The Biradian Dynasty
The five kingdoms were united under the rule of Erebir 720 years ago. Although this man has acquired virtual legendary status, almost nothing is know of his origins and personality. He became King of Birade about 10 BT, succeeding his uncle, but little more is recorded. He was charismatic enough to persuade the other four kingdoms to elect him Pendragon. It may be suggestive that there are records of an advisor to the kings of Emelrene called Erebin who lived at about this time. Some scholars have attempted to prove that the two men were one and the same, without success.
One of Erebir's first, and perhaps most important, acts was the creation of a covert council of eleven advisors. The members of this group were drawn primarily from the arcane secret societies on the island. The membership and existence of the Council of Eleven has always been a secret shared by very few. One of the few persons whos membership on the early councils can be determined with reasonable certainty is the astronomer Tuzyn, who is most famous for the calendar he invented in 130 TR and for the system of dating that bears his name.
Erebir also established the practice of restricting trade from Lythia. The prohibitions against various weapons, goods, drugs, books, etc., date from this time. This proscription has had two major effects: Cherafir has grown wealthy from its control of trade with the continent, and Harn has remained something of a cultural backwater, unaffected by many advances made on Lythia. Erebir's motivations for this prohibition are not known. Although some have argued that his intent was to maintain Melderyn as the most powerful state on Harn, the fact that the island kingdom has never shown any interest in real dominance of its neighbors belies the theory.
Whatever the case, Erebir's policy has been maintained to the present day, although the list of proscriptions has periodically been amended. This list is always flexibly defined. Even though a particular item may not be specifically mentioned, something can be usually found that applies to it. Erebir and his successors proved to be remarkably long-lived, a trait that has been common to Melderyni kings. Erebir himself reigned for 51 years; his successor, who also took the name Erebir, died at the age of 96 after ruling for 37 years.
There is not much information available about the early kings of the Biradian dynasty. Records of the time make little or no comment on their personalities and there are almost no paintings or statues of them. It is not even clear whether there was any blood relation between them. Until the reign of Shelir, the sixth king of Melderyn, each sovereign was elected by a council of the "Lords of the Five Kingdoms," although the influence of the Council of Eleven was always strong. Following Shelir, it became usual for the succession council to choose the nearest suitable male relative as successor. The lords of the Five Kingdoms still had influence but were no longer the only visible members of the succession council. The power of the Council of Eleven was in no way changed.
For more than a century, Melderyn was the only organized human nation in the Harnic isles. The first two kings were content with an insular policy and took little or no interest in events on Harn. Ninon, the third king, followed this policy for most of his reign but then took an interest in affairs beyond his borders. The brutal excesses of the empire of Lothrim in south-central Harn may have been the catalyst for this change. Scholars have suggested that the Melderyni felt responsible for Lothrim; there is evidence to suggest that he was a renegade mage from Nurisel.
Whatever the cause, the subtle influence of Melderyn grew throughout eastern Harn during the second century TR. The six mainland kingdoms that rose in eastern Harn after the fall of Lothrim all owed something of their culture and structure to Melderyn. Individuals from the island realm were advisors to the kings of Nurelia, Serelind, Kephria, and Pagostra; both Elorinar and Chybisa were founded with Melderyni aid.
Erebir I 1 - 51
Erebir II 51 - 88
Ninon 88 - 126
Erebir III 126 - 157
Darebor 157 - 186
Shelir 186 - 240
Erebir IV 240 - 291
Forn 291 - 327
Comments