Orchenis Clunethar

Prince Orchenis Clunethar is the Prince of Thu-Athamar, husband of Uleviän Clunetharan, and son of the previous Prince, Orchena Clunethar.

Appearance
He had a flat voice and a grim face. He was "elven pale, tall, thin, and with a permanent frown line engraved between his eyebrows".

During Thara Celehar's first meeting with Orchenis at the Amal'theileian in The Witness for the Dead, Orchenis wore "silver-on-gray brocade and was jeweled with diamonds."

When Thara met with Orchenis about Thara's burnout and the tomb under the Hill of Werewolves, Orchenis wore "dark gray embroidered in orange and red and had dressed his hair with amber and garnet."

Personality
Orchenis notably had good courtly manners. He was a demanding listener. He was very reasonable about paying incidental costs for matters concerning the prelacy.

Life
Orchenis was the son of Orchena, and inherited the role of Prince of Thu-Athamar from him. Orchenis resided in the Amal'theileian in Amalo.

It's possible that the Tethimadeise wealth was "a strong motivation" in the arrangement for the marriage of Orchenis and Uleviän. Orchenis married Uleviän in Amalo just prior to the events of The Goblin Emperor. Varenechibel IV, Nemolis Drazhar, Nazhira Drazhar, and Ciris Drazhar were in attendance, possibly as a harbinger of peace between Varenechibel IV and the Tethimada. The Vermilion Opera put on The Masque of the Night Empress to celebrate.

Eshevis Tethimar, along with the last Duke Tethimel, a number of Curneisei, and sympathetic nobles, concocted a plan later known as the Tethimadeise Conspiracy wherein Eshevis would marry Vedero Drazhin, and then a bomb would be placed on an airship carrying Varenechibel IV and his three eldest sons, killing them, and placing Eshevis as regent for Idra Drazhar. The Curneisei changed the plan and placed the bomb on the Wisdom of Choharo after Orchenis' marriage, but before Eshevis was married to Vedero or had signed a marriage contract. During Varenechibel IV's and his sons' departure from Orchenis' wedding via the airship, the bomb went off, killing all four of them.

Orchenis attended Maia Drazhar's coronation, where Orchenis swore a vow of loyalty to Maia with a haunted look, and Maia told him, quietly, “Neither blame nor guilt belongs to you, so do not hold them so closely.” This seemed to startle Orchenis, but also made him more thoughtful.

After Eshevis' failed assassination of Maia, and the reveal of the conspiracy, Lord Chancellor Eiru Berenar recommended Maia summon Orchenis and Uleviän to the Untheileneise Court to affirm their loyalty. Maia sent for them, and Orchenis demonstrated his loyalty by immediately offering revethvoran at the start of the audience. But Maia refused, and Orchenis and Uleviän admitted to knowing nothing of the Tethimadeise schemes. After Tethimel's execution, and with Eshevis dead, Maia gave custody of Uleviän's three sisters to Orchenis.

Orchenis requested that the Archprelate Teru Tethimar assign Thara to Amalo as a clerical Witness for the Dead because the city had no Witnesses for the Dead, and Amalo was "a nest of vipers, and the Ulineisei were the worst of the lot." It was also a way to maneuver around Aiva Vernezar, the Ulisothala, in particular. Thara saw that his services were needed and agreed to the Archprelate's appointment.

After Thara handled the Duhaladeise inheritance matter, Nepevis Duhalar accused Thara of fraud, and surrendered the matter of inheritance to Orchenis' judgment. Nepevis requested Thara submit to a trial by ordeal. Orchenis summoned Thara to the Amal'theileian. Orchenis seemed embarrassed about the whole affair, but had to take it seriously because of Nepevis' importance in the government. Orchenis admitted he didn't believe in trial by ordeal, and suggested Thara make himself scarce for a while, and assigned him to deal with reports of a ghoul in Tanvero.

As Nepevis was likely to be found as a fraud, he panicked and took his case to the Amalomeire, and then the newspapers got hold of it, bringing the whole matter to the notice of the Amal'othala. On Thara's return to Amalo, Orchenis was more annoyed at the whole situation. Orchenis noted that he believed Thara's claim of not being fraudulent, but the Amal'othala supported a trial by ordeal, the type of which was to be chosen by the Amal'othala.

After Thara completed the trial, he reported to Orchenis in the Amal'theileian, where Orchenis was accompanied by his secretary, the Amal'othala, two canons, Aiva Vernezar, Ediro Zanarin, and several members of the Duhalada. Thara demonstrated his completion, and Orchenis said, “We hope you are at last satisfied, Mer Duhalar. Or will you now accuse the Amal’othala of fraud?” After Nepevis son's apology to Thara, Orchenis declared the matter settled, and that Nepevis would present himself to the Judiciary for judgment. Orchenis met with Thara in private, and said that he'd hoped that Thara had some insight about the hauntings of the Hill of Werewolves, but when Thara replied in the negative, Orchenis reluctantly noted the hauntings would simply continue.

After Broset Sheveldar was declared guilty by Lord Erimar, Broset's sentencing was sent to Orchenis. Orchenis ordered him executed.

After Pavalo Temin revealed the tomb hidden under the Hill of Werewolves, and Thara burned out dealing with the revethavar there, Thara reported to Orchenis, with Velhiro Tomasaran in tow, and explained the whole tale to him. Orchenis greeted Velhiro, and noted that he needed to appoint a Witness for the Tomb of Hasthemis Brulnemar, and asked that Thara and Velhiro accompany the Witness. He sent them out with Ulthora Csathamar. The three eventually returned and reported their findings to Orchenis, and Ulthora requested that the tomb remain untouched until Ulthora could confer with a scholar of the time period, like Aäthis Rohethar. Orchenis agreed to it.

Thara, Velhiro, Ulthora, and Lisava Ormevar went back into the tomb the next day, and went to report their findings to Orchenis. Ulthora recommended that the tomb be secured as a place of study, as the books hidden therein were priceless as historical artifacts. Velhiro pointed out that the 23 bodies there needed a proper burial. Orchenis appointed Thara in charge of the burials. Orchenis weighed the recommendation of leaving the tomb open against the cost, and Lisava suggested that the University of Amalo could pay for guards. Orchenis agreed to pay for guards until Lisava could present his case to the University Senate. Then Orchenis discharged Ulthora, with thanks. Orchenis checked on Thara's well-being, and advised Thara to ensure that Velhiro would be ready to take over his duties as Witness for the Dead, and sent him home to recover.

Amal'othala
Orchenis does not get along with the Amal'othala, though they have known each other for some time.

Thara Celehar
Orchenis trusts Thara's professionalism, and has a high opinion of Thara's abilities. He also seems to care for Thara's well-being.

Uleviän Clunetharan
Uleviän was "shyly, worshipful of her husband".

Quotations

 * To Thara: “They are dead,” Prince Orchenis said bluntly. “The dead are patient.”
 * To Thara: “We are better at truth than at politics. But we stand by our advice."

Trivia

 * He has a box at most if not all operas in Amalo known as the prince's box, though it's unlikely for him to attend.
 * His personal signet is a swan.
 * He has a secretary "old enough to be" his father.
 * Orchenis only uses the throne room in the Amal'theileian on the most formal occasions, and prefers to use the Azalea Room and the Cinnabar Room for private audiences.
 * In the 2015 US English mass market paperback edition of The Goblin Emperor, Maia calls Orchenis the brother-in-law of Paru and her sisters, whereas in the second edition US English, as well as the 2014 St. Martin's Press and 2021 Macmillan Audio US English audiobooks, Maia calls Orchenis their uncle by marriage.