Archon

The **Archon** is the mage-ruler of the Adamantine Imperium. The position is usually inherited, whether through blood relation or apprenticeship of the previous Archon, but the Magisterium, the legislative body of the Adamantium, has the power to elect the Archon should the need arise. Most notably, this is done in the event that an Archon passes without an appointed heir.

## Background

In the Dark Ages, when the Adamantium had expanded into most of Morgaea, the one who held this office was *de facto* the most powerful person on the continent.

One third of the Archons throughout history have been Laetans. Archon Rodarion was the first Laetan to become Archon, and the outrage that this caused among the Magisterium led to a civil war that lasted over seventy years. The magisters believed that magic was a favor of the High Pantheon rather than an accident of birth, and refused to acknowledge the mage underclass of elves and newly liberated foreigners. The civil war was only ended in **-620D** when Archon Varthenius, former apostle of Vemon, finally admitted the Laetans to the temples and gave them three seats in the Magisterium.

Archons are technically part of the magisters and used to be elected from the ranks of the Magisterium. Since the Fourth Age this practice has changed, however, and no member of the Adamantine Ministry or a magister can become an Archon.

Archons technically have the power to overrule laws passed by the Magisterium, but this power is exercised rarely. The Archon's most coveted power is the ability to appoint new magisters, so the ruling families actively vie for their favor.

## Prominent Archons

### Proteus

Proteus was the first known Dreamer, and person to wield blood magic, claiming to have learned the art after personally communicating with Vemon in visions, though contemporary Mages of the Admantine Ministry argue that blood magic was more likely learned from the elves of Elveshaal while other sources claim that blood magic came from dealing with the Forbidden Ones. Whatever their source, Proteus used his powers to declare himself king of Ormenia and establish temples to Vemon, spreading worship of the Deceivers throughout the region. Proteus took on many pupils, who went on to found the noble houses that continue to rule the Adamantium to this day. As such, he is also credited for the creation of the Adamantium's ruling mage class.

According to the Holy Tome's Chronicle of Lamentations, Proteus was one of the oracles of the Ormenian king Antorius during war with the Ghiesh. The other oracles sought counsel from the Watcher, but were told that victory would not be theirs to claim. Proteus, however, turned to a demon of the Dreaming instead. The demon agreed to grant Antorius victory if the king would offer him oxens and horses in sacrifice and forsake the Watcher. Antorius accepted, and was granted victory over the Ghiesh, claiming their lands and taking their people as slaves. When Antorius eventually turned his gaze upon the lands of the Anamene, they were forced to abandon the Watcher, and turn to worship demons to survive his attacks.

Four hundred years after his death, Proteus was made an honorary Archon by Archon Carinius, founder of the Adamantine Imperium. As such, he is sometimes referred to as the first Archon, and the first of the magisters of the Adamantium.

### Carinius

Since Phabetis' mysterious disappearance in **-1610D**, the lands of southern Morgaea were divided between three kingdoms: Estagara, Oremenia and Stiria. Carinius was born in the kingdom of Stiria to Iantha, High Queen of Stiria and Apostle of Kyraos. While she was pregnant with her first child, Iantha's non-mage brother Davos made a bid for the throne, waiting until she went into labor to attack the palace. He slaughtered all the priests and soldiers who wouldn't swear allegiance to him, but only found the royal signet of Stiria cleaved in two when he broke into the queen's bedroom. He tracked her to the Temple of Kyraos, where she was waiting for him fully armed and armored. The exhausted queen lost her life, but not before taking Davos' right eye and arm. The child was nowhere to be found.

A day later, Rhene, a priestess of Vemon serving in the temple in Byrantium, found a baby boy floating in a basket on the seashore. The infant had nothing but a blanket and half of a broken ring. She took the child, and raised him as her own, and gave him the name of Carinius. He was raised in the Temple of Vemon, and quickly showed remarkable magical talent. He was already a skilled Dreamer by the age of ten.

When Carinius was nineteen, the Apostle of Vemon lay dying. He sent for all the senior acolytes, as well as the novice Carinius, and said that he would name as his heir the man who could prove his worthiness by bringing him "that which has no legs yet must dance, has no lungs but must breathe, and has no life yet lives and dies". Carinius successfully solved the riddle by bringing the Apostle fire. He named Carinius his heir with his dying breath, and Carinius became Apostle the next day.

#### Rule

When the High King of Oremenia died without an heir, a successor had to be chosen from the ranks of the Dreamers. As Vemon, Biamut and Solune were Oremenia's patron gods, its apostles were summoned to the palace to prove which of them was more blessed by the gods. They were told they had until the next sunrise to tie an egg in a knot, and place it on the pedestal set before the throne. Once the correct solution was set there, the crown of the High King would be released from the vault. They would be executed if all three failed to find a solution within the time limit. While the Apostles of Biamut and Solune immediately entered the Dreaming to look for a solution, Carinius smashed an egg, tore a strip of cloth from his clothing, soaked the cloth in the egg and tied it in a knot. He placed it on the pedestal, and a great bell rang as the magic sealing the royal vault unlocked.

On the night of his coronation, Rhene revealed to her son how she had found him, and gave him the broken ring. Carinius' war chief recognized it as the royal seal of Stiria. This put the new king of Oremenia in a difficult position: on one hand, he was obliged to avenge his mother's murder, or risk a curse on his lineage, on the other. Davos was well-fortified in the City of Adamantium, a city well-known to be impregnable, and all diplomatic contact had been cut off, as the rulers of Estagara and Oremenia refused to recognize a Soporatus king.

Carinius had a dream that night, in which he crossed a mighty river in a small ferry piloted by a man whose face was always in shadow. When he reached the other side and looked back, he saw that he himself was the ferryman. Carinius took this dream as a message from Vemon. The next day, he sent gifts to Davos, claiming to want to heal the rift between their two kingdoms. Davos was flattered enough to invite him to the palace in the City of Adamantium. Carinius went with only seven soldiers as an honor guard. Once inside, he enchanted the palace to prevent anyone from entering, and challenged his uncle to a duel. When the spell was lifted, Davos was dead, and Carinius had reforged the broken seal of Stiria, proving his claim to the throne. And so in **-1207D** (-12 AE) the kingdoms of Stiria and Oremenia were united under Carinius.

After securing the Stirian and Oremenian thrones, Archon Carinius turned his attention to the dwarves. He realized that a military campaign in the Underways would never succeed, so instead chose to travel to their domain himself. When he was met by dwarven guards he offered himself as a hostage, and asked to be taken to their king so they could negotiate a treaty. They eventually arrived in Nar-Lodahr. The dwarves wouldn't let him see the king until he had fought in a Proving in order to prove that the Progenitors, and the Stone-Mother, would favor the meeting with King Endark Stonehammer. Carinius fought alone against champions of the Warrior and Noble castes, until only one dwarf was left. He was wearing magnificent armor, and wielding a warhammer forged from pure lucenium. The dwarf was far more cunning than his previous opponents, and the lucenium hammer shattered Carinius' spells like spun glass. After fighting for hours in the sand, the dwarf suddenly called a halt to the combat, declaring that Carinius possessed "Eineron Alagh"; the Progenitor's favor. He then revealed his identity; Carinius fought King Stonehammer himself. The two men became friends, and forged a trade alliance in **-1200D** (-5 AE), providing Stiria with a steady supply of lucenium to fuel their spells, and steel to arm his soldiers. The embassy in the City of Adamantium, said to be constructed by Carinius himself as a guest home for the dwarven king, is still in use and is considered one of the wonders of the world.

Queen Athana of Estagara knew she couldn't win a war against Carinius, and instead proposed marriage. Their union in **-1195** (0 AE) finally united Stiria, Oremenia and Estagara, forming what Carinius named the Adamantine Imperium.

Carinius declared himself the first Archon. He established the Magisterium from the priesthood, and named the first Apostle of Vemon, Proteus, an honorary Archon. The court of the Magisters became the royal court, and "magister" became the only title of nobility recognized in the Admantium.

Carinius died circa **-1180D** (15 AE).

### Tullus

Tullus "the Destroyer", is known for having declared war against Elveshaal in **-998D** (197 AE), and for destroying the city of Hathalas together with his blood mages in **-975D** (220 AE).

### Mettius

Mettius was the Archon from **-760D** to **-692D**. Soon after he took the throne of Archon, he built himself a great summer palace near the Eyes of Noceas. The palace was considered one of the greatest wonders of the world, and many of Mettius' jealous rivals hatched plots to burn it to the ground. To protect it from attacks, Mettius stationed one hundred soldiers on permanent guard, all sworn to only serve the archon himself, their oaths sealed with blood. By the time the civil war that had started with Mettius' assassination finally ended, both the palace, and the centurions, had disappeared without a trace.

Mettius took Rodarian, a lowborn mage of Anamene blood, as his apprentice, which caused great outrage among the Magisterium, who believed that magic was a favor of the High Pantheon, rather than an accident of birth, and refused to acknowledge the mage underclass of elves and newly liberated foreigners. Mettius had many rivals, and though he survived many assassination attempts, none of his Altus apprentices did. When Mettius himself was finally assassinated by the magisters, Rodarion was the only remaining heir. The civil war that ensued lasted for over seventy years, and ended only when Archon Varthenius finally admitted the Laetans to the temples, and gave them three seats in the Magisterium.

### Rodarion

Rodarion was the Archon from **-692D** to **-640D**. He was a lowborn mage of Anamene blood, and the first Archon of the Laetan class. His father was a Legate in the Adamantine Army, who taught him swordplay and tactics before his magical abilities manifested themselves. Rodarion's magical talent eventually drew the attention of Archon Mettius himself, who took him as an apprentice. The Magisterium believed that magic was a favor of the High Pantheon, rather than an accident of birth, and refused to acknowledge the mage underclass of elves and newly liberated foreigners. As such, the outraged Magisterium refused to even acknowledge Rodarion as a possible candidate. Mettius had many rivals, and though he survived many assassination attempts, none of his Altus apprentices did. When the magisters finally had Mettius assassinated, Rodarion remained his only heir.

When the magisters refused to recognize him as Archon, Rodarion took the throne by force, marching the legions into the Magisterium, and slaughtering all those who wouldn't swear fealty to him. The Seven Temples declared Rodarion a usurper, and the legion was divided. Some generals supported the temples, while some supported the Archon. The mages of the Laetan class overwhelmingly supported Rodarion. Mages were fighting each other for the first time since the fall of Elveshaal, as the Adamantium plunged into a civil war.

Rodarion converted his predecessor's great summer palace, near the Eyes of Noceas, into a garrison for his troops fighting the insurrections all across the Adamantium. To protect his palace, Mettius had stationed one hundred soldiers on permanent guard, making them swear blood oaths to serve only the Archon himself. Rodarion made use of them in the civil war, and though the centurions eventually fell in battle, their oaths held and their bodies rose again to take their posts. The palace and centurions had both disappeared by the time Rodarion's successor came to claim them.

Rodarion was notable for fighting with a blade like a commoner, while casting spells like only an Archon could. He eventually died sword in hand on the battlefield, having carved and burned a brutal path across the Adamantium. Rodarion had named no heir and, as such, the civil war did not end with his death. It lasted for twenty more years, until **-620D**, when Archon Varthenius, former Apostle of Vemon, finally admitted the Laetans to the temples, and gave them three seats in the Magisterium.

### Varthenius

Varthenis began his rule in **-620D**, and is known for ending the Civil War; he was a former Apostle of Vemon, and was the Archon that finally admitted Laetans into the temples, giving them three seats in the magisterium to end the civil war

### Janerius

*For more information on **Janerius**, see Twelve Disciples.*

### Numerius

Numerius began his rule in **9A04**. He has been described as cunning, politically well-versed, and a powerful mage... who, allegedly, has a soft spot for cats.

### Unknown chronology

* **Cyamus** – ordered the construction of the Tower of Cyamus at Genedara sometime in the Dark Ages.