Type: Sub-tale of the Wild Hunt
Central Figure: King Áedán, once a mortal ruler of a prosperous Eirendor kingdom
His Crime: Felled a sacred grove to raise a fortress, breaking his pact with the fae
His Fate: Cursed to ride at the head of the Hunt for all eternity, his golden crown twisted into a circlet of thorns

One of the most famous legends of the Hunt tells of King Áedán, a ruler who betrayed the fae by breaking a sacred oath. Áedán governed a prosperous kingdom in Eirendor. He had made a pact with the fae, who granted him their favor in exchange for his protection of their sacred groves. As his power grew, so did his pride, and he ordered a sacred grove felled to build a grand fortress.

On the night of the grove's destruction, the Wild Hunt was unleashed. It pursued him across Eirendor until, exhausted and broken, he was cornered. The fae stripped him of his mortal life and bound him to the Hunt, cursed to ride at its head forever, his once-golden crown now a twisted circlet of thorns.