Warren, the Cauldron King - 143rd King of Kings
Of the Feylder Dynasty [Sigil: A White Horse, Wreathed in Yellow Flame, on a Blue and Green Field]
[927 – 928 RA] After seizing the throne from his brother Huren, Warren continued in the Scion War. Before his coronation, he had received word of a third rebel force approaching from the north. It was not until he passed Geumsil into North Monos that he learned there were actually two. The first, Naterio, was the king of Embelmadro and husband to Warren’s second sister Antassa: Naterio had hired thousands of Far East Orckid mercenaries, promising them huge tracts of North Monos in return for helping him seize the crown. The other was a woman warrior from East Orckid Proper calling herself Pais III. Named after a mad empress from two-hundred years ago, Pais claimed to be the descendant of Regradis the Black Lion, who had supposedly ended his days in Ajman of East Orckid with a Mornal paramour: she called herself the Black Manticore. Knowing full well that Ardro Liarson was regaining his strength at Vargano, Warren moved north in the hopes of turning one or both of these forces southwest: the great port city of Vargano would be a fine trophy for any would-be conqueror. After several skirmishes, he lost them in the hills of northern Westheart, where word reached him of yet another claimant to the throne. Tyrantis, husband to Warren’s third sister Lotta, long descended from the youngest daughter of Tyrano the Great, was crowned by the King of Gemosia in Geumsil. Tyrano the Great's entire family from his second marriage had been legally barred from inheriting, yet Tyrantis declared himself all the same; making similar claims of saving Monos from barbarians and brigand-kings. Warren now had two armies north of him, one to the east (and possibly another reforming in Samaya), and one far to the south in Vargano. Upon hearing of this fifth adversary, Warren was reported to have thrown up his hands and shouted “Let us fly west into the Shadowgate Mountains. I would sooner fight the devils than these odds.” He chose to strike south and eliminate Ardro in Vargano, hoping the three other armies would fall upon each other. Passing by the town of Valle, he learned that his brother Huren had at last left the Holy Isle, and was at Monterani trying to raise an army and regain the crown. Ecstatic with fury, Warren marched to Monterani and arrested his brother; thereupon he sailed across the Sea of Trials to Acciano and, finding his brother walking freely on Acciano, re-seized him. Warren beheaded his own brother on the Holy Isle, and was immediately excommunicated by the Prince of Hosts. Warren murdered the Prince of Hosts with his still-bloody sword, ordered a nearby stableboy to kneel, and conferred the title of Prince of Hosts upon him. When senior hostesses objected, he rounded up every holy person on the island and had them put to death. He then sacked the Holy City of all valuables and burnt it to the ground. Several commoners left with him, but many more fled to the edges of the island: some choked to death on the smoke, but a few survived and started to rebuild. Warren sailed back to Monterani and continued his march to Vargano. There he found that, although Ardro and his men were in the city, they had not properly taken nor fortified it. The Battle in Vargano resulted in the near burning-down of the vital port city, which was still technically the capital, but eventually one of Warren’s generals found and slew Ardro. The wealth seized from Acciano had already bought most of Ardro’s mercenaries, plus many more; the Khabarese paladin, however, either died fighting “this devil who burns temples,” or else returned to their homes. When Warren marched north, he learned that Tyrantis had seemingly retreated to the east and vanished, while the two northern armies had allied with one another: with Pais III claiming Northern Monos and Naterio claiming Southern Monos. The Third Battle of the Hills was another horrifying affair. Warren’s forces were a patchwork army of wounded men and mercenaries, while Pais III’s heavy cavalry rode on Orckid unicorns: fearsome grey beasts with leathery hides and enormous horns on their snouts which they used to gore Warren’s cavalry. Thoroughly routed, Warren fled back to Vargano. Pais III stayed in the north, but Naterio pursued the broken army. Warren was taken and engaged outside of Makh, where his army was wiped out. Warren was taken, in chains, back to Acciano. At the coast of the Sea of Trials, Naterio condemned Warren for crimes against the Hosts and Heavens, and struck his head off into the sea, kicking his corpse in after it. He had brought a few hostesses with him, but the stableboy-Prince of Hosts had survived the burning. To show his respect for the holy office, he had the boy crown him king.
[927 – 928 RA] After seizing the throne from his brother Huren, Warren continued in the Scion War. Before his coronation, he had received word of a third rebel force approaching from the north. It was not until he passed Geumsil into North Monos that he learned there were actually two. The first, Naterio, was the king of Embelmadro and husband to Warren’s second sister Antassa: Naterio had hired thousands of Far East Orckid mercenaries, promising them huge tracts of North Monos in return for helping him seize the crown. The other was a woman warrior from East Orckid Proper calling herself Pais III. Named after a mad empress from two-hundred years ago, Pais claimed to be the descendant of Regradis the Black Lion, who had supposedly ended his days in Ajman of East Orckid with a Mornal paramour: she called herself the Black Manticore. Knowing full well that Ardro Liarson was regaining his strength at Vargano, Warren moved north in the hopes of turning one or both of these forces southwest: the great port city of Vargano would be a fine trophy for any would-be conqueror. After several skirmishes, he lost them in the hills of northern Westheart, where word reached him of yet another claimant to the throne. Tyrantis, husband to Warren’s third sister Lotta, long descended from the youngest daughter of Tyrano the Great, was crowned by the King of Gemosia in Geumsil. Tyrano the Great's entire family from his second marriage had been legally barred from inheriting, yet Tyrantis declared himself all the same; making similar claims of saving Monos from barbarians and brigand-kings. Warren now had two armies north of him, one to the east (and possibly another reforming in Samaya), and one far to the south in Vargano. Upon hearing of this fifth adversary, Warren was reported to have thrown up his hands and shouted “Let us fly west into the Shadowgate Mountains. I would sooner fight the devils than these odds.” He chose to strike south and eliminate Ardro in Vargano, hoping the three other armies would fall upon each other. Passing by the town of Valle, he learned that his brother Huren had at last left the Holy Isle, and was at Monterani trying to raise an army and regain the crown. Ecstatic with fury, Warren marched to Monterani and arrested his brother; thereupon he sailed across the Sea of Trials to Acciano and, finding his brother walking freely on Acciano, re-seized him. Warren beheaded his own brother on the Holy Isle, and was immediately excommunicated by the Prince of Hosts. Warren murdered the Prince of Hosts with his still-bloody sword, ordered a nearby stableboy to kneel, and conferred the title of Prince of Hosts upon him. When senior hostesses objected, he rounded up every holy person on the island and had them put to death. He then sacked the Holy City of all valuables and burnt it to the ground. Several commoners left with him, but many more fled to the edges of the island: some choked to death on the smoke, but a few survived and started to rebuild. Warren sailed back to Monterani and continued his march to Vargano. There he found that, although Ardro and his men were in the city, they had not properly taken nor fortified it. The Battle in Vargano resulted in the near burning-down of the vital port city, which was still technically the capital, but eventually one of Warren’s generals found and slew Ardro. The wealth seized from Acciano had already bought most of Ardro’s mercenaries, plus many more; the Khabarese paladin, however, either died fighting “this devil who burns temples,” or else returned to their homes. When Warren marched north, he learned that Tyrantis had seemingly retreated to the east and vanished, while the two northern armies had allied with one another: with Pais III claiming Northern Monos and Naterio claiming Southern Monos. The Third Battle of the Hills was another horrifying affair. Warren’s forces were a patchwork army of wounded men and mercenaries, while Pais III’s heavy cavalry rode on Orckid unicorns: fearsome grey beasts with leathery hides and enormous horns on their snouts which they used to gore Warren’s cavalry. Thoroughly routed, Warren fled back to Vargano. Pais III stayed in the north, but Naterio pursued the broken army. Warren was taken and engaged outside of Makh, where his army was wiped out. Warren was taken, in chains, back to Acciano. At the coast of the Sea of Trials, Naterio condemned Warren for crimes against the Hosts and Heavens, and struck his head off into the sea, kicking his corpse in after it. He had brought a few hostesses with him, but the stableboy-Prince of Hosts had survived the burning. To show his respect for the holy office, he had the boy crown him king.
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