Biradian Dynasty

The was a three-century long line of kings started by, the semi-legendary first. It is known that Erebir acquired the peaceful acquiescence of the to his ship but his nature and origin are obscure. He and his line are called the Biradian Dynasty.

History
The five kingdoms were united under the rule of Erebir 720 years ago. Although this man has acquired virtual legendary status, almost nothing is known of his origins and personality. He became about 10, 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 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 has always been a secret shared by very few. One of the few persons whose membership on the early councils can be determined with reasonable certainty is the astronomer, who is most famous for the calendar he invented in 130 and for the system of dating that bears his name.

Erebir also established the practice of restricting trade from. The prohibitions against various weapons, goods, drugs, books, etc., date from this time. This has had two major effects:  has grown wealthy from its control of trade with the continent, and has remained something of a cultural backwater, unaffected by many advances made on Lýthia. Erebir’s motivations for this prohibition are not known. Although some have argued that his intent was to maintain Mèlderýn as the most powerful state on Hârn, 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 Mèlderýni 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, 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, Mèlderýn was the only organized human nation in the Hârnic isles. The first two kings were content with an insular policy and took little or no interest in events on Hârn. , 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 Hârn may have been the catalyst for this change. Scholars have suggested that the Mèlderýni felt responsible for ; there is evidence to suggest that he was a renegade mage from Nurisel.

Whatever the cause, the subtle influence of Melderyn grew throughout eastern Hârn during the 2nd century TR. The six mainland kingdoms that rose in eastern Hârn after the fall of Lothrim all owed something of their culture and structure to Mèlderýn. Individuals from the island realm were advisors to the kings of, , , and ; both and  were founded with Mèlderýni aid.

When, the second cousin of King , was chosen by the succession council in 327 , he founded the. Like the kings of the Biradian Dynasty, the Rylians proved to be remarkably long-lived; almost all of them died at an advanced age in full possession of their faculties.

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