Cydonus III
Grand Prince Cydonus III reigned over Taldor from 4077 AR to 4082 AR. These five years were disastrous for the Taldan Empire. Cydonus III was overwhelmed by anxiety over the Qadiran invasion and retreated into extravagance and indulgence in ways that stunned even the libertine Taldan aristocracy. Cydonus became known as the "Red Prince" because of the state of the royal ledgers.1
House of the Senses Awakened
Cydonus III had few accomplishments as Grand Prince, though one was his commissioning of a labyrinthine pleasure palace, the House of the Senses Awakened, in the Porthmos Gap. The Grand Prince spent most of his time there, where he courted many lovers, among them a cellist named Origen Sarlu to whom Cydonus granted an earldom—a decision that was unpopular among the aristocracy.1
Death and succession
Once the Even-Tongued Conquest claimed Cheliax from Taldor, a palace conspiracy spanning months led to his poisoning in 4082 AR. Sarlu absconded with Cydonus's body into the House of the Senses Awakened, then sealed it, himself, and vast amounts of the nation's wealth in the House, which Sarlu transformed into a deathtrap.1
Beldam I succeeded him to the throne of Taldor. Between Cydonus's free-spending ways and Sarlu sealing much of the wealth within the House, Beldam was soon dubbed "the Penniless".1
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 . “Hunting for Treasure” in Lost Treasures, 8. Paizo Inc., 2014
