Baxtorian

King Baxtorian Cadarn was a powerful elven king of the Fourth Age. He was responsible for leading The Break Out and established an elven kingdom east of the Galarpos.

Background
During the cataclysmic God Wars, the Cadarn Clan fought to protect Tirannwn by repelling the few enemies that overcame the mountain range between Tirannwn and modern-day Kandarin.

When the God Wars ended and the Edicts of Guthix were put in place, the elven goddess Seren was forced to detonate herself in order to avoid leaving Gielinor. As a result, it fell to Baxtorian and his wife to comfort the elves, and rebuild their shaken society. She now speaks only through the Tower of Voices in central Prifddinas. Despite this loss, the elves saw an opportunity to expand their domain. With the Western Sea to the west and south, the only way to expand was east, into a land that was still recovering from the God Wars. Baxtorian was chosen to lead to lead the eight elf clans by Seren, the goddess of the elves. He was head of the Cadarn Clan, the elves' primary military clan. Baxtorian lead them to a time of peace and security.

Travelling through the newly constructed Arandar Mountain Pass, elven settlers began to settle all throughout Kandarin. There is evidence to believe they spread farther east, reaching modern-day Misthalin.

Baxtorian Establishes a Kingdom
Baxtorian and the Cadarn Clan were dedicated to protecting the other settlers during the expansion. Although they were strong, the conflict that still engulfed what is now Kandarin threatened to defeat them.

Baxtorian soon established alliances with several of the local races. The gnomes, who had only recently returned to the surface, were more than happy to re-establish ties that had been lost for over 4,000 years. The human tribes, who were much more divided, eventually agreed to a treaty. The ogres and local goblin tribes that inhabited the Feldip Hills, however, were locked in a bloody civil war due to Bandos' absence. Deciding that two out of three alliances was enough, Baxtorian established the elves as a powerful, but peaceful, force. For almost 1,900 years, his kingdom prospered.

Fall from Power
Even as Baxtorian's kingdom reached its peak, disaster struck. All contact with Tirannwn ceased; none sent through the Arandar Mountain Pass returned, and his efforts to scry beyond the mountain range were blocked by an unknown darkness. The mysteriously sealed Arandar Pass left the settlers with only one feasible route back to their homeland: the Underground Pass, a long-forgotten series of tunnels that had been excavated by the first elves as a means of transport via the Well of Voyage.

Baxtorian sent five of his best scouts through the Pass, but only one returned. Adwr, the sole survivor of the scouting mission, told the settlers of what had happened in the capital city of Prifddinas. The Iorwerth Clan, knowing that most of the elvish military had left the city, claimed control of Prifddinas; a bloody act that left thousands of elves dead and the city in Lord Iorwerth's hands.

This news caused a massive uproar amongst the settlers. Many ideas were put forward, but ultimately Baxtorian decided that the Iorwerth Clan must be forced from the city at the point of a blade. Baxtorian led a five year campaign into Tirannwn, where he attempted to defeat the Iorwerth Clan. He and his army fought their way to the walls of Prifddinas, but his siege failed due to his dwindling manpower and his spells "losing" their strength to some darkness when he casted them. Furthermore, when Baxtorian and his decimated forces returned to Kandarin, he was shocked to see that the Iorwerth were both able to defend their newly captured city and attack other settlements. Aggressive forces hired by the Iorwerth destroyed his kingdom, but most devastating to him was the loss of his wife Glarial, who he presumed to be captured by the hostile forces.

Legend says that Baxtorian's grief was so great that he would not live without her. After building a monument to Glarial east of Baxtorian Falls, it is said that he travelled to their home under the falls and sealed himself within a room. Baxtorian performed his own burial within the chamber, sealing himself with his wealth and a monument to Glarial.



Aftermath
With Baxtorian dead and enemy forces continuing to attack, the elven settlers were forced to retreat to their kin in Tirannwn. There, they reunited with the survivors of Iorwerth's betrayal. Prior to Plague's End they wandered Isafdar, fighting against Iorwerth at every turn.

The Baxtorian Falls was so named in honour of the great elven king. Legends of his treasure have only grown, prompting many to travel to the greater Falls area in search of it, although rumours suggest that the treasure was found by dwarven miners some years ago. Others travel to the area simply to admire the natural beauty of the area.

During the Waterfall Quest, players rediscover Baxtorian's tomb. His only known, living descendant is Islwyn Cadarn, an elven bowyer who starts the Roving Elves quest when spoken to.

Restoration of Seren
As the city of Prifddinas began to shake, the elven leaders held a conclave to decide what to do. After it was decided that Seren should be remade, Arianwyn gave the adventurer a book to find where the shard was. After the location was his tomb, the two go there and find that Baxtorian's statue is off. Arianwyn mutters an incantation to bring Baxtorian back to life. He asks him if Iorwerth has fallen, which Arianwyn tells him yes and that he should come see the new Prifddinas. When told that he has a grandson, Islwyn, Baxtorian tells the player that Eirlys is his daughter and the mother of Islwyn. After the adventurer tells him that Seren needs to be remade, he asks the two if the remember the Song of Restoration, which they do not. Baxtorian tells them that it was passed down to the elven leaders, and although it was lost over time, he remembers part of the song. He tells them that he kept the shard close to them, and reverts the statue of Glarial into the "Military" shard of Seren, to which he asks her to forgive him.

If asked why he turned himself into crystal, he will tell the adventurer that he could not bear the loss of his wife and by being in crystal, would be closer to her.

Later at the Tower of Voices, Baxtorian voices opposition against Iestin Edern due to the latter being the new Lord Iorwerth, but is told that he helped overthrow the previous Iorwerth. After watching Seren return but collapse due to weakness, he tells the adventurer they should go to Seren's place of origin to restore her. After Seren is fully restored at the Elder Halls, Baxtorian is pleased to see her again. Not having anything of importance to do, he is currently staying in Prifddinas at the Tower of Voices and gives the player some rewards for their assistance.

Abilities
Baxtorian and his wife, Queen Glarial, were famed for their control and understanding of nature, having attained higher levels of proficiency with the elven mystic arts than many. Legends state that they had the ability to control the elements, creating hills, rivers, and trees as they walked, tapping into the power of the runestones Guthix had created to do so.

"Our great king of old - the most powerful of us all - he had such power. When he returned to his home in the east to find Glarial missing - after years of searching for her - he entered the waterfall, never to appear again."

- Gwir

Baxtorian was also a poet, as is evident in a poem he wrote to mourn his wife. The following is an extract from the biography Book on Baxtorian.

What care I for this mortal coil, Where treasures are yet so frail, For it is you that is my life blood, The wine to my Holy Grail, And if I see the judgment day, When the gods fill the air with dust, I'll happily choke on your memory, As my kingdom turns to rust.