Daeron the Great

Daeron ka Alar-Sorys, known as Daeron the Great or as Daeron the Accursed, was King of Ichoria and Emperor of the Achysians from 1206 to 1249, claiming the titles of Emperor of the Elyrians and King of Kathia later in this reign. As a monarch, he inherited and expanded an empire and a personal union that ruled most of Western Azora in the later half of the Wars of the Faith, protected the Ecumenical Faith and the Haliarchy, and led the final serious effort of an Azoran monarch to restore the fallen Elyrian Empire, pushing for a religious and political centralization and reorganization of the continent, while also expanding the colonial holdings of his many realms. His composite monarchy was the biggest attempt to implement the concept of a universal monarchy in both Azora and Veharia.

Daeron was born in 1190 in Vathora, Achysia, as the posthumous son of Phirion III of Achysia and the Ichorian princess Miral of Alar, together with a twin brother. Their father had died in battle months prior during the failed Conquest of the East, a military campaign that also resulted in the deaths of the only direct heirs to the Ichorian throne. From their birth, the two princes were then position to each inherit one of the realms, and as the youngest, Daeron was chosen to be the heir of the aging Ichorian monarch, his grandfather. Both nations were still embroiled in the religious and political conflicts that was bleeding Azora dry, and the survival of the princes was considered to be paramount for the continued military and political alliance between them, which is why Daeron was sent to Azhara early on, being raised in the Ichorian court. Recognized as a prodigy from an early age, he received the best education money and influence could earn, and excelled in many fields. He became greatly popular in both the Ichorian court and capital, despite his half-foreign origin. The death of his maternal grandfather in early 1206 led to his ascension to the throne of Ichoria, but by that point, the war had turned against Achysia, with a large Sectarian army headed towards a siege of Vathora that his mother and brother had been helpless to stop. In a rash decision that was however a great show of his initiative, Daeron mobilized Ichorian forces, took them by sea to Achysia, and broke the siege while personally leading his troops, with the arrival of reinforcements convincing the Achysians to sally forth from behind their falls. His victory led to his troops enthusiastically acclaiming him Emperor on the field of battle, crowning him with an improvised crown made from metal taken from the enemy.

The death of his twin brother caused by his mother led to his ascension to the Radiant Crown that same day, creating a personal union between the two realms. Daeron's vigorous style of leadership immediately led to reforms, as he brought the Faith under his control, going by himself into the Temple of the Divine Wisdom and taking the crown from the hands of the Theiarch. His autocratic rule was however not reckless, as the young monarch manage to balance the various powers in the state in order to support his reign. Continuing to take personal command of his forces, despite the death of his father in battle, Daeron was soon recognized as one of the continent's brightest military minds, earning a string of victories for the Ecumenical Covenant. The war continued for decades, but Daeron's victories ultimately allowed him to claim the throne of Kathia, and to be crowned as Emperor of the Elyrians by the Haliarch, becoming the uncontested hegemon of the continent.

His wars had however greatly weakened the economies of the states under his command, the expensive wars sapping the already exhausted treasuries of realms that had been at war for more than half a century at the moment of his coronations. His centralizing policies also alienated the aristocracy, forcing him to rely more and more on his prestige and military might to keep his nobles in line. Daeron died in sleep, and was succeeded by his son Kaeron, who inherited a developing crisis that eventually led to the collapse of the empire that Daeron had created just a few short years later.

Daeron is recognized by all scholars to have been an incredibly important figure in the history of Azora, but his legacy is highly polarizing, even if not as contested as that of his son. He is recognized as a national hero in both Achysia and Ichoria, and several attempts were made by have him beatified. He is often considered to be one of the best military commanders of all time, and his universalist policy are considered by some to be a precursor of both pan-Elyrianism and pan-Azoranism. He is however greatly controversial for the religious fanaticism that developed after his reign, for the bloodshed of the wars in which he fought, and he was especially vilified in Kathia, even if historical image there has improved in the past few decades. Daeron is also often used as an example of the ephemerality of empires and of power, as ultimately his victories are what created the unwieldy situation that led to the collapse of his empire and the end of his dynasty after his death.

Titles
Daeron's full titulature went as follows: His Sublime Majesty, Daeron of the bloodlines of Alar and Sorys, in the Sixteen and the One and by Their Will Emperor and Despot of the New and Old Elyria and of all Elyrians, Emperor and Autocrat of the Achysians, King of Ichoria, King of Kathia, King of the Islands and Mainland of the Ocean Sea, King of the Worlds Beyond the Seas, Great Warden of the Sea of the Elyrians and the Sea of the Pelagians and the Median Sea, Forever Sublime and Serene, the Savior, the Faithful and the Blessed, Viceroy and First Servant of the Sixteen Gods on Earth, Defender of the One, True, Ecumenical Faith, Commander of the Hosts of the Faith, Great Custodian of the Holy Cities of Elyria and Vathora, Servant and Blessed of the Haliarch, Refuge of the World, Light of the Morning Star and the Evening Star, Guardian of the Sixteen Holy Flames, Grand Master of the Holy Order of the Eternal Serpent, Grand Master of the Holy Order of the Imperishable Flame, Grand Master of the Order of the Golden Dragon, Grand Master of the Knights of the Morning Star, King of Kings, Ruling Over Those Who Rule