Dionli

Dionli
Title(s):	Lady
Gender:	Female
Race:	Elf
Unit type(s):	Elvish Shyde

Dionli (also known as Lady Dionli) was an elvish shyde and member of the Ka'lian. She saved the Green Isle refugees from her fellow elves, and played an important part in their settlement in the Great Continent. When the orcs settled on the Great Continent, she was resistant to the elves pursuing war with them. She was killed in a civil war by elves who defected to Landar.

Biography

Human settlement

It is better to be the greater of three than the lesser of two. The Prince of Southbay was good, he was a credit to his people. Maybe these ones are made of the same stuff.

—Lady Dionli suggests making a pact with the refugee humans.

As a member of the Ka'lian, Dionli was acquainted with the First Crown Prince of Southbay, who briefly visited the Great Continent from the Green Isle. Hours before the Ka'lian were organized to meet on one particular day, she visited the Bay of Pearls to find elves Glimir and Eowarar fighting alongside the dwarf Dursil against a group of humans. Glimir explained that the humans had arrived on many ships, believing it to be an invasion. Concerned by the number of immigrants, she told the leader of the humans, Prince Haldric that he was to accompany her to the Ka'lian that day. Before departing, she sternly told Dursil to return to the Brown Hills, and then to return to their land north of the Great River.

She led Haldric and his closest followers to the Grey Woods where the Ka'lian were to meet. She explained that the humans could be useful, particularly if by an alliance, they could gain an advantage over the dwarves. Despite the suspicion of her fellow councillors, they agreed to give the humans the plains to the north and south of the Great River, in addition to the hills south of the great river, provided that Haldric carried out a quest from each of the four councillors. Dionli tasked Haldric with destroying a group of saurians who had established a trading relationship with the nagas along their western shores. Haldric completed this task, alongside the other three, and was given the land as promised before leaving.

Shortly thereafter, one of the councillors, Lord Logalmier, received word that orcs had made landfall on the shores of the Great Continent. Dionli, who had been able to sense the Ruby of Fire, suspected that the orcs were acting under the influence of a greater power, one which could sense the artifact. Despite Dionli's reluctance to break their pact with the humans, she eventually agreed to a decision, such that if the humans continued to attract orcs and suffered heavy losses, then the elves would "deal with the survivors". Unknown to her and the other councillors was that Haldric's companion, Lady Jessene, had eavesdropped on their conversation, and later revealed the betrayal to Haldric.

Unrest and civil war

Our answer is still no. Prepare our defenses as best you can, but do not renew offensive war. This is the council's decision.

—Lady Dionli rejects Kalenz's request to retake elvish land from the orcs.

Approximately eleven years after Haldric founded the Kingom of Wesnoth, the orcs became particularly hostile towards the elves, such that they claimed elvish land, even mounting an offensive against the Ka'lian itself. After Kalenz managed to repel such an assault twice, he asked the Ka'lian if they would be willing to launch a war against the orcs to reclaim their lands. Though thankful for Kalenz's aid, Dionli denied his request, ordering him only to prepare defenses as needed.

After Kalenz subverted the Ka'lian's authority by providing martial aid to the Kingdom of Wesnoth, assassinating the Great Chief Brubar, and attacking the saurians, the Ka'lian summoned Kalenz to reprimand him. Dionli informed him that he was to be stripped of all military authority as a punishment. Though Kalenz did not complain, Landar was furious. In response, Landar gathered the support of a group of elves, starting a civil war, in which he eliminated the Ka'lian and declared himself the High Lord of the Elves.

Personality

But we spoke a Pact with this Haldric and these men of the west-north...

—Lady Dionli protests Lord Aryad's suggestion to betray the humans.

Dionli was an authoritative figure whose decisions her fellow elves usually respected. Likewise, she perceived certain things that other elves did not, such as the ill tidings that Haldric's refugees brought. She also was able to evaluate Haldric's mettle well enough to know that he was capable of ending the trade relationship between the saurians and nagas.

Dionli had an aversion to needless conflict, such as when she withdrew the elvish troops from Haldric's refugees. Similarly, when Kalenz attempted to persuade her of the need to launch an assault against the orcs, she denied his request. Just as she disliked conflict, she also disliked disloyalty, the most resistant of the councilors to the suggestion of betraying the pact they had made with Haldric's people.