King Baede
King Baede of Kryta, and once king of Lion's Arch prior to the Rising of Orr, was renowned throughout Tyria. Cobiah Marriner, who referred to the king as the old man of the mountain, had dealt with him once or twice, though only through intermediaries and ambassadors. Baede was the father of an unnamed eldest son, Prince Edair, Princess Emilane, and another child who had possibly been a famous mesmer.[1]
Biography
King Baede succeeded his parents to the Krytan throne sometime before 1219 AE and was crowned in the Krytan capital of Lion's Arch, a tradition going back to the crowning of Queen Salma the Good.[2] He is known to have had four children—three sons and a daughter. His eldest, unnamed son was a scholar and elementalist. The other three were Prince Edair who was a warrior and the only heir to have undergone military service, Princess Emilane who was a ranger trained by the Tyrian Explorer's Society, and another child who had possibly been a famous mesmer.[1][3] The king was said to have built the Indomitable, the flagship of his fleet, by himself, making it the largest vessel in the Krytan navy at the time.[4] Captain Whiting, who helmed the Indomitable, became Baede's "special favorite" and often dined with the king in the royal palace.[5]
Baede's reign witnessed the catastrophic Rising of Orr and the resulting Great Tsunami which devastated what became known as the Tarnished Coast and destroyed Kryta's capital Lion's Arch. The Shining Blade member Livia helped him and the royal family escape from the wave.[3] Baede and his subjects fled north to escape the tsunami's effects and settled into the Village of Shaemoor for a time. The king founded the monarchy's new seat of power, Divinity's Reach, on a mound, but lived in Shaemoor until the city had been completed. After settling into Divinity's Reach, Baede would eventually earn the sobriquet old man of the mountain. He purchased an asura gate for his new city from the Arcane Council of Rata Sum at some point.[6]
While Krytans began rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of the tsunami, pirates and corsairs used the opportunity to take over the remains of old Lion's Arch and turned it into a free haven for pirates and others seeking a new life. Cobiah Marriner founded the Ship's Council, which would one day be known as the Captain's Council, to rule the free city while becoming commodore. Baede learned what had happened in Lion's Arch, leading to a tense peace between the kingdom and the free city which was broken on occasion by skirmishes and trade embargoes, but generally respected. The king did not have the guns to take on the finest navy in the world—or their commander Cobiah Marriner. Taking Lion's Arch by force would require an attacker to be ruthless. They would have to destroy a navy and slaughter the populace before they would kneel to a ruler who was not born and bred in the waves. Baede respected that and tried to deal with Marriner, hoping Lion's Arch would return to Kryta in time.
King Baede eventually became sick and remained that way for years, with the Ministry ruling things while he degraded. He planned to invade Lion's Arch during the final years of his reign but was convinced not to when he was approached by his old rival Cobiah's wife Isaye Marriner who provided the king with the commodore's journals on the dangers of the Risen emerging from Orr and how the pooled knowledge and engineering of the multiracial Lion's Arch was the only way to keep Tyria safe from the Dead Ships.[7]
King Baede's reign was long, ending with his death in 1256 AE. He named Prince Edair as his successor; it is suspected that Baede was convinced by Edair's victories in past battles against the charr and that the prince would be able to defend Kryta. The news of the king's death was brought to Lion's Arch by the schooner, Gabrian's Comet.
Notes
- Given the royal family's timeline, it is possible that King Roderick might be Baede's unnamed eldest elementalist son.
- The German version of Sea of Sorrows mentions Baede's fourth child to have been a famous mesmer. No such info is however provided in the English version.[verification requested]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Chapter 24", Sea of Sorrows by Ree Soesbee:
- Baede, King of Kryta, once the king of Lion's Arch...before the Orrian wave destroyed the city. The aged dignitary was renowned throughout the continent. Cobiah'd even dealt with him once or twice, though only through intermediaries and ambassadors. There was a tense peace between Kryta and Lion's Arch, broken on occasion by skirmishes or trade embargos, but generally respected. "We knew that was going to happen eventually. Baede'd been sick for years. Hell, the ministry's been ruling things while he degraded. Still...this could change the tenor of our treaty negotiations. He had four kids—who'd the old man of the mountain name as heir to the throne?" [...]
- "Three fine sons and daughters to choose from, and Baede chooses Edair? That...that..." Words failed him. [...]
- "I suppose those 'victories on the field of battle' earned his father's approval...or made Baede believe that Edair would be able to defend Kryta. None of the others ever joined the service as far as I know."
- "They're scholars. The oldest boy's an elementalist... What's the princess? The girl with the really curly hair?"
- Sykox concentrated. "Emilane. She's a ranger. Trained by the Tyrian Explorer’s Society. Spends most of her time in the northern forests, I think."
- "Oh, yeah, now I remember her. She's the one with the big hound."
- ↑ "Chapter 30", Sea of Sorrows by Ree Soesbee:
- "Correct. Edair rushed to take Lion's Arch immediately upon his father's death. It is his plan to be coronated in Lion's Arch. That is where all the kings and queens of Kryta have been elevated, since the days of Queen Salma the Good. He doesn't plan to be the first to change that tradition."
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Chapter 30", Sea of Sorrows by Ree Soesbee:
- "You don't agree with what's going on," Cobiah guessed. He stood and walked to face Livia through the iron bars of his cell. "If you did, you wouldn't be here." Cobiah pressed his luck, relying on instinct to gauge the woman's reaction. "You're older than the prince. You were alive when the sea swallowed Lion's Arch. Hell, you might have even been in the city at the time, in the king's palace. You were probably with him when King Baede and the others were whisked away while the city was destroyed around you. You know what I know...you know how dangerous Orr really is. [...]
- "I have attempted to discuss these matters with my prince, but Edair is not a practitioner of the magical arts. He is a warrior. Furthermore, he is very young and utterly convinced of his superiority based on the success of his conflicts with the charr." Livia shrugged, the movement rippling appealingly across her sleek form. "If I cannot convince Edair of the truth, then I must protect him from his errors."
- ↑ "Chapter 1", Sea of Sorrows by Ree Soesbee:
- Cobiah let the coin dance over his fingers. "See those big masts out at the last dock? That's the Indomitable. She's got three masts and three decks, and a hundred guns on each side. The king of Kryta built that ship himself, and she's the finest one on the sea!"
- Biviane stared out over his arm, glancing back and forth between white sails and yellow gold. "That's King Baede's ship?"
- "His biggest one. And it's a sight to see. It could fit a hundred soldiers on it, and still have room for fifteen houses, a thousand cats..." He smiled to see her mouth purse into a little O of astonishment. "And Polla, too."
- ↑ "Chapter 3", Sea of Sorrows by Ree Soesbee:
- Sethus shrugged. "Everyone knows our captain's a special favorite of King Baede; he's dining at the palace most of the time we're docked in Lion's Arch. My guess is that Cap'n Whiting talked up the Indomitable, and now that there's a problem, he's going to have to live up to his bragging."
- ↑ "Chapter 13", Sea of Sorrows by Ree Soesbee:
- "Divinity's Reach?" Sykox cocked his head. "Where's that?"
- "It's a new human city." Isaye's voice startled them. She had approached from the other side of the mast. As she spoke, she leaned against it and watched their game progress. "I'm surprised you've heard of it, little one. The project's only a few years old, and still only half-built. King Baede moved to Shaemoor after Lion's Arch was lost, and now they're designing a city on the cliffs near Lake Regent. When they finish, it'll be the new capital of Kryta."
- Macha's ears twitched warningly, but amazingly, the asura kept a civil tongue. "Baede commissioned an asura gate for his city, which is how I know. He's planning to make it a hub of trade. Makes sense. The sea's crawling with undead, and Lion's Arch is full of water—how else are you going to get trade through? But anyway, if we can get you three to Rata Sum...we can get you home."
- ↑ "Chapter 30", Sea of Sorrows by Ree Soesbee:
- "What were King Baede's orders?" Cobiah asked.
- Livia paused before she answered. Her eyes flicked to Isaye, then back to Cobiah. "Some years ago, King Baede began plans of his own to invade your city, Commodore Marriner. It was his intent to recapture Lion's Arch. However, his mind was changed when Lady Isaye sent him notes...documentation...proof that your forces were uniquely capable of defending this port against the Dead Ships. King Baede had more than enough militia to invade and seize your city. Because of the information Isaye provided, he abandoned those plans."
- Cobiah's mind raced. "That was why you were meeting with the Krytans?" he asked Isaye, numbly aware that she wouldn't meet his eyes.
- She nodded, a small, sorrowing movement. "I discovered Baede's plans. I couldn't let him invade Lion's Arch, but I also didn't want to tell the council. Either way, I would have started a war. Taking Baede your notes was the only way to make sure he understood the threat Orr represented. The number of vessels they'd destroyed; the great lengths we were going to, ensuring that our city had a chance against those Dead Ships. I had to prove to him that Lion's Arch—as it was, with the united forces of all races of Tyria—was vital to keeping Kryta safe. Baede would never have been able to arrange charr engineering to enhance the fort at Claw Island or convince the asuran colleges to enchant ships against Orrian fire.
- "After he read your journals, King Baede agreed with me." Isaye kept her eyes low, twisting her fingers back and forth in her lap. "He told his army to stand down and leave Lion's Arch alone."
