House Chryxanthus
House Chryxanthus-at-Eskolane was a clan of vavasours of comital rank who flourished in the vineyards and pastures around Eskolane and Lake Sutovria, east of Ulswia, in the Calipernesas of northwestern Encyclon, in the late 8th and well into the 9th century AM. Made up of a number of different clans whose estates dotted the rolling countryside, House Chryxanthus was in origins a cadet branch of the Chryxanthine count-electors of Astoxis, in the High North, southwest of Abbadon, who were liquidated by Prince-Emperor Alasial the Grand in 782 for supporting the imperial candidacy of the Count of Ethelos.
In 883, an imperial prefect (λογοθέτης) of the triumphant Encyclonian Emperor Thezorus Kamanshar was sent to the Calipernesus. The logothetes was a powerful necromancer, and came to bring death to the Chryxanthine families along the lake, for in their blood they might have claimed the inheritance of Avandran, one of the palatine-electors created by the ancient St. Athlos, King of Abbadon and Emperor of Mandadoria. The prefect summoned a force of barbarous vampires, who connived their way into the families, creating more vampires, and thus destroyed the electoral claim for his jealous emperor. The House of Chryxanthus was destroyed.
Only seven members of Chryxanthus-at-Eskolane, all children, are known to have survived the massacre. Three were the children of Phorenus, a knight of the family, Priscian, Diocletius and Zathara.
Contents
History of the House
House Xanthos (Ξάνθος), The Auburn House
The Foundation of House Xanthos
The Auburn House had its beginnings with the Encish warrior Gandran, a powerful hunter and warrior and the son of an Encish chieftain. When Athian was chased out of Abbadonia by his great uncle Axos and other enemies, Athian fled into the Enc with a small clique of followers. Nearly dying from exposure, Gandran discovered them at his hunting lodge, and took them in. Gandran did not convert to Mandadorianism at this occasion.
Gandran offered Athian refuge in his father’s tribe, and Athian helped them win victories against their enemies. He also preached the faith of Mandador, but was expelled from the tribe when Mandadorianism was growing too strong. Although still not having converted, Gandran spoke against this expulsion.
When Athian fled to the Nikerost and set up his camp there, he was soon harassed and at last attacked en masse by the orcs of the mountains, who were aroused by Axos and the other great lords who were against Athian. Gandran came with a small force of converted Encs to the Nikerost and helped save Athian and his loyal knights, slaying many orcs. After the battle, Gandran converted to Mandadorianism and gave to Athian an immense amount of gold to further the Mandadorian cause. Due to his shared wealth and his unusual shining yellow hair, he was baptized "Chryses" or the Golden.
Gandran stayed for a time with Athian and shared in many of Athian's adventures. Eventually however Gandran returned to his people, and brought with him the word of Mandador. Eventually he succeeded his father, and became a powerful chief.
When years passed and Athian found himself once again betrayed by powerful Abbadonian lords, a great battle thereafter ensued, with Athian and his loyal knights and soldiers on one side and Axios the son of Axos leading much of the strength of Abbadon on the other. The battle was the greatest Athian had ever fought in, and many heroes died that day. Encs on either side joined the battle, and many chiefs came to Athian's side, and many to the side of Axios. Gandran once again came to Athian's aid when he was in great danger. The cloud giants descended from the mountains to fight on the side of Axios, but Gandran slew many with his warriors, and slew their chief. At the end of the great battle, Gandran was covered in blood, and so his golden hair turned dark. For this he was once again renamed, now Xanthos, the Auburn One.
Gandran became a great chief after the battle, and was made a king of his people. After Athian returned from his quest on the highest mountains to speak with the Voice, he was assassinated by a near cousin, Athastion, who had been convinced by Axios that he was the rightful heir to the throne.
When the loyal lords came together in congress to decide what course they would take, Gandran once again appeared with the loyal Encish chiefs, and spoke in favor of the younger son of Athian, named Athlos, who was a true Mandadorian, and not the elder son, Athlan, who wished to return the "rebels" to Abbadonia and request a healing of the breach and an end to the Mandadorian cult.
Gandran and the other loyal Enc chiefs took the young son of Athian, Athlos, to the deep woods of the Enc, hiding him from his elder brother Athlan, as well as Axios and the other great lords of Abbadonia. There Gandran and the other heroes trained Athlos, and made him a knight of virtue and strength.
Athlos made allies with many, and courted many great lords amongst the Abbadonians. When at last Athlos was challenged by his brother Athlan in a great battle, Gandran once again was one of the many heroes that fought at his side. Gandran was pierced by many arrows of the gray elves loyal to Athlan, but he did not die, and was healed by St. Soravian, the Legate of the North, now escaped from the bonds of the evil Abbadonian lords.
After the battle, young Athlos hailed Gandran with many other heroes. Three times had Gandran come to the battle aid of the House of Athian, and in reward Athlos gave to Gandran a cousin to his house, Avona, to wed.
At the final battle against Axios and Athlan, Gandran fought once more, although now an older man. Upon the coronation of Athlos, the son of Gandran and Avona, young Avandran, was selected as one of the new Nine Electors. Knighted by Athlos and blessed by St. Soravian, this was the highest honor Gandran could have received, for he knew that as an Enc, it was impossible for Athlos to make Gandran himself a Palatine-Elector.
The House of Avandran (Αύανδρανοι)
Blessed by St. Soravian, Avandran, like the rest of the nine Electors, was granted divine grace, and was a pure knight of the palace, a paladin, sworn to protect the king and the sacred empire.
The legends of Athlos and the original nine Electors are told elsewhere. He had one son, Avandrian, another paladin. Avandrian himself had three sons, but only the eldest, Avanthran proved a paladin, while the younger two, Avandros and Astander were a warrior and a priest, respectively. Avandros was stronger than his elder, and became a Companion to the great King St. Anathalus himself in his own right. Avandros proved a great general, and settled far to the southwest at Stadion. He began his own branch of the family there, who became known as the Avandranoi, while the eldest brother Avandrian continued the first line of House Xanthus in Abbadonia.
Avandros was among those killed by the flight of gold dragons who protected the Appadosians of the extreme south when the great overlords of King Anathalus invaded that far south on their own initiative and without the emperor's approval. The line of Avandros continued on, however, at Stadion.
In 212, the great King Anathalus died, and the Palatine Electors were called to confirm the succession of Tarthalus, the son of Anathalus. The great overlords did not favor Tarthalus, for he was a paladin who himself mistrusted the overlords. The overlords said that Tarthalus was too old to succeed, and favored a cadet branch of the imperial family, and their scion, Akostas.
