Continuity/Kellin I and Caerlin I

There are some discrepancies regarding The Yalaini Emperors Kellin I and Caerlin I.

Aerlinthe Record (2000)

The Aerlinthe Record lays out a pretty clear series of events:

• RE 230: Kellin I dies. His son Delophon takes the Cerulean Throne, assuming the Imperial Name of Caerlin ("Lord of the Deep Waters").
• TE 2: Caerlin I, eighth in the Line of Alaidain, dies. He is 773 years old. His son Caerlin II ascends to the Cerulaean Throne.

Ages of the Empyrean (2001)

The Ages of the Empyrean also lays out a series of events:

• RE 1: Emperor Caerlin I declares the beginning of Rhethis Eipoth.
• TE 1: Emperor Caerlin I declares the beginning of Torethis Eipoth.
• TE 4: Emperor Caerlin I dies.

History of Auberean (2003)

The History of Auberean lays out a series of events matching the Ages of the Empyrean:

• -2,898 PY: Emperor Caerlin I declares the beginning of Rhethis Eipoth.
• -2,003 PY: Emperor Caerlin I declares the beginning of Torethis Eipoth.
• -1,999 PY: Emperor Caerlin I dies.

Using our conclusions from Ages of the Empyrean Versus The History of Auberean, the above dates translate to RE 1, TE 1, and TE 4.

Analysis

Starting with the Aerlinthe Record dates, if Cearlin died in TE 2, and lived for 773 years, this means he was born in RE 124, and was 106 when he became emperor. If you instead substitute the newer date of death of TE 4, but keep the lifespan of 773 years, this means he was born in RE 126, and was 104 when he became emperor. Either way that makes him too young to have declared the beginning of Rhethis Eipoth.

Let's examine the feasibility of the new series of events. If Cearlin I died in TE 4, and was alive and the Emperor at VE 6,102, that would make him at least 899 years old. Realistically, he would not have been Emperor at 1 year old. If we add about 100 years to that, the approximate age he was at in the "old" timeline when he became emperor, he would have been born around VE 6,000, and died around the age of 1,000. This would certainly still fit in the Empyrean lifespan. It would also, coincidentally, place Cearlin I's birth right around the beginning of the Black Rains, and his ascension to emperor and declaration of the end of VE at around the same time.

If we try to draw conclusions based solely on what is most recent, then the Aerlinthe Record, as least as it relates to Kellin I and Caerlin I, is no longer canon.

Another thing to consider is the in character source of the information. The Aerlinthe Record was written by Empyreans, while the Ages of the Empyrean and History of Auberean articles were written by Isparian scholars. If this were the only factor, the Aerlinthe Record dates would surely be considered more trustworthy.

The last thing to consider is the impact on the timeline as a whole. The only mention of Kellin I is the Aerlinthe Record, stating his death was in RE 230. Similarly, Caerlin I is only really mentioned in the three pieces mentioned above and the Archival Copy. Regardless of which version of events is chosen as canon, it doesn't have a major impact on the rest of the timeline. The only impact is that, if we choose the more recent revisions as being more canonical, Kellin I is erased from the timeline.

Conclusion

It is difficult to draw any conclusions - both versions of events have good reasons to be chosen. However, it is the opinion of the editor that the Aerlinthe Record should be considered more canonical, for the following reasons:

• The Aerlinthe Record is a primary source - it was written by Empyreans.
• The Aerlinthe Record provides us with more information, so we are able to construct a more complete timeline:
  • The date of death of Kellin I.
  • The date of birth of Caerlin I.
  • The age of Caerlin upon death.
  • The date of death of Caerlin I.