Agaran (760-617 b.S.) was first officer in the ranks of the elves at the First Sarvonian War, later on valueable counselor to the Milkengradian Anactari and a brave fighter. Agaran was born in 760 b.S. in the Goltherlon Forest. He was the third son of Agesan, an aristocrat at the service of Envyanath, the elven sovereign.

The elf Agaran, famous counselor of the Anactari of Milkengrad. Image drawn by Faugar.

Historical Background - The First Sarvonian War. At this time the First Sarvonian War was on its peak. The humans that massacred the beloved prince Tacunija despite their internal conflicts were stabilized at the High Fores and along with the dwarves they represented a serious threat against the forest. Their warlord, Ecomenatar, the one who claimed that he had witnessed the murder and saw the rogues who did, was responsible for it. He was killed though in 761 b.S. and with the formidable enemy leader dead the tides of war began to change. The Goltherhim started to achieve victories one after the other and they felt that they would soon avenge the dead prince.

When Agaran was 9 years old a Helcrani mercenary who returned home managed to persuade his countrymen to unite their forces and make him leader of the common army, Anactar in their own dialect. His name was Curogane. Under his guidance the humans now managed to turn the situation at their favour. The Helcrani gained many victories. In 750 b.S., 17 months after Curogane became Anactar, he led an invasion against the Goltherlon elves. Along with Menlich of Ahaiwana and Toroo of Sostra he crushed every opposition without letting a single person escape and inform Envyanath. Among the prisoners was the 15-year old Ac’ránn (princess) Anastar the Beautiful and the young Agaran with his family and among the dead was Agaran’s older brother, Agemar. But, as the three of them argued for the fate of the prisoners, Agaran managed to escape and finally he informed Envyanath. The elven leader, knowing that humans were approaching, set up an ambush for them. He let them encircle the main settlement and conquer it. But most of his troops had surrounded the area and when Curogane was laying siege upon the acropolis, Envyanath laid assault on the humans who were now prey instead of hunters. The humans were in panic. Toroo abandoned the rest and tried to leave with his regiment, but they were all killed on the way by Gylmelor the Brave and his men. Menlic was seriously wounded. Everything seemed to indicate a proud victory for the Goltherhim. And most probably that indeed would have happened if it weren’t for Curogane. The stubborn Menegulan managed to reorganise the humans and lead them to salvation. However, after this offensive half the human army left their bones in the Goltherlon. Curogane was set to trial and imprisoned in Menegula. Envyanath saw the opportunity and in a few weeks he invaded Helcrah. Every settlement west of Sostra and Menegula was destroyed. Mohnyerthe Blond took credit for those victories. Next step to Envyanath’s plan was to take the main road to Helcrah. This was called the Helesari Road and connected Heleroth with Goltherlon. He crossed the narrow passage with the same name and rushed against Heleroth. As they saw their inevitable loss the Helcrani released Curogane. He gathered men from Menegula and rushed to Heleroth. Sostra was on his way. He hoped that he could find some reinforcements there from the local population. Very few were the ones who helped, because every village tried to defend itself alone. The humans were outnumbered and it looked like the elves would conquer Helcrah. The two forces met outside Heleroth and a hopeless battle begun. Curogane decided to die rather than let the elves enter his homeland. In the midst of the fight Gunold of Centorauria, an old comrade of Curogane, appeared with his regiment. He came to Ahaiwana in order to recruit Helcrani for the Centoraurians and when he learned the news he came to help. Although his forces were inadequate, Gunold’s attack surprised the Goltherhim who suffered a heavy defeat. Agaran then lost his second brother, Agadir, by the hand of the wounded Curogane.

The High War. After this battle the Helcrani and the elves of Goltherlon started to respect each other and adopted a new system of confrontation, the Kroikai. The High War, as it is called in the human dialect, consisted of two battles each year. They set up a bid (a herd, a fortified position, no military operations for a period of time etc.), counted the available warriors in order to calculate the forces on the battlefield and they appointed the fighters by lot from those who were counted. They drew lots in such a way that the team with the fewest troops would have 100 men and the other team’s members were calculated according to the warriors they arrayed for battle divided by the number of those the enemy arrayed multiplied by 100. The winner of the battle (and the bid) was the side that was in control of the battlefield at the end of the day. The whole thing seemed something like a game. After the match, a complex ceremony was followed. The whole process was meant to cultivate respect and honor between the two rivals. In such a climate did Agaran grow up. He was distinguished in the Kroikai and learned to respect the sacrilegious but honorable humans.

In the year 736 b.S., Envyanath was killed in an accident as he returned victorious from a battle against the Caltherians. On his funeral Agaran met Curogane for the first time and appreciated his courage to come alone among his enemies just to honor a worthy opponent. After the funeral, the Ac’rónn Nyermag Avaelan agreed to a peace treaty with the human leader. A few months later, the human army under Helronn, Curogane’s son, was in Salsair to assist king Armandil of Centorauria in breaking the siege of his capital. The Anactar was in Sostra recovering from a wound and planning a campaign against the Vontron elves. If the Sanhorrhim were defeated, then the Helcrani could withdraw from the war for a while and try to promote a truce. Curogane’s dream was to form a league of rulers against the war and then drag the others in a peace treaty. He considered Nyermag a valuable ally in this effort and was hoping that what happened with the Goltherhim could repeat with the Sanhorrhim.

This dream wasn’t to come true though. Nyermag, the one-eyed Rónn, was pretending all this time and now he found the right moment to strike. The entire Helcran army was away. So he invaded the High Fores in the month of the Sleeping Dreameress of the year 736 b.S. His plan was to block all passages, which connected the Helcrani with the dwarves. Simultaneously, he ordered a small regiment to launch fake attacks against the dwarves at the same time as his army marched against Heleroth. Agaran was a minor officer under the orders of Envyanath’s younger son and Ac’rónn of Goltherlon, since Nyermag was not married.

By sheer luck the humans were notified of the attack a few hours before it started. Curogane, as soon as he was told the news, sent messengers to Helronn. At the same time he left orders for a gathering of troops and rode hell bent for leather to Heleroth. With him there were 32 men. Their mission was to delay the elves until reinforcements arrived. The riders managed to reach Heleroth before the elves and finally they reached the narrow Helsalari passage. The two forces met there and a desparate struggle began. For the second time in his life Curogane had to fight. After a battle that cost the elves both many lives and time every human was killed. Nyermag then attacked Heleroth, which was defended by women and children.

The Peace Treaty. Agaran, since he didn’t want to disgrace himself by killing women and senile men, persuaded the young Ac’rónn not to storm the walls with their regiment. And he was one of the first to notice Helronn charging at their rear. In the catastrophe that followed Agaran managed to rescue the wounded Noronnoh and escaped with his regiment to the Goltherlon. The rest of the army was either captured or killed and Nyermag, the one-eyed, was killed in a duel by Helronn himself. The young elven officer was now the only leader the elves had, but he couldn’t do much against Helronn’s wrath. In less than a week, Agaran was forced to surrender the main settlement to the humans. The whole forest was conquered and the elves expected to find death or exile by the man who crushed their army in his revenging might. They found friendship instead. Helronn, just like his father, admired the elves. So, he didn’t hurt them and, when Noronnoh was healed, he proposed a peace treaty. The Goltherhim would be free to rule the forest, as they would like. In exchange Helronn wanted an oath that neither the Goltherhim nor the Helcrani would ever again raise arms against each other. Agaran, who remained in charge at the forest till Noronnoh was able to assume power, was deeply touched by this gesture. The human had it all and instead of taking revenge for his father and the treason he prefered to show mercy and respect to his enemies. And in the day of the oath, Agaran had sworn that neither he or his descendants ever would abandon the House of Curogane as long as they wouldn’t fight the Goltherhim.

In the next years Agaran saw his friend to acquire a hereditary title as helcran sovereign. He was in touch with the Helcrani and started to like these strange beings with the short life spans.

When the Great Plague hit the High Fores, Agaran was one of the first to help and when most of the humans decided to leave their homes, Agaran and many elves decided to follow. He bid farewell to king Noronnoh of the Goltherlon and Helegane, Helronn’s brother and leader of the Helcrani who left behind.

Refuge in Centorauria. The humans, the elves and the dwarves finally found refuge in Centorauria. King Arpalann couldn’t afford to lose such great fighters. They would head towards Erpheronia, if he refused to accept them, and his neighbours were already strong enough to threaten his kingdom. Furthermore, he was in debt to the Helcrani, because they proved to be valuable allies in the Sarvonian War. However, he couldn’t risk a spreading of the disease, if they entered his cities. So, he gave them an island in the north of his kingdom, where they were given permission to settle and live as his subjects. The island was named Efirhal (Fireland) because the elves saw fire on top of a hill. The hill would take the same name later on. The source of the fire seen were four young trees, the Artapherana, the blessed trees, which seemed to glow light. The reason of their existence was yet unknown. Agaran was the first one to notice it and the one who gave the trees their name. The trees were named Aeolerin, Hydraloth, Helpheran and Nertelyx and around them was built the city of Milkengrad. Initially, the city was seven settlements, each one built at a distance from the others. But as they grew, the settlements finally met each other and formed the great fratric areas of Milkengrad.

Agaran Milkengradian advisor. All these years Agaran was a loyal counselor of every Milkengradian ruler. He was a living symbol of Helcrani history. Every Anactar appreciated his advice and was a man of great reputation. He stood by the wise Curogane II. when he built the great monuments that made Milkengrad a temple of beauty. Agaran advised Artahir against his Erpheronian campaign and reminded him of Westhron's danger. Agaran helped Ogygor in building his walls. When Arpagar came to power, Agaran left the city and headed to Goltherlon, where he took part in the campaign against him. However, he wasn’t there at Jonnahir's last stand, because an Ashmarian arrow wounded him a few weeks before when he was scouting deep inside enemy territory. When Tephron killed Arpagar, he joined Agaran and the elven Fratra from Goltherlon, where they continued to fight against the tyrant. After Tephron’s death, Agaran remained loyal to the lawful Anactar, Curgan.

During the siege of Milkengrad by the Alliance of the Red, Agaran fought bravely. Because of his persistance, Curgan allowed him to take his place and lead an operation to capture Lecam Turpotaker, the enemy leader. Agaran, sure of the victorious outcome, chose men from every squadron in the city to help him. He wanted everybody to share the glory. Unfortunately for him, among them was a traitor from Helcrah, who betrayed them. Agaran and the rest of his men were captured and executed without betraying their lord. He met death and his two sons in the 12th day of the month dedicated to the Goddess of Peace in 617 b.S.

Anastara, his wife, fought bravely and died when the city fell. His youngest son was killed fighting by his king. Agaran’s only daughter was burned along with Avá’s temple.

Agaran’s breed disappeared along with the last of the Sostrian kings.