Baxtorian

King Baxtorian Cadarn was a powerful elven king of the Fourth Age. He was responsible for leading an elven expansion that stretched at least as far east as modern-day Camelot, possibly even farther.

Background
Baxtorian was amongst the first elves to arrive in Gielinor. He was one of the eight elves chosen to lead Prifddinas by Seren, the goddess of the elves. He led the Cadarn Clan, the elves' primary military clan. For some 6,000 years, the elves prospered. Baxtorian lead them to a time of peace and security. 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.

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 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. Although known details of the campaign are few, the attack ultimately failed. Furthermore, when Baxtorian and his decimated forces returned to Kandarin, he found his kingdom had been all but obliterated. Most devastating for Baxtorian, though, was the fate of his wife, Glarial. Taken by hostile forces, he was unable to find her, and was forced to accept her probable death.

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. Even today they still wander 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.

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.