Aemon al Caar al Thorin

Aemon, a man so fearless that the greatest complement for courage any could give, even among his enemies, was to say a man had Aemon’s heart.

Aemon al Caar al Thorin, The Sword that could not be broken

About

Third Age historians described Aemon as a towering and commanding presence, standing over six feet tall with a powerful build. He was famous for his sharp instincts as a military strategist and his skill for knowing when to take risks. Above all, Aemon was celebrated across the nations for his extraordinary bravery. Following the legacy of his ancestors, Aemon vowed that Manetheren would always rise to defend any nation struggling against the forces of the Shadow. His greatest love was his wife, Queen Eldrene, a cherished leader affectionately called Ellisande, meaning “The Rose of the Sun”. Together, Aemon and Eldrene embodied courage, grace, wisdom, and a love so profound that even death could not sever it.

A King of Destiny

Aemon was born while his grandfather, Thorin al Toren al Ban ruled the mountain-nation of Manetheren. His mother died in childbirth, but when Aemon was a child, his father, Prince Caar remarried a noblewoman from the Borderlands. The marriage to Princess Rhea was arranged to deepen the bond between Manetheren and the borderlands, who were intimate allies throughout the turmoil of the Trolloc Wars.

Shortly after the wedding, Rhea murdered Prince Caar in cold blood, and she was discovered to be a darkfriend. She might have succeeded in murdering young Prince Aemon, but the plot was foiled at the last minute. As a result, when King Thorin passed, Aemon was crowned king while still a young man, aged only 30. After his coronation, he married the love of his life, the Aes Sedai Eldrene ay Ellan ay Carlan, who bonded Aemon as her Warder, and together they ruled Manetheren from the nation’s magnificent capital, nestled high and securely among the cloud-capped peaks of the Mountains of Mist.

While the Trolloc Wars continued to rage around them, for their perseverance and courage, the Army of Manetheren became known as “a thorn to the Dark one’s foot and a bramble to his hand.”

The Fall of a King and Rise of a Legend

When the Shadow launched a massive campaign against the nations of the Westlands, Aemon responded. Known for his tactical brilliance, he personally led his armies in countless battles, often turning the tide against overwhelming odds. His presence on the battlefield inspired his soldiers, who revered him as a warrior willing to fight and die alongside them.

For the previous two hundred years, Shadowspawn armies waged war against the Ten Nations, causing immense death and displacement. Despite this devastation, the Shadow had been unable to secure any lasting victories, and a new leadership began to emerge within the councils of the Dreadlords. These new commanders quickly recognized that Manetheren, led by its brilliant monarch King Aemon, posed the greatest threat to their plans. Determined to eliminate this obstacle, they devised a strategy to bring about the ultimate destruction of Manetheren.

King Aemon’s final stand unfolded in a series of desperate and tragic battles, beginning with his victory at the Field of Bekkar. Though his forces decimated the Shadowspawn there, the triumph was a trap set by the Shadow’s generals to lure him far from Manetheren’s mountain home. Realizing the danger, Aemon and his army marched tirelessly back home, rallying their strength to defend the heart of their nation. Despite sending pleas for aid to allies, including the Amyrlin Seat, they received no reinforcements due to a betrayal that delayed all support.

A legendary Battle ensued, where Aemon’s vastly outnumbered troops held their ground for nine grueling days, preventing the Shadow from crossing the river into their territory. On the tenth day, betrayed by allies who never arrived and outmatched, Aemon ordered a retreat, destroying the bridges to slow the enemy. His forces regrouped on the west bank, fighting valiantly even as civilians joined the fray, sacrificing their lives alongside the soldiers.

Refusing defeat, Aemon fought to the very end, leading his men in a last, defiant stand. He fell on the battlefield, his death marking the fall of Manetheren but also cementing his legacy as a king who gave everything for his people. The moment of his death was sensed by his Queen.

The bravery and sacrifice of King Aemon and his gallant army allowed for a remnant of survivors to flee into the mountains.

Weep for Manetheren, weep for what is lost forever.
They were a proud people, but their pride could not save them.
Weep for the blood of Aemon al Caar al Thorin that was spilled upon the mountain slopes,
for the blood of the people that was poured like a river across the land.
Weep for the loss of their memory,
for the loss of their blood,
for the loss of the Mountain Home.
Weep for Manetheren

Rebirths