House Gildaron
One of the 13 Great Houses of Asrinheim, House Gildaron were exiles who joined Frigga on her flight from the Vale of the Elves during the Mythic Age. Amongst her most stalwart warriors and champions, House Gildaron would be amongst the houses that battled during the Long Night and were awarded a share of northern asrinheim by their queen as a reward for their victory.
Until recently, the Gildaron's were believed to be an extinct house following the 'death' of their last elder, Mothrar Gildaron, and their siblings during the War of the Great Houses. Instigators of the brutal civil war, the Gildaron name was shunned for centuries. Secretly, Mothrar had survived and became an agent of The Dragon Clan, battling several heroes across the centuries including Zedithir. Mothrar's public return has 'revived' the house and the Falcon Banner once again hangs over Iminiyas, threatening to plunge northern Asrinheim into war once more.
Culture
For an Ice Elf house, the Gildarons were always more warmongery than the rest. Hailing from the military classes in the ancient elven empire, the Gildaron's became the defenders of Asrinheim from their bastion in Iminiyas. This martial culture favoured evocation magics over all else, and military training above even that. Capable of fielding levies and knights quickly, the Gildaron's fostered a warrior culture amongst their subjects and the tenants of command were drilled into every Gildaron of the main line.
History
Originating in the Vale of the Elves amongst the military classes, the Gildarons would be on of the 13 houses that joined Frigga on her flight from mainland Prima Terra into Asrinheim. Forming a key part of her army as she battled the cult of the Forgotten Gods, the family leader, Torin Gildaron, became one of the queen's most notable and trusted generals. As the final push to conquer Asrinheim came in the Long Night, the Gildarons were present alongside House Rayes and House Ardiylir.
After the battle was done, Frigga awared the Gildarons land across the costal regions, allowing them to construct Iminiyas and Falcon's Roost and entrusting them as the first line of defence for her conquest. The Gildaron's took this duty seriously, forging their settlement into the Bastion of Asrinheim and expanding homesteads into mines and building coastal watchtowers to warn of invasion.
This role as defender was pushed to its limit during the Jotun-Vaniri war of the mythic age when Iminiyas was taken, and the Gildaron's besieged within their keep. The managed to stop the Jotun forces led by the Ice Prince from advancing towards Sel Thiran or Thevensyne. The family leader, Elder Isildrin Gildaron, would lead a sortie into giant lines when a relief force of Ardiylirs, Springfasts, and Rayes arrived. Isildrin was slain, and their sister Asildir would follow them as elder and expand Gildaron holdings.
Gildaron forces would lead defences against the armies of High King Haarold I Seasnake during his invasion in 2840, 1e. A fleet led by Gurstold Kirkguard would attack the town, but ultimately be defeated by the Gildaron navy and land defences in the Battle of Falcon's Bay. The burning longships would damage the costal reaches of the town and this phyrric victory whittled down the Gildaron fleet and cost the lives of numerous knights, family members, and their captains. The family elder, Urmas Gildaron, was slain at an ambush in the Ice Fingers and the elderly Rostir Gildaron signed the capitulation treaty, 2 years before asscending of old age.
Their nephew, Elder Haristar Gildaron the Bold, inherited the leadership of the Gildarons and secretly went to work expanding Iminiyas' and Falcon's Roosts defences and training up a new force of knights and soldiers in preparation for an eventual rebellion. Haristar would lead this rebellion after the Aedrinaran kingdom started a decline under the reign of Rollo I, Haristar themselves killing the high king, securing vaniri independence.
For centures after this, the Gildarons rested on their laurels and continued to train the best armed forces in Asrinheim, detering any future Aedrinaran invasion. As their population boomed and resources dwindled, the then Elder of the family, Mothrar, would begin the destructive War of the Great Houses by attacking Houses Rayes, Ardiylir, Springfast, and Salinir. The Gildarons would commit numerous attrocities during this war, including the destruction of Sel Thiran and the near extinction of House Rayes. The war would also claim the lives of the potential heirs of Mothrar. Their sibilings Iryisir, Thasilyn, and Olistar were all killed in various battlse and younger heirs served as knights were also killed.
A renewed push by the house's enemies would see Iminiyas surrounded by Ardiylir forces. Internal revolt broke out and the people turned on House Gildaron. In folk legend, the last Gildaron Heir, Talon - sided with the common folk and was killed by their uncle Mothrar. Mothrar was slain by the armies, but not before he and his loyalists would destroy most of Iminiyas and their keep. Mothrar was slain and thrown into the sea.
Two family members did survive this onslaught, a cousin named Garion who had married a prominent smithing family, and a more distant relation called Ursa who had fled to the south - but both refused the name Gildaron or any association with the house following the war, making the house extinct. Secretly, Mothrar had survived by learning the magic to clone themselves and allied with The Dragon Clan, battling with their distant descendents Zedithir and Asajdrion Giltharon, a member of the Red Daggers.
The Gildaron's made their public return when Mothrar, under the identity of The Piper, staged a coup that overthrow the civilian council of Iminiyas in 1052, 3e. Using this new position, House Gildaron threatens war using their loyalists and members of the Dragon Clan throughout Northern Asrinheim.
Type
Geopolitical, Great house
Alternative Names
House of the Falcon
Leader
Ruling Organization
Leader Title
Location
Controlled Territories
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
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