Olympnomachi: Of the War of the House of King Elhaelios & the End of Cadhranithia

Cadhranithia is the widow of Valderian

Much as he had declared war upon Aubälion the Mighty, King Elhaelios was forced to go whither to the north, where the Stjárgamen lay. His hunger for it, such that he treaded into the trap of Cadhranithia, who called for the lords of that land to rebel against the King, which they did, save for Vauralgius and his allies and kinsmen. Angered by the lack of bride from Dwinalthas, he wished now to lay claim to Cadhranithia, for himself was refused, so that he turned upon his former allies.

King Elhaelios arrived in the north, at the head of his forces, accompanied by Hrúwendis and Welkior Foul-Hearted, both of whom wished to see Cadhranithia punished. The lady though had one further trick, in mind and met Elhaelios’s armies not with a concentrated force, but dressed in her finest: Awed by her appearance, the royal forces peeled away from her, even as Dwinalthas’s forces advanced to surround the royal army.

Defeated, the King escaped only to attempt to defeat Dwinalthas again who emboldened refused to utilise the same tactic a second time, for which he was warned by Cadhranithia may well end poorly for him. Injured in battle, Dwinalthas fled north, wherefore he sought succour from Cadhranithia, who sensing that the situation had changed, went thither to Elhaelios. This time, she surrendered to him, begging and offering herself to him on condition that he only rid her of her lover Dwinalthas.

Agreeing at once, in return for the Stjárgamen that he now desired more than ever, now that he had laid eyes upon it, for the second time. Mad with lust for it, Elhaelios departed with his guards and her for the northern keep, where they discovered the mortally injured Dwinalthas, who wept when he entered his chambers, to find his lover, with the King.

Still though, in spite of his grief at this betrayal, he attempted to fight to save himself only to fall at the feet of the King.

Cavorting now with the monarch, Cadhranithia who had seen to the destruction of her deceased lover’s line, save for Welkior was brought south just as her nephew fled. Keenly aware of just how malleable, the King could be he preferred to return to Cadhranithia’s side. With the Mighty receiving him well, still ignorant as to the unnumbered betrayals of his cousin.

It was during this time that, Welkior took Namaïlia for a wife, desirous to perpetuate his own line and to cement his position in Elhaelios’s court. He for this reason wed the lady who was daughter of the lord of Nelvoreth, who was amongst the firsts, to reject King Elhaelios’s brutal treatment of Aubälion. For this reason, he had earned the undying friendship of Carufinn, with his other daughter wed, to Aubälion’s son Auvälios. Whereas those two early fell into love for one another, Namaïlia despised her husband, from the very beginning, suspicious as she was of his evil-nature.

Still the lady remained ever true to her husband, and bore him four sons, who were to be the bane of the house of Aubälion.

Her sister though, was known by all to be the joy of prince Auvälios, and she in time came to bare him in turn three sons, all of whom were never to hold much love for one another, to the utter horror of their grandfather and father. This had its roots in several early disagreements, father and mother had, initially over the matter of Welkior, whom Auvälios trusted as a friend. Then there was the matter of Auvälios’s passion for wandering, just outside the limits of Caradarianna, to interact with the local Minotaur and Tigrun tribes. Something that Nadaïria (Aubälion’s good-daughter) found utterly repugnant, with Welkior encouraging her disgust towards the shorter-lived mortals.

This all while Aubälion led many of the people of the south-west, north and east against, his liege-lord to avenge his beloved brother Vysdaru, capturing as he did so, a number of key forts. The crown prince for his part, initially attempted to negotiate, thence endeavoured to retake several of the forts, namely those of Varlodraan, Delvorath and Ladarrialla. During the assault upon Ladarrialla, a commoner was caught attempting to steal army rations, much to the bemusement of the prince, who took her in as a servant. The servant for her part revealed herself, to be Thydalïa daughter of Pelunion and Cadhranithia, with the prince by then, already smitten with her and determined to wed her. As well, as to protect her from her ruthless mother and grandmother respectively, the latter of whom, was to meet a grisly end upon Elhaelios’s return to the capital.

Cut to pieces by order of the King, for the crime of having torn apart her family, and turned them upon one another. Whereas the queen Velhaïthual, and her own good-mother fleeing to the prince’s palace, to seek shelter when Cadhranithia suggested that they were in league with Dwinalthas. Angered by this attempt to kill his mother and grandmother, Klanathror once he had arrived in the capital commanded that his palace be closed to all royal troops and departed to meet with his father.

The two met on the Rose-Bridge with father and son coming with two dozen guards each. The former was also accompanied by his new mistress, where the latter came unarmed himself. In all his life, Elhaelios had never done any good for anyone, and he attempted to do the same on that day, by laying down before his son all the charges that Cadhranithia had accused the Crown Prince of.

The young Elf, fell to his knees, answering the charges by grasping his sire’s hand, hereon he cried out, “My revered father!”

Shaken from the spell that Cadhranithia had woven over his better judgement, Elhaelios wept at once, to see his son frightened of him. Clasping his heir in his arms, he for the first time in his life, begged for forgiveness. Moved by this, the guards relaxed, with father and son at once reunited. Cadhranithia was seized with the Stjárgamen torn from her breast, just before she was run through with a spear.

Her head was handed over to the queen who disdained the grisly trophy, for she was a gentle lady, of the finest nature. She commanded Cadhranithia to be properly cremated, near the funerary shrine of Hades of the city as was customary. Thydalïa was the chief mourner, and was welcomed into the family, with the King himself burning his fingers upon the gem. In a fury, he had kicked it, burning his foot so that he walked ever after with a limp.

The gem was taken up and placed in the throne room for the remainder of Elhaelios’s reign. With the King and Prince taking counsel from Thydalïa to push for the war with Aubälion the Mighty. His newest ambassadors, were duly killed which stoked the rage of the rebel, until he resolved to sack Caradavlorïa.