "Lord Carramar is too young," Golbran once lamented, "but Lord Adram has one foot in the grave and his other in the tavern." None could deny, however, that these choices were uncontroversial. When both the King and Golbran complained one night of doing the work of three men and receiving less than a third of the credit, the Queen grinned sourly and said, "It can be bitter, can it not?" The two men supposedly never complained again.
"Supposedly, there once existed a grimoire compiled by a speller named Margo, containing various stories and conversations between the King and Queen, and Chief Justicar Golbran and his wife High Helessa, creating a picture of a close-nit group of four friends. If such a grimoire existed, it would likely have been destroyed after the Tragedy of High Helessa."
THE GREAT PARLEY of 944 RA
Though the King refused to send armies west, he and the Queen had managed to move funds to Dubraigh, where the King's brother Prince Fremman raised armies to repel Urudunite forces. In truth, Urudun was becoming increasingly concerned with Bastis, where a previously strong alliance against Yvruel was falling apart. Even as Urudunite forces began to retreat, Prince Dorren sent word that his armies had seized the Rathlands, driving the Rathi north to receive a cold welcome from their Etheli neighbors. This meant Revellia had not only made significant land gains, but could simultaneously demand gratitude from the ruling families of Ethel for defeating the rebellious Rathi armies. Ethel, Urudun, and Bastis were all growing desperate, yet at the same time they were largely united against Yvruel, the mightiest military force on the Peninsula, and even Yvruel could not stand against three armies forever. King Serimas Strident of Yvruel sent out word to his three Southern neighbors, requesting a parley. Eager for peace, they communicated their own desires to Revellia. It was eventually agreed that all five kings would meet at Cantef, a fairly central city and erstwhile home to the Great Spellery before the Lost Age. The King and Queen fought bitterly on who should attend, but it was eventually agreed the other cantons would not respect Flaithe's word, and Prince Garland was too young to rule without the Queen's presence. Flaithe and Golbran remained behind, while Dorreon and Prince Dorren rode north to Cantef. In one sense, Revellia was bargaining from a position of power. Yvruel had requested parley, and the other three cantons had passed this request on to Revellia. Dorreon was the only King that had admitted no weakness, and not only were the Urudunites retreating from his land, but his uncle Prince Dorren had conquered nearly a third of Ethel, for which the Ethelites were forced to thank him. The site of the Great Parley, Cantef itself, was now arguably in Revellian hands. It was with an understandable air of confidence that King Dorreon entered these negotiations. Sadly, he soon found himself out of his depth. Since the Orckid Conquest, the peoples of Milos were united under a single language: Vainan, brought south by the Orckid armies after their conquest of the Brevessars. This was still true, but isolation bred unique dialects that were not always easy to follow. This in turn was ameliorated by bards and magicians and hostesses, who wandered the land sharing stories and keeping the tongues of the Peninsula fairly uniform. Revellia, however, had become an unfriendly place for wandering tellers since the Fall of Clan Ainros. Indeed, the King almost did not bother to bring a speller with him, grabbing one only as he set out, upon the insistence of the Queen. It was true that the other cantons had purged their wizards much as Revellia had, but spellers were a far more uniform and reliable office in Urudun, Yvruel, and especially Ethel. The other kings spoke a slightly different dialect that Dorreon struggled to keep up with. Moreover, their spellers provided evidence of precedents and holy decrees from the King of Kings in Monos, which Dorreon's eighteen-year-old speller was unable to refute. There at Cantef, the former site of the Great Spellery, the depth of Revellia's ignorance was laid open. At one point, Prince Dorren went so far as to insist that the holy decrees of the King of Kings were not relevant at this parley, to the shocked outrage of both Yvruel and Ethel. Dorreon had approached this meeting as a dominant force, but quickly found himself reduced to a jabbering barbarian. In the end, Revellia was compelled to return the Rathlands to Ethel, though they received immense compensations for this, sealed with a betrothal between little Prince Nillis Ethel and Dorreon's youngest daughter, Princess Liani, scarcely three years old at the time. Much of the meeting was consumed with conflicts concerning Bastis and Yvruel to the north. King Dorreon supposedly told Queen Flaithe that this made him feel as though he were a pebble in a great sea, totally ignorant of the world around him. Revellia lost the Rathlands and was unable to reclaim the Elkwood, a forest belonging to Clan Elkwood for thousands of years. King Dorreon returned to Revelback far wealthier, wiser, and humbler. It was a serious blow that would alter Dorreon's view on kingship. But the most significant event of the Great Parley, was what did not happen. Before the kings had assembled, King Serimas Strident of Yvruel and King Jonar Bastian of Bastis had each sent spells to Monos, asking the King of Kings to sit as judge over this Great Parley. Tyrantis the Unifier, 145th King of Kings and one of the most celebrated lords of Monos, ignored the request. Just why, has baffled historians for ages. Tyrantis was one of the most diplomatically-minded of the Holy Kings, greatly expanding Monosi influence to east and west, and 940 RA was among the most peaceful of his years as king. It would have been a simple matter, even to send one of his vassal kings to oversee the parley, yet he did not. This inaction would have historic consequences less than two decades later.
"Harec Elkwood was said to have been furious at Dorreon's failure to regain the Elkwood, and would hold a grudge against him for the rest of his life. Perhaps this is true, but at this point Harec was in Berleigh and reportedly had no further congress with Dorreon before his death. Harec had been an influential figure in Dorreon's youth, but little more can be said of their relationship."
THE FIVE CHILDREN OF DORREON & FLAITHE
Some time should be spent on the two sons and three daughters of the King and Queen, for their fifth and final child was conceived in celebration of the King's return after the Great Parley. Their first son, Prince Garland, had been named in memory of the ancient line of Ainros. This was one of many decisions made to reconcile the West to Beth rule. Clan Ainros itself had often made concessions to the West, and they themselves had been Siiari in their origins. It is widely believed that Golbran Oishlog, himself named after an Ainros hero, recommended they name their child something evocative of the legendary bloodline, a symbol of the unity between East and West. 'Garland' was the obvious choice. Young Garland was said to be a happy, curious, excitable child, who wished to be involved in all things. The King was bringing the boy into council meetings at the age of seven, wherein he asked so many questions that the Treasurer Norshan Graunt was once moved to politely demand the King advise his son that it was wiser to listen than to speak. Prince Garland would become an accomplished fighter in the training yards and an admired teller of tales, and even dabbled in spelling, though this latter point was not widely known. Some mild scandals and rumors would surround him later in life, but as a prince Garland was everything his parents and the realm could have hoped for. The royal twins, Harek and Helen, were born a year after Prince Garland, when Dorreon was still yet a prince. Their second son, the first twin, was named for Chief Justicar Harec Elkwood, whom Dorreon had always admired. Helen, like many young girls, was named for High Helessa, the Queen of Love. Prince Harek was a wild boy, with all of Prince Garland's energy and none of his forethought. Garland asked questions, Harek made demands. He was said to escape into the city often, where he would get into fights with boys twice his size and return covered in bruises, smiling and boasting. He lost several of his infant teeth before his time in this manner. Harek would grow into a mighty warrior, eventually serving as his brother's Warchief, yet he also admired beauty, and showed a particular love for the golden flowers forged by High Helessa. It was said he grew somber and reflective in his later years, becoming a renowned teller of bittersweet tales. His twin sister Helen started life demure and graceful. Many young girls wished to be like High Helessa, but Princess Helen actually knew the woman and was in her company. Princess Helen never tired of pointing out that they both had red hair (Helen had inherited her orange-red locks from her mother, whilst Helessa sported the blood-red hair of Clan Ainros and the Liddinawths, presumably due to some unknown and distant relation), and more than once she expressed her desire to be called the Princess of Love one day. These dreams were shattered when, at nine years old, she was accidentally slashed across the chin with a blunted sword whilst watching her brothers train at arms. The scar was very noticeable, but nothing of consequence, yet from then on she lamented she was "uglier than Golbran." In adolescence, she would embrace Vainan fashions, painting her eyes and lips, styling her hair outlandishly, and piercing not only her ears, but her eyebrow and nose as well. She became known as an exotic beauty, yet she defied all her admirers as liars or fools. Liani Beth was the first of the royal children born a princess, being born in the second month of 941 RA. It was said she was born half again too large, and her mother's labor was so long and painful that many feared for her life. Yet Liani was born healthy, and the Queen recovered adequately. Princess Liani was red of hair like the twins before her, and was oft said to take after her brother Harek. Wild and willful, she demanded to be trained in the fighting yards so long and loud that the Queen finally commanded the Master at Arms, Wiilak Baene, to train her as sternly as the princes. "That shall dissuade her in time," the Queen said. It was an odd statement coming from a woman who had once led men into battle against the Urudunites, and it would prove erroneous. Princess Liani became a resilient fighter, but unlike Prince Harek she was not content to stop there. She became an accomplished speller and magician, she learned to speak Eysch and Khabarese haltingly, became a competent dancer, and even spent time on ships sailing between Aerwoth and Ethelbrand, though her duties there were never strenuous. It was said that Princess Liani could do anything, so long as you told her she could not. The King and Queen's final child, Princess Mairad, was called the Child of Joy, as she was born nine moons after the King's return from the Great Parley. Black of hair with bright blue eyes, she stood out from her siblings in most every way. The other four Beth children were all energetic and loud in their own ways, while Princess Mairad was quiet and graceful, almost from the first. It was said she began walking late in her infancy, as she would not do it until it could be done flawlessly. She learned spelling and magic from her sister Liani, but soon lost interest in them, yet her grace in dancing would far surpass any in her family. Despite being the third daughter, Mairad's hand would be sought by many as an adult, causing many near scandals, and she would remain a common figure in spells and tellings for years to come. The children of Dorreon and Flaithe were widely celebrated, and many Easterners felt they were a sign that Revellia was at last developing the courtly, elevated manners of their neighbors, becoming more aware of the wider world that the Great Parley had shown them.
"The truth of Princess Mairad's life is far sadder and even mysterious. Despite praise for her beauty and grace, she would be given to a minor princeling in Yvruel, thereafter fading from Revellian minds. It was said she was a subject of much celebration and legend in the north, but in Revellia she was quickly supplanted by other myths and rumors."
THE TRAGEDY OF HIGH HELESSA
The King held his uncle in high regard, and credited him several times with the harmonious end of the Stock Wars, but Prince Dorren would not forget their utter defeat at the Great Parley. Dorren was widely regarded as a sour man, liked by few. The King sought several marriages for him, and there were many interested in wedding a war hero, youngest son of the great Barthos the Beneficent. Prince Dorren refused them all, and with no more wars to fight he sat and sulked, his personal suite his new dungeon. The King placed Prince Dorren on his council. "Lord Adram Sorshan was polite enough to die in good time," Chief Justicar Golbran was said to have japed, and Prince Dorren slid into this position. He remained sullen, but offered good counsel when asked. Golbran was famously one of the few able to make the man smile. Golbran's new bride, High Helessa, was beautiful and beloved by the people, who called her the Queen of Love. She had lived in Ethel for a time, where she was called Helessa of the Golden Roses. As a couple, the two grew incredibly close to the King and Queen. Norshan Graunt, who then served as Treasurer, was said to observe that the four were uniquely suited to one another. Helessa was a mere two years younger than the King, while Queen Flaithe was fully nine years older than he, and Golbran another year older than she. The King and Helessa could relate to one another by their youth, while the Queen and Golbran related on their relative years. The men and women meanwhile connected by virtue of their sexes, and of course the couples themselves loved each other greatly. Later on, when serving as Chief Justicar himself, Graunt would deny having made this observation. The Tragedy of High Helessa fell in the Summer of 948 RA. A feast was being held for Sir Solan Morroth, an Ethelite knight who had befriended Prince Dorren during the Great Parley and wished to spend a few years at Revelback. He was due to return to Ethel and assume his responsibilities as his father's heir. On the night of the feast, Sir Solan was discovered in Lady Helessa's bedchamber, Golbran Oishlog with them. Sir Solan was weeping on the floor, Golbran standing over him. High Helessa was on the floor, stabbed in the heart, a knife found scattered to the corner of the room. The two men were tried that night before the King and Queen. Sir Solan insisted that he and Helessa were in love with one another, but knew they could not be together. They were saying goodbye when the Chief Justicar burst in on them and murdered Helessa in his fury. The Queen asked Golbran to explain his actions, but the Chief Justicar would not speak on the matter. In stead, he demanded the right to decide the matter by hollymock. This was eventually agreed upon, and Sir Solan fought the short, twisted, one-eyed Golbran. It was clear from the outset that Golbran had no intention of breaking Sir Solan's shields. Rather, he intended to kill the young knight outright. For all his fury, however, Golbran was not a warrior. Sir Solan broke all three of the Chief Justicar's shields. Sir Solan was absolved by the King and ordered to leave Revelback before the next morning. He did so. Golbran Oishlog was held until Princess Bialle, Helessa's mother, could return from Ethelbrand to watch his execution. Golbran was whipped and tortured, his hands broken. It is said he withstood his torment as well as he could, but finally broke when the King ordered his tongue torn out. Golbran wept at this, begging to die with his tongue in his head, but legends say Bialle smiled at his tears. Golbran's tongue was torn out with hot pincers. King Dorreon beheaded the man himself. Rumors say the head was given to Princesss Bialle, but to what purpose cannot be said.
"Golbran and Helessa are often held up as a tragic counterpoint to Dorreon and Flaithe, a horrible crime against which we might contrast the royal couple's great love. The mere poetic convenience of this, however, suggests that the truth of both events is far more complicated."
THE SECOND AND THIRD CHIEF JUSTICAR
After a brief period of mourning, Norshan Graunt was named as the new Chief Justicar. The Graunts were ambitious people, and many noted the callousness with which Norshan promoted himself whilst the King and Queen mourned Helessa. Yet he was experienced and influential, and he spoke with a frankness that was useful. The role of Treasurer was filled temporarily by Ataz Han'wylt, one of the Liddinawth cousins that Sir Talanar Han'dylth had brought from a recent visit to his homeland. Dorreon still wished to learn more about the wider world, and the Liddinawths still had the blood of the Viisianars, capable of awing the peasantry and impressing the nobles. Norshan Graunt would quickly prove a disaster. Bolstered by his new position, his bluntness evolved into combative pride. He would mock or shout down the other council members, reducing them to mute offense (or in the case of Carramar Uirlis, actual tears). All save Prince Dorren, who shouted right back at him. Counsel meetings quickly devolved into brawls of words, and little was accomplished. Graunt threatened to resign his post if Prince Dorren was not removed, and the King was sorely tempted to accept the resignation. Yet Graunt's experience as Treasurer had only increased the royal coffers, and the Graunts had grown too powerful to insult in such a manner. Lords of Saolmoth at the mouth of the River Nightfall, the Graunts were masters of the gateway between East and West. As such, their attitudes on matters between the Leante and Siiari tended to vacillate, depending on what was advantageous to them. Before his death, Golbran Oishlog gave the King reason to suspect that Graunt was building power in the West, and this resignation might be used as an excuse for rebellion. King Dorreon would not sacrifice the hard-won peace and plenty of the Great Parley. Instead, he would remove his Uncle. Prince Dorren was asked to serve as Envoy to Monos, a position that had not existed since the Southern Rebellion. Prince Dorren would plead Revellia's case to the King of Kings, ask for remittances of taxation, and learn more about the world that ruled over them from afar. Dorren resented the command, and said so openly. Yet still, he did his duty. Prince Dorren left for Monos in the Spring of 949 RA. The King would never see him again. The King missed his uncle horribly, and to add insult to injury, Lord Norshan would resign his post anyway less than a year after Prince Dorren departed, citing his age. Graunt took half the King's Breyvs with him. After Golbran Oishlog's death, the King found himself short on people he could trust. He feared a Western Rebellion, yet at the same time the Leante insisted the Siiari had already been given too much. He elected to sidestep the issue by reaching out to Urudun. Sir William Glast was a brother to Lord Tristan Glast of Arjhed, the capital of Urudun. The Glasts were still Host Keepers, but like most Urudunite clans they had connections with Khabar to the west. Sir William had impressed King Dorreon at the Great Parley with his eloquence and humility. After Norshan Graunt, humility was something he felt was needed. Sir William Glast entered Revelback upon an innek, a massive bovine bred for war. Its enormous horns were gilded, its sides caparisoned like a horse with the red and black of Clan Glast, at the head of twenty armored men, each on great beasts of their own. Accompanying them were ten magicians playing Khabarese instruments, a company of forty bowmen, and ten dancers. The people were dressed in the Urudunite fashion: bright clothing of several colors, puffed sleeves and pants, and crowns made of cloth and jewels. Amidst Glast's retinue was an enormous trunk of coins, which they tossed to the peasants, leaving at least half inside as a gift for the King. The beasts terrified many, and fighting over the coins produced several injuries, but most troubling of all were the magicians. Never before had a Revellian heard more than one magician playing in unison, and the effect was hypnotic and unnerving. Even before their first council meeting, Dorreon was obliged to ask Sir William to send his magicians home. He humbly nodded and did so, sending the dancers with them. Glast would remain a controversial figure throughout his time as Chief Justicar. Westerners antagonized him, but he refused to rise to their slights, ofttimes smiling and ignoring them. He spoke directly to the Queen as an equal, and frequently asked her opinion on matters before the King. More than once, he offered to solve money problems with his family's resources, overriding or ignoring the Treasurer, Ataz Han'wylt. In time, his benign smile would goad other councilors to insist he was mocking them somehow. He taught Khabarese to Princess Liani, and they were oft observed to speak the tongue to each other before laughing aloud. The King and Queen felt his faults paled in comparison to Norshan Graunt, yet what the nobility tolerated in Graunt they despised in Glast. Most infuriating of all, the man proved excellent at his job. He quickly became known as the golden bull, both for his vanity and for the coin he brought to the city. In addition to growing the wealth of the nation and securing its borders with both Ethel and his homeland of Urudun, Glast and the royal couple had an even more pressing issue to address, and it only grew greater with time.
"Because its power is so concentrated in the east, Revellia has always been more closely tied to Ethel than Urudun. William Glast's time as Chief Justicar would be credited by many as the beginning of more regular connection with Urudun and thus the rest of the world."
THE MORTAL KINGDOMS OF MONOS
Far to the north, beyond the Pass of Peril, lay the ten Mortal Kingdoms of Monos. These kingdoms were ruled by the King of Kings, who held authority over all mortal kings on the earth. For all of living memory, Milosians prayed in fealty to this god-monarch. They offered not only prayer, but taxation through their hostels, collected by humble hostermen and delivered to the holy land. Though some in Revellia and Bastis clung to the ancient Deinain gods, and strange new beliefs were making headway in Ethel and especially Urudun, the King of Kings remained the undisputed all-father in the Peninsula. He walked the earth. He talked. He could be seen, and his actions were more immediate than the Satari Thunder God or the Deinain who lived in the rocks and rivers. The Eysch actually called their god the Dead God. What other faith could boast a ruler who tread the earth? Yet where had the King of Kings been when they needed him, at the Great Parley? Sir William, a Host Keeper at least in name, made mention of Arrik Feylder, who briefly held a Monosi dynasty. How could an Yvruelian, as mortal as any Revellian, join the heavenly host of the god-kings, divinely appointed to rule over the world? In the end, how did these god-kings truly impact their lives? Golbran Oishlog had often said that flood and drought afflict the pious and the sinner alike, and that both Host Keeper and rock worshipper died in the end. This latter point would strike the King personally, when a hosterman arrived in the Autumn of 955 RA with news from Monos. His uncle, Prince Dorren, had been slain in battle. War had broken out between two of the Mortal Kingdoms, and Prince Dorren had chosen to take up the cause of one nation against the other, eventually dying in battle beneath arrow fire. In the message, the king of a land called Gemosia thanked Dorreon for his uncle's service, and assured him his death would be avenged. That very week, construction was at last complete on the High Hostel of Revelback, and celebrated in an enormous ceremony lasting another fortnight. King Dorreon did not attend. Queen Flaithe was present for the event, but tensions were growing between East and West, and she was careful not to make too much spectacle of herself. Sir William Glast paid for enormous banquets and public feasts ("it is common to slop the peasants in Urudun," he assured them), as well as Northern-style jousting tournaments. For all his piety, however, neither East nor West trusted the Urudunite. Glast had long since, with great regret, abandoned his lavish Urudunite clothing for simpler Revellian garb, but had made an exception for the celebrations, to ill result. Prince Garland was the only welcome figure at the events. Well into his nineteenth year, Garland was newly wed to the princess Zun'jel, one of the Liddinawth nobles that had come to Revelback with Sir Talanar. It had been a largely political marriage, another attempt to unite the disparate halves of Revellia, but the two seemed fond of one another, and Princess Zun'jel was already expecting their first child. The Prince cut an impressive figure at the celebrations. While most Kings of Beth favored red and gold, the Prince wore shimmering greens and violets of Urudunite cambric and silk, though carefully cut in Northern fashion. His Princess, Zun'jel, wore a gown of crystal blue and pearly white, colors associated with Clan Beth but rarely seen on their bodies. Yet these celebrations were no more than delaying the inevitable. The Winter of 955 RA was said to be heated by the roiling tensions between East and West. It was less than a fortnight after the Feast of the Longest Night when those tensions finally erupted. It remains unclear whether the conflict was started by the Leante or the Siiari, for the villages first struck by violence were home to both. Regardless, several mayors and village elders began begging for their local lords to come impose order on their towns. This quickly led to widespread border skirmishes between different settlements, especially in the more populous East. Huge fires broke out in the Fiirwood, leading to rumors of strange beasts escaping into the Noddlands and terrorizing the peasantry. There have been many thoughts posed on the origins of these riots, though all spellers and wizards must concede that Aerwoth and Revelback, those cities most strongly influenced by Ethel and the North, were the last to suffer these revolts. Tragically, this would also lead to a slow response to the violence. The King's new Warchief, Sir Talanar Han'dylth, mobilized heavy forces from the east and moved them west. Altars to the Deinain, what few existed, were destroyed, resulting in a Siiari backlash against hostels. The hostels were soon closed and secured, and even the High Hostel itself was eventually shuttered, greatly limiting public piety. This also put an end to the collection of tithes. 956 RA would be called the Year of the Silent War. It was by no means silent, but because no forces declared open rebellion, it could not properly be called a war. Lords fought their vassals. The King fought his lords. Some lords would "suppress violence" in neighboring lands as an excuse to expand their borders, forcing unlikely and unstable alliances that would fall apart as soon as was advantageous. Against the advice of Sir William Glast and Lord Carramar Uirlis, Dorreon closed the ports along with the borders, based on rumors that lords were hiring mercenaries from Ethel and Urudun, and that some peasants and even minor lords were plundering the land and fleeing Revellia. The treasuries swelled briefly, due to the cessation of taxes for the hostelry, but coin was soon exhausted on military forces. Dubraigh was reportedly keeping its ports open, garnering fortunes from both Khabar and Ethel with the closure of both Aerwoth and Wedding (a small port town directly east of Revelback). The King wished to send his troops to Dubraigh and force a closure, but feared such would be tantamount to declaring war on the West. His brother, Prince Fremman, once the Patriarch of the Siiari and Lord of the West, had already passed away after disappearing in the Fiirwood. Between this and the ascendancy of Norshan Graunt at Saolmoth, Dorreon was essentially powerless west of the Nightfall. It was in these desperate times that the Monosi army arrived. Not since the Conquest of Cenedras the Liar, who had freed them from the chains of the Orckid Empire, had Monosi forces marched into Revellia. Without speaking intent or crying defiance, knights and pikemen and archers, dressed in green and violet and black, launched attacks on the towns and cities. West or East, they made no distinction. Dubraigh was burned. Berleigh was taken. Malbrand, Swining, and Aerwoth were all besieged. Saolmoth, Dorreon did not fail to note, had opened their gates and welcomed the intruders, and were said to be negotiating some treaty with them. Revelback was the last city to be besieged. Timber Town and Wedding were both burned, and the Red Walls surrounded. With a retinue of fifty and ten knights, a man calling himself King Hadrian Durando of the Mortal Kingdom of Westheart came to parley in the King's throneroom. After much ado, King Hadrian revealed that he had come to collect the taxation due to the King of Kings, which was past remittance by over three years. This has been called the day spelling truly returned to Revellia, for King Dorreon wanted his words immortalized, and summoned four spellers to record what he said. "I know the name of Westheart," he said. "It was your armies that slew my uncle, Prince Dorren. I was never told why, for what holy cause he died, but I was promised by the king of a land called Gemosia that he would be avenged. Yet here you are, and Westheart still stands. You have run over our borders like crude marauders, brutalized my people and terrorized the nobility. And all this butchery and evil you holy men visit upon us, is for the remittance of taxes? No hostess had ever told me the gods were so mean-minded. You abandoned us at the Great Parley, and now you show yourselves as no angels, but only brigands and knaves. I will not, nor shall any Revellian king henceforth, offer one penny of taxation to you or any Mortal King, not until my murdered people are risen from their graves to eat and drink again. Begone from my city. Undo the death you have visited upon my people, or I shall return it triple fold upon the morrow. Go." It is said the entire city shook with the cheers that followed this speech. In this wise did Revellia enter the decades-long conflict that would come to be known as the Century War.
"A much simpler version of this speech, highlighting freedom and omitting mention of taxes, is often taught to noble children, particularly boys."
SIR WILLIAM'S LEGACY
In truth, Revelback's forces did not prevail the next day, but they did eventually succeed in repelling King Hadrian's army. King Dorreon wished to chase them all the way north into Monos, but both Queen Flaithe and Sir William cautioned him quickly. To reach Revellia, King Hadrian would have to have marched through at least three other cantons, and it was not yet known what their reactions were. And as much as they might hope otherwise, the West would not simply forget the conflicts in place before the Monosi invasion. "You must have allies, Grace," Sir William said. "You must make alliances. It is good you have so many children." Prince Garland was already wed to Princess Zun'jel, and Princess Liani was betrothed to an Etheli prince, but the royal couple had three other children that were not yet disposed. Prince Harek had been briefly wed to a Moyra, but she had died in childbirth. The infant, named Dorren, died within the month. Prince Harek had since expressed no desire to remarry, but Revellia needed many allies. Sir William spoke with his friends in Urudun, and through them sought word of Bastis. Urudun was ready at once to march against Monos, but Bastis was reticent. They had both suffered from the Westheart army, but Bastis lay much closer to the Mortal Kingdoms, and might have to face the brunt of their violent response. "Yvruel and Bastis are what matter," Sir William said. "They are closest to the fight. Win them, and our cause is assured." More than a year was spent communicating with Urudun and Ethel, the three cantons organizing alliances amongst each other and planning further alliances with the North. Sir William himself escorted Princess Liani east into Ethelbrand to wed Prince Nillis Ethel. They were attacked by Rathi bandits while passing through the Rathlands, and Sir William took a wound defending Princess Liani. Liani was famously martial-minded herself, and would later say she regretted she had been unable to take the wound herself. Against her wishes, she had been dressed in lavish clothing during travel, and though she found and drew a sword the instant they were attacked, she was unable to reach any threats before the battle was over. In the end, the princess reached Ethelbrand and the wedding was done. When Sir William returned, however, he admitted that his age was telling on him. He had been in his middle-thirties when he first became Chief Justicar, and now he was well past forty. Sir William was also a man of great appetites, and was growing stouter and less doughty with every passing month. With great regret, he asked the King's leave to return home. "Grant me this, Grace, and Urudun will be yours." The King expressed great regret as well, but granted Sir William his request. By his advice and with his blessing, Dorreon would pass the circlet of Chief Justicar onto his own son, Prince Garland.
"Garland and his four great friends were already the stuff of legends: Prince Harek, his brother and greatest admirer; Brother Aaran Dylaen, the crafty adviser; Sir Laurel Odon, the valiant sword arm; and Sir Jonah Slabh, considered by many to be Garland's closest friend. Prince Garland's first taste of power was a cause for celebration by many, yet others would say this heralded the end of the magnificence of Dorreon's reign."
THE WEDDINGS AND THE WAR
Before leaving, Sir William had initiated betrothals with Clan Timber of Bastis and Clan Gorn of Yvruel. Prince Harek agreed to be wed to Princess Surshem Timber, so long as he remained in Revellia to assist in the war. Clan Gorn was the challenge. Revellia had no prior relations with Yvruel, save warfare. The three southernmost cantons agreed that Clan Strident, Clan Feylder, and Clan Gorn were the three most powerful families in Yvruel. The Ethels would be providing a princess for the Stridents, and the Sattens a princess for Clan Feylder. The Gorns controlled the southern half of Yvruel, which was deemed less proud and powerful, but no less vital. King Dorreon reddened at this, but swallowed his pride and agreed to do his part.
Lord Malidor Gorn had a son named Halred. Halred had been betrothed to an Innifon, but she had died of something called pale pox, and the Innifons had no other bride to offer. Halred was nineteen years of age, and immediate action was needed to secure an alliance. Dorreon considered his remaining children. Princess Helen was three-and-twenty, well into marrying age. She was older than this Halred, but as Dorreon's own wife was nine years his elder, he did not think that an impediment. No, the problem lay with Helen's own outlook. She had received a scar on her chin as a child while watching her brothers and Liani train with swords. It was noticeable, but a minor thing. Yet Helen was convinced that she was repellent, and her flatterers were met with scorn and derision. The King felt it would be a great aid to her outlook, for Helen to serve as the vital piece in this alliance with the most powerful military force in Milos. Yet if she reacted poorly, the Gorns and thus Yvruel might be lost. The youngest princess, Mairad, was as yet two years shy of her majority, but not too young for betrothal. She was closer to Halred in age, and all who saw her swore she would be more beautiful than High Helessa, the Queen of Love. The King spent nearly a week discussing the matter with his council. Most seemed set on offering Mairad, yet still the King wavered. Only the Treasurer, Connus Odon, disagreed, and only because he thought Princess Mairad should be used to secure West Revellia instead. The King and Queen discussed the matter privately, staying up all night, and in the morning they agreed to offer Mairad to Clan Gorn. Princess Helen would be used to secure the West. Failing that, she would be offered to a high standing family in Urudun. Matters worsened with Clan Sirtal loudly refused the royal marriage offer. Not only did this increase the likelihood of another war between East and West, the King took it as a personal insult. When Prince Garland pointed out that they would likely have to reconquer Revellia before they could confidently march north, Dorreon smiled at the prospect. In the end, Helen was betrothed to Roland Lorredan, a middling but ancient clan of Urudun. She wept at the news. As Prince Garland predicted, the King would have to re-secure Revellia, particularly the West, before he could meaningfully support this new alliance. Trusted lords were dispatched to help reestablish Berleigh and Aerwoth, and Prince Harek would invest Swining, but the King meant to march west himself. All opposed him on this, but he would hear nothing against it. Dorreon was past his fortieth year, but he would not be denied. "I shall not die shivering in my bed while old Norshan Graunt snickers," he insisted, "nor while Ollack Sirtal sneers at my daughter's likeness."
"Norshan Graunt is a controversial figure even today. Widely hated in the east, some westerners view him as a man who did what must be done, daring to defy an overreaching king. Clan Graunt, in particular, treads a dangerous path, revering the man while admitting as much fault as they can stomach, in order to retain their positions at court."
TREACHERY AT THE GATES
The king would spend the next two years fighting against the Graunts. It was not long before Saolmoth was besieged, but Lord Norshan assured him "My Monosi friends will be along soon enough." Dorreon had hoped for aid from Malbrand. His sister Helena still reigned there as "the Ghastly Lady," and she supposedly had a brood of nine warrior sons, each as pallid as she was. But his envoys found Malbrand shuttered tight. "I shall deal with her after Graunt," the King was heard to say. Prince Harek had succeeded at reestablishing Swining, and thus brought his armies to join his father at Saolmoth in the second year of the siege. A Dubraighi army would arrive soon after this to attack, but it was quickly dealt with. Lord Ollack Sirtal was slain, and his son Ollian bent the knee. After this victory, the Graunts finally agreed to a parley. However, negotiations broke down quickly, resulting in open battle. The Graunts were outnumbered and starved, but they clearly had a purpose. Sir Ulwin Haust, a knight tall as an oak and fierce as an ox, came barreling at the King himself, breaking through the lines with ease. Prince Harek interceded but was knocked aside, falling under his horse and breaking his leg. The King fought bravely, but Sir Ulwin was half his age and twice his size. Prince Harek tried desperately to stand, screaming in pain, his sword in hand, as Sir Ulwin drove his blade through King Dorreon's throat. The Graunts would ultimately surrender, and reach a parley with the royal forces. Prince Harek had fallen unconscious. He would eventually lose his leg, though he survived the battle. Lord Ardent Sinachar stood for the king during negotiations. Most of the remaining nobles were forgiven their treachery, as they would be needed in the wars to come. On the matter of Sir Ulwin, however, Lord Ardent was firm. Sir Ulwin was guilty of king killing, and must pay the price. Sir Ulwin was disemboweled, then burned living. One man dared object, saying such was the fate of wizards and traitors, but Lord Ardent silenced him with a look. King Dorreon, called the Magnificent, would never live to see the freedom he had helped to create. But in his brave defiance, his cautious unity, and his selfless devotion, he began a Tale that would transform the Peninsula forever.
"All that Revellia now is, her glories and her grandeur, began with Dorreon. No man was or is more worthy of the title, Magnificent."
Social
Religious Views
Conditions
Ethnicity
Honorary & Occupational Titles
King of Revellia,
Lord of Revelback,
Prince of the Green Isle (erstwhile),
Patriarch of the Leante and Lord the East,
Hand of the Hosts
Lord of Revelback,
Prince of the Green Isle (erstwhile),
Patriarch of the Leante and Lord the East,
Hand of the Hosts
Life
4917
4963
46 years old
Birthplace
Revelback
Family
Children
Eyes
Chestnut
Hair
Brown
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Ghast
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations