Somnar I of Valkanren

"Unity is strength."

- Somnar I Somnar I of Valkanren (21 BU—24 AU), known today as Somnar the Great, was the first High King of Valkanren. The son of Edmund the Vain's bastard, Oswin Leventhar, Count Palatine of the Leven, he was educated from birth in the arts of war and politics. He is most famous for having usurped the throne of the Kingdom of Brythonia with popular support against Edgar the Cruel, and thereafter burning down the city of Cyngvar.

As Somnar Leventhar
During the reign of Edgar II of Brythonia, Somnar was very popular at court with the sons of major Brythonian princes, such as those of Ashmore and Lowellshire, in addition to being friendly with many nobles from Swanhaven and Hetzburg. This made Edgar increasingly jealous, and he sought to diminish Somnar's influence at court by estranging his father, Oswin.

Plagues and poor harvests had made Brythonia incredibly weak and over-reliant on Sassyar's trade, so Edgar imposed high tariffs on Sassyari goods which only worsened the recession. Many lords spoke out against the tariff policy, however they were executed, such as Loren Carthidian, Prince of Ashmore. Eventually, Oswin himself spoke out against the tariffs, and the king took great pleasure in humiliating him before having him sentenced to death by stoning. He hung his naked body from the parapets of Levenstad and proclaimed "this is the fate of all traitors."

Somnar, furious, travelled to Sassyar to enlist the support of Mero XII against Edgar. Mero, possessing no male children, agreed to marry his daughter and heiress, Merezyn, to Somnar, purely because he believed Somnar was the prophet Alexander reborn. Their marriage took place in the Palace of Lyzentos in 1 BU, and they left to conquer Brythonia the next day with support of many Brythonian lords.

Somnar's Conquest
Somnar marched on Ellgyr, which at the time was being used as Ellgyr's capital. The Lord Mayor of Ellgyr, Sir Balos Cyrr, ordered for the gates to be opened for Somnar's host. Somnar laid waste to the noble province, rooted Edgar out from his castle and had him thrown from the walls of his keep. The king's body was hung over the castle gates until it rotted.

In 1 AU, Somnar barely had time to proclaim himself King of Brythonia before Leodoth Blackheart raised his banners against him. A bloody war ensued between Brythonia and Cyngvar, eventually decided in the Battle of the Snows in 3 AU. Leodoth's host (20,000 strong) outnumbered Somnar's (15,000 strong); however, due to severe weather conditions, Somnar managed to pull off a striking victory, slew Leodoth in personal combat, and proceeded to march on Cyngvar to burn it down, slaughter the city's population and salt its earth. He then forcefully converted Deronists in Cyngvar to Hynethism.

In 4 AU, he was crowned by Supreme Pontiff Cassius II as the High King of Valkanren and Primate of Alexander.