I'll give you some interim emperors between Connacht and Ceiscoran, but I don't think there could have been anyone between Ceiscoran and Alric. I strongly believe that it was the fall of Ceiscoran that caused the Heron Guard's transformation. It fits. Remember, the Cath Bruig Empire is not the same as Muirthemne. The capital can fall and the empire still fight on.
Why do I think this? I don't rightly remember exactly where I'm dredging this up from, but I do believe that Muirthemne fell earlier in the war than we may think (And it was 13 years, not 50). The Ibis Crown is another link between Ceiscoran and Balor. Remember, the Bruig are immortal (at least the worthy ones).
the timeline goes
1.) Ceiscoran makes copies of the crown
2.) Muirthemne is razed and Balor finds one of the false copies. The Emperor is killed (happens at the same time as the fall of the city, Redemption journal text and TFL Jman flavor)
3.) The Heron Guard become the journeymen as a show of penance.
Now why would we throw in an extra emperor between the time that Ceiscoran makes the crowns and the time that Balor kills the emperor and finds one of the the false crowns that Ceiscoran made? It doesn't makes sense - how COULD the Emperor fall with his capital and empire still standing when he's got an army of Heron Guards protecting him? Answer: He doesn't - they go to Bagrada and BAM, THIS is where the Emperor Ceiscoran falls. And if this is when he falls, there are no emperors following him until Alric, because if there was another Emperor, the Jmen would become HG's again to fight for him.
-Ares
