| King Athelmere the Seafarer | |
|---|---|
| |
| Title | King of the Jarrs &c, Proconsul Carmine |
| Reign | 397-434 |
| Predecessor | Alfwyr the Rash |
| Successor | Alfmark the Lion |
| Spouse | Tempest Grant |
| Issue | Atheldynn Atheling Empress Ambryn |
| House | Jarrow |
| Mother | Della Horwik |
| Father | King Athelmark |
| Born | 360, Jarburg |
| Died | 434, Salteire |
| Cause of Death | Campaign fever |
| Religion | Lord of Fire |
Athelmere was the elder son of Athelmark and the third King of the Jarrs.
Early life[]
He was born during the wars of unification, though too young to fight in them. In 381 he and his sister Eirwynn accompanied Athelmark to the Second Grand Ball, where they witnessed the resurrection of the Blazing Avatar: an event which killed Eirwynn and would leave Athelmere with a long-standing distrust of priests. It was also at the Ball that he met Tempest Grant, with whom he quickly fell in love. Their relationship and later marriage formed the basis for an amicable relationship with AQUA and Raaneka.
Reign[]
Only a few years into his reign, Tempest's family were murdered in the Jewelled Cities by Tupelo Cornus, and this would mar relations with AQUA for forty years. The king promised an earldom to the man who brought him Tupelo's head, a task ultimately performed by Dagr of Hrathan-Tuor, who was duly made Earl of Scowen. Some say it was this that caused the king to pursue a more ruthless foreign policy, conquering the realm of Farridon to the south (with negligible resistance) and later joining Hanyeo's attack on the Priory following their rebellion.
Athelmere was a keen sponsor of exploration and the navy, and under his reign all the islands of the archipelago to the south were discovered, as well as the large Tempestian peninsula (named for the queen by the king's uncle, Villem). His daughter Ambryn, the elder of two twins, was a particularly enthusiastic sailor and was credited with the discovery of Niemidaland to the east, a territory Athelmere granted to the queen's cousin Martin to govern. The king rapidly accumulated titles of foreign provinces, and in 430 formally constituted the Kingdom of the Carmine Sea, based in Horbeach. Some years earlier in his reign, the Sea Palace had been built there to house the government officially.
He pursued a policy of alliance with numerous realms across the globe: Ambryn married the Qzare, while her twin Eirwynn was betrothed to the Emperor Ignato before news of treachery caused that to be broken off, and she later married an Ashenite prince. His elder son Atheldynn married a Caercian princess and his cousin and heir Alfmark - who Athelmere later adopted as his own son - an elven lady of Eyrecradia. His younger son Elwyr, at one point believed to be the Blazing Avatar, took up residence in Calorum.
Death[]
His last fifteen years as king were to be overshadowed by the conflict with the Priory. He answered Hanyeo's call and fought in the Battle of the Mandate, where his brother Edwyrd was killed, and weathered an attempted coup by Ascension supporters that nevertheless resulted in the death of his sister-in-law and abduction of her daughter Seirwynn. Under Tailong, relations with the Priory began to thaw, but Tailong's disappearance in 434 resulted in more conflict, and Athelmere again led his troops north to fight for the Imperium. By this point the most experienced leader in the Imperium, he was given the command, but despite winning a victory on the plains of Salteire, succumbed to the rigours of campaign and died there at the age of 74.
Legacy[]
He had inherited a small kingdom of just over 50,000 people, which by his death had grown to include nearly half a million souls and become one of the most powerful realms in the south. He was greatly mourned, and succeeded by his cousin Alfmark, who had begun to assume some administrative duties in the king's last years.
Issue[]
By his wife Tempest, Athelmere had four children:
- Atheldynn (393 - 457), atheling from 434 - 457, married Adrianna Caercia and had two children.
- Ambryn (b.397), twin sister of Eirwynn, married Qzare Li Tailong and had eight children.
- Eirwynn (397 - 500), twin sister of Ambryn, married Hazael Toranath of Ashenia and had seven children.
- Elwyr (401 - 480), known as the Blessed, succeeded as king in 463. Died unmarried.
Athelmere also adopted a further son:
- Alfmark (396 - 463), known as the Lion, succeeded as king in 434. Married Melhib Benxia of Eyrecradia and had four children.
| Royal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Alfwyr the Rash |
King of the Jarrs 397-434 |
Succeeded by Alfmark Jarrow |
| New creation | King of the Venns 406-434 |
Succeeded by Alfmark the Lion |
| New creation | King of the Sylphids 414-434 | |
Vacant |
Prince of Farridon 412-434 | |
| Political offices | ||
| New creation | Proconsul Carmine 430-434 |
Succeeded by Alfmark the Lion |
| Preceded by Alfwyr Jarrow |
Prefect of Jarrland 397-430 |
Succeeded by Title Abolished |
| Prefect of Vennland 397-430 | ||
| Titles in pretence | ||
| Preceded by Iaz Teron |
Regent Consort of AQUA 400-c.434 |
Claim abandoned |