The Rise of King Olliven

Long ago in the valley of the Asalath there were many tribes. The chief of the greatest of them was named Horien. The lands of Horien's tribe were at the confluence of the Asalath and the Running River, and there he kept a city, and for a time they sought to control the trade on the river, and there was fighting between them and the River People.

Horien failed to conquer the River People, so his people grew weary of the fighting, and wanted to be rid of him. But then a priest came to him, and his name was Nowsi, and Nowsi told him that he could be king over all of Weather Plain. Horien promised this to the people, and they kept him as their chief. Then he told the other tribes of the valley that they could unite with him as their king, and he promised them riches when they controlled all the river trade, and many believed him and joined.

Nowsi went to King Horien, and said to him, "Set aside your war with the River People, for your realm is in the plains, and the river will not bend to your will." But Horien was angry, and said to him, "You said I should be king over all of Weather Plain, now you would withhold part of it from me?" And he ordered Nowsi out of his sight.

The wars went on, and many River People were killed, but the other tribes of the plains grew restless, and complained, "No one is getting rich except the king!" Some left the kingdom, and the king launched an army up the river to bring them back. The king's barge sank into the river, and Horien perished.

Then his son, Alarendi, became king. Alarendi had spent his youth wenching and spending his father's money, and knew nothing of ruling. The kingdom would not long survived his rule, but in two years he died. They say he was found locked in the kitchen, with three kitchen scullions bound naked to the tables, and he had choked to death on his own vomit.

The sons of Alarendi were Trendar and Fendar, and they hated each other. Each claimed a half of the kingdom, and warred with each other. For twelve years they warred. Then Nowsi, the High Priest, found a boy who was of the line of chiefs, and offerred him the kingdom. The boy's name was Olliven, and Nowsi took him to a meeting between Trendar and Fendar, the two kings. Nowsi incited the two kings to fury, and they drew swords against each other, and slew each other, and so Nowsi became king.

Olliven did not make war against the river people, but he did attempt to rule the river by moving against the Triangardi, who lived in the river delta, and guided ships through the maze of waters there. He set Tirna, his brother, to be Duke of the Delta, and built a castle there, but the castle sank into the mud, and Tirna died. Since that time, Olliven has not staked a claim against the river, but he has sought to make war against all the peoples about him, and all of Weather Plain has become his demesnes.