Lions' Dynasty

The Lions' Dynasty was one of the ruling dynasties of Tethyr. It was largely to blame for the political instability and chaos leading up to the Tethyrian Interregnum period.

Dynastic Seal
The symbol and name of the dynasty derive from a tale told in which Prince Nearel used a magic horn to summon a pack of sea cats, or "sea lions", to defend against a band of assassins that where pursuing him.

History
The dynasty was established in 959 DR by Mhoaran the Tusk-Bearded, when he took the throne from King Teremir I of the Bormul Dynasty by force.

Mhoaran was succeeded by his seventeenth son Nearel, and afterwards by Kortal, Haedrak I, Coram I, and Coram II.

The line of rule was briefly interrupted in 1070 DR, when Teremir II of the Bormul Dynasty slew Coram II in a duel and briefly reestablished the Bormul's on the throne. When Alemander I killed Teremir II the next year, power returned to the Lions' Dynasty.

In 1145 DR, Coram III, Alemander's great-grandson, officially changed the family's name from "House of Ithal-Strohm-Bormul" to simply "House Tethyr".

Alemander II and Coram IV followed in line. Then, Kymer, an illegitimate half-elf son of Alemander II, usurped the throne, killing Coram and his family. One of Coram IV's sons, however, escaped death. The "Corsair Prince", Haedrak II, spent five years building an army and finally retook the throne from his uncle in 1227 DR, killing him in a duel.

During the year 1274 DR, in an event known as the Kinslayings, seven royal princesses of House Tethyr were assassinated in Waterdeep. Upon hearing the news, King Haedrak died, leaving his third son Errilam I to take the crown. Errilam himself died in a hunting accident only a few years later in 1277 DR, and many humans of Tethyr blamed the elves for his death. This lead to a persecution of elves. Alemander III, Errilam's nephew, became the next king, since Errilam had no surviving heirs.

In 1288 DR, the daughter of Errilam's surviving sister was also assassinated in Waterdeep. The so-called "Waterdeep Curse" continued as the next king, Jaszur, who was Haedrak II's grand-nephew, was slaughtered on a return trip to Tethyr from Waterdeep after having eased the tensions between the two lands.

Olosar, Jaszur's twin, and Alemander IV followed in the line of succession. Alemander had two sons, Alemander V by his first wife, and secretly Haedrak III by his second.

Alemander IV was a harsh ruler not well-liked by his people, and he had a strained relationship with his first son Alemander V. Alemander V joined with some of the lesser nobles of Tethyr and plotted a coup to gain power from his father. The plan did not go as planned, as the royal palace, Castle Tethyr, was burned to the ground, killing not only the king but also the queen, Alemander V, and their whole family. This event triggered the Ten Black Days of Eleint and ended the dynasty in 1347 DR.