Tongue of the Rat King

The Tongue of the Rat King (SirenDrowned) is a religious figure of relatively unknown age and origin, who came to Eldham around the start of the fourth coalition war and the rise of the war goddess Segra. He is influential in politics and religion, being a warrior, scholar and builder throughout much of northwest Eldham (Katsura and Elastra). A senator in the late Aristii Republic, he helped lead the coup against the Republic hoping to gain freedom for the provinces of Sanctus and Bel-ismer. He is a well-known figure within the city of Krugmar where he built and operates both the cathedral Ratre Dame and the Drowned Siren Tavern.

As an important religious figure within the Church of Ratism, he acted as the Archbishop of Aristios and wrote many books and manuscripts relating to the Ratist Faith. He was also involved in the Varagar Divine faith and the religion of Cakeism, whom he aided in their war against the religious heretic Wemmbu. He and Terradore, the leader of Cakeism, went on to found the Eldham Religious Coalition. Along with Cubism, the Chaos Authority, and many other religions, the coalition led the final fight against the war goddess Segra. When the coalition fought Segra for the final time, they called on the divine power of the Rat King for aide. The Tongue and Speaker of the Rat King were imbued with the Rat King’s divine power and rose up to challenge Segra. Crippled from her fight against the united coalition forces, Segra was helpless against the Rat King who dragged her into the abyss forever.

= Biography =

Before Eldham
Little is known about the Tongue’s life before he came to Eldham. What is known is that he was born to Goetia Beleth sometime after the Jagdas crisis. Being the son of an ancient demon, his age and date of birth are nearly impossible to pinpoint. What is also known is that he was born in the far north and came to Eldham by ship just before the start of the fourth coalition war with no money or belongings.

Early Beginnings
Arriving in Eldham, Sirius settled in the city of Phaedrae, led by Azriel ei Myrilay (Azrielz). It was there he met Hirodius Auxilius (The_RealChairman) and Jean luc Lemaire (Bogie95). It was in Phaedrae that Sirius first demonstrated his abilities for construction and architecture, building monuments and housing for the city.

Eventually he met Strawbearie Ratheart Beleth (xstrawbearie), who turned out to be his half-sister. Strawbearie had married the crown prince of Bel-Ismer, the province of Aristios where Phaedrae was located. Sirius traveled with her and Sewer King (sewer_rat55) to Rattican City, where his mother acted as Tail of the Great Speaker. During this time he traveled back and forth between Rattican and Phaedrae. Jean Luc Lemaire (Bogie95) was another friend of the rats, and the Tongue moved into his city of Krugmar as well. He climbed the ranks of each of the cities, gaining the ranks of Rattican, Aristii Noble, and joining the Krugmar council.

Early Krugmar
The Tongue had befriended Jean Luc Lemaire (Bogie95) mayor of the small Sanctus town of Krugmar. Sirius joined the town council along with Icy_Aurora, BEANSIES_ and xstrawbearie. It was during this time the religion of Druidism was founded in the city. The rats also had interests in Krugmar they forcefully occupied the town to test the strength of the Republic, whose response was limited and weak. Sirius and Bogie95 also began looting abandoned cities, a practice which would lead them to great wealth.

The Senate
It was around this time that the Tongue joined the Aristii republic senate as the representative of the monarchist province of Bel-Ismer. Strawbearie also joined the senate representing Bel-Ismer’s allied province of Sanctus, where Krugmar was located. The two monarchist provinces found themselves immediately at odds with the rest of the provinces, as monarchy within the democratic republic was a highly debated topic. This tension increased as the western provinces seemingly opposed all bills of the east, despite their content. Frustrated with the lack of interest in the eastern provinces, the Aristii Royal Nationalist League fought to preserve monarchy within the nation and the provinces of Sanctus and Bel-Ismer became very closely aligned. This strain came to a breaking point when aristios created a bill banning monarchy from the provinces, essentially destroying the east’s culture and governance. The Tongue and leaders from across the east turned to rebellion.

The Rebellion and Fall of the Republic
Writing and declaring their own constitution, the eastern provinces split from the Republic. Forming the sovereign nation of Sanctus-Ismer, they declared Azriel Ei Myrilay as their leader. Sirius joined the ranks of the high council, but this union did not last. The fledgling state caved to Aristii pressure, rejoining them under the promise of future recognition and fair treatment. The Republic would never be the same however. At the same time, the western province of Castellum split off, and joined the Aristii colony of Sylvania as a province. The republic was in shambles, the chancellor stepped down and much of the Senate fled the collapsing state. Echo Regis took the title of chancellor, without election, declaring the Aristii Confederacy as a solution to the dying state. This new system would essentially give each province their own sovereignty, while maintaining the system of federal government. This plan was incredibly unpopular, with its few supporters being desperate for the return of the former republic. The rest of the West split off, joining Castellum and Sylvania. The East and the Shattered Isles split into 3 separate sovereign states.

The War of the Shattered Isles
Oliver Olmero, King of the Shattered Isles was angered by the collapse of the Aristii Republic. Blaming the eastern provinces, specifically Bel-Ismer, he declared the “Aristii Wars for Reunification.” Bel-ismer was weak militarily, with little to no economy or defense they couldn’t hope to contest Olmero’s forces. Vassalizing under the nearby elven nation of Anglunia, they called upon their allies. Sirius brought the rats into the conflict, as they are known for their military prowess. He aided Anglunia in digging a massive moat around Phaedrae, and increasing the height of the city's walls to prepare for an assault. But the assault never came. With the many allies joining the war effort, and the support of Bel-Ismer from the former Aristii emperor Inverse, Oliver Olmero folded, retreating back to the isles. Bel-ismer would stay a province of Anglunia for the following years, a time of much needed peace after the instability of the aging Aristios. Sirius would also gain the rank of Viceroy within Bel-Ismer, the highest position below the Visarii (King).

Rise in the Rattican
The Rattican had political issues of its own, Sewer King’s reign had become unpopular with the government, who he undermined at every turn. Due to conflict with the Speaker of Rat King, Sewer King lost his throne and went off to form the Blood Clown’s which the Tongue joined for a short time. Meanwhile, he had become Master of Bonding within the Rattican, one of the highest positions which saw him overseeing recruitment, events, and diplomacy. Strawbearie Ratheart Beleth served alongside him as Master of Ratstruction, the two looked down on their peers who did not care for their positions. Rejecting their traditional duties, they began aiding Speaker of Rat King in his rule of the Rattican, managing all aspects of the state rather than their specific positions. It was due to this that they managed to rise above the ranks of the masters. Along with their half brother 4hicks, Strawbearie and Sirius became the Tooth, Tail, and Tongue of the Rat King, respectively.

Kingdom of Sanctus
Jean Luc Lemaire, friend of Sirius, had become King of Sanctus. Moving the capital to Krugmar, sirius joined the Sanctus Government and began reorganizing the former province into a functioning state. He built the Cathedral Ratre Dame in Krugmar, the largest and greatest Ratist church. He also took control of a small settlement to the northwest of Sanctus which he would name Rattica Nova, but would abandon soon after. He then took control of the Sanctus Basilica, a massive building in the north of Sanctus, and its surrounding village. He assisted Jean Luc Lemaire in his many schemes, befriending many along the way. Eventually the religion of Druidism faded into obscurity and inactivity, Sanctus was left with the church's assets. This included an island and collection of artifacts which Sirius would lock away in Ratre Dame. The island was claimed by Krugmar, which was rapidly increasing in size. It would soon become the largest city, by land, in the entire world. Jean Luc did not care for the responsibilities of ruling a nation, he preferred to focus on his city and business opportunities. He stepped down from the post of King, giving rulership to Hirodius Auxilius. The new leader took the title of Lord Protector, and appointed King Piketoneer Amethystul to assist him in ruling.

Wars, battles, and the tides of Segra
While Sirius was now influential throughout the northwest of Eldham politically, he was not a fighter and wished to gain further military experience. He had been a member of the Aristii Military and had participated in the logistics side of the Shattered Isles war, but his first real war was that of the Vulperium and Eldham Union. The first battle went very well, with Sirius successfully defeating multiple opponents. The following did not go so well, with Sirius barely escaping the bloodshed. He would later aid the nation of Ravenguard in their assault of the Rebellious city of Fortistan, who had declared themselves a Sovereign state. Throughout his time in Eldham, the war goddess Segra had been wreaking havoc across the land’s laying siege to many cities including Rattican City itself. The Tongue  would participate in many of the battles against the goddess Including the many battles of Rattican City, and Mugen. Allured by her power, he liked the ideas of Strength and Determination that Segra stood for, ideas he found similar to that of the Rat King. At the Battle of Eldia, he joined the Segrist legions, reducing the former metropolis to ruins. He joined his friends Jean Luc Lemaire (Bogie95) and Guardready in the group known as the Tides of Segra. Together they saw the Scumoctocon appear over Morladron and laid siege to the city of Varn Torum. The Tongue also participated in the incursion into Segra’s Dark realm, attempting to retrieve her head and return her physical form to the mortal world.

Reunification of Aristios: The Empire
Being Leadership in both Sanctus and Bel-Ismer, the Tongue pushed for them to consolidate their power and cultures. After many failed treaties the unification did happen, and the new state resumed the name of Aristios. This new Aristios was incredibly unpopular among the former republic leaders, who saw the new state as a mockery of the nation. The Tongue became Praetor Culturalis, the Tail became Praetor Regiminis, Jean Luc Lemaire became Praetor Diplomaticus, and Azriel Ei Myrilay became Emperor. As the builder and owner of most if not all churches within the new state, the Tongue named himself Archbishop of Aristios. The fledgling empire was joined by their former enemies, the Shattered Isles, who became its third province. They entered a treaty of alliance with much of the northwest called the Boreal pact to further their defensive capabilities.

Cakeist Crusades
When the purple man (wemmbu) arrived on the shores of Eldham, the Rats immediately caught wind of his group. The Tongue sent ahead a party of inquisitors and rat warriors to intercept the group. A clash broke out between the rats and the purple man’s followers, with others coming to reinforce their ranks. The purple man would seek vengeance for the Rats violence towards his followers. Creating the city of Wuben, he would declare war against the Rattican. The Speaker of the Rat King had recently gone into a Coma, presumed dead; the rats held a funeral for him, which wemmbu and the bloody clowns raided. Despite their efforts, the invaders were quickly defeated by the Rattican as many inquisitors had attended the event. In retaliation, the rats would continue to raid and pillage the purple man’s followers. Finally the purple man and his army attacked the Rattican City, where they were met by a band of powerful rat warriors. A slaughter ensued, hundreds of Wemmbu’s people fell and the enemy was crushed by the Rats. The Tongue himself was injured in the battle and was the Ratticans only injury.

Wemmbu would later approach the tongue for peace and asked for his assistance in defeating Terradore, the leader of Cakeism. However, the Cakist lands of Amar soon joined the Rattican as a vassal state. Terradore and Wemmbu continued their conflict which soon became an all out war. Before the deciding battle, The Tongue approached Wemmbu with an offer: potions for his soldiers as a sign of friendship. Wemmbu was suspicious of the potions and decided to drink one himself to test whether it was poisoned. His suspicions were correct, the potions were actually disguised Lathien’s Bathwater which delivered a powerful and painful curse to its victim, making them incredibly weak and fragile. Deciding that he would not purposefully decide the outcome of the battle, however, Sirius sent his half-sibling Blane Charun Thorveyn to give Wemmbu a cure. The purple man eventually won the battle against the cakeists, but claiming victory he laid down his weapons and retreated in peace, hoping for good relations and friendship with the Rattican in the future.

Annexation of Aristios and the Aristii Rebellion
The new empire of Aristios was immediately plagued by inactivity and lack of population. The majority of the Praetors were also double citizens with the Rattican or other nations including the Dominion of Vankria. This once again led to a separation between the powers of leadership, with their time and resources split between two nations. This led to a stagnant nation, with no activity nor citizens. The Tongue attempted to solve this issue by proposing an annexation of Aristios into the Rattican, and the incorporation of the Imperial government into the Rats. The annexation was approved and ratified by the emperor and the leaders of each province, with Aristios officially joining the Rattican as a kingdom. Some mayors feared the rats and hated their rule, so they decided to rebel.

The Aristii Rebellion and joining of Ashai
The rebelling cities rallied behind Otto Olea, the long thought dead emperor of the first Aristii empire. At first some sort of independence deals were considered, however neither side could agree. Meanwhile, the Rattican had been in talks with its own neighbors the Crownlands of Raiyuna and Varn Torum who together made up Ashai. This giant nation surrounded the Rattican entirely, essentially making it an enclave. While they had poor relations in the past, the two nations had history and had connections to each other. The Rattican decided to merge with Ashai, becoming its third and final member state. The rebellion now had to contest not only the Rattican, but Varn Torum and Raiyuna as well. The rebels would not back down however, believing the Aristii lands to be theirs by right. When they refused to surrender, the Rattican declared war. Two battles were fought at the city of Perdin, with each side gaining a single victory. However the Crownlands were spending millions on the war and a prolonged conflict became costly and unpopular. With the city of Perdin ruined and the war seemingly at a stalemate, the two sides sued for peace. The Aristii rebellion was granted its independence and a non aggression pact was signed between the two groups.

The Drowned Siren and Krugmar Bazaar
At the beginning of the war, funds were desperately needed for the coming conflict. The Tongue and Jean Luc Lemaire founded a shop known as the Krugmar Bazaar. They were aided by many including Strawbearie Ratheart, Kami Aurelian-Tyranius, Grimmith Blackflame (GamingDerp), JimmyyDean and StrongholdMafia. They began selling many different types of supplies and resources, as well as renting stalls to vendors who wanted to sell their own products. With the war over and a time of relative peace beginning, the Tongue wanted to try his hand at something different. Upon finding an old journal at the bottom of the Krugmar river, he was inspired to build a tavern: the Drowned Siren. Building it with the help of strawbearie, he began bartending and running the tavern. He ordered the construction of a boat to sell brews on and began learning how to brew. The process was difficult although he had access to many recipes due to the vast collection of books and lore he had collected over the years.

Segra and the Coalition
The war goddess Segra had plagued Eldham for many years, after her bombing of the Rattican City and the Cakeist cathedral in Pastel. Terradore and the Tongue approached the leaders of Cubism about forming a coalition against her. The Eldham Religious Coalition was founded and was soon joined by religious groups and organizations from across the world. The coalition met and rallied in the drowned siren where they swore to destroy Segra. A plan was formed, when Segra came to Eldham in her true terrible form, the coalition would be waiting. They would destroy her body and her followers and summon the holy power of the Rat King to strike the final blow. As expected, they did not have to wait long. Segra soon came with a legion of minions and established a stronghold upon the rattican’s holy hill. There her true titanic form would rise, a colossal horror of black withered bones which destroyed everything in its path. Segra was no match for the full force of the Coalition who drove her back into the holy hill. The united peoples of Eldham then chanted the name of Rat King, calling upon his aide to finish the job. The Tongue and the Speaker rose from the crowd into the air, empowered by their connection to the god. The Tongue cut down the speaker in a ritual sacrifice, spilling his blood across the ground of the Rattican. As his holy blood sank into the dirt, a dark presence became known. The Rat King spoke with power and complete control as he taunted the war goddess. She tried to stop him, but the Rat King had become unstoppable through the united minds of Eldham’s people. He devoured Segra in a fit of ravenous hunger, she screamed in terror as she saw the rat king's true unfathomable form, and was quickly silenced. The Tongue returned to the ground as the people of Eldham witnessed a flash of brilliant light. They all found themselves floating gently through the clouds of a sunny Eldham slowly approaching the peaceful ground below. The shadow of the living war had finally been silenced. Sirius found himself changed by the encounter, he now wore upon his face the withered skull of a fallen Segrist warrior and armored himself in broken pieces of the war goddesses skeletal corpse.

The World Religious Union
After Segra’s death the coalition had fulfilled its purpose, however, inspired by the cooperation between faiths seen during the Segrist war, the Tongue proposed a reorganization. The coalition became the World Religious Union and was soon joined by other religions. The union was ruled by a council of pontiffs, each charged with maintaining a different aspect of the order. Sirius became the first pontifex, leader of the pontiffs, and figurehead of the union. He wrote a code for the followers of the union to follow called the ordinance. These rules laid out the goals and ideals of the union, promoting cooperation and peace between members, as well as defense against possible persecution of their protected faiths.