Lenor

Statue of Lenor in the Marble City

### Titles

The Great, The Revenant, the Phoenix, Father of Cavalry, Father of Philosophy, Father of Ethics, Father of Smithing

## Physical Description

### Eyes

Blue

**Lenor**, more commonly known as **Lenor the Great**, was the founder of Lenorum and the king who united Arborea and parts of Crotalusia in governance. He was the older brother of Sod, whom he killed accidentally during a philosophical debate.

Lenor is often recognized as one of the most important human figures Preliturgy. He is also recognized for formally introducing the natives of the Arborea to a system of writing, horseback riding, and smithing. For this, he is also recognized as a figure in Dwarven philosophy as a righteous figure who introduced their culture to all humanoids.

He is one of the Three Patriarchs of Man, which holds significance for the Kingdom of Themyscria, the Dinamid Republic, Ascanium, and the Merovian Empire.

## Biography

### Early life

Lenor and his younger brother Sod were children of Tomyra the Great, and after their mother's death, were abandoned in the wilderness of *Solernia* by their three older sisters. The pair were stumbled upon by the dwarf Socrum Fireshard, and were taken pity upon by the dwarf. The boys were raised by the elderly dwarf, who taught them his language, raised them by the Fireshard stoic philosophy, and instructed them in general strategy and swordsmanship. The boys learned to ride by sneaking into Masagatae camps and stealing the colts from their pens, becoming skilled horsemen and learned young men.

The boys set out on their own with their own after adapting the Fireshard philosophy to being more "human" - that is, becoming "Socratic." The two were well aware of the betrayal by the hands of their three sisters, and decided to work together to unite the divided kingdoms of their mother Tomyra. The pair rode through *Solernia* until reaching the northern, inner-coastal areas and settled upon a hill to build a camp on the Paranen river. While they organized and began reaching out to Senerites nearby, the brothers got into a heated argument over philosophy and Lenor struck Sod and killed him by mistake.

The Senerites were mesmerized by Lenor and his passion, and his knowledge of warfare, strategy, swordsmanship, and philosophy endeared them enough to join his camp and help fortify it, becoming the city of Lenorum.

#### Betrayal and death

Under Lenor's instruction and generalship, the Senerites of Lenorum became precision cavalry capable of great feats of archery and tactics. Eventually, they grew to a sufficient size to combat Malca from her fortified city on the northern coast. They won with ease, as Malca had little experience defending fortified positions nor had any proper training in strategy, and the siege forced their surrender. Surprised at her brother's existence and prowess, she begged for mercy at the hands of Lenor.

Many of the Senerites, who were vassals of this cruel queen, demanded she be killed and her body thrown to the Tomyrian Sea. However, Lenor refused to kill his sister, and preached the value of mercy. Two opposing parties formed, with hostilities growing until one evening, Oepitorus writes,

> The solemn general Lenor whisked himself from garden to garden in the moonlight, lamenting to his Masagatae concubine Matarina about his dilemma, confiding his belief that this conflict would not have occurred if his brother Sod was still alive. In the Garden of Gahad, on the outskirts of Lenor's estate, he was suddenly beset upon by all sides by Senerites, who lied in wait for the alleged betrayer and furtive Masagatae to come to the garden. He was stabbed thirty-seven times, and his concubine fled into the night, crying, "Violence, violence!"
>
>

> The conspirators, fifteen in all, realized the circumstance, not expecting Lenor to be accompanied. The panicked Senerites acted quickly. The fifteen men ran through the gathering crowds, as shouts of "Lenor is dead, Lenor has died!" filled the crowded dusty paths between the wooden dwellings. Before proper reaction, the fifteen men each grabbed the most beautiful women from the growing crowd and dragged them through the streets to the stables, chose the largest horses, and fled Lenorum, to each man a wife and a concubine. A pregnant Matarina was among them, still shouting of violence.
>
>

The fifteen men and the abducted women rode through the night, taking advantage of the confusion and riding north into the Ivies. It is here they spent some time, perhaps a month to three, before they continued to ride north, eventually making it to the Orphans mountain range, which they called, "The Great Wall." It is within these mountains that these conspirators settled, and their offspring with their wives would become the ancestors to all Madelians by the Middle Era of Bronze.

### Unification under Lenor

#### Resurrection and refitting

Lenor's wounds were fatal, and he passed away some time later. The Senerites, even those initially opposed to him, did not wish for his death, as Lenor had taught them Socratic philosophies and writing, as well as liberated them from Malca's reign. During his funeral pyre, a magus named Lazar is alleged to have supplicated near the burning pyre, praying to Melakesh for divine intervention and for the return of Lenor.

Unburnt from the flames, Lenor descended the pyre and was heralded and worshiped as a demigod. The resurrected general proclaimed himself king of the Senerites, and declared that by the end of the fifth season, his two sisters would be under his heel.

Academics speculate about what occurred during the funeral, but it is usually believed that Lazar was able to bring Lenor back from the dead himself using magic. In addition, based on some apocryphal sources, it is also likely that Lenor gained minor sorcerer capabilities having returned from the land of the dead, particularly an affinity for fire.

#### War with *Cantabria*

Bringing along his sister Malca in chains, Lenor and his cavalrymen rode into *Cantabria* to the northeast. Lenor's strategy was much the same as it had been in *Solernia*: recruit the subjugated Senerites to his side, teach them, and spread the news that Lenor was a far more benevolent ruler than his sisters.

The bordering region of *Cantabria* made it more difficult to conquer a single region, and the expert archers and cavalrymen of the Masagatae were by no means outmatched by Lenor's forces, who were green. Lenor and his Senerites suffered loss after loss, but the armies held fast under Lenor, and were unshakeable under his command despite heavy casualties.

Difficulty came from the difference in terrain, primarily: whereas Lenor's experience in his youth had been in riding the valleys of *Solernia*, the forests, mires, and lowlands of *Cantabria* were unlike anything he had seen before. In contrast, Cantaba and her Masagatae were born and raised to ride in wetlands and forests, and thus had no problem defending *Cantabria*.

How long this conflict occurred for is unknown, but based on the "passing of seasons" attested to by Oepitorus in his *Histories*, it was at least several years of fighting. Lenor eventually withdrew from *Cantabria*. The Masagatae pursued for some time, but eventually had to return to *Cantabria*. They could only fashion iron found naturally in their wetlands, while Lenor had learned the secrets of mining from Fireshard in his youth.

#### Decline in hostilities

Lenor returned to *Solernia* and consolidated his power, establishing Lenorum as the capital of his kingdom and instating a system of governance that later became known as a *judgedom*. That is, his role was as a military and judicial figurehead, but not a creator of laws. Instead, those with grievances would petition Lenor or a later judge to help them earn justice, and it was the judge who would decide whether a crime had been committed, and if so, what the punishment should be.

Though trade reopened between the three regions, tensions were still high with small engagements and the growth of the individual polities. The Senerites chafed under Masagatae rule, leading to several outbreaks of violence in the streets and unrest becoming commonplace.

#### Establishing of the *judgedoms*

As the two queens got on with age, infighting started between their daughters over succession; though both Cantaba and Utet had selected heirs, this did not discourage their other daughters from attempting to seize power on multiple occasions, which enraged the queens. One of Utet's daughters, Shama, led a flourishing city in northern *Utetoria* in rebellion against her mother and her aunt, resulting in a feud that lasted for nearly a decade before Shama was slain by Cantaba.

This conflict, being centered around the Salissan Sea, allowed Lenor to once again invade northern *Cantabria* with little resistance. The native Senerites welcomed Lenor with open arms, and Lenor's ever-growing veteran cavalry absorbed much of the Masagatae, who were tired of putting down rebellions and Cantaba's daughters' constant conflicts. Those who didn't assimilate were either driven out or killed during the war.

Though Lenor's forces were able to capture most of the northern third of the region, the southern region was still much more difficult to capture. However, after Shama was defeated, the battle-weary Cantaba requested parley with her brother. In ceasing hostilities, Lenor and Cantaba met in his conquered holdings in *Cantabria* and agreed on the following: Cantaba would regain her holdings, but would establish a *judgedom* similar to Lenor's. In addition, she was to rule as judge from Lenorum, preventing her from rescinding on her truce. The Masagatae under her control would also cease their vassalage of the Senerites, and finally, she would provide forces to assist with conquering *Utetoria*.

Not many details are known about Lenor's conquest of *Utetoria*, but by its conclusion, an elderly Utet agreed to similar terms and ended the conflict between the regions.

## Legacy

### Mythology

Much of the oral history of Lenor speculates as to his true heritage, as well as explaining his resurrection or making arguments of pedigree for one of several houses. The House of Cygnus, as an example, make a bold claim that Queen Tomyra the Great was a consort of a god who took the form of a swan, making Lenor a demigod. This would make their house one of the patriarch Lenor.

### Literature and theater

Lenor is described in many short poems as being a hopeless romantic, featured in poetic epics such as *Lenor Innamorato*. This is primarily due to the fact that he is unwed throughout his life, despite the fact many houses claim him as patriarch.

The play *Judge* regards his love life as being somewhat tragic and is among the most common subjects of satire due to the notoriety of many of its lines and themes.