Celyn Haerthorne

Status:	Alive
Continent:	Beluaterra
Realm:	Meridian Republic
Titles Held:	General of the Meridian Republic, Duke of Fwuvoghor King and Lord Protector of the Dominion of Alluran Marshal of the Bureau of Domestic Affairs High King-Elect of Miercna Chief Strategist of Shadovar Marshal of the Dragons of Shadovar
Class:	Warrior
Honor:	74
Prestige:	26
Age:	31
Height:	6'3"
Weight:	Roughly 209bs
Eyes:	Dark Blue
Hair:	Dark Brown

Gaerrant was a bastard, something that his sister and his children thought as they lived under his rule. Celyn was too, but that wasn’t a judgement on his character, it was a fact he had never been allowed to forget. Scowling beneath the safety of his hood, he allowed himself to think of all the times Gaerrant had insulted his mother for having slept with a stableboy, jeering that her son would grow up to be just as lusty and just as vile as she was. It was an insult that had been very hard for her to take. Her lover had died fighting against Ethiala before they could be bound in wedlock.

At the age of seven his mother had taken him with her away… seeking shelter from both family and war.

The Weary Wanderer

Striking a lean and hardened figure, Celyn is a sombre individual of fierce loyalty and silent bravery who has seen much more than many his age should have any right to. Born in the lands of Arcaea to Melisande Haerthorne, he is a bastard and a victim of both fate and circumstance, something which has made him hard faced when beset by pain and adversity. Sometimes he is apt to lighter moods, a blessing that is often needed when enduring the hard life of a colonist in the far western wilds of Dwilight.

When his mother fled the Far East, Celyn lived a life journeying from port to port and saw many different cultures and so many different faces, ingraining in him an almost unquenchable wanderlust. As a youth he fought across from Minas Ithil to Falasan in Atamara, gaining a good reputation with the sword. He journeyed to the distant lands of Dwilight and Pian en Luries, where at the tender age of 18 he came runner up in the first tournament on the continent, only falling short to a swordsman of far greater experience than he himself.

After a secession and a series of rebellions within Pian en Luries, Celyn found himself standing with the rebels time and time again, until they decided finally to leave their Lurian heartland for wilder lands in the west. Unfortunately, the monster hordes rallied in far greater numbers than ever before to besiege the fortresses of humanity, and thus the Lurian colonists found themselves helping the dying realm of Shadovar survive. Much time went by, and both the colonists and the Shadovarians suffered, their fortunes lost. It was then, after all that had been done for them, that the Dictator of Shadovar, Edelstein Greneburie, banished without a trial the leader of the colonists, Lady Katyanna Ogren, for having been seen in the company of dissenters in the underground.

Celyn, fuelled by the divine fire of his patron, Fafnir.

The confusion that followed after involved bungled political maneuvering by both sides, and the colonists, along with a number of angry Shadovarians, very soon took up arms in rebellion agaisnt Edelstein's paranoid rule. As a result, the Lurian colonists who orchestrated the rebellion took over as rulers. Celyn became the General, and using the personal fortune he had built up from the dangers of treasure hunting, formed a new army and funded the first of many projects in rebuilding Shadovar. So much changed however, with factions positioning themselves for a conflict and events flying past too quickly for him to cope, thus torn by duty to his position and loyalty to Lady Katayanna Ogren he decided to leave for distant shores again. However soon his mind turned back to those he had left behind and soon changed his mind, coming back to wipe away his shame and inaction through hard service in the newly formed realm of D'Hara.

Seeking Asylum

Although not a vocal participant in the controversies that brought D'Hara to rebellion and to lose her path of expansion to the west until late, Celyn was party to much of the realms workings. Before Madina's push to expand into Paisly and the Grand Duchy of Fissoa's efforts to found the Ordenstaat of Order of St. Iestyn in the abandoned city of Rettleville, the young knight resurrected the practice of treasure hunting in the old, wild lands with the kind of success not seen since the first explorers had touched the continent, and would not be seen on such a scale again. With only a few companions he spent his days hacking a trail through the dense forests and undergrowth of Thysan and Rettlewood, ranging across the plains of Eregon to the ancient temple of the Dragon Song and Kosht, and even facing up to the city of Nightmarch and the Volcanic Nightscree itself. Although the success of his voyages was little compared to the original fortune of gold and gems amounting to what only the richest of families could stand beside, it still sated his hunger for exploration and made him hardy. As well as riches, he would return with sights unheard of and plans swirling within his mind. Aloof and tight lipped, Queen Katayanna and Lady Katrina Dragul would be two of the few individuals to hear of these details - it was to be later that such plans would come to closer to fruition.

Chaos within the D'Hara

The pressure of the more sanguine worshippers of Astromancy - led by Duke Conrac and Sir Mathias - within D'Hara and the equally aggressive bravado of the smaller and much more vulnerable worshippers of the native Way of the Dragons - led by the Queen, Father Tenebrioun, Confessor Katrina, General Cenarious and Duchess Kishirianda - would lead to the fall of the Queen and much of the kingdom's prosperity. Varying policies and numerous different personalities pushing for the Queen's ear would lead eventually to a sequence of events which steadily eroded away at the sanity of the Queen and concerned the young Celyn greatly. Although close to her, he was less involved in the realm's affairs and was not privy to the discussions of the lords. After tensions had resulted in Duke Mathias of Paisly being exiled for his refusal to allow a temple of the Dragons despite previous agreements, the Queen was assaulted in the Port Nebel whilst preaching of the Dragons there to the local people. Although not officially apart of the star worshippers, their priests and their honeyed words had great effect in swaying the fishermen to beat her bloody.

Following mounting pressure on many different sides, with many claiming to be the loyal camp and yet pushing for greater space within the power structure, Katayanna decided to step down. From this Celyn came forward with his plan to colonise Echiur, presenting the details he had been building up over time and the resources which would be needed. Unfortunately word of this was not greeted kindly by the General (who had become Duke of Port Raviel - a position given to him by the Queen for her faith in him) and his wife, the Duchess Kishiaranda of Paisly who had benefitted by Matthias' fall, and the outspoken Sir Machiavel Chenier. Machiavel raised fears over the islands being destroyed by the dissapearance of funds and food whilst the latter two began preparing a rebellion. ((Authors Note: If I tried to describe this all it would take a very long time involving many questions and points to be clarified. Safe to say that there were some others involved (of course) and that I myself am not entirely sure as to how the following occured.))

After an attempt to transfer power peacefully, General Cenarious launched his rebellion with a strong core of support (containting three of the realms four dukes in a highly urbanised archipelago) whilst Queen Katayanna responded with her powers of Ruler and Fidicuary to channel all of the realm's gold to herself personally. Out of personal honour, many of the colonists sided with the Queen directly in the rebellion despite having very little in the way of soldiers and gold. Thus the fears of those staying were partially confirmed - the realm did suffer, but because they had pushed the situation too far. As a result they had lost vital revenue and the city of Paisly to rebellion and peasant revolution, which switched over to Madina, whilst Katayanna and Katrina managed to hide the gold from the new powers held by the rebels.

Caerwyn to the Raivanlands - War and Service

I write this now, many years when my time spent beside Queen Katayanna and the many faithful of the Tomb Islands has fallen to a memory, worn down by the unforgiving chasm of land and time. Only a few I still know live - to the rest I only know that I am sorry to have let you go. ~~Celyn Haerthorne

The loyalists had become refugees with a hope of a new home. In a flurry of communication, Celyn assumed the mantle of their leader until it was officially recognised when he was elected High King of the home that was to be. From his travels he picked the crumbling city of Echiur as the safest place to be a cradle for their new colony. Elections were held on the move as a new culture was built from the dreams of the colonists; something they would find a long time to think about. Enough nobles had come with that they were able to choose from many for the future positions of King, General, Judge and Banker. In Caerwyn they were warmly welcomed and went about preperations for the colony. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, the original core of the colonists tried several times and met with failure on each voyage. Friendships were formed and held until a decision to aid the Raivan Empire in a new war was reached.

Several went and met with far lowered expectations. The three front war which should have resulted in victory instead fell far short. Neither was the General at the time a man worth fighting under, nor was Imperator Raiva a man who had time for the concerns of his people. Their armies were picked apart with ease by the far greater forces of Astrum and Xinhai. No gold was gained to aid in the colonisation of Echiur, nor any renown or experience. Bitter and burnt out to his very core, Celyn left with scarcely a word and boarded a boat for a more forgiving kind of wild.

Aimlessly, he sailed to Beluaterra.

A New Chapter of Service

Banishment of the Self, and Renewal

When a man find's a new abode, his first days are spent coming to terms with the fact that this is not his home. -First arrival into Beluaterra- -Summarising Celyn's miserable departure from Dwilight and arrival in the Dominion of Alluran, where he quickly rose to promininece in the passionate atmosphere of the realm and became a vocal courtier and Marshal of the Bureau of Domestic Affairs-

The Ascension and Weathering the Storm

-Becoming King on the eve of the fourth invasion-