Elhiérus Ardacýn

Elhiérus Ardácýn (Middle High Elven: ; High Elven: ) was a Froturnish scholar, composer, music theorist, philosopher and critic of culture and arts, and later of the Titanist religion itself.

Early life
Ardacýn was born on the 125.83252623623 in the northern village of Pelúnia, in the Kingdom of Froturn. He came from a rather wealthy family, and as the third son, it was decided that he should study music. He learned from several masters of the time, both performers and composers alike. In addition to music, he was also taught poetry, philosophy, mathematics, history and some theology.

In the end, Ardacýn became a composer and a church-organist. In, Ardacýn got married: his wife was Cordrea Heasinddare, descendant of a relative of Aetharis Heasinddare, herself a singer and theatre actress. After their marriage, Ardacýn would write a lot of vocal songs specifically for Heasinddare's voice. She would end up bearing three children for him, all of whom would get involved in music and theatre after growing up.

Unfortunately, his happy, married life with three children would only last years, as in 261, during the Second Demonic Invasion, while Elhiérus Ardacýn was away, his wife and three children were trapped inside their burning house that was surrounded by demons, ultimately leading to their death.

Ardacýn was struck with depression and heartbreak, and was mentally incapaciated for several years. He was unable to compose songs, his hands have become too shake to play the organ effectively, and he was mumbling incoherently - he would be supported by a group of friends and family, who would also put him through therapy: he would be sent to a tranquil garden in Dragoc.

Life in Etrancoast
By 272, Ardacýn made a full recovery, returned to his native Froturn and became active once again as a composer, poet and organist. In 276, he joined a church effort to convince the pagan Etrancoasti to convert to Titanism: he would perform publicly for money that he would donate to the church, as a form of charitable fundraises to send food to Etrancoast. He also travelled to Etrancoast several times and briefly resided in Waterburcht several times, but didn't leave Froturn permanently until the dawn of the fourth century.

In 299, he made the conscious decision to permanently relocate to Etrancoast, his explanation being that "he was bored with his own Froturn" - he moved to Yrvhaven, where he began to study Hulran music and culture - two subjects not very politically correct at the time - and researched to understand human music. In addition to the Etrancoasti - a mixture of crypto-Pagans and recently converted Titanists - he was also surrounded by Etrandish migrants who would form the urban bourgeoise of the new Etrancoast, giving him an opportunity to simultaneously learn about both cultures and the musical traditions of both cultures.

He was still loosely affiliated with the Church of Titanius as an organization - as a student of Hulran musical traditions, he was the only person capable of composing music that would appeal to the Pagan Etrancoasti, meaning that if he composed music in the pagan style with pro-Titanist lyrics, he could be an infinitely useful asset to the Church. Hence he started receiving plety of commissions from the Church once again. The Etrandish weren't very fond of his presence and objected to his activities, as they were apparently keen on completely destroying all remnants of Hulran culture until 376, which also included their musical traditions.

During his time in Etrancoast, Ardacýn has gotten involved with two unnamed Etrancoasti women, both of whom bore several children from him. He didn't marry any of them. No information remains about the fate of his Half-Elven bastard children.

Life in Etrand
In 322, Elhiérus Ardacýn decided to move to Etrand, settling in Dracfold. Supposedly, this was done after two of his Etrancoasti lovers found out about not only each other, but also his attempt to woo third female: a noblewoman who was already married. Allegedly - if the story is even true to begin with - Ardacýn left Etrancoast to avoid scandal. Other records state that he has gotten in debt during his life in Etrancoast, and decided to sell his residence to repay it, and then start a new life in Etrand. Some would even claim that both stories are true at the same time.

Whatever the case, Elhiérus Ardacýn moved to the town of Dracfold in 322.

He had gotten involved with a Half-Elven woman named Aléna Merovéch, with whom he has gotten married. Merovéch, despite being a Half-Elf, was raised in the Etrandish culture, and during his relationship with her, Ardacýn realized how much he has grown to hate his own High-Elven culture and love Human culture. Following encouragements from Aléna, Ardacýn became a critic of High Elven culture and musical traditions, writing his first book "Manufactured Sadness" in 330. He would remain an active philosopher, poet, composer and performer, and due to the recognition he received, he would even be invited to teach at various institutions of education (such as the Royal Academy of Grandfolk). In fact, due to this, the couple has moved to Grandfolk by 342, where they have gotten formally married. Aléna bore Elhiérus four children, out of which only one would follow the profession of his father: he would become a church organist.

Eventually however, the relationship between the two would turn sour. Aléna Merovéch and Elhiérus Ardacýn got divorced in 411. The exact details are unknown, but it is speculated that both of them were mutually cheating on each other after "the spark died out", and rather than keep up their sinking marriage, they decided to part ways peacefully and amicably instead. After the divorce, the philosopher-composer turned away from music to focus more on philosophy. He became a critic of the Church of Titanius, causing some visits from the Inquisition who demanded that he self-censor his politically incorrect works.

Life in Dragoc
In 416, Elhiérus Ardacýn decided to stop self-censoring altogether, and instead moved to Dragoc, where the air was fresh and the word was free. He made a point to specifically visit the very same tranquil garden that he had therapy in after the loss of his first wife and three children. He decided to settle down at the very same place, and live there until two weeks before his death.

He stopped composing music and poetry altogether, writing only philosophical books. Ironically, while his books written after 411 were either banned or heavily censored in Etrand, in his native Froturn - the place he had no intention to return to, the place he criticized so much - received his books without any censorship. In fact, his books and criticism of High Elven (musical) traditions were loved by King Cael'mus of Froturn and many of the High Elven converts to the Cult of Nature at the time used Ardacýn's philosophy to justify their loss of faith in their own High Elven culture and religion. The irony is, Ardacýn himself never converted to Naturalism: in fact, he remained a Titanius-worshipper till the day he died, despite his ardent criticism of the Church and many of its doctrines. He even made a point to call out the Church for being hypocrites who did the exact opposite of what written doctrine demanded, calling them a cult of nihilists and materialists pretending to be proponents of a religion that in reality teaches the believer to search for a higher purpose in life.

Final pilgrimage and death
Elhiérus Ardacýn died on the 613.0123456789. All records state that he died peacefully, with a smile on his face. Supposedly, he foresaw his death coming, so one two weeks before his death, he travelled to the village where he was born: Pelúnia, in the Kingdom of Froturn. There, he did the very thing he spent his whole life criticism: nostalgia. He recollected all his memories, he wrote his memoir, he reminisced about his first wife, his first children, and constantly mumbled the question "Was it all a mistake?". As his death was approaching, he summoned his most loyal followers, and made his last wish known: to be burried next to his parents.

After much hesitation, the church posthumously undid Elhiérus Ardacýn's excommunication and accepted him back to the church, but only to permit his funeral and burial in sacred ground - the excommunication of the person may have been revoked, the excommunication of his ideas remaied active, and his writings continued to be controversial.

Works and ideas
Ardácýn was well-known for being a critic of High Elven music(al traditions), and have made up several new concepts.

Manufactured Sadness
Ardácýn - while living in Etrand and Etrancoast - has observed that despite living a much poorer, less comfortable life than the High Elves, the Humans enjoyed life a lot more. They smiled, laughed, depression was unheard of, suicide was unheard of, the elderly died with smiles on their faces. He came to believe that his own High Elves are ungrateful for the high standards of life Titanius has blessed them with, and are entitled. At the same time, he also took note in the differences between High Elven music and Human music: High Elven music was either melancholic or monumentalistic: it was either music that was slow, quiet, often invoking feelings of sadness or nostalgia, or it was loud and militaristic, invoking a sense of inferiority in the listener (unless he was a soldier). In contrast, human music was often happy, cheerful and "sanguine". The differences in music reflected the differences in personality: the introverted, melancholic and phlegmatic High Elves, versus the extroverted, sanguine and choleric Humans.

Ardácýn came to the conclusion that the problem with his High Elves was not biological, but cultural, and that High Elven music was corrupting, and has been corrupting the High Elves since time immemorial: he believed that High Elven music promoted nihilism, depression, decadence and existential crisis, as opposes to the "healthier" Human music that promoted a much healthier view of life. He came up with the term Manufactured Sadness, and used it to mock High Elven music and poetry - he wrote in his books that "the reason why the High Elf is always depressed is Manufactured Sadness", paraphrasing his belief that their own music had an adverse effect on their own collective mental health.