King Hemelin

Hemelin - Took the throne in 2193 at the age of 179. Hemelin had been a Guild Master in the Guild of Healers and it was said he took the throne "with rage in his heart and fire in his mouth"*. He was extremely angered over public opinion of his Guild and made it his mission to make sure that a cure was found. Some say he exhibited more power and authority in the throne in one week than his nephew had in 123 years.

Hemelin was fairly convinced that a cure lay in the Books of Old and he had been encouraging the Healers to look there long before his coronation as King. However, his nephew had been hesitant to allow access to the books something that immediately changed once Hemelin had authority to look through them.

Hemelin seemed to be a fairly devout follower of Yahvo and often claimed that only Yahvo would heal them, not the "other gods" that his people were seeking. In 2255, Hemelin became extremely ill and most thought was about to die. The Guild of Healers continued to try and prevent death, but the prognosis was very grave.

It was during his days in the sick bed, that he met a woman named Lalen. She helped to care for him and, as time passed, Hemelin found himself "...living just to see her one more time." as he wrote later. Lalen must have felt the same way. The new love seemed to forge a new will to live. Hemelin recovered and, to the day he died, praised Lalen for the reason he was able to defeat the plague*.

Two years later, Lalen helped the rest of the D'ni defeat the plague. Rumors say that while searching through the old histories, that her relationship afforded her access to, she found hints as to where more of the Old Books had been kept. It was a few months later that the Book of Birenni, a particular Book that Hemelin had always sought, was found. Six years after the discovery, the Guild of Healers, led by Guild Master Jaysem, considered the plague cured*. Records point to "tremendous celebration...like had never been seen before"*. A newfound optimism spread throughout the culture and, unofficially, the D'ni Renaissance began. It should also be noted that on this day in 2262, King Hemelin and Lalen wed in a grand ceremony*.

In 2270 the first post-plague child was born and Hemelin promised to give him the throne as a symbolic gesture "...of hope and celebration".

Though Hemelin tried to use the end of the plague as a tool to encourage his people back to Yahvo, it did not seem to succeed. Instead there seemed to be a newfound love of the culture itself: of the arts, of technology, and of further exploration into the "truths" of the universe.

In 2350, The Minor Guild of Miners, following the encouragement of Hemelin, announced their plans for drastic improvement in mining methods and technologies.

Hemelin left an upbeat, but "rather dazed"* culture to his successor when he passed away at the age of 342 in 2356.

* From "The Healing of D'ni" written by Manesah in 2294
* Though others did live through the illness Healer records indicate a 95% fatality rate once the disease reached its later stages
* A drink was developed that prevented the body from contracting the illness even when directly exposed
* From "The Healing of D'ni" written by Manesah in 2294
* As a result, the day became a day often chosen for marriage in later years.
* Taken from the journal of King Hemelin written directly before his death in 2356