Caleon
From Almeopedia
Caleon Este ([ka ˈlɛ on ˈɛ stɛ], Caleon the Great) was the first king of Verduria, a member of the Prežeon dynasty.
In personality, Caleon was said to be serious, indeed humorless, tireless and ambitious as a ruler, kind and canny as a general. He recognized no equals, and reserved his greatest severity for those who did not acknowledge his position; but he was generous with his loyal vassals and beloved by his soldiers. He had little interest in scholars and merchants; his one non-governmental passion was horse-racing. It’s said that his first action on conquering a territory was to buy up its best horses.
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Lord Caleon
When Caleon succeeded his father Avtor as Sanno (Lord) of Verduria in 2939, his power was limited to Verduria province and Zeir, and there were still nobles who considered the Lords to be upstarts who had displaced the rightful governor of the province, the duke of Vyat. Just 28 when he took the sash, he spent his first few years as monarch touring the realm and introducing himself to the nobles. There was no open defiance, but many expected that Caleon would have to thrash a few of them in battle, as his father Avtor had.
His first major expedition (2941-2), however, was against Lácatur, also known as the Western Wild, a lawless country dominated by thieves and highwaymen. Not only was this an impressive display of force, but it gave Caleon unquestioned dominion over two territories as large as Verduria province. He now simply acted as the king in Lácatur, Verduria, and Zeir, and even his enemies did not openly challenge him.
The conquest of the northern Plain
Ertala
In 2917 Bura expelled the Curiyans from Ctésifon and declared himself the Caďinorian emperor (atabo). Many rulers of Eretald sent gifts, including Avtor; if Bura called these tribute he had no other demands, and everyone expected Ctésifoni rulers to exaggerate their importance anyway.
Bura’s son Ertala, who succeeded him in 2941, wanted more: he demanded an audience with the Verdurian lord. Caleon did travel to Žésifo, with more gifts. Ertala informed him that he expected regular tribute and sworn fealty to the reestablished Empire. Caleon was not a man to humor an upstart; he scolded the young would-be emperor for his impertinence, returned north, and immediately proclaimed himself King (Dalu) of Verduria.
Ertala ordered his generals to attack; they refused, citing the weakness of the army. Ertala executed his generals and began raising troops for a larger army. It was not till 2950 that he judged it ready and sent it north— more than 20,000 men. Caleon’s forces gathered near Ulian, in Šerian— close enough to Vyat to remind its duke of his loyalties. Caleon had about 15,000 men; the prince of Šerian, Onmura, did the math and joined his 2,000 troops to Ertala’s.
Caleon waited near Ulian, in an open space between the Svetla and some hills; as Ertala’s army approached they perceived that they outnumbered the forces facing them by two to one. Emboldened, they charged ahead in a frontal attack. When they were fully committed, Caleon attacked them from the flank and rear with the third of his forces he had kept behind the hills. The Ctésifoni army was surrounded, and Caleon cut it to pieces.
The prince of Šerian died in the battle, and Caleon declared his realm forfeit for his ‘treachery’. He now marched on Žésifo, proclaiming his intention to have Ertala whipped com ečomun, like a schoolboy.
As Caleon’s troops entered the city, Ertala killed himself with poison. His army offered no effective resistance; Caleon was now master of the Svetla as far south as Zariaspa. Another series of wars, in 2954-6, added Irvesi, Aodo, and Célenor. When the Curiyans raided Zariaspa, he razed their capital, Kulža (2953).
In just fifteen years he had increased the size of his realm more than fourfold.
He was expected (and urged) to declare himself emperor, but he explained that it was pride, not humility, that held him back: he believed that Verduria would not be a revival of the Caďinorian empire; it would be a new and greater thing.
Consolidation
For centuries no lord of Eretald had effective control of more than a Caďinorian province; to rule his vast new territories Caleon simply extended the methods he knew: granting new estates and titles to trusted lieutenants, cowing nobles who showed signs of resistance, and using existing institutions (such as the somewhat more sophisticated governmental machinery which remained in Ctésifon). Though he took his power to a level far above that of the nobles, he did not create— he hardly conceived of the need to create— kingdom-wide institutions to rule. For his campaign in Irvesi, he still raised armies largely by promising a share of the proceeds from looting.
He did recognize that the kings would henceforth be concerned more with Eretald as a whole than with Verduria city, and appointed an Este Hozën (Great Steward) to run the city.
Death
Caleon was assassinated in 2958, by agents of the Marquis of Irvesi— one of the many rulers he had deposed. It would be left to his son Ževuran to turn his conquests into a unified state.
As the first king, Caleon naturally became a model, especially for the pagans. They especially approved of his focus on the south, toward Ctésifon and the Svetla trade, and agreed with his vision of Verduria as the new ruler of Eretald. He was not much interested in ocean trade, and spent little on the navy, with the result that it was the Kebreni rather than the Verdurians who developed the trade of the littoral and advanced far beyond it. This would have consequences later.
See also
- A portion of the play Crefuselta im Ctesifonán by Pédrot Šaymeon, dealing with Caleon and Ertala
| Preceded by: Avtor | Caleon 2943-58 | Succeeded by: Ževuran |
