Born to Prince 'klashaw [O] Kiwhetin in 1303, R'hahes excelled in his studies and impressed both his tutors and the members of court. Unfortunately, the only person he could not impress was his own father. 'klashaw [O] was already 56 when he finally produced an heir. Unfortunately, R'hahes' older mother, in her mid forties, died during child birth, a fact which 'klashaw [O] was unable to recover from. Unable to love his son, he had R'hahes shipped off to the Solari Empire when he was only 7 years old. This would end up being a blessing for R'hahes, because in Emperor Leonhart he found a kind and thoughtful father figure. Leonhart was more than happy to take R'hahes as his ward and hoped to foster strong ties between Gedrovach and Solari.
Leonhart, being threatened by the over-reaching influence of Nitra to the south, recognized that Gedrovach was an important ally in order to maintain the future of the Solari Empire. Despite being politically connected, Solari was made from extremely diverse groups. It had formed in the aftermath of the great Dragon Empires of Verdicus and Ceridian; smaller states had banded together as not to be consumed by the larger kingdoms which were forming. While this had been a politically sound move, the racial and cultural differences became a constant hurdle for the empire. Its internal politics became dominated by the meldore led Migizi to the north and the Alfen led Stondau to the south. The title of Emperor was an elected position, and no state was allowed to hold emperorship for successive terms; this led to a constant back and forth between Migizi and Stondau Emperors – often reneging on the previous Emperor's actions. The meldore led north had, over time, become more culturally and religiously tied to Suden and Gedrovach, while the south shared many values with Nitra.
This divide came to an inevitable head when Leonhart attempted to take the city of Elganford. Elganford and the other Sapphire City States had long maintained independence from the Solari Empire, denying them precious access to the sea. Elganford was the most detrimental in this regard since it sat at the end of the Rhutan River, which gave direct access to Taureon, one of the capitals of the Solari Empire and the capital of Migizi. Despite only wanting Elganford, attacking one meant attacking all of the City States. Elganford also had a powerful ally in Nitra – whom enjoyed a strong naval monopoly in the Sundsai Sea and were motivated to keep Solari landlocked. Thus, when the Third Siege of Elganford began in 1313, Nitra responded with aid in haste.
Leonhart had hoped that the Third Siege of Elganford would be a quick event. Estario Cantadoré led Elganian troops in an attempt to halt Leonhart's advance but was defeated handily and decided instead to hold up in Elganford itself. The city's walls were extremely difficult to breach and, without a proper navy, Solari had no method to blockade its ports. Leonhart was concerned about Nitra's involvement and wanted to snatch a victory before Nitra could fully muster a response. He knew Nitra would not conduct all-out-war against another large power, but they would be forced to lend support to their allies.
Over the next few years, Nitra's navy ensured a steady stream of supplies could reach Elganford, allowing them to hold out indefinitely. Nitra also supplied the other City States with weapons and armour. Despite this aid, Nitra would not declare war on Solari, nor would it engage in direct combat with Solarii troops. The truth is, that Leonhart had likely been banking on this fact.
To explain, I will briefly expand upon some of the internal politics of the Golden Solari Empire. Due to forming as the result of many small states banding together for strength, the various parts did not want one power to overwhelm the others. This was hard to maintain but it eventually stabilised in the North-South balance of Migizi and Stondau. These two became known as the "Crown States": when not elected emperor the ruler could be self-styled as King/Queen (a title only one other state was allowed to hold) and the emperorship would pass between the two. Seven lesser states would become known as the "Primary States." The Primary States would elect a titled member of the ruling houses of Migizi and Stondau, using their electoral power to mitigate either state from becoming too powerful. As well, the leaders of these seven states would be set as a judiciary council which could address if an emperor or state had overstepped their bounds or, in certain cases, whether inaction had been performed to the detriment of the Empire. Most grievances were settled with retributions in the form of payment or goods. However, a special punishment was held for the Crown States.
Should a Crown State be found acting against the good of the Empire with malicious intent, they could be forced to step down and renounce the title of Emperor. If they were not currently serving as Emperor, they would be banned from the next election – and their rival would be given a successive term. This punishment had only ever been enforced once in the Empire's history. The threat of losing out on imperial income, control and prestige was not worth taking risks. The system was far from perfect, but it did allow the Solari Empire longevity.
The biggest point of contention, and what the council spent the majority of its time discussing, were border disputes. The second most common, and the one with the most severe punishments, were war contributions. It was generally understood that wars of aggression could be opted out of, whether due to religious concerns or because of internal strife which would not allow for adequate support. It was due to religious congruity that Stondau refused to send troops against Elganford. While the reasoning was thin in reality (citing a historical chapel to Enyu as their concern) it was often agreed upon not to press the issue in wars of aggression. Most historians agree that the true reason Stondau refused to participate was as a sign of solidarity with Nitra. Of course, defence of Solari was a different matter. If enemy armies entered Solari territory, it was the duty of all members to protect the Empire - within reason.
For example, when Elganford and the other Sapphire City States attempted counter attacks on Solari soil, it was not the duty of Stondau to ride out to the other side of the empire to aid in the defence. Migizi had started the war on Elganford and counter attacks would be an expected outcome. However, if Nitra were to get involved, their troops would need to pass through Stondau to reach the rest of the empire. Stondau and Nitra were close in relations (even intermarrying several times) but if Nitra came into Solari with militant intent, Stondau would be forced to fight; an outcome neither wanted.
As such, Leonhart felt secure in his southern border. A lengthy siege was not ideal, but he suspected that Nitra would never attack Stondau outright; nor would Stondau knowingly give up their next imperial term to help a foreign power. In a way he was correct. The siege continued for years and Solari would win most major battles against the Sapphire Cities during this time. Even still, the resolve of the cities remained strong. They continued to get food and supplies from Nitra, and their position only seemed to get stronger. While support for the war began to wane in Solari.
Many states began to waiver in their support. In an extremely important example, the imperial cities lining the Rhutan River faltered in their blockades. This allowed Cantadoré an opportunity to rush up the river, breaking through the flimsily guarded blockades and attacking the mostly undefended Migizi capital, Taureon. The attackers were forced to retreat but the damage to the city was undeniable. Even worse was its affect on morale. Leonhart's family was in the city and, unwillingly to let them remain in danger, had them move to the other Imperial capital, Kaltheras in Stondau. It was standard practice that the emperor was allowed to 'commandeer' the opposite imperial city as his capital if his own was occupied or threatened. As well, Kaltheras was far enough away from Elganford that he was sure his family would be safe. Unfortunately, this action would cost him the war.
Shortly after his family arrived in Kaltheras, torrential storms began harassing the city. The streets flooded, roofs were torn apart and the surrounding farm fields were washed out. For weeks the storms continued without end. It seems obvious now, and was likely obvious then, that these storms were not natural but magical. Of course, the magic needed to manipulate the weather is immense. It is a consensus among academics that only Nitra would have the magicians and facilities capable of maintaining these storms for weeks, making the events which followed likely the plan of Nitra all along. Whether Stondau was complacent in the plan is unknown; some scholars believe it was a way to harm their rival without direct conflict, but the serious harm wrought upon Stondau from the storms raises doubt.
In an attempt to save as much of the farms as possible, soldiers were sent into the countryside. However, this left few soldiers in the city itself. Fearing possible upheaval from a starving, cold, and miserable populace, the ruling family of Stondau needed support. Whether they reached out to Nitra, or Nitra offered aid, is not known. Either way, a small army of Niter soldiers marched across Stondau, entered Kaltheras and escorted the aristocrats back to Nitra. The Niter commander demanded, for their own safety, that Leonhart's family be brought as well. Leonhart's family was welcomed into Ceriphala's court, in the Niter capital Ceridonna, with a show of warmth and friendship, but the true intention was clear to everyone.
With his family in the hands of the enemy, Leonhart was forced to lift the siege of Elganford. Nitra had never officially entered the war but they had won it nonetheless. Leonhart had spent six years and thousands of Solari lives for nothing. It was not Cantadoré or any significant member of the Sapphire Cities who would accept Leonhart's surrender but Ceriphala herself. In fact, aside from Elganford, it would be Nitra who would receive the most reparations – described as a "gift" in the proceedings for keeping Leonhart's family safe. Leonhart was considered a strategic and shrewd ruler during his reign. Even after his defeat, Leonhart would help his realm prosper, but the tensions which arose from such a humiliating defeat would be one step further towards the eventual end of the Solari Empire. The judiciary council of Solari would also find no fault in Stondau's actions; leading to further divide and animosity between North and South.
The fact is that for being a relatively small war in terms of geography, the repercussions were felt across Avidicus. This is especially true for several key players whose first known exploits were during this war. This includes the likes of Estario Cantadoré, T'lst [o] Halsphere , Juno Algarian and, of course, our purpose for bringing this war up in the first place: R'hahes Kiwhetin.
Despite only just turning ten, R'hahes accompanied Leonhart to war as his squire. Not only was he quick to learn and quick to act on the battlefield but he would also spend his nights studying letters and strategies. This gave him opportunities to continue to improve his reading and writing as well, despite lacking a proper tutor. By the age of twelve, R'hahes was already attending and contributing to strategy meetings. Many times, when we hear of young prodigies, we imagine a brash youngster who outshines his elders; a situation which often leads to resentment. R'hahes, on the other hand, was almost always referenced in a positive manner.
It would appear that R'hahes was extremely charismatic, even at such a young age. He had a gift when dealing with veterans and experts: he always showed appreciation when learning from these individuals, and would utilise their own words and teachings when conducting his own operations. It was difficult for his elders to criticize him when he used their own methods and words. Most impressed was Leonhart, who began treating the boy like his own son.
Stolen story; please report.
Just before the end of the war, R'hahes would get an opportunity to prove his ingenuity on the battlefield. Leonhart, after taking the city of Heston for the second time this war, decided to stay to ensure the city would not be retaken. In a turn of fortunes, a fisherman had spotted Cantadoré and a large City State army heading south towards Elganford. The fisherman had sailed day and night to warn the imperials about the impending force. At the same time, Leonhart received news that the southern City State army was beginning its march to meet Cantadoré. Due to the fisherman's bravery and loyalty, the Imperials had enough of a warning to act before the attack. He ordered R'hahes to take the bulk of his troops back North to Elganford, while he would stay in case the southern army double-backed and attacked Heston instead.
The southern City State army was commanded by Ernesta Picarro, who, up until this point, had kept her forces from engaging the Solari when at full strength. Instead, she consistently waited for opportunities against splintered forces and was successfully wearing down the Solari army over time. When it was discovered that a group was heading North, she decided it was better to destroy these reinforcements and then continue on to Elganford. However, when reports stated that the tan-coated Imperial Hawkeye Legion was a part of the force moving North, she knew a direct assault on such well-trained and disciplined troops would be suicide. The Hawkeyes were skilled shooters and had won the Empire most of its victories in this war. Instead, she harassed the contingent and cut off supply lines – slowing R'hahes' march North.
R'hahes was pressed for time as the second, larger City State army was approaching Elganford from the North. If he could not make it in time, the Imperial forces there would not be able to hold out. With Picarro harassing his every movement, success seemed unlikely. So, he devised a plan.
Picarro awoke the next morning to find R'hahes and a contingent of tan coats formed in a defensive position along a hill. It was a small force, made up of only the Hawkeye Legion. Picarro suspected that R'hahes was confident in the Hawkeyes; he was tempting Picarro to attack the smaller group. Even if he lost, the main contingent was already heading North and after being held up fighting against the Hawkeyes, Picarro would not be likely to catch up. Meaning they would successfully rendezvous with the Imperial forces at Elganford. She had a chance to destroy the Hawkeyes but at the risk of losing the main force attacking Elganford. Picarro had a difficult decision. Time was of the essence and Picarro decided not to risk her allies for glory – or, possibly, perhaps she was still too fearful of assaulting the Hawkeyes directly. She passed R'hahes and headed up the road to assault the reinforcements. Unfortunately for Picarro, she would lay dead on the road by nightfall.
Picarro had been tricked. During the previous night, R'hahes had the Hawkeyes switch their jackets with some of the conscripted soldiers. R'hahes was actually standing on the hill with recruits, and the Hawkeyes had continued travelling up the road. It was an extremely risky move, but paid off when Picarro's troops were destroyed by the disguised Hawkeyes. Unhindered, R'hahes continued up the road and arrived at Elganford before the attackers. Seeing that their numbers had swelled, Cantadoré decided not to engage and retreated. It was a stunning success but R'hahes had been reckless with his own life; had Picarro assaulted the hill, it would have guaranteed his capture or death. It also would not have been a guarantee that the recruits would have held out long enough to allow the reinforcements time to outpace Picarro. And with the ruse shattered, Picarro would have approached the Hawkeyes with more caution.
Regardless, the events had gone in R'hahes' favour. Leonhart and his commanders were all impressed by R'hahes bravery and cunning. Picarro had been an extreme nuisance to the Imperials and she had singlehandedly kept the war going when Cantadoré travelled North to plead for aid from enemies of the Empire. Unfortunately for Leonhart, this resulted in little gain. Despite such an impressive victory, seven months later Leonhart would be standing before Ceriphala in surrender.
R'hahes' incredible feats would not go unnoticed, nor unrewarded. Leonhart would give R'hahes the name Sihl-Naura meaning "Rising Star" in Sudenese. The name was a great honour. Only the Emperor could be likened to the Sun, but a star bore great resemblance. In fact, it was not lost to the Imperial court that there is but a single star which "rises." To many, they saw this nickname as Leonhart acknowledging R'hahes as his heir.
Calvade would later write that Leonhart had wanted to adopt R'hahes for some time. Indeed, R'hahes was already his cousin, and even shared the same bloodline. However, the implications of such an adoption were possibly too much for Leonhart to brush aside. The first issue was Leonhart's closest family. Without an heir, the Kingdom of Migizi was set to be inherited by Leonhart's brother, Aurifus. While the Imperial throne would pass to Stondau, it was only a matter of time before it returned to the King of Migizi. Aurifus was popular, especially with the Primary States. They saw him as a realist who balanced his brother's more tenacious goals. As well, with the question of emperorship a larger problem could have arisen: what if R'hahes claimed both the Imperial throne and the Gedrovachi Throne? The power dynamics of the Golden Solari Empire would be thrown into disarray.
Whether R'hahes would have tried such an ambitious manoeuvre is unknown. Neither is it likely that Gedrovach would have been willing to share its authority with the Solari Empire. Despite attempting to remain close allies, Gedrovach did not consider itself lesser to the Empire and would never have offered subservience. Nor did this idea take into account Suden, and how they would react to a man with the title of Emperor being on the Gedrovachi throne. They had spent lifetimes reinforcing the notion that no one truly ruled Gedrovach but Imwuin herself. None of these truths seemed to lessen the fears growing in the Solari court.
The fears of the court grew worse when, at the age of 20, R'hahes would marry Leonhart's youngest sister. Lorna, age 24, had been made an early widow when her previous husband, a young knight, had been killed a year prior. Despite already having a two-year-old son, Francolin, R'hahes was very eager to marry her. Lorna was a quiet woman but considered beautiful and thoughtful. R'hahes even allowed Francolin to inherit his last name, Kiwhetin. This marriage set R'hahes frighteningly close to the Migzi throne – but he would fail to get any closer.
The defeat at Elganford had laid heavy on Leonhart and his health quickly deteriorated over the following years. Six years after the war, he would die peacefully in his bed. There are no records of any attempts being made on R'hahes' life, but Calvade confirms suspicions that, with Leonhart gone, R'hahes was in a precarious position. He was not well liked by the rest of the family, despite never showing any aspirations for the Migizi throne. However, R'hahes sensed the changing winds and, after 15 years, returned home to Gedrovach alongside Lorna and Calvade.
Neither R'hahes nor Calvade had been following news within Gedrovach. Aside from meager supplies, Gedrovach had been unwilling to help Leonhart take Elganford; a slight which Leonhart took personally. The two powers would not break any treaties but relations had diminished as Leonhart's health declined. For Calvade, his works were not initially well received in Migizi, so he has shocked to discover how quickly his message had spread in Gedrovach. R'hahes had returned to a country on the brink of shattering as the spiritual foundations it had been built around were crumbling.
Further still, 'klashaw [O] was nearly 80 years old and had been in failing health for years. The elderly prince had always been a devout follower of Iigrantism and, with his failing mind, had been easier to manipulate than ever. Suden had been given free reign over the treasury, and were allowed to take huge portions from tariffs and taxes in major cities. In Mercium, the capital of Gedrovach, the Sudenese influence was more apparent than ever. With the Prince remaining bedridden most days, the high priests began acting as the queendom's caretakers and policy makers.
R'hahes was unsure what would happen when he returned to the capital, but what he did not expect was to be denied entrance. The Sudenites refused to let Calvade into the city, as he had been marked an enemy of the throne. In solidarity with his mentor, R'hahes left and instead went to his duchy of Wahtanonda. Upon reaching a base to operate from, he began sending out scouts and assessing the political and spiritual landscape. During this time, a Sudenese priest named T'rrens [a] Sklorane came to plead with R'hahes.
Sklorane, another important member of our story, was born in 1301 in the heart of Mercium. According to Sudenite records, it is suspected he was born to a poor family who, upon seeing the child's red skin, abandoned him at the footsteps of the Merciful Mother's Temple, barely a few weeks old. As the Sudenites are forbidden to procreate or fornicate, a local prostitute was brought to the temple to act as the child's wet-nurse. A record in the Suden city of Opstau claims this prostitute to be Sklorane's mother but, with all other evidence listing her as a wet-nurse, it seems this is likely a mistake in the records. Sklorane's experience with his wet-nurse seemed to have a profound impact on him. Sklorane spent much of his time performing sermons for the lowly of Mercium, especially often at local brothels. He often provided food, clothes and toys to the children of the prostitutes. Doing all of this before reaching his fifteenth birthday.
His age, and all records, suggest a genuine care for this community and to suggest any wrongdoing or fornication on Sklorane's part would have no bases for merit. Still, the Temple were nervous about the public's outlook upon a Suden priest spending time with comfort women. This was especially true because Sklorane was the star pupil of the Merciful Mother's Temple. Sklorane was the top of his classes and, in 1316, he was sent to Suden to partake in the Sudenese Aptitude Exams. These exams were given to the top performing Sudenese students to determine their future assignments. Sklorane's scores, in fact the very tests he wrote, can still be found in the great record halls of Hoskoma, the Suden capital. He received an 89 in Ethics and Philosophy, 98 in Mathematics and Economics, 94 in Theology and a 100 in Deportment and Diplomacy; one of only eight people in the Sudenese records to achieve a perfect 100 in any category.
His expertise was immediately grasped and he was placed under the direct tutelage of High Confessor S'lba [i] Tophish, High Confessor of Suden and one of the most public and prominent members of the Halphsifi. [3] Sklorane excelled under Tophish and quickly rose to the rank of Bishop. In 1325, Tophish passed away and Sklorane was offered a position under another Halphsifi and, according to some rumours which were noted, the position of Confessor. However, Sklorane did not accept this position. Instead, he requested assignment to Wahtanonda; seeking to speak with the young prince-apparent.
Sklorane had heard of R'hahes' exploits, as had much of Gedrovach by this point. Gedrovach was in need of a strong figurehead and Sklorane believed R'hahes was up to the task. He told R'hahes of Suden's plan to replace him with a distant cousin, that they would accuse R'hahes of as being unfit to rule. Suden would blame the heretical Calvade for twisting and corrupting the mind of R'hahes. Sklorane begged R'hahes to surrender Calvade and work alongside the Temple to mend the fractures the country had sustained. Even with this knowledge, R'hahes would not surrender Calvade to the Sudenites. Instead of returning to Suden, Sklorane remained with R'hahes. Perhaps he was acting as a spy or, more charitably, perhaps he truly thought R'hahes could be convinced given enough time. It is said that R'hahes respected intelligent advisors, more-so if they were willing to question his decisions, and he particularly enjoyed bearing witness to Calvade and Sklorane's debates.
However, Sklorane's warning bore heavy on R'hahes. Wahtanonda had declined under his neglectful father and, as such, he had no food to supply an army, nor the money to buy one. Fortunately, Suden had no real army either. Suden was guarded by a mercenary force made of Toagish magicians and Gnoll footsoldiers. Within Gedrovach, the Sudenites were too busy squeezing the country of its wealth. What little army did exist was being used in an attempt to enforce Iigrantism in the western provinces (where the greatest uprisings were occurring).
His answer would come sooner than he expected, and from an unlikely place. R'hahes learned that a group of Galleon raiders were harassing the lowlands of Wahtanonda. These raiders were burning fields and pillaging small villages.Their hope was to cause enough damage to be paid off by the duke – sent off with riches until their coffers ran dry, only to return once again. The Galleon bands had been repeating this method for over a century at this point and seemed unlikely to stop any time soon.
