Stori Audalad

Overview
Stori Audalad was an influential character of the player StoryStudio. In the world Jagdas, Stori and his brother Caleb founded Yimmu-Audal, which was the only civilization to successfully re-establish itself in Rathnir. Stori is known as a mentor figure among many Audaladae, as well as the first prophet of the Hukar Sharud Faith and the progenitor of the Audalad Dynasty.

Origins
Born to a family of an unknown name who were likely tribesmen in the Jagdasian spawn ocean, Stori and his brother Caleb grew up to be oceanic hunters and gatherers, utilizing primitive watercraft for exploration. In a voyage meant to discover new lands to found his own home, Stori came upon a small island where he met a tribesman named Yams. Together with Yams, Stori explored the island to find inscriptions made in the bark of a birch tree which he deciphered to create the Audalad language. On the island, Stori founded the settlement of Shyr-Arrak, meaning small hill, wherein he appointed himself Lugal after inviting his brother Caleb to the island and convincing Brot, a traveler from the village of Ozeki to join him and "build an Island Empire".

Jagdasian Rise
To attract settlers to the island, Stori commanded to construct the Lighthouse of Shyr-Arrak, which stood out as a beacon among the Jagdasian Spawn Ocean. The settlement's population began to grow exponentially, with colonial expeditions organized to nearby islands. Once Shyr-Arrak delegations lead by Caleb convinced nearby settlements to join into a federative government, Stori declared the (Jagdasian) Empire of Yimmu Audal, meaning "Empire of the Many Islands," announcing himself as the first Emperor and Caleb as the first Chief Diplomat. Within the Hukar Sharud faith, it is believed this was done following the First Revelation from the Holy Golden Seabird, Hukar Dezum Autai Dar Shur. This established Audalad Dynasty, which continues in Rathnir to present days. After some years of rule, Stori stepped down, passing the Imperial Crown to his successor Blue Marble, under whose reign Stori participated in the Nut Sacking, where a coalition lead by the Bimare Confedacy, Apollonia, and Yimmu Audal annihilated a bandit organization after a resolution passed in the Jagdasian United Nations. At this time, Stori and Caleb's island federation had become a juggernaut, consisting of approximately forty percent of the Jagdasian population.

Early Rathnir
Following the Jagdasian Collapse, a few of Yimmu-Audal's nobility managed to cross a rift into Rathnir, establishing the city of Urnu-Arrak under Emperor Blue Marble. Stori withdrew from politics, working on municipal improvements to the city, including the Urnu Arrak Beautification Movement. Stori served on the Council of Elders under Emperors Blue Marble and Harbardr, and briefly as Grand Vizier of Yimmu-Audal-Ardatia, advising Dalatra Mosulia. Stori also helped deal with bandit raids against Yimmu Audal, slaying Alpinian, and helping incorporate the bandit TheRealJay2 as Supreme Commander, whose efforts brought a victory in the Escharien-Audalad War. It is during this time that some believe Stori had secretly married his beloved, Marami Vashi, a common Jagdasian Audalad woman from the city of Nasrid who had travelled with him to Rathnir, having had two children named Emao and Ayura. The whereabouts of Stori's family remain unknown, although it is most likely that his parents Astoribys and Elara of Imolda, as well as his aunt Aradymita, perished sometime before or during the Jagdasian collapse.In the geopolitical prelude to the First Coalition War, Stori cooperated with the organization known as Pillage in order to quell the Anosphey Socialist Rebellion and negotiated the 2nd Treaty of Tlahatl to re-integrate the rebels. Doing some gardening work in Urnu-Arrak, Stori confronted a surprise Trillium delegation, leading to the Battle of The Last Bastion, lost by Bardonia, and the appointment of Gray Is Yes as Regent of Yimmu-Audal.

As events on the world stage began to heat up, Stori entered a coma beneath his lighthouse, trusting that Yimmu Audal would be reborn as per the First Revelation. Stori's absence was explained out of character by the player's need to focus on the college admissions process. Some believe Stori and Caleb's spirits were present at the Battle of Cahuarn.

The Return
During his municipal administration over the development of Urnu-Arrak, Stori accepted the offer of a peasant named Hakan. Hakan offered himself as a slave to Stori in exchange for shelter, food, and water. Stori was a generous master, paying Hakan in tens of diamonds for completion of various construction projects in Urnu-Arrak and the surrounding area. Following the coronation of Dalatra Mosulia and prior to his coma, Stori would free Hakan, with the recommendation to appoint him overseer of the Western Territories of the Empire of Yimmu-Audal-Ardatia, which was confirmed by Dalatra's court. Hakan would found the city of Theiotokos with permission from Stori, thereafter becoming the prophet of Theiosism.

When Stori awoke from his coma, Rathnir was a different world. The Empire of Yimmu-Audal-Ardatia had fallen. Dalatra had committed suicide and her successor, the False Empress Carpicious had instigated a lost war against the Trillium. Audalad lands were occupied and split into administrative regions of the Soleannen Empire. However, the victorious Trillium Alliance had turned on itself, with threats from Bardonia and the Silver Coalition leading to the Escharian Ascension. Yimmu Audal was now independent, but a shadow of its former self. To the north, the sovereign Duchy of Theiónikos emerged under the leadership of Duke Hakan from a unified state of the Western Territories and the former Kingdom of Coltmaere. To the south, the Kingdom of Talor had been occupied by the United Empire of Akratia.

With Stori's return, re-unification negotiations between the "Last Emperor" of Yimmu Audal GrayIsYes, who had guided the state through the Escharian Occupation, and Theionikos were greatly accelerated. Alongside third emperor Harbardr, Stori passed reforms in the withering Audalad state, declaring the Audalad Renaissance. The Kingdom of Theios-Essukdal was born, with Stori acting as Chief Diplomat. Among Stori's diplomatic achievements was working to establish a defensive alliance with Viodoxa and creating Theios-Essukdal's reputation as neutral mediator and a military power. Stori appointed former Pillage member Viewed as Grand Bashar of Theios-Essukdal, helped to establish the Knights of Jirn, organized Operation Netherack together with Viodoxa and The Chancellor's Hands to defend Amos from Admirral Kartoffel' secret bandit guild, and prepared an invasion plan to threaten Akratia before the Recognition of Talor. Stori served as a Bashar in the military before stepping down as Chief Diplomat.

Under the Ningal Mistic Audalad, who rose to lead Theios-Essukdal after Stori had appointed her as his successor to the position of Chief Diplomat, Stori was appointed Gidesh of the Archduchy of Reyllea where he became Count of Rosecella. Developing Reyllea became Stori's priority prior to the Ferrymen War, where he was killed as the result of miscoordination on the part of the coalition.

Prophet of Hukar Sharud
Stori's Funeral was held in Urnu-Arrak, capital of the restored neo Empire of Yimmu Audal then under Empress Mistic, and was attended by his brother Caleb who gave a lengthy speech alongside other high ranking Audaladae, former Essukdalad nobility, and foreign invitees. However, while Stori's bones lay in a grave near Urnu-Arrak's docks, his spirit had ascended to the Aradusu Aderrid, afterlife of the Hukar Sharud Faith. From the incorporeal realm, Stori declared himself first Opkaituru (Prophet) of Hukar Sharud, communicating with followers of the faith as a collective hallucination. In honor of the infinite Aradusu, Stori's spirit rejected his corporeal name, adopting the true name of Narahashu.

Divine Revelations
Originally born from the birch inscriptions discovered on the island of Shyr-Arrak, the worship of the Hukar Dezum Autai Dar Shur (Holy Golden Seabird), existed prior to Stori's birth in a fabled land called Imoldien. Until Stori's decryption of Audalad, however, the worship remained only as a disorganized cultural practice. According to the scripture of the faith, Stori's decision to found Yimmu Audal, the brief reformation as Theios-Essukdal under Theiosism, and the nation's subsequent cycle of rise and fall was prophesized in a series of two revelations provided to Stori by the Holy Golden Seabird. Following Stori's death, the Third Revelation was given to Mistic Audalad, resulting in Stori, now Narahashu, becoming the post-mortal prophet of an organized religion.

Schism of The Red Sun
During his time as the Opkaituru of Hukar Sharud, Narahashu (Stori) had established the Esbitum Hukarad, the clergy of the faith. One such clergy member was Foxmunk Audalad, to whom was given the Fourth Revelation by the Lahar Yara-Sanguid, known as the Blood God. This lead to the integration of the Red Cult into Hukar Sharud. However, a faction of the clergy lead by Mistic Audalad rejected the fourth revelation, which lead to a schism in the faith. Eventually, the schism was amended by the Proclamation of Amos 551 and Proclamation of Amos 556, but damage to the Opkaituru's reputation had already been done. Narahashu had been engrossed in the Aradusu Uturad, dealing with affairs of the Yimmu Laharae, his mind growing ever-distant from affairs of the corporeal world.

Lahar Narahashu
In the year 562 after the fall of Jagdas, the Esbitum Hukarad discovered first the Reveries of the Schism of the Red Sun, wherein the Opkaituru Narahashu gave his thoughts regarding the end of the schism, and later The Nen Shair (The First Servant), where it was revealed that Narahashu had given up his consciousness and individuality to become one of the Yimmu Laharae. The Lahar Narahashu's domain represents the legacy of Stori Audalad's corporeal life, standing for ambition, vigilance, persistence, vanity, and guiding light. The holiest site of the Lahar Narahashu is considered the Lighthouse that Stands Between Two Realities, which can be found in Urnu-Arrak. Prior to his entry among the Yimmu Laharae, Narahashu had appointed Mistic Audalad as the second Opkaituru of Hukar Sharud, revealing her true name: Seiramida.

Affiliations
Known for his mentorship, Stori helped shape the careers of many players and developed friendships with many more. Some notable mentions include, Blue Marble, TheRealJay2, Dex Og, Viewed, Dalatra Mosulia, LethalMuffin, Ghastly_Bespoke, GrayIsYes, Pontios Oppidum Pontinne, Ratmeatjones, Lowry, Kerplis Elernel, MisticCrafter, King Zelorm, Centurion, Seabass, and Beagle.

Out of Character
During his time in Theios-Essukdal and as the Opkaituru of Hukar Sharud, StoryStudio became good friends with the later Imperial Exalt Valerian Aesperri-Audalad, commonly known as Zelorm or Herod. Together with Zelorm, StoryStudio developed the mythical Dune Analogy: a philosophy which analogizes nations and characters in Frank Herbert's Dune book series to those of Stoneworks. Perhaps surpassing even Abyss Mysticism, the Dune Analogy could be the most esoteric piece of Stoneworks lore, itself being a form of meta-gaming involving some of the most influential Stoneworks players of all time. It is rumored that utilizing the Dune Analogy, StoryStudio was successfully able to predict the formation of the Imperium, as well as as a number of other critical events which occurred throughout Stoneworks history.

StoryStudio is quoted on saying that he believes to be "at least 50% responsible" for the Ferrymen being banned. He explains this by referencing a conversation he initiated with then admin Blue Marble, and server owners Stoney and Raul. In a private groupchat, StoryStudio presented an essay arguing for the banning of the Ferrymen. Reasoning from the essay appears similar to the official ban of the Ferrymen announced by Raul in the Stoneworks Minecraft discord server.

It is rumored that at some point during his time as Opkaituru, StoryStudio created a secret mercenary organization of PvP-oriented players known as the "Yimmiekuza" which included such figures as RydenFTW, Dotto, LilyPrism, and Yaykei. However, due to an increased workload in his college studies, StoryStudio had to abandon the project, going inactive.

It is known that players StoryStudio and SikkeOST both attend university somewhere in the city of Chicago. Being bitter rivals for a large part of Rathnir history, mutual friendship with Zelorm helped them reconcile. As a joke, SikkeOST suggested the two should fight in real life at "The Bean," to which StoryStudio declined, referencing his victory in a duel with SikkeOST which took place in Lileanen.

Legend of Resurrection
In a vision granted to the Ningal Mistic Audalad by the Hukar Sharud sometime after Stori's death at the hands of the Ferrymen, it was revealed that if a time of crisis ever strikes the Audalad Dynasty, Stori may be resurrected under the following criteria:

The original sword Ullarah Urdussad, taken by the Ferrymen, is brought alongside a set of adequate netherite armor and an axe forged in the name Arkano Hazad to the Lighthouse that Stands Between Two Realities.

It is rumored that Ullarah Urdussad can be found in Stori's grave, where it had been brought to following the Ferrymen being banned by Stoneworks staff with the help of player DHVO. Following Stori's dissolution into the Lahar Narahashu, a Hukar Sharud priest named MST concluded that a resurrected Stori would not be human, but a shell which could be used for direct communication with the Aradusu Aderrid, bypassing the ambiguities of visions and omens.