Elias

Note:  Spoilers ahead.

Elias Erkynlander

First-born son of High King Prester John of Osten Ard. Prince Regent and heir apparent. Liege-Lord of Meremund. Older brother of Prince Josua. Father to Princess Miriamele by his late wife Hylissa.

Around 40 years old at the beginning of TDC. His loneliness and misery after the death of his wife lead him to seek a way to contact Hylissa in the "afterlife". Thus he falls in with the priest Pryrates, accepts a bargain with Ineluki, the Storm King, and ultimately brings doom and disaster to the realm of Osten Ard.

Early life
Born in or around Founding-Year 1126 as the first-born child of High King Prester John and his young queen Ebekah - a.k.a. Efiathe, the Rose of Hernysadharc. His mother dies giving birth to Elias’ younger brother Josua less than two years later. That Josua is in fact not the son of Prester John but of Sir Camaris sá-Vinitta remains unknown to Elias for all his life.

Elias was raised as the heir apparent to the throne of Osten Ard and was given the city of Meremund as his liegedom. Probably due to the advanced age of his father Prester John — who was well into his fifties when his son was born — Elias took over the task to lead the armies of the High King’s Ward into battle (against the Thrithings for example) gaining him the title "Prince Regent".

In his youth Elias was close with his brother Josua despite their differences in character and interest, yet at some point they fell out — possibly over Princess Hylissa. The young Nabbanai noble-woman married Elias, though his fierce, boasting and loud demeanor often frightened her. More similar to her in character was her husband’s younger brother, who was established by Prester John as her "Knight Protector" and soon became her closest friend and only confidant. Circumstances that fanned Elias’ jealousy over his wife and vexation with his brother.

At some point, Hylissa gives birth to Elias’ daughter Miriamele.

A few years later, when Elias is fighting a war in the Thrithings for his father, Hylissa is supposed to join him in the army camp. Yet the company led by Josua is set upon by Thrithings raiders. Though the Prince manages to fend the attackers off — despite losing his right hand in the fight — Hylissa is hit by an arrow and dies hours later. Elias receives the news about her death without hardly an reaction (as witnessed by Guthwulf). He never manages to cope with her loss, which leads to him estranging himself from his young daugther and creates an irredeemable rift between him and Josua, whom Elias blames for his wife’s death and believes to plan treason.

In the following roughly ten years, Elias — who had formerly always shied away from anything supernational — seeks the help of the priest Pryrates to find a way to be reunited with Hylissa.

Autumn of Founding-Year (FY) 1163
When after years of sickness High King Prester John lies dying, he orders his two sons back to the Hayholt in Osten Ard’s capital Erchester. The kitchen boy Simon overhears a heated conversation between the brothers in which Josua tries to caution Elias against bringing Pryrates to court with him from Meremund. Elias, however, dismisses the warnings as "God-be-cursed complaining". He insinuates that his brother is trying to undermine him and take the throne for himself, and hence demands of the other to leave Erchester. Josua, however, declines to leave his "Sire’s (father’s) house", while promising at the same time that he has no designs on the throne. Elias does not believe him.

In the following weeks the well-known animosity between the two princes causes distrust at court and leads to several brawls between the followers of both parties, climaxing when a noble from Meremund loyal to Elias stabs one of Josua’s men. Luckily the latter survives and after the Erkynguard is sent to infere some shallow peace is reinstablished.

On St. Tunath’s Day (Decander 21st) finally King John dies. 40 days pass before his burial.

FY 1164
On 1st Feyever in an exultant ceremony Prester John is buried in a cairn on the cliffs above Kynslagh-bay, next to the graves of the previous six High Kings of the Hayholt. Despite the King’s wish that his famous sword "Bright-Nail" would pass to his older son and successor, Elias does not accept it. In fact he does not even want to touch the weapon, very much to the shock and dismay of John’s old friend, the jester Towser. Instead, he demands of Josua to place it with their father in the cairn. This act is frowned upon by many nobles, because it is not known that this was in fact Elias’ decision and not his brother’s doing.

At the funeral feast the same day, Elias surrounds himself with his favorites — Earl Guthwulf of Utanyeat, Earl Fengbald of Falshire, Skali of Kaldskryke and others — and celebrates, while Josua and the Princes’ "uncle" Duke Isgrimnur are placed on a lower table and do not partake in the festivities. The following day Elias is crowned High King of Osten Ard. In the weeks after, Josua leaves for Naglimund with his men.

The first spring and summer of Elias’ rule are witness to many festivities and tournaments that bring back the memory of the "good old days" of Prester John’s youth. However, slowly problems begin to arise as taxes are raised, old friends and allies scorned, and some of the important defences of the High King’s Ward fall into neglect due to Elias’ desinterest, who spends much of his time with Pryrates in Hjeldin’s Tower.

FY 1165
While a strange heat and drought torment the southern parts of Osten Ard in the winter of FY 64 to 65, the plague rages in Meremund. Elias sends out his old friend and now "King’s Hand" Guthwulf, who locks the sick in their houses, waits for them to die and then burns down the plague-stricken parts of the city. When some weeks later the wool merchants of Falshire revolt against the high taxes, Earl Fengbald takes the Erkynguard there, burns the leaders of the rebels alive and puts the whole city district to the torch, killing hundred — women and children included.

Around the same time Josua, who had been a visitor at the Hayholt for some weeks, disappears without asking his brother and king for the permission to depart first. Quickly rumors spread that either Josua is lying low somewhere planning treason against his brother — probably together with King Lluth of Hernystir — or that Elias harmed, probably even killed his younger brother.

…

Appearance
Elias is described as having a high brow, black hair, a hawklike nose and green eyes. Powerfully built he looks like the kind of man, who could break other men’s neck with his bare hands. He is costumarily dressed in black and green.

Character
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Further notes
Since their youth and through many battles and adventures Guthwulf, the Earl of Utanyeat, has been a close friend and companion of Elias. After Miriamele fled from the Hayholt, Elias eventually calls Guthwulf the only one loyal to him. It is only after the Earl witnesses Elias slowly fall into madness and into the influence of Pryrates and the sword "Sorrow", that he feels the need to turn away from his friend.