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Prince Arutha conDoin, an esteemed Prince of Krondor, who held the distinguished titles of Lord-Marshal of the Western Realm and of the King's Armies of the West. Notably, he stands as the rightful Heir Apparent to the illustrious throne of Rillanon. His appointment to this esteemed position came swiftly after the momentous coronation of King Lyam I, which marked the conclusion of the first riftwar.

As the youngest son and middle child of Duke Borric of Crydee and Catherine, niece to Duke Caldric and aunt to King Rodric IV, Prince Arutha possesses a noble lineage intricately woven into the fabric of his family's history.

Biography[]

History[]

Prince Arutha conDoin experienced the disciplinary consequence of his father's belt on a single occasion, imprinting upon him the importance of unwavering obedience to his father's commands. This early lesson instilled in him a deep understanding that his father's orders were to be followed without question.

With his dark hair, intense gaze, and brooding demeanor, Arutha embodies an enigmatic aura, characterized by occasional bouts of dark moods that set him apart from his elder brother, Lyam, who exudes a more amiable disposition despite being two years his senior.

As a younger son, Arutha bore the expectations of pursuing a military career within the border baronies or assuming a minor earldom. To prepare him for his future endeavors, he received comprehensive training under the tutelage of Swordmaster Fannon, Father Tully, and the esteemed magician Kulgan. The profound respect Arutha held for Kulgan left an indelible mark on him, prompting him to later seek the counsel of a magician as his father had done with Kulgan, recognizing the invaluable wisdom they possessed.

In this manner, Arutha's upbringing and encounters shaped him into a complex individual with a deep sense of duty and a keen appreciation for the wisdom of those who guided him along his path.

Riftwar[]

At the onset of the Riftwar, Arutha, alongside Pug and Tomas, stands as one of the few witnesses to the wreckage of a Tsurani ship dashed against the treacherous cliffs of the Sailor's Grief. Aligned in agreement with his father's astute assessment of the imminent Tsurani threat, Arutha embarks on a pivotal journey to Rillanon, aiming to secure King Rodric's aid for the imperiled Western Realm. However, upon arrival, they are disheartened to discover King Rodric's descent into madness, rendering any hope of assistance futile.

As their stay in Rillanon continues, the invasion they feared materializes, catching them off guard before Guy du Bas-Tyra, an advisor to the King, can offer counsel. In the ensuing chaos, Arutha's father assumes command of the Armies of the West, while Arutha himself is dispatched back to Crydee via the perilous Straits of Darkness. His mission: to lend support to his brother and fortify the castle's defense. For three arduous years, he remains steadfastly stationed there, navigating the challenges and perils of the ongoing siege.

When his brother Lyam departs to serve as their father's aide-de-camp at Yabon, Arutha initially hesitates to accept Swordmaster Fannon, his former mentor, as the garrison's commander, a position previously held by Lyam. However, circumstances demand swift action. Two weeks later, Arutha receives a concerning alert regarding an unidentified ship approaching Crydee's harbor, coinciding with the unlit state of the Longpoint lighthouse. Apprehensive about a potential accident, Arutha, accompanied by two soldiers, rushes to investigate. There, they encounter a overrun tower and, despite sustaining injuries, Arutha discerns the ship's armed nature, urgently igniting an alarm beacon just before the vessel sails into the harbor.

Amidst the siege, Arutha performs a heroic act by rescuing Captain Amos Trask, who endeavors to deliver much-needed supplies to the besieged castle. As the Siege of Crydee rages on, Arutha valiantly assumes command of the defense, exhibiting exceptional leadership skills and earning the respect of both his soldiers and Kasumi, the Tsurani leader spearheading the assault.

In the ninth year of the Riftwar, plagued by concerns of impending defeat, Arutha receives disconcerting information from a captured slave named Charles. Charles reveals the presence of new banners among the Tsurani forces, hinting at a substantial troop increase expected in the forthcoming campaign. Determined to seek aid, Arutha embarks on a journey to Krondor alongside Martin and Amos aboard the Wind of Dawn. Despite a brief mutiny attempt by a few sailors during their perilous passage through the Straits of Darkness, Amos swiftly quells the rebellion.

Upon their arrival in Krondor, they find the city under the despotic rule of Guy du Bas-Tyra, a long-standing adversary of Duke Borric. Arutha's attempts to navigate this hostile environment result in clashes with the secret police, compelling him to seek refuge and assistance from the Guild of Thieves. It is during his time in hiding with the Mockers that he encounters a fifteen-year-old thief named Jimmy the Hand, forging a friendship by imparting his skills in rapier combat. Additionally, he forms a bond with Princess Anita, another fugitive concealed by the Mockers. With the aid of the Mockers and a group of smugglers, Arutha successfully escapes to Crydee, accompanied by Martin, Amos, and Anita. During their escape, he valiantly throws his rapier to Jimmy, defending him from armed assailants.

Upon his return to Crydee, Arutha is met with the mournful news of Roland's demise during the winter. Soon after, Lyam delivers the devastating revelation of their father's passing. Arutha sets forth towards the location of the rift, where the signing of a peace treaty is slated to occur. However, Macros the Black's treachery compels Arutha to lead the Kingdom troops in an audacious assault against the Tsurani. In the company of Pug, Kulgan, and Meecham, Arutha embarks on a detour to Sorcerer's Isle en route to Rillanon, just before the coronation of the new king following Rodric's fall in battle. While paying homage at his father's tomb alongside Lyam, Arutha learns the startling truth that Martin, recognized by Duke Borric as his eldest son on his deathbed, holds the primary claim to the crown. Unwilling to risk a civil war, Arutha is prepared to eliminate Martin if he accepts the crown. However, Martin graciously declines, choosing to endorse Lyam's ascension instead. The two brothers reconcile, embarking on a quest to locate Amos, who has commandeered the King's ship, the Royal Swallow—an act that elicits Arutha's wry comment about his own seriousness. Ultimately, Arutha is named Prince of Krondor and, accompanied by his elder brothers, embarks on a tour of the Eastern Realm.

In the aftermath of the Riftwar, Pug acknowledges Lyam's potential as a competent ruler, but he recognizes Arutha's exceptional qualities that would make him an outstanding king, prioritizing the preservation of his people's lives. Thus, Arutha assumes the title of Prince of Krondor, commencing a journey alongside his elder brothers, destined to shape the future of the Eastern Realm.

The Great Uprising[]

On returning from his tour he proposes to Princess Anita who accepts and he then travels ahead of her to Krondor for their marriage, it being tradition that the Prince of Krondor marry within the city of Krondor. On entering the city an assassin attempts to kill Arutha while he travels with Laurie and without his personal guard. The attempt fails due to the intervention of Jimmy the Hand. Jimmy breaks into the palace grounds to inform of the attempt and to tell him that the assassin was a member of the Nighthawks. With Jimmy's help, he is able to capture two members of the Nighthawks and to question them whereby he learns of the dark powers arrayed against him. Arutha makes use of Jimmy again to contact the leader of the Mockers in order to gain his aid in tracking down the Nighthawks' lair within the city. As a consequence of this meeting Jimmy is made a squire and member of Arutha's court. The Nighthawks' headquarters were found and Arutha led the attack that decimated the Nighthawks in the city only after they burnt the building to prevent the dead rising again.

At his wedding to Princess Anita a Nighthawk agent, Laughing Jack, mortally wounds Anita with a poisoned bolt meant for Arutha. With the help of Father Nathan and Pug she is kept alive in stasis till a cure can be found for the poison. Tully and Kulgan say that the Abbey of Ishap by Sarth may know the cure for the poison so Arutha journeys to Sarth with Martin, Laurie, Gardan and Jimmy. On their journey to Sarth they are attacked by Black Slayers and are again attacked when they reach the Abbey itself. The Monks are able to find a possible cure for the poison called silverthorn but their knowledge ends with the statement that the eledhel may know how to find it. During the trip to Elvandar they pick up Roald, a mercenary friend of Laurie, and Baru, a Hadatian, as traveling companions.

In Elvandar, Arutha learns the location of Silverthorn and he sets of to Moraelin to retrieve the cure. At Moraelin Arutha is able to find silverthorn and to escape a trap set by Murmandamus. On the journey back to Elvandar they are beset by enemies and nearly killed but are saved by the intervention of the elves. On returning to Krondor Anita is cured and the couple finally marry along with his sister Carline to Laurie.

A year later the Nighthawks make another attempt on Arutha's life. Arutha orders Krondor under martial law to capture the escaped Nighthawks. A week later, in an interrogation, one of the Nighthawks throws a dagger at Arutha, supposedly killing him. In actuality Arutha allowed a body of a slain Nighthawk, whose appearance was identical to Arutha, to be presented as his corpse. With most of the population thinking him dead, Arutha leaves Krondor with Laurie and Roald to scout out Murmandamus' camp at Sar-Sargoth. Their goal is to determine the moredhel lord's plan of attack. Jimmy and another squire, Locklear, learn of this plan and intercept them on the road.

Along the way they are captured by distant kin of Baru, and head to a community called Armengar, outside the bounds of the Kingdom. There they see Amos Trask again and learn that Guy du Bas-Tyra was commander there. Within a week Murmandamus launched an attack with an army of nearly fifty thousand, eventually overunning Armengar. Arutha and his group, meeting with a squad of elves, headed by Galain, flee to Highcastle, which was overuse too, killing the Baron of Highcastle.

They learn that Murmandamus was heading to Sethanon, a city of Valheru ruins, which is located in the middle of the Kingdom. This being a poor strategic point, Jimmy comments that Murmandamus might be looking for an item of magic that would repel the King's armies when they surrounded Sethanon. Thinking this to be true, the band traveled through the Blackwood forest, where they discover the Glameredhel, or "mad elves." Convincing their king, Earanorn, to let them travel in peace, and instructions of how to get into Elvandar, they reach Sethanon just a few days before the moredhel army.

During the following battle, Pug, Tomas, and Macros return on the dragon Ryath, to tell Arutha the secret of the Lifestone, an ancient Valheru artifact that would wipe out all life on Midkemia if activated. To battle Murmandamus, Macros infuses Arutha's sword with the power of an Ishapian talisman, giving it the power to negate all battle magics (and as the reader discovers in a later book, Krondor: The Assassins, inflict more damage on demons). Arutha kills the moredhel lord, revealing that it was a magically changed Pantanthian.

Later Life[]

Arutha

Arutha, Pug and Gamina, almost a decade after the Battle of Sethanon.

Prince Arutha dies when nearly 80 years old from complications after a fall that broke his hip. At the time of his death his eldest son Borric had been King for five years since King Lyam's death. Arutha's wife, Anita, his eldest brother Martin, and his sister Carline all survive him. One of the last significant acts during his reign was to give Calis his desperate men for a spying mission on Novindus. He is succeeded by Nicholas, his youngest son.

He is remembered in later years by Pug as one of the greatest men that he ever knew.


Preceded By Position Succeeded By
Erland conDoin Prince of Krondor Nicholas conDoin

Appearances[]

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