King of Eremere
The king of Eremere is the title granted to the man who commands the authority of the high earls of Eremere. Historically, this has been the head of House Syrincore since Biddacrow's Conquest in 555 EL, although it was briefly taken by House Anders in the 8th century EL. The seat of the king has always been Crow's Rest, the capital city. At the beginning of the first book, a total of fifteen kings and two queens have sat upon the throne, as well as one king who was never crowned.
When Biddacrow conquered Eremere, he became its first king. With his wife, Morgana Whitemount, he became the progenitor of the Royal House of Syrincore, which has ruled Eremere almost continuously from 555 EL to 998 EL.
Raping of the Babes (652 EL)
One of the most depraved acts in the history of Eremere, the Raping of the Babes was a massacre following the deposition of the child King Adair the Young. In 650 EL, King Midah II died. As his son Beryn had already died, in 643 EL, he was succeeded by his grandson Adair, who was only 11 at the time. Over the next two years, Midah II's second son Varun gathered allies for his claim at court, and, in 652 EL, deposed King Adair and attempted to slay him. However, Adair and his bastard half-brother, Ulfred, escaped. Their other siblings, however, were brutally murdered as they slept. Years later, Adair and Ulfred returned to reclaim Adair's throne in the Nephews' Revolt in the 660s.The Nephews' Revolt (663 EL - 667 EL)
Following the monstrous actions taken by King Varun the Usurper to seize the throne, he lost many supporters and made many enemies, chief among them the deposed Adair. The prince, though young, was shrewd and knew he had to bide his time. Over the next eleven years, he and his brother Ulfred travelled Eremere and beyond, recruiting allies to their cause. With most of the kingdom on their side by 663 EL, it took only four years to break Varun's forces. He surrendered in 667 EL, allowing Adair to take back his birthright. Varun was executed for his crimes, despite his surrender. Few protested. Ulfred, the bastard brother of Adair, was granted a cadet dynasty, and became the founder of House Ravenwood. To go with his new house, he was granted the post of Marshal-in-Chief, which had been traditionally held by the head of House Ravenwood until Reginald Ravenwood. From 755 onwards, House Ravenwood were also the earls of Glendale.House Anders and the War for the Marian Succession (734 EL - 755 EL)
Eremere's first queen regnant came in 714 EL with Queen Maria. While a female ruler was unprecedented and disapproved of by much of the nobility, it was her death that caused the greatest stir. Her marriage to Brandon Anders, a minor earl in Thendanor, was matrilineal; the children would be of House Syrincore. This was to keep the royal line going in the absence of a male heir. One child was born to the couple: Oather. In 734 EL Maria died of a sudden sickness, aged 47. Her son Oather, who was on a foreign tour at the time, was expected to become Oather II. This was, however, not to be. His father, Brandon, seized the crown from his own child and sent him into exile. This is considered the start of the War of the Marian Succession. Brandon was crowned as King Brandon, of House Anders, ending 150 years of Syrincore rule. He quickly remarried a lady from House Masters and fathered heirs of his own dynasty. The nobility, while uncomfortable with Brandon's actions, saw no alternative due to the missing Prince Oather. This changed when, in 738 EL, Oather took up arms to regain his crown. Many lords of Eremere joined him, viewing him as the rightful king. Over the years, allies came and went on both sides, but at the outset, Springmore and Lylelor sided with Oather, while the Rocklands and Arkenstead were content with King Brandon. Dregonvell took an uncharacteristic neutral stance. In 741 EL, King Brandon died a natural death. The war, however, continued under his son, King Brayman. Casualties also fell upon the side of House Syrincore. Oather II, as he referred to himself, died at 38 while fighting in battle. Never regaining his throne, he is commonly known as 'the Exile' or 'the king who never was.' Still, he too was succeeded by his sons. Princes Midah and Adair took up their father's claim and battled for the throne themselves. King Brayman, too, died before the war ended. In 753 EL he was captured and executed, against the will of Midah. His son, King Brandon II, became the third of House Anders to wear the crown. Finally, after over 20 years of fighting, the war ceased when Midah and Adair stormed Crow's Rest and captured the false royal family, including King Brandon. With the throne back in the hands of House Syrincore, Midah named House Anders traitors to the realm and executed those complicit in the war, including King Brandon. Those he deemed innocent were blessed with exile. The lands of House Anders were granted to House Ravenwood. In 755 EL, King Midah III restored House Syrincore to the throne of Eremere and ended the greatest civil war his kingdom had ever seen.Queen Isolda and Princess Lenora (841 EL)
On his deathbed in 835 EL, King Aldred I left no male heirs. He had but two daughters, Isolda, and Lenora. The eldest by fourteen years was Isolda, and she was crowned as Queen Isolda I. Having seen the crisis brought on by Queen Maria's marriage to Brandon Anders, Isolda decided she couldn't risk even a matrilineal marriage. A shrewd woman, she also forbade her younger sister from marrying, firmly believing the crown must stay in the hands of House Syrincore. In the event her sister predeceased her, the crown would go to the heirs of their uncle Prince Midah. Lenora, however, was not content with this ruling. In 841 EL she married in secret and against her sister's wishes. Not only this, but she married Corman, an exile from House Anders; the very house that had caused such strife, not a century before. In response, Isolda imprisoned the newlyweds for treason. Initially, Isolda saw no reason to take further action - execution was the customary punishment for traitors. However, mere months into his imprisonment, Corman was caught conspiring to escape and depose Isolda. With no choice, Isolda signed his execution warrant and he was dispatched within a week. Upon hearing the news, Princess Lenora hanged herself with her dress in her cell. Queen Isolda's reign was one of the most prosperous eras of Eremere's history. She is regarded as one of Eremere's greatest monarch and restored the reputation of female rulers that was tarnished by Queen Maria.History
First created by Biddacrow in 555 EL, Eremere has seen many kings and two queens rule.
Listed here are the twenty-two monarchs who ruled Eremere, or claimed its throne, as of 998 EL.
| Name | Life | Reign | Ascension to the Throne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biddacrow I | 498 - 573 EL | 555 - 573 EL | Conquered |
| Midah I | 533 - 602 EL | 573 - 602 EL | Inherited from his father, Biddacrow |
| Midah II | 574 - 650 EL | 602 - 650 EL | Inherited from his father, Midah I |
| Adair I 'the Young' | 639 - 685 EL | 650 - 652 EL, 667 - 685 EL | Inherited from his grandfather, Midah II; Conquered as claimant from Varun 'the Usurper' |
| Varun I 'the Usurper' | 612 - 667 EL | 652 - 667 EL | Taken from his nephew Adair 'the Young' in a palace coup |
| Oather I | 668 - 714 EL | 685 - 714 EL | Inherited from his father, Adair 'the Young' |
| Maria I | 687 - 734 EL | 714 - 734 EL | Inherited from her father, Oather I |
| Brandon I (House Anders) | 679 - 746 EL | 734 - 746 EL | Inherited from his wife, Maria |
| Oather II 'the Exile' or 'the King that Never Was' (Claimant) | 714 - 752 EL | 734 - 752 EL | Claimed the throne of his mother, Maria |
| Brayman I (House Anders) | 727 - 753 EL | 746 - 753 EL | Inherited from his father, Brandon I |
| Brandon II (House Anders) | 732 - 755 EL | 753 - 755 EL | Inherited from his brother, Brayman |
| Midah III | 734 - 769 EL | 755 - 769 EL | Conquered as claimant from Brandon II, claimed the throne of his grandmother, Maria |
| Gadriel I | 738 - 784 EL | 769 - 784 EL | Inherited from his brother, Midah III |
| Harran I the Mad | 763 - 837 EL | 784 - 799 EL | Inherited from his father, Gadriel I |
| Adair II | 752 - 812 EL | 799 - 812 EL | Inherited from his nephew, Harran |
| Aldred I | 772 - 835 EL | 812 - 835 EL | Inherited from his father, Adair II |
| Isolda I | 799 - 878 EL | 835 - 878 EL | Inherited from her father, Aldred I |
| Bryn I | 821 - 884 EL | 878 - 884 EL | Inherited from his father's first cousin, Isolda |
| Midah IV | 861 - 917 EL | 884 - 917 EL | Inherited from his father, Bryn I |
| Gadriel II | 889 - 921 EL | 917 - 921 EL | Inherited from his father, Midah IV |
| Bryn II | 890 - 946 EL | 921 - 946 EL | Inherited from his brother, Gadriel II |
| Aldred II 'the Good' | 922 EL - Living | 939 EL - Incumbent | Inherited from his father, Bryn II |
Type
Nobility, Hereditary
Creation
555 EL
Form of Address
His Grace
Current Holders
Related Organizations
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