Chapter 9, Founding of the Kingdom of Aerdy

Funeral of Pendri, Prince of
Garasteth, -222 CY
Art from Old World by Mohawk Games

Mikar Garasteth’s father Pendri had worked his whole life to further his clan’s power. Mikar, inheriting the title of prince in -222 CY, was more ambitious. He hoped to unite the Aerdi peoples together into one strong nation. From the outset, such a project looked to have little chance of success. Early on he realized that the core to making his dream a reality would be to unite the relatively weak Aerdi principalities to face their stronger neighbors. At the time such an ambition seemed doomed to failure, as the principalities were riven by self-interest and ambition. But it turned out to be exactly those factors that contributed the most to his success. Mikar was clever enough to realize that all the principalities had individual goals that did not necessarily interfere with each other. The Cranden desired their old lands in northern Thalland. The Torquann hungered after the lands of the Flan to the north. The Naelax desired to rule all the lands formerly dominated by the Medegi. The Darmen sought to increase their trade networks and expand their land holdings. The Rax, as the weakest Aerdi clan, also desired the latter and were not much concerned with whose lands they expanded into or how.

Through five years of negotiations Mikar’s overtures to other princes were in most cases received well, though with caution. Leeriness on the part of the princes was especially true for the Naelax who were the most powerful, though divided by inter-clan interests. They stood to possibly gain the most but to also lose a place of preeminence from a union of the five houses led by the Garasteth. In -217 CY through careful negotiation and promises, the Torquann, Darmen, Rax, and Cranden princes were ready to join an alliance, but the Naelax prince, Hatha would not commit. He had done well in his battles with his Medegian cousins and had only three years before taken the capital of Mentrey from the Cina Naelax, making it the new capital of the Naelax Principality. The Cina had retreated to Pontylver.

Religious procession preceding
Mikar’s crowning as Grand
Prince, -217 CY
Art by Even Amundsen

It was at this point that Mikar did the unexpected and attacked the Naelax with a Garasteth army combined with the other four houses. If Mikar‘s only talent had lain in his negotiating ability he would have been doomed, but he was also a brilliant and inspiring military leader. Quickly taking the old Naelax capital of Strinken, he had advanced south until he was met by a much larger force seventeen leagues north of Mentrey. Mikar withdrew north after brief skirmishing. But this was merely a ruse, as the Darmen, Rax, and Cranden had massed their main forces on the west bank of the Mikar River and then crossed and come at the Naelax host from behind. Learning too late their mistake, the Naelax were crushed between the two armies. Prince Hatha managed to escape south to Mentrey where he hoped to withstand a siege. Mikar once again surprised his foe, having negotiated an alliance with the Montesseri who brought an army from their coastal city to bolster the encirclement of Mentrey. After four months of being besieged Hatha was forced to surrender. But Mikar was magnanimous in his terms, betrothing his 10-year old daughter, Lorana to Hatha’s heir, Hatha the Younger, only a few years older than his promised bride. Mikar also promised his aid in defeating the Cina, although he stipulated that this would have to wait on the ambitions of the Cranden.

The Rax were richly repaid for their part in the alliance by Mikar’s negotiating an advantageous marriage between that clan’s prince and the Montesseri heiress, which would bring them considerable lands in the future. It also had the advantage of countering any Naelax plans to possess all of Medegia.

With the Naelax mollified and having joined his alliance, on the 25th day of Patchwall, 428 OR (-217 CY), the princes of the six Celestial Houses signed the Rel Astra Compact, uniting their lands as one state, with Mikar as its leader. Two days later, on Needfest 23, Mikar was crowned in the City of the Heavens as first Grand Prince of the Kingdom of Aerdy(1).

Next Chapter -- The Reign of Mikar, Part 1

Art Notes:

Funeral of Pendri, Prince of Garasteth, -222 CY The funeral cortege for Pendri proceeding to the tombs of the Garasteth princes at the base of the Pantheon Temple on Stannic Hill in what is now Rel Astra’s Old City. Pendri was the last Garasteth prince to be interred there. Mikar and all following grand princes were entombed in the grounds of the Pantheon’s complex until the Cranden secured the crown and moved the capital to Rauxes.

Religious procession preceding Mikar’s crowning as Grand Prince, -217 CY The High Priestess of Stern Alia in Rel Astra leads the procession out of the Pantheon Temple, holding aloft the Brazen Visage of the goddess. Except when used in such ceremonies as this, the Brazen Visage was hung in front of the headless stone statue of Stern Alia at the center of the Temple (seen in the background to left). Flanking her are two boys holding braziers of smoldering aromatic herbs; they are there to remind the viewers that Hextor and Heironeous are her sons. Behind the High Priestess walk priests wearing golden masks representing those gods in their adult forms, Hextor to her left and Heironeous to her right. Behind them walk priests wearing masks representing Sol and Procan. Behind the priest of Procan can be seen a priest wearing a mask representing Pholtus. To the left of Pholtus but not visible would be a priest wearing a mask representing Velnius. Around them dance priests and priestesses representing the rest of the Velaeri; the one who is dressed as Atroa is clearly visible although the others are hidden.

End Notes:

1. “In 428 OR (-216 CY), the scion of House Garasteth, Lord Mikar, became the first grand prince (equal to a king). He ruled a land now called the kingdom of Aerdy ("aer" meaning "sky" in Old Oeridian).” LGG p. 23
The conversion here from Oeridian Reckoning to Common Year is wrong, forgetting that there is no year 0 in the Common Year Calendar.