Kourios I of Llendus

**Kourios I of Llendus**, also known as **Kourios the Voiceless**, personal name **Kourios Tryalis**, was the King of Llendus from 1082 AW until his death in 1120 AW. He is known for his unorthodox rise to power and widespread bureaucratic reforms. He was succeeded by his son, Anasthos III.

Kourios was the eldest son of Gitaeus I and was destined to be the heir apparent to the Kingdom of Llendus. However, he contracted the Second Plague of Ihyll, also known as Shadowrot, during infancy. Due to the swift response of the court doctors, the disease was non-fatal, though the young prince's vocal cords were permanently damaged. This left him unable to speak for the remainder of his life, which would prove disadvantageous in the line of succession.

When Gitaeus had a second son, Anasthos, he designated him as his heir over Kourios, justified by the disadvantages of having a monarch suffering from mutism. Now booted from the immediate line of succession, Kourios was granted a scholarly training, eventually coming to specialise in the art of administration and bureaucracy. As his charismatic and popular brother Anasthos hugged the spotlight, Kourios worked in the background as the chamberlain of the Llendan court, in charge of the royal household and, importantly, its wages. He later also served as treasurer, which gave him access to the royal coffers.

This economic privilege served Kourios greatly in the 1180s. When Gitaeus I's health began failing, Anasthos began acting as regent with Kourios quietly assisting him in the background. However, during this time, a period of backroom negotiations began. Prince Kourios had gained decades of experience in politics and the art of controlling loyalties, whereas Anasthos wasted it away partying, touring the realm, and womanising. Palms were greased, favours were called in, and sometimes officials were shamelessly bribed with money. Without the crown prince noticing, his power base began collapsing beneath him. Perhaps Gitaeus would have noticed, had he not been permanently bedridden at this point.

In 1182 AW, Gitaeus I died of complications of old age. While Anasthos began planning a lavish and illustrious coronation ceremony, Kourios launched his coup de grace. Overnight, the bureaucratic body, the vassals, and the overwhelming majority of the military turned on Anasthos, favouring the crowning of his older brother. After a failed assassination attempt on his life, Anasthos hastily fled Llendus for the Sallanthian Empire. While some claim that Kourios was behind the attempt on his brother's life, this has never been confirmed.

With his power base secure, Kourios ascended to the throne without further issue. The occasional low-level bureaucrat foolish enough to criticise the king's somewhat treacherous rise to power instantly saw their political careers die, either dismissed outright or sent to some low-ranking post on the borders where they could be forgotten about. Anasthos spent the remainder of his life exiled in Sallant as a mere puppet to the local Emperors, claiming to be the titular King of Llendus without success, before dying without legitimate children in 1109 AW.

Kourios' reign was marked by a large number of written decrees which led to widespread legal and administrative reforms, as well as gradual but very stable economic growth. He also furthered diplomatic and trade ties with neighbouring countries, primarily the Daletian Empire and the Duchy of Kierzew. Finally, he also allocated funds for educational purposes, founding several universities and academies throughout the kingdom for various professions and purposes. While he was, for obvious reasons, perceived to be a distant king due to a lack of speeches or public appearances, he was regarded as extremely intelligent in his lifetime both domestically and internationally. This earned him respect and devotion from his subjects, to a rather extreme level in cases such as the Silent Guard, who remain their lifelong vows of silence in his honour to this very day.

Kourios I died in 1120 AW and was succeeded by his son, Anasthos III. He was named after Anasthos II, Kourios' grandfather, not his brother.