Emperor Ethian IV
Emperor Ethian IV (formerly King Ethian IV of St. Stylinson) was the first Emperor of the Empire of Directionland and a widely revered monarch of the former United Realm of Directionland. Remembered as a bridge builder and consensus leader, Ethian played a central role in the negotiations that shaped the Great Unification and the early identity of the Imperial Crown.
| Emperor Ethian IV | |
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 Portrait of Emperor Ethian IV at age 50.
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| Title | Emperor of Directionland |
| Reign | King of St. Stylinson (aged 27 to 87) Emperor of Directionland (aged 38 to 87) |
| Coronation | Aged 27 (as King of St. Stylinson) Aged 38 (as Emperor of Directionland) |
| Successor | Emperor Farrion II |
| Spouse | Princess Beatrice of Jalbarra |
| Issue | Prince Farrion (later Emperor Farrion II) Prince Rallon |
| House | House Durias |
 Coat of Arms of House Durias
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| Father | King Farrion of St. Stylinson |
| Mother | Queen Adeline of St. Stylinson |
| Born | Unknown |
| Age at death | 87 |
| Known for | First Emperor of Directionland; negotiations surrounding the Great Unification; early Imperial tours and civic symbolism of the Crown |
Ethian’s reign is closely associated with the early consolidation of Directionland’s unity through personal diplomacy, provincial outreach, and a public image grounded in humility and everyday service.
Early life
Ethian was born in St. Stylinson to King Farrion and Queen Adeline. He was the eldest of three children, with two younger siblings: Prince Albert and Princess Agatha.
Court chronicles and later popular retellings describe Ethian as unusually attentive to provincial concerns for a crown prince, taking early interest in local governance, arbitration, and the practical needs of the realm beyond court.
King of St. Stylinson
Ethian became King of St. Stylinson at age 27, succeeding his father. By the time of his accession, St. Stylinson held significant influence within the United Realm of Directionland, and Ethian was already known across the wider realm for his steady temperament and preference for negotiation over coercion.
Great Unification and the St. Niam negotiations
Ethian’s most celebrated political work centered on the negotiations leading into the Great Unification. He is particularly associated with securing the cooperation of St. Niam during the dissolution of its ducal system, a sensitive transition given the duchy’s long aristocratic tradition.
In the best known account, Ethian convinced Duke Albor Odine of St. Niam to relinquish his privileged position as Duke in exchange for St. Niam being designated the seat of the Province Governor, even though the provincial capital of Central Directionland had already been established as Simonville. The compromise preserved a recognized center of regional authority in St. Niam while allowing the new Imperial system to proceed without maintaining ducal rule.
At age 38, Ethian was crowned Emperor of Directionland, making him the rare sovereign in Directian history to be crowned twice: first as king, and later as emperor.
The Imperial tours
In the early years of the Empire, Ethian spent several cycles traveling across Directionland to connect personally with the newly unified provinces. Accounts consistently emphasize that he did not restrict these visits to noble courts or provincial assemblies, but met artisans, laborers, farmers, and local officials with equal attention.
One of the most cited anecdotes describes the Emperor removing his uniform jacket to help a farmer till soil during a hot summer day. The story concludes with Ethian spending the full day in the fields, sharing conversation with the farmer’s household, and ending the evening with a simple meal of vegetable stew, bread, and ale.
The farmer later renamed his land Emperor Ethian’s Land. The holding is traditionally said to have received an Imperial warrant of appointment shortly thereafter and remains, in modern Directionland custom, an official supplier of grain, fruit, and vegetables to the Imperial Household.
Marriage and children
Ethian married Princess Beatrice of Jalbarra, a union that strengthened ties between Directionland and the southern kingdoms during a period of shifting continental diplomacy.
They had two sons:
- Prince Farrion (later Emperor Farrion II)
- Prince Rallon
Death and funeral
Ethian IV died at age 87 after a short illness. Contemporary tradition holds that his death produced a rare moment of shared mourning across provinces, as he had come to embody the ideal of a unified Directionland in the popular imagination.
At his funeral, his son and successor, Emperor Farrion II, delivered a speech that is widely quoted in later retellings:
My father, Emperor Ethian IV, believed in Directionland, in the idea that a realm this vast could endure as one. When he closed his eyes for the last time, he spoke to me as a father to a son: “I am happy, my son. I have seen the rise of a land of beauty, kindness, and above all, love.”
As your Emperor, I will honor his dream. I will continue where he left off, serving you for a stronger union and a better Directionland. May the Four lift you in their arms, Father. May the Four protect your rest, and watch over Directionland.
Legacy
Ethian IV is remembered as a unifying monarch defined by personal diplomacy, symbolic humility, and public presence beyond the court. In Directian civic memory, he represents the ideal that imperial authority must be earned through service and sustained through understanding between provinces.
Titles and styles
- Prince of St. Stylinson
- Crown Prince of St. Stylinson (age 17)
- King of St. Stylinson (crowned aged 27)
- Emperor of Directionland (crowned aged 38)