Anselne of Tairane

## **Anselne I**

***His Most Serene Imperial Majesty***

Portrait of King Emperor Anselne I, (aged 73)

**Anselne I**, or **King Emperor Anselne I of Tairane**, was the legendary first king of Tairane, and the founder of the **Kingdom of Tairane**. Anselne I was considered to be a great warrior king and strategist by his contemporaries, who had united the disparate tribes and city-states of Arathel, and forged them into a powerful kingdom. Anselne I was also known for his wisdom and benevolence, which earned him the love and respect of his subjects. Under his reign, Tairane became a hegemony in Arathel and Maeradina, rivalling even the full extent of the Selkirk Empire.

Anselne I was born circa **9,889 BCE** in a small city-state located in Eastern Arathel called **Isorthoe Republic**. He grew up in a time of Selkirk imperial hegemony, as the independent Isorthoe Republic faced constant aggression from the Selkirk Empire. Anselne I learned how to fight and strategize from his father, **Idan of Isorthoe**, a general of the Isorthoe Republic, In 9,872 BCE, the Isorthoe Republic was annexed and capitulated by the Selkirk Empire. Anselne fled to Western Arathel, where he proclaimed the formation of Kingdom of Tairane. Anselne I was able to unite the warring city-states of Arathel under his rule, and he became known as a fierce warrior and strategist.

Anselne I reign lasted for over 90 years, during which he had embarked on many campaigns to expand the kingdom. He was also known for his consecutive military victories against the Selkirk Empire, culminating in their eventual defeat and annexation into Tairane. Anselne I was also known for his wisdom and benevolence, and flashes of vehemence and aggression against external forces threatening his domain, which earned him the love and respect of his people.

He was best known for his victory over the remaining three nations of Maeradina in **9,818 BCE**, which cemented Tairane's status as the dominant kingdom in Arathel and Maeradina, and inaugurated the Tairane Empire. He married **Evona I of Selkirk**, the daughter of the deposed **Emperor Ramateus II of Selkirk**, in 9,865 BCE. They had four children: **Anselne II**, **Idan II**, **Astinna II**, and **Evona-Antile II**.

Anselne I died in 9,783 BCE, aged over 106 years. He was buried in the **Royal Mausoleum of Tairane**, and his passing greatly saddened his subjects. He was succeeded by his son, Anselne II.

## Early childhood

Anselne was born in **9,889 BCE** to **Idan and Antile of Isorthoe**. As the son of a general fighting for the freedom of his state, Anselne had seen much violence and bloodshed firsthand from an early age. Anselne watched as Selkirk forces invaded his home town and captured his father. Idan and his forces was captured by Selkirk soldiers and taken to the Imperial capital of Selkirk Empire, **Neytiril** (now called New Selkirk), where he was interrogated, tortured, and executed in public by the Empire's soldiers.

Anselne's mother, Antile, valiantly fought against her oppressors alongside her husband until she too was captured and separated from him, along with Anselne's little sister, Astinna. The two and other captured citizens were then marched through the streets of Neytiril, to be executed in public. Antile and her daughter had fought back against their captors in vain, but ultimately they too were executed. After the capture and death of his parents and sibling, Anselne was left to fend for himself, he quickly learned how to fight and defend himself from the other children living on the streets. He also managed to steal food and supplies whenever he could in order to survive.

### Fleeing westward

After witnessing the deaths of his family, Anselne linked with a caravan, and fled westward towards Western Arathel in hopes of finding safety and refuge. On his journey westward, he met many people who had also been displaced by Selkirk aggression. He quickly realized that he was not alone in his plight, and that there were others like him who had lost everything to Selkirk brutality.

As he continued westward, Anselne began to conceive a plan, his preconceived notion of a divine right to rule the ravaged continent of Arathel, and to unite all those who had been displaced by Selkirk aggression into one powerful kingdom that could challenge their common enemy. After several months of travel, he finally arrived in Western Arathel, where he met with representatives from various city-states and tribes that inhabited the region. After much discussion, Anselne had, in spite of everything, convinced them of his vision, a united kingdom that would be strong enough to resist Selkirk aggression, and with ambivalence, agreed to choose him as their king. As the son of a general, Anselne was considerably educated in the art of war and strategy, he quickly won the support of the various city-states and tribes with his charisma and military prowess. In **9,861 BCE**, at the age of just sixteen, Anselne proclaimed the formation of Kingdom of Tairane, with himself as its first king.

## Early Reign

Anselne was able to quickly unite the various city-states and tribes of Arathel under his rule, he was also able to forge alliances with some of the other kingdoms in western Arathel, Anselne's first order of business was to fortify the borders of his kingdom and build up its military forces. He also began to raise taxes in order to fund his expansionist plans. In **9,854 BCE**, just seven years after he had proclaimed himself king, Anselne led his army against the Selkirk Empire in an attempt to reclaim his home, the Isorthoe Republic. The campaign was a success, and Isorthoe Republic was successfully liberated from Selkirk control.

This victory boosted Anselne's popularity among his subjects, and he became known as a great warrior and strategist. Anselne then turned his attention towards expanding the Kingdom of Tairane's borders eastward into Maeradina. In 9,851 BCE, he launched a successful campaign against the Neyellan Kingdom, conquering it within weeks. This victory placed him in control of all three major passes leading into Western Arathel from Maeradina (the Isthmus Passes). With these passes under his control, Anselne effectively cut off Selkirk forces' access to Western Arathel.

In **9,850 BCE**, he launched a major offensive against the Selkirk Empire, this campaign was a resounding success, and Anselne's combined forces were able to capture Neyselle, a major strategic city and trade hub located between Arathel and Maeradina. This victory dealt a major blow to Selkirk power, and effectively lost a foothold between the two continents. Anselne turned his attention towards Maeradina once again. In **9,848 BCE**, he launched another offensive against Soteris Republic, now under as a Selkirk vassal state, After a long and brutal siege of its capital city of New Sothera (**FKA Sothera**), Anselne's forces were finally able to breach the city walls and take it by storm.

With the Soteris Republic now subjugated from the Selkirks, Anselne had effectively gained control over Western Maeradina. He then embarked on a series of campaigns to consolidate his power in Maeradina and solidify Tairane's position as the dominant kingdom in Arathel and Maeradina. In **9,846 BCE**, he launched an offensive against the Ulmuruk Khanate, After a long and brutal siege of its capital city of Khanagun, which lasted for over two years, Anselne's forces were finally able to breach the city walls and take it by storm.

With all two of Maeradina's major kingdoms conquered (and with them all two major passes into Western Arathel), Anselne had effectively cut off Selkirk forces' access to Western Arathel completely.

## Conquest of the Selkirk Empire

In 9,845 BCE, Anselne led his combined army, numbering around ~850,000 men from amalgamating his separate armies on their campaigns against Maeradina, against the Selkirk forces in a final push to capture Neytiril, the Selkirk capital. After a long and bloody siege that lasted for over three years, Anselne's forces were finally able to breach its massive city walls and take it by storm. With Neytiril captured, and the Selkirk Emperor (Ramateus II) deposed and killed, Anselne had effectively ended Selkirk power in Arathel and Maeradina once and for all.

With Selkirk hegemony over the continents effectively broken, Anselne turned his attention towards consolidating Tairane's immense territorial conquests in Arathel and Maeradina. In 9,840 BCE, he launched an offensive against the minor Illurian Kingdom (located in present-day southeastern Arathel), After a long siege of its capital city of Illuria (now called Jorgund), which lasted for over two years, Anselne's forces were finally able to breach the city walls and take it by storm. With Illuria conquered, Tairane now controlled all of Maeradina.

### Maeradina Holdouts

In 9,843 BCE, Anselne launched a major offensive against the remaining holdout vassals of Selkirk Empire, A particular liege was **The Sibyls of Silavaria** (present-day Ariangourde). After a long brutal siege of its capital city of Ariangourde, which lasted for almost four years due to exceptionally heavy resistance from the Silavarians. A line of war archers stationed atop its city walls that would stretch its entirety, would pick off any would-be attackers that came within range; as well as enigmatic and incomprehensible thaumaturgic elements placed around the city by the Silavarians, Silavarian's unique sorcerous properties and elements however, had completely thwarted any attempts by Anselne's soldiers to even set foot in their city during the initial siege; let alone pillage it. The Silavarians had also managed to hold out against him for almost four years, an incredibly long time considering the size of his armies before finally succumbing to his onslaught; Anselne's forces were finally able to breach the capital's exterior city walls by using their newly built war trebuchets, capable of launching gigantic flaming boulders at key points in the wards surrounding Ariangourde; thus weakening them enough for small groups of soldiers to slip through unperceived. Once inside the city proper however they faced stiff resistance from Silavarian warriors who fought tooth and nail to defend their homes, but ultimately they too fell before Anselne's enormous combined armies weight numbers, allowing Anselne to claim a Pyrrhic victory over Silavaria. The capital was completely ransacked and pillaged by the vengeful soldiers, much of its precious artifacts and city relics were either destroyed by soldiers or looted, its population was slaughtered and deported to other parts of Maeradina and Arathel, and the capital was set on fire and reduced to ashes and rubble by Anselne's forces. The once enigmatic and mighty Silavarians effectively ceased to exist.

The Silavarian thaumaturgists and its practice had been forevermore lost with the destruction of their domain and civilization. Modern contemporary historians and archaeologists of Tairane have not been able determine exact nature of Silavarian's enigmatic wards that stymied Anselne's forces for almost four years prior during assault on Ariangourde. Ancient records from the battle however, suggest that the mysterious wards were the physical manifestations of the Silavarian's focus and determination to defend their capital, cast by the highly proficient Silavarian thaumaturges, meant to disorient and mislead would-be attackers; as well as a form of psychological warfare designed to sap the morale of enemy soldiers.

### Marriage to Evona I

In **9,865 BCE**, Anselne married **Crown Princess Evona I of Selkirk**, the daughter of Ramateus II. This marriage was a political move on Anselne's part to solidify his position as the sovereign ruler in Arathel and Maeradina. The marriage also had the added benefit of boosting his popularity among Selkirk citizens who were disgruntled with their previous emperor. The marriage was met with much opposition from her remaining family (particularly her mother). The royal family had four children together: Anselne II (born **9,866 BCE**), Idan II (born **9,863 BCE**), Astinna II (born **9,859 CE**) and Evonna-Antile II (born **9,858 CE**).

Evona I was born in **9,886 BCE** to Ramateus II and his wife Taiana. She was the eldest of four children. As a child, she witnessed her father's brutality firsthand, as he often had political rivals and enemies executed in public. She also grew up witnessing the Selkirk Empire's decline, as its grip on Arathel and Maeradina began to slip in the face of Anselne's successful military campaigns.