Rhungast Bijäl

Stemmata of House Bijäl

b 2565, d 2626. r 2603 to 2626. Last Grand Duke of Aurice, second son of Stalcast Bijäl, poisoned before the Aurician Revolution of 2627. He slew his older brother, Grand Duke Vast Bijäl, in a duel in 2603. Their mother, Mekarna, horrified by her youngest son's actions, died a year later in 2604. A calculating prince, Rhungast was not much loved, but not much loathed until he murdered his brother. He was third and last Grand Duke of Aurice. His subjects felt he had besmirched the reputation of House Bijäl, but he kept the army, the navy, and the skyforce content to bulwark his regime. The Senate of Aurice could not openly oppose him and his status as Grand Duke was secured by a narrow margin, through bribes and fear of reprisals.

His agents disposed of his brother Vast's sons, Stalcast II (murdered 2604) and Bralcast (murdered 2617 after he fled to southern Orrhymby). Stalcast II had only been married a few years and died without issue. He sent Sulormingue and Chanda the Fair into permanent exile in 2603 to Skaligdæ in the southern hemisphere. Rhungast's sisters by his own mother, Mekarna, already lived with their husbands abroad, with the exception of Ersersea who was the High Phœnissa of Aurice, 2604 to 2607, who was sacrosanct as high priestess of the state cult.

He married Sunasa in 2586 by whom he had Thuvactira (daughter, born 2587), Rhoglos (son, born 2589), Almun (daughter, born 2591), Jemahlia (daughter, born 2593). Though he took only one wife, but many courtesans, including his favorite, Amísbë Almikkis.

A great builder of overseas empire, he also established the preliminaries of the modern Energist Brigade of Aurice. Falsely accused of dabbling in chaos, he was not a religious dogmatist, but generously supported several temples, including the state cult, the Golden Phœnice. Much of the funds for the construction of the Temple of the Golden Phœnice were donated by Grand Duke Rhungast.

Rhungast died of poisoning in 2626, the calendar year prior to the Aurician Revolution,2627. His son, the presumptive heir, Rhoglos Bijäl, (born 2589), fled into exile to Agogia with loyalists of House Bijäl. He was subsequently slain in the Battle of Kadraskan, 2634.

Sources

• Amísbë's Revolution
• Bijälian Legacy, The, Fastorn Arvondunve, 2685
• Intrigues of the Late Bijälian Court, Perevath Chandomiddo, written 2700-2710, (covers 2574 to 2627, but focuses on 2590 to 2634, the reigns of Vast and Rhungast Bijäl and ending with the Battle of Kadraskan and the death of Rhoglos Bijäl), Throvian Language.

See Also

• Chronology of Aurice
• Grand Duke Stalcast Bijäl
• Grand Duke Vast Bijäl
• Rhoglos Bijäl