Difference between revisions of "Hrathen"
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Understanding this, Hrathen moved in with the intent of overthrowing the government of the Duladel Republic. He was soon able to establish a large following, thanks to his training and natural skill as an orator. Hrathen's intent seems to have been limited to establishing a king with Derethi sympathies, but in the process of instigating a rebellion, he accidentally threw the country into a bloody and prolonged civil war.{{book ref|Elantris|16}} His training was such that he could not fail to use the opportunity to firmly ensconce Shu-Dereth in the resulting kingdom, but he regretted the bloodshed he caused there for the rest of his life.{{book ref|Elantris|24}} Ultimately, his failure to protect the people of Duladel, more than any other event, would shape his reaction to Wyrn's planned destruction of Arelon and Teod.
== Conversion of Arelon ==
Wyrn himself charged Hrathen with three months to convert Arelon to Shu-Dereth or the Fjordell Empire would invade.
Arriving in Arelon, Hrathen assumed control as the head of the Derethi religion there, dismissing [[Fjon]] - the previous leader - and suggesting he would find renewed faith and purpose back in Fjordell. He saw the zealousness of Arteth [[Dilf]] and hoped to make use of it, viewing his ardour as something dangerous if left unmonitored. He proceeded to make Dilaf his hroden.
He conducted sermons denouncing the Elantrians as Svrakiss and being unholy, damned by Jaddeth, working to make the people hate them. His intention being to unite the people in their hatred for Elantrians and use that to convert them. He began preaching atop the Elantrian wall and this is where he first encountered [[Sarene]]. She was able to ask questions that would embaress him in front of the gathered nobles he was preaching to. Rather than be annoyed he was actually very impressed by her shrewdness and felt invgorated by the promise of a worthy opponent.
Despite his humiliation, several of the nobles still agreed to attend his private meeting where he offered them vague promises of power from Fjordell should they convert to Shu-Dereth. The most power noble among them, [[Duke Telrii]], he met in private to offer the chance to be King of Arelon.
Wishing to closer inspect the Elantrians, he bribed the captain of the guard at the Elantrian wall to bring him an Elantrian. He questioned the Elantrian and decided that he couldn't allow the populace to actually get close to the Elantrains and see how mundane they really were. He ordered for the Elantrian to be put back into Elantris but Dilaf instead tortured the Elantrian to madness and tried to burn it alive during one of Hrathen's sermons. Fearing retribution from Iadon, Hrathen interrupted the sermon, swayed the audience to his side and burnt the Elantrian to death later in private to end it's suffering.
At this point Hrathen began to truly question his faith. He saw his way of doing things was based entirely on cold, calculating logic whilst Dilaf had burning passion. Envious of Dilaf's speeches being more successful than his own as they connected to the hearts of the people better. In the end his attempts to make Arelenes fear and hate Elantrians was foiled by Sarene, who performed charity work in Elantris to prove they were harmless and pitiful. Hrathen accepted the Arelenes would not hate what they pitied and abandonned this plan.
Hrathen suffered constant guilt over the violent uprising in Duladel and fought against Dilaf's more aggressive attempts to spread hatred, hoping to convert Arelon as bloodlessly as possible.
Instead, he focused on making Telrii the new king of Arelon, then pay him to convert to Shu-Dereth and hope the rest of Arelon would follow. He had Fjordell forces attack Iadon's ships, crushing his income which would make him too weak to be the ruler in the eyes of the economically-centric nobility of Arelon, whilst simultaneously offering Telrii easy deals in Fjordell to boost his profits above Iadon's. However, this was also foiled when Sarene arrange a contract between Iadon and [[Teod]] to secure the king's finances.
Defeated once again, a shipment of potions he ordered from [[Forton]] arrived. Hrathen drank one and it simulated the affects of the [[Shaod]], making Hrathen look like an Elantrian. For five days he was thrown into Elantris until the potion wore off and he was returned to normal. He returned to Kae, announcing that it was a miracle caused by Jaddeth, increasing the number of Shu-Dereth followers in Arelon.
Following his release he learned Sarene had accidently stumbled upon Iadon committing ritual sacrafice for the [[Jeskeri Mysteries]], leading to the king's arrest and eventual suicide. Now that Arelon required a new king, Hrathen plotted once again to put Telrii on the throne. He became aware of Sarene's plan to marry Duke [[Roial]], combine their wealth and announce Roial as king. To prevent this Hrathen had a Derethi assassin take one of Forton's potions and slip it to the princess before her wedding. When Sarene lifted her veil at the wedding, she appeared to have become an Elantrian and was thrown into Elantris. Over the next five days, Telrii consolidated power and was coronated King of Arelon.
Whilst satisfied with Sarene's removal he hoped she came to no harm and knew that the potion would be temporary. During her internment in Elantris, he contacted her father - King [[Eventeo]] of Teod - and claimed he could heal Sarene if Eventeo swore an oath to convert to Shu-Dereth. The king did and when the potion wore off, Sarene was released from Elantris and distraught to realise her father's decision. Hrathen tried to shake her hand as a sign of respect for her cunning but his ultimate victory but she was confused and repulsed by him. Eondel drew his sword and held it at Hrathen's throat to make him back off. Hrathen effortlessly disarmed the elderly general but decided it best to leave.
Hrathen's plan was coming together but he forgot to account for the foolishness of King Telrii; he refused to convert unless Wyrn paid exponential amounts of money and he had Duke Roial killed. Eondel, his sense of honour dictating that Roial must be avenged, stormed the palace with his legion of soldiers and died killing Duke Telrii. Hrathen was witness to this and realised once again he had gone with the logical approach, not caring about actually converting Telrii's soul to Shu-Dereth and only caring pragmatically about bribing him enough to say he did, blaming his defeat on this.
Hrathen was present at Raoden's coronation and was disgusted when the Arelene nobility still accepted him as king after he was revealed to be an Elantrian, realising if he had continued his plan to make the Arlenes hate Elantrians this never would have happened.
At this point he learnt Dilaf was actually a Dakhor monk and that several of them had infiltrated Kae. Dilaf revealed that Wyrn never wanted Hrathen to succeed, instead sending him in as a distraction. Their enemies spent so much time focused on Hrathen and foiling his schemes to convert Arelon they did not notice the monks preparing to commit genocide, wiping out the people of Arelon and Teod to prevent any more dissent from Shu-Dereth and stopping anyone else from becoming an Elantrian. Hrathen was horrified at this, having wanted to save souls not cause a massacre. But before he could take any action, the monks began the invasion of Arelon.
== [[Invasion of Arelon]] ==
Accompanying the monks during their assault on the city, Hrathen was in a constant state of disgust and shock. He was witness to Sarene being taken captive by the monks and learnt Dilaf's beloved had been driven mad by an incorrectly drawn Elantrian Aon causing Dilaf's hatred for Elantrians.
Dilaf and Sarene were placed in a circle with Dilaf and several monks. A monk in the centre was burnt up, body and soul, to allow magic to transport them to [[Teoras]]. Meeting with Eventeo under the pretence it was time for him to convert to Shu-Dereth the monks prepared to assassinate the King of Teod. Hrathen became aware that Dilaf planned to murder Sarene in front of Eventeo before they killed the king and finally realising that his feelings of respect and rivalry with Sarene were in fact love he saved her life by attacking Dilaf.
Eventeo escaped while his guards fought the monks and Hrathen and Sarene retreated into a alley. They managed to avoid the monks and disguise themselves as peasants. Walking among the masses, Sarene questioned why Hrathen chose to change sides. Hrathen revealed still followed Shu-Dereth, still prayed to Jaddeth and still thought the Derethi teachings were correct, he just couldn't agree with Wyrn and his interpretation of them. At that point, Hrathen was stabbed in the chest by Fjon who had been sent by wyrn to assassinate the gyorn.
Hrathen died in Sarene's arms his final thoughts being: ''"Goodbye, my princess. Jaddeth be merciful to my soul. I only did the best I could."''
== Powers & Abilites ==
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