Caledor Dragontamer

This article is about the mage. For other uses of Caledor, see Caledor (disambiguation).

Caledor Dragontamer was the most powerful High Elf Mage of his era and a friend and key-supporter of Phoenix King Aenarion the Defender.

History

Coming of Chaos

Caledor seems to have gained his honorific by binding and gaining the trust of Dragons, becoming the first Dragon Prince. He successfully founded the realm that was later named Caledor in his honour by his descendants^[1a]. Protected by its dragons, his realm was the only one which was able to withstand the Coming of Chaos.

Upon meeting him, Caledor recognised that Aenarion was the Chosen of Asuryan and immediately bent his knee^[1b], pledging his allegiance and loyalty. He became Aenarion's advisor and they travelled to Vaul's Anvil, where they began to gather, equip and to train a mighty High Elf army.

Early on, Caledor realised that the High Elf resistance was, in the long run, doomed. The saturation of magic caused by the opening of the Old Ones' gateway created optimal conditions for Daemons, and corruption and mutation were steadily increasing the legions of Chaos. He began searching for the cause of the magic saturation ^[1b].

Commanding a High Elf fleet, Caledor travelled to the Old World hoping to find some clues. There he met and befriended Dwarf Ancestor God Grimnir^[2], who gave him valuable information. Caledor formed a plan to save the world, but Aenarion refused to approve it.

It was in the aftermath of the Battle of Caethrin Gorge^[3] that news reached Aenarion that his homeland had been attacked in his absence, and his wife Astarielle and their children were dead (unknown to anyone at the time, the latter had only been lost). Enraged beyond description, Aenarion decided to use the Sword of Khaine. Appalled by Aenarion's fury, Caledor tried to reason with him and even prophesied that this decision would doom Aenarion and his descendants^[1c]. Ignoring the warning, Aenarion traveled to the Blighted Isle and drew the cursed weapon.

As Aenarion became increasingly driven and ruthless, Caledor left his side, followed by his warriors and founding a kingdom which was named for him - Caledor whilst Aenarion ruled Nagarythe from Anlec. ^[5a]. In the face of this new disunity among the Elves, a renewed Chaos offensive seemed unstoppable.

Realising that the fate of the world hung in the balance, Caledor convened the most powerful High Elf mages to the centre of Ulthuan at the Isle of the Dead.

There he presented his plan: to create a mighty magic Great Vortex which would hopefully drain the magic flowing in through the shattered polar gates. It was an extremely dangerous undertaking, with little hope of success, but nonetheless the only hope of the world.^[5a]

While the Battle of the Isle of the Dead was raging all around them, Caledor and the mages carried on with their work. In the end they achieved a limited success and saved the world, albeit at a terrible cost. They were trapped in time, doomed to maintain the spell for all eternity^[1d][5a].

He was succeeded as ruling price of Caledor by his son Prince Menieth.^[4a][5?] Of Aenarion's descendant, Prince Teclis, it has sometimes been said that Elvenkind has seen no greater mage in all its history, save Caledor the Dragontamer.^[6b]

Later Eras

In spite of being trapped, Caledor was still able to interact with the living world, particularly during Witch King Malekith's invasion of Ulthuan during the Great War Against Chaos, when Caledor's spirit was challenged to a game of strategy by Khaine himself, for the fate of Ulthuan.^[1a] Knowing that Morathi was keen to undo the Vortex if Malekith succeeded in overrunning Ulthuan, Caledor intervened directly, contacting Morathi in her dreams and warning her that he would undo the Vortex himself, and use its last remaining power to obliterate her. She was sufficiently terrified to abandon her son's invasion force and return to Naggaroth, taking a substantial number of the army's Chaos Marauder allies with her.^[6c]

End Times

Caledor Dragontamer and Morathi were dragged together into the Realm of Chaos by Slaanesh at the Battle for the Isle of the Dead.^[7]

Sources

• 1: Warhammer Armies: High Elves (4th Edition)
  • 1a: pg. 7
  • 1b: pg. 16
  • 1c: pg. 17
  • 1d: pg. 18
• 2: Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs (4th Edition), pgs. 7, 8
• 3: Aenarion (novella) by Gav Thorpe, ^{Needs Citation}
• 4: The Sundering (anthology) (Time of Legends edition): Malekith (Novel) by Gav Thorpe,
  • 4a: One: Broken Legacy, pg. 20-24
• 5: The Sundering (anthology) (Time of Legends edition): Caledor (Novel) by Gav Thorpe,
  • 5a: One: Pride of Caledor, pg. 705-
  • 5?: pg. 140 of 769 (ebook)
• 6: Bane of Malekith (novel) by William King
  • 6a: Prologue
  • 6b: ^{Needs Citation}
  • 6c: ^{Needs Citation}
• 7: Warhammer: Khaine: Chapter Two: Khaine Reborn.