KING
THAR
THE
GREAT
APPEARANCE -
PERSONALITY -
BIOGRAPHY -
IMPORTANCE -
TIME
TABLE
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KING
THAR
THE
GREAT |
Thar the Great (542 b.S.-459 b.S.) was the most powerful King of the Centoraurians, the Erpheronians and later on King of the Kingdom of Tharania named after his very self, comprising of the former realms of Erpheronia, Centorauria, Kyrania and Caltharia. Thar managed to unite the four kingdoms peacefully in the year of 482 b.S.
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Thar was adored, not only by the Erpheronians
but also by all the other
human
tribes which eventually formed the Kingdom
of Tharania. Only one other person
gained so much love and respect from his people and he was one of his successors, the
Tharian King Santhros the Wise. The latter expanded and completed Thar's
visionary work more than four centuries later by uniting the Tharian realm with the
remaining kingdoms of Southern Sarvonia. Some bards even compare Thar with a
star falling down from heaven to earth bearing a godlike intellect and a heart
for the poor and needy alike. In his long reign Thar was vivid in his youth and
wise when growing older, and the stability he brought to his subjects never had
been seen before at any of the tribes. His death in his 83rd cycle was a shock
for his complete kingdom, nobles and peasants alike, and the funeral ceremony
lasted one month and was incomparable to all other celebrations ever held
before in Southern Sarvonia.
Appearance. Thar had a majestic appearance,
adequate for a man of his position. His hair was light brown and his eyes were
green. He was a tall, handsome and athletic man. He had his hair short and his
face shaved, until he became king of Tharania (then he grew a beard). However,
what is memorable about Thar is the magnificence that he emitted. Since he could
walk, everybody used to compare him with a king and indeed he seemed to be born
for royalty. Valorous and rough in battle Thar was transformed in court to
majestic and elegant. An anonymous admirer once carved in a bronze goblet
donated to the king “The diamond keeps its nature in mud as well and in the
sun,
but you are he who shines even more in silk or in the dirt, cause you are a
sun among men”.
Personality.
Thar had a temperate manner; he would never lose his calmness and his eyes
revealed wisdom. He was also noble and kind by nature. People that have known
Thar report that egoism, anger, jealousy and hate were attributes unknown to
him. He would rule over his mind and soul and nothing could disrupt his inner
balance. Thar’s genius was obvious to everybody that met him and the souls of
men were revealed to him with only one gaze. He would remember whole epics by
heart and he had a talent in mathematical calculations. Thar was the kind of
person that was estimated and his words had the value of law to the others. His
superiors (before he became king) respected him deeply and his inferiors obeyed
him blindly. Thar is one of the few examples in history that lived without
anyone among his subjects challenging his superiority and being recognised and
respected among all his rivals.
Biography.
Childhood.
Thar was born in 542 b.S. in
Voldar in the midst of the Second Sarvonian War. He
was the ninth child and seventh son of baron Corin Heramiel and Anarina
Thunderheim, daughter of general Elber Thunderheim. Thar had royal blood from
his grandmother of his father’s side who was daughter of the Erpheronian King.
Thar’s mother died in labour. So his father sent him to grow up with his
brother’s family. Tideus Heramiel had a real estate south of
Voldar.
Thar was educated there by the best teachers in sciences, trained in the art of
war but mastered agriculture as well. These years defined Thar as a personality.
He learned to be humble and esteemed the anonymous countrymen for their offer
and labour.
Exile.
Thar grew up in his uncle’s estate along with his cousin Carbugel. Their
relationship was very antagonistic. Although Thar would never antagonize
Carbugel or hold a grudge against him, his fellow cousin always tried to surpass
him. And some times he did, but Thar’s magnificence was manifested equally in
defeat as in victory. The strangest element of their relationship was the fact
that the two cousins were very close, cared for and supported each other despite
the nature of their relationship.
The Second Sarvonian War between the
elves and the
humans still raged and the two cousins joined the army -
as most
boys did. They enrolled at the same time and - starting in 522 b.S.
- participated
together in many battles. Thar was promoted to the General’s rank by the year
515 b.S., aged 27, while Carbugel was just a Captain in his cousin’s regiment.
In 513 b.S. Thar’s regiment was ambushed by
Aellenrhim elves in the north western
outskirts of Thaelon. Thar with his cavalry tried to perform a flanking
manoeuvre that eventually failed, because they fell upon enemy reinforcements,
that annihilated them all. Thar was injured and presumed dead. He was found by
some villagers that took care of his wounds. This way he managed to return to
Voldar after a long and arduous march. Thar’s main force presumed that their
leader abandoned them, because the messenger sent to inform Carbugel was killed
before he reached him. However, Carbugel managed to disengage the troops by
himself.
After this catastrophe, based to the testimony of a deserter that hated Thar, he
was considered a traitor that betrayed his kin - since there were no survivors of
the cavalry regiment that Thar lead to battle - and Carbugel was the main
prosecutor demanding his punishment. Even he actually believed that his cousin
was a traitor, denying a strong feeling he had that Thar was innocent. Carbugel’s
motives were not entirely without blemish though, as he subconsciously wanted
Thar out of the way. Carbugel was in love with a girl that rejected him, because
she was in love with Thar, who knew nothing of it. So, after a trial Thar was
banished from his homeland and Carbugel married at last his beloved.
Refuge to
Centorauria.
Although Thar was disgraced and exiled, he could not abandon the
human struggle
against the elves. So, he decided to join the
Kyranians, because he had some
distant relatives there and their army was not doing so well, because of lack of
leadership. However, when he was on his way through
Centorauria, he noticed a
fight. There were a couple of Centoraurian messengers against a dozen
elves.
With his help the humans managed to get rid of the enemy, and he was presented
to the Centoraurian general, prince Curocrane. The prince saw the value in the
man and invited him to the capital. Thar accepted the invitation, hoping that he
could get a ship from Milkengrad to Caelum as the roads were extremely unsafe.
There the Centoraurian
anactar, advised so by his minister of defence, the
Helcrani elf Styrfidel, offered him the position of the commander of the elite
Helcrani cavalry, the Royal Comrades as they were called. However, the reason
for Thar accepting this office was nothing else but princess
Curogana, who
fascinated him with her beauty. Thar however knew that the
Helcrani princess was
out of bounds for him, so he didn’t express his emotions for her.
The years that followed Thar led the
Centoraurians to brilliant victories. He
crushed the elves in three major land battles and in one naval battle, he
invented a way for the catapults to be more effective by calculating an aiming
system and he introduced new training methods. The
Centoraurians were so fond of
Thar that they used to make fun of the -
despised anyway -
Erpheronians for exiling
such a warrior. However, Thar experienced defeat also. In the Battle of the
Shattered Shields (510 b.S.) the
elves using hidden siege machines annihilated the
Centoraurian army. Prince Curocrane died that day and the
Centoraurians suffered
heavy casualties. Thar, blinded by his own blood because of a head injury barely
managed to disengage the Centoraurian troops, carrying his dead liege on
horseback.
This defeat shocked the Centoraurians
and granted Thar a scar from over the
eyebrow to his cheek. The king almost died of his grief and lasted only 3 more
painful years. Curogana took arms and her brother’s place. A year later
Ximaxian
authorities rebelled against Centorauria demanding its independence in order to
continue participating in the Second Sarvonian War. The
Centoraurian
Anactar
Ascandir is decided to crush Ximax and decapitate the traitors. Thar in a
memorable speech in the royal council proposes that the
Ximaxians are granted
their independence in order not to weaken the human effort. He also offers to
eliminate the rebels in three months, if his proposal is rejected. After a six
hour conference Thar manages to persuade the Anactar for peace using strong
arguments, the helcran mentality and cunning.
Affection between
Curogana and Thar.
In 509 b.S. after a battle that Thar and
Curogana fought together and barely
survived finally they decided
to express their feelings. Curogana
made the first step
and Thar followed. After a long discussion they decided to keep their love secret
from the masses.
There is a legend that Curogana fell in love with Thar upon the Efirhal
Hill.
The Artapherana created a romantic atmosphere with their light and one exciting
melody. This place remained special for them till the end of their lives.
In 508 b.S. the
Centoraurian
Anactar died
and Curogana
took his place as queen.
Although Thar was raised and lived in a male dominated society, he continued
to obey, serve and love Curogana, who was now thar's liege. There
were references
that Curogana commented to her closest advisors the fact that Thar never tried
to take advantage of their relationship in order to advance his views. The
following years Thar and Curogana achieved their military goal to secure the
Centoraurian cities against
elven attacks and supplied them with food and
provisions from the Efirhal Island that was a region completely denied to the
elves. Thar played a large part in securing Efirhal Island, because he insisted
in reinforcing and fortifying the Ptoliedhra, the seven forts that protect it.
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End of Sarvonian War II and Marriage of Thar.
In 501 b.S. the SW
II was over. Three months later
Curogana and Thar got married.
According to the Centoraurian laws, Thar could not become a
king. He should
limit himself in being a prince. However,
Curogana -
loving her husband and convinced of
his abilities - introduced to the Fratric Council and the Great Assembly the
question whether Thar should be granted the title of the
Anactar, the
Centoraurian king. Thar got the royal title after the unanimous vote of the
Council and the remarkable almost unanimous vote of the Assembly. The Council
justified its decision by claiming that it was the completion of Ogygor’s
promise to Ileor the Kind of
Erpheronia, since the
Centoraurians had nothing
more precious than their
Anactara and their freedom.
The Idea for a United
Kingdom.
All these years in
Centorauria, Thar discovered the first seeds of an idea for a
united Sarvonian continent. This ideal he would follow till his death.
Many scholars supported the greatly disputed theory, that
Artahir's "Reflections",
the book where this Centoraurian
Anactar wrote his plans of uniting the
Sarvonian continent, was surrendered to Thar, after his marriage with
Curogana,
and inspired him in forming Tharania. This dispute still dominates among the
circles of Santharian scholars with many arguments pro and against the impact of
this book. "Reflections" was published and became available to the public in 212
a. S. by Tychandar of Sostra.
Thar
Anactar of
Centorauria.
Thar as an Anactar of
Centorauria was very successful. He fortified the
Centoraurian cities and Efirhal Island in order to protect them from a future
enemy attack. Thar also revived economy and the rural areas. He boosted trade
and built new and impressive buildings or renovated damaged ones throughout his
kingdom. Centorauria
became the rising power and a factor of stability for the
area, while the people “enjoyed peace two times, for living in safety and having
an enlightened Anactar”
(inscription upon a royal offering for Thar’s 45th
birthday).
Turmoil in Erpheronia.
In the year 496 b.S. the
Erpheronian king,
the still young Karthach of Ishmarin, dies
unexpectedly, leaving no male heirs.
Emenhir Goldthorn, the successor of the late king commissioned is not accepted by
the nobility. He is assassinated during his crowning ceremony. The country is
split into three factions that rival for the throne. These are the followers of
the legal successor (Royalists), the faction of Prince Alphred Weinrich (Swords)
and the faction of prince Wilhelm Standfast (Roses). Six months later the Roses
faction prevails over the rest and the Royalists are scattered. However, their
victory was brief as in 494 b.S. the Crimson faction, led by
Duke Animron Seramiel
rises into power. They are cast out of power by the military faction under
General Hulbard Essenfield. He rules very tyrannically and is hated by the
people. During this chaos the royal family of
Erpheronia is murdered by the
opposing fractions.
In 493 b.S. a girl, new servant of
Baron Carbugel and daughter of the villagers
that took care of Thar, reveals to her master the truth about his “treason”.
Carbugel, shocked, makes sure that the truth is made known to the
Erpheronian people and leads a rebellion against General Essenfield. At the same time he
sends a message to Thar, calling him to seize the throne as the last living male
member of the royal family of
Erpheronia.
Thar faces a dilemma. He is already king of
Centorauria and has started a life
in this country when he was rejected by his own folk. Everything he loved is in
Centorauria. However, he is an
Erpheronian and can’t abandon his people. He
resigns from the throne and decides to leave alone for
Erpheronia just like he
came. However, the Helcrani Fratrae under the prime of the Fratric Council,
Styrfidel the elf, prevent him from doing so.
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“The Centoraurians do not leave their
Anactar alone. We gave you our freedom and
our Queen. Even if you choose to leave us, we won’t do the same to you. We gave
you our freedom fulfilling Ogygor’s oath and we are not taking back our gifts.
You may choose to be king of the crows as well, but we will still live and die
under your sceptre.” |
So Thar in charge of a Centoraurian army enters
Erpheronia and in 15 days is
crowned king of Erpheronia
in Molten Ice 1st 492 b.S. The
Erpheronian and
Centoraurian
kingdom unite under the name "United
Crowns of Erpheronians
and Centoraurians". However, the people call the new kingdom Tharania, since Thar is
the one that keeps these nations with a history of warfare together.
The United Crowns experience an unseen era of prosperity the decade that
followed. Now there was no need for garrisons in the
Centoraurian-Erpheronian
border that sucked valuable resources. With this money Thar tried to heal the
wounds of all the turmoil that shook his realm and he made it.
Official Founding of Tharania.
The prosperity of Tharania did not pass unnoticed by the neighbouring kingdoms
of Ximax,
Kyrania and
Caltharia.
Ximax soon discovered that it was not a self
sufficient kingdom and had to be a part of a major realm. The only one they
could trust were their former countrymen, with whom they shared a common
culture. Thar - whose contribution to a peaceful resolution was known
- was the
best guarantee that the
Centoraurians would not take revenge upon them.
Caltharia
has plunged into decay and could not overcome the sad heritage of
SWII. The economy could not flourish and outlaws looted the countryside. Royal
authority was limited to the capital, while local barons were practically
independent. The Caltharian king, Arpan Eastborne the
Weak, could not rise to
the circumstances in order to take drastic measures to limit the nobles,
restore
order and revive the economy.
Kyrania on the other hand was ruled by weak monarchs that cared only about their
welfare and engaged often in petty little civil wars for power. Many
Helcrani
noblemen with small
Centoraurian armies invaded
Kyrania, that was once homeland
for some of them. It was easy for them to evade the Tharanian troops, that had
specific orders to prevent hostilities with the neighbouring kingdoms. At first
they would loot the Kyranians and return home, but as they found no resistance,
they would take over Kyranians
villages and stay. These invaders were recognised
as legal lords of the captured villages by
Kyrania as long as they pledged
allegiance to the Kyranian King, Ginaddon.
Kyroan's descentants had fallen into
decay. The Kyranian
king, who was latter called the Lustful, was interested only
in his welfare neglecting state matters and spending his few money into luxuries
and fiestas for himself.
At the same time the news of Thar's rise and the welfare of the united crowns
reached the rest of the southern
Sarvonian kingdoms. The hatred of the war was still burning in
many hearts and the Oath of the Young was nothing but a simple promise to them.
Thar seemed to be the only king to provide safety and wellfare for his subjects.
In 483 b.S. the
Ximaxians sent envoys to Thar, in his capital in
Milkengrad, in
order to arrange a unification of their kingdom with the united crowns. When
these news became known to Kyrania, the people revolted with the same demand.
They killed their king and the rebels sent envoys to Thar. An interesting
historical paradox is that the Helcrani invaders -
who were considered outlaws
for Tharania - were the first that the rebels turned to for assistance and
commissioned for the task of the embassies to Tharania. The
Caltharian
sovereign, afraid that his doom was not far away, made the same plead to
Milkengrad. He had only one term, that he would have enough estates to live a
wealthy life. Thar accepted these pleas and in the 23rd day of Changing Wings 482 b.S. in the Hypheralean square of
Milkengrad Tharania was
officially founded.
Thar’s Reign.
Thar’s reign was an era remembered for the stability, the development and the
justice that prevailed. The communications between the various areas of the
kingdom were restored and enhanced with paved roads. Trade flourished and with
it the people enjoyed the fruits of peace. Arts and education were favoured. The
other races were welcome to participate in Tharania’s progress and commerce
between the humans and the rest of the races flourished. Thar died in his sleep
in Sleeping Dreameress 459 b.S.
Importance.
Thar undoubtedly is one of the most important personalities in
Santharian history. By the
power of his unchallenged excellence he managed to unite the the kingdoms which
now form the
Santharian north and set the basis for the
United Kingdom of Santharia.
However, Thar is to be remembered also for his effective combat strategy, his
inspired politics, and magnificent structures that let modern historians
consider him as one of the two most important kings ever (the other one being
Santhros). Thar managed to unite the rivaling nations of the north,
using at first his personal status. However, the bonds Thar created lasted long
after his death and never again did the nations he united consider leading an
independent life. The Centoraurians and the
Erpheronians remained the warmest
supporters of the Tharanian and later of the Santharian kingdom.
The turmoil that is remembered as the fulfilment of Tacunija’s curse and the
resistance to the usurper of the Santharian
throne was considered a confirmation
of the will of the Santharians to forget the grudges of the past and live in a
common kingdom, ruled in justice. After these events the
Centoraurians
in order
to honour the architects of
Santharia, Thar and Santhros, decided to carve the
large columns of the Golden Bridge in Efirhal Island, that face the mainland
with the forms of Thar and Santhros. This was their monument to the architects
of the united Sarvonian south and their declared devotion to the idea of a
human
kingdom that includes all humans under the principals that these two great
leaders promoted.
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