Toren Orne'tare

Toren "The Patron" Orne'Valerin Caicuria Audalad is a Keita merchant and noble Count. He used to be High Councillor and Senator of the continental Empire of Astyllea before it's fall, as well as Audalad Court member of Yimmu-Audal before resigning. He held important positions in Anoshphey, being the Duchess' right hand whenever needed, and resided in Jirn. There, he held the position of "Lyorú of Aevindaron" and therefore was responsible for the construction and management of the Aevindaron city-district within the megacity of Jirn, and was also Count of Eirini, where he ruled for 30 years.

Humble Beginnings
Toren was born into a honourable, but poor Caedan family residing in the now abandoned city of Hiroka-Lani. Always being held to high standards, but without the money to back them up, Toren learned the path of humility very early on and had to work hard for all that he sought to possess, just as his father did. While not having many material goods, his father (Caeryn) held the secret to an ancient Caedan alloy recipe and his mother (Nikolyy) was a Seer, an important cultural and religious figure in the Caedan community.

A Fledgling's Call
His biological parents were very caring and, with the little money they had, managed to provide a worthy education and happy childhood to Toren. However, at the age of 15, he had to leave his town to travel around Anoshphey in search of job opportunities to fund his future and his family's failing business. After travelling through the County of Useri without luck of finding a job, Toren heard about a city so big and prosperous that a 1000 men could be employed and still would need more hands to work. That city was the megacity of Jirn to the south of Berae, and once Toren had exhausted his options in Useri, he didn't hesitate to go there.

Arrival at Jirn
Not long after arriving at Jirn, Toren managed to get a job in the Steel Mill owned by the Count of Stomeste and Sahrad of Jirn, Lee Maximos-Caicuria. Toren would work day and night until he couldn't work no more so he could earn his family a living wage. At the age of 18, however, he contracted a work related disease which would haunt him for the rest of his life. Due to his inability to work in the manual labor intensive jobs required in the Steel Mill after the incident, Toren started doing management jobs around the megacity.

When he was 19, he received a letter from the Knights of Anoshphey reading that his parents were attacked and killed by bandits while traveling through southern Yimmu-Audal to sell goods. This news made him suffer greatly, and changed his plans for the future. He'd start working on his father's secret recipe while also joining the Knights of Anoshphey to get a chance to avenge his parent's death.

Nobility by Merit
On his 20 years old birthday, the Sahrad Lee decided to grant Aeeindaron to Toren as a prize for banishing the Cockatrice of Aevindaron and the hard work in the Steel Mill. Soon the name changed from Aeeindaron to Aevindaron in order to symbolize stalwart nature of it's new owner. After the battle against the Cockatrice, Aevindaron's forest was nothing more than a rocky wasteland and the old owner's (Vincent Caicuria McSpiegel) wooden cabin was buried by a landslide. Toren had to clean up the remains of what remained there so he could lay the foundations of the city. Later, he would hire the builder Benjamin Rochelle (BeagleBasset24) from the city of Kordania (from the Island of Tàlor) to help constructing the Forge of Aevindaron.

Creation of the Orne'tare Family
After earning the nobility status of Lyorú, Toren decided to create his own noble family based on the lessons he learned with his parents as well as from Lee in the Steel Mill, and so the name Orne'tare (Iron Will in Caedan language) was chosen. Together with his close friend Hirae (Weebguy2206), they forged the Orne'tare family and cemented their brotherhood in the world of Rathnir.

Adoption into the Caicuria Dynasty
The Orne'tare family never was influential nor powerful, but the hard work that both brothers were demonstrating in their respective holdings, as well as their desire to help the surrounding communities and integrate themselves with the other nobles of the region, brought attention from Erevan Silverpepper. After years in a stable marriage, he and his wife Raeden Seeker were looking for an adoption. After hearing of the tales of Toren and Hirae and the wholesome brotherhood they had formed, they decided to invite both of them to join and expand the Caicuria dynasty, which the brothers happily accepted. This event opened the horizon for the Orne'tare family and gave them more objectives to achieve, as it helped legitimize them as nobles in Yimmu-Audal while also introducing them to a prestigious community.

Fatherhood and Prosperity
During the following years, Toren focused on many different businesses. He worked as a miner, an experience seller, a blacksmith, a farmer, a reseller, and whatever else he found to be profitable at the time. This versatility led him to meet other important businessmen in Rathnir, like the young Netherite King, ReadySetGo123; the largest and most famous store owner of the continent, 55Tremine, with his store, Market55; and the most skilful Book Enchanter, Jari0n. These experiences and the lessons learned with these characters influenced the mindset that Toren would follow in his young adulthood.

Death of Erevan
Soon after turning 30 years old, Toren would go through the loss of his adoptive father, Erevan Silverpepper, to an unpredictable accident. Erevan fell from the rooftops of the megacity while contemplating the beauty of the sunset and the whole trajectory that he had taken in his life. It is believed, however, that the accident was intentional, for Erevan had expressed feelings of sadness and despair with the loss of his home, the castle Hjutsig, in the County of Coltmaere, that had been forcefully taken by the Bardonians.

Growth of the Iron-willed
With the loss of his second father figure in such a small period of time, Toren decided that he would expand the Orne'tare family, and promptly started looking for dilligent and enthusiastic teenagers, like he once was, to adopt as a child of his own. His search didn't take long, as he would soon meet the timid Rohelian refugee Ilyy (Illyishere). In a few years, the two became close, and Toren performed the adoption ceremony for her to join the Orne'tare family. They'd work together on different projects and go on many adventures. Following his steps, his brother Hirae would soon adopt Siyoi (fivebacon), who was known and prominent noble from Fairavon, into the family.

Brooding the Gold
In one eventful day, the golden egg that was left by the Cockatrice started showing signs of being close to hatch. Curious about what creature would come out of it, and scared that the offspring of the monster he fought could be as dangerous as what guarded it, Toren decided to store the egg inside of the mountain where it once had rested on. In order to observe the event and, if needed, to slay the beast, Toren locked himself in with the egg, and, for more than 2 months, he cared for it, hoping to later sell the empty shell made of pure gold. On the sixty-ninth day, the egg hatched and a small golden bird jumped on him, nesting snuggly in his arms.

One more month passed, and the bird started placing spawns of it's own, with the shell as golden as the one it had come out of. Seeing the opportunity, Toren started transforming the shells into gold ingots and selling them as such. This extra income would help Toren with many other projects that required professional workforce.

War and New Beginnings
The end of the Brother's War between Aldovir and Yimmu-Audal, followed by the merging and creation of the Empire of Astyllea, left a sense of loss on Toren as a knight. His efforts were not enough to turn the tide of the battle, and, even if he knew the merge was fair, the fact that his nation had accepted it due to lack of manpower made him resent the situation during the first months.

Following the election and coronation of the first Emperor, Rithaur V síl Kair'vern-Audaláth, the political situation in the region started to stabilize, economy started to flourish and the overall sentiment of the nation grew stronger than Toren had ever witnessed. The pros of having a charismatic leader paired with the manpower provided by the union meant that Astyllea was a nation that appeared to stay and rule.

More than just an Emperor
On busy afternoons, Toren would find himself in talks about politic and mathematics with the Emperor, both providing insight about the different matters that each had acquired knowledge about. Both nobles earned each other's respect, and, with such interactions, they enjoyed each other's company. After the Emperor's term had ended, he offered Toren Orne'tare to join the Small Council of Astyllea, an administrative and political institution of Astyllea, derived from the Aldovirian political system, whose task was to vote on the many decisions that the Empire should take. Delighted by the idea of participating in the growth of the empire, Toren accepted the offer and, after many favourable votes, he joined the institution. In the start, Toren acted as a Chancellor within the High Council, but seeing as it did not fit his personal ambitions for the Empire, he'd soon move to an area he had more expertise in.

Treasured Duty
Toren's time in the Small Council of Astyllea (later changed to the High Council) was met with great reforms, the main one in which he partook being the economic reform. He had an objective when he joined said council: to make sure that Astyllea would have a constant stream of revenue with which they would be able to keep the State afloat. That would require a lot of time and money from Toren himself, but he was willing to go through with his plans and feed the giant political machine that Astyllea had become. Together with Rémnés Elernel-Dariae (Nadeko) and the Netherite King (ReadySetGo123 / bababoey), the Astyllean Treasury was created and projects were started. During those reforms, the Empire of Astyllea seized control of the most important market in Rathnir, the Market 55, owned by 55tremine, one of the greatest merchants in the whole continent. Together with the acquisition of the Azeal's Lounge, owned by Duke, Toren and Astyllea started a big project to redesign market 55 in a way that allowed other citizens and foreigners to set up shop there, creating competition in the marketplace and bringing prosperity to the region.

Argent Love
While Toren's political life was flourishing, his romantic endeavors were in no way lacking. While adventuring in the Astyllean Sea, Toren had met an older and gallant noble who went by the name of Silverchu Rochelle. They'd drunkly sail together in the seas of Astyllea and Pearls, admire exquisite buildings and ruins as well as invest and donate money as a team. Not long after, they'd find themselves talking about marriage, and on the day of the nationalization of Market 55, they married in the Steel Mill of Jirn, with Jovenos Ponteos (Sir_Pontios) consagrating the marriage. It seemed that fate led the Orne'tare to connect themselves once again with the silvery memories of the past, for where Silverpepper painted it argent, now Silverchu did the same.

Toren would come to later find out that Silverchu was the primogenitor of Centurion Rochelle, the King of Tàlor, and that he had also a bastard before the wedding, a person who had previously worked for Toren, called Benjamin Rochelle. The builder was close to Toren and Silverchu, and as it was tradition of bastards in the Rochelle Dynasty, decided to create a Bastard House honouring the partnership that had been formed with the wedding: the Rochelle-Orne'tare. The marriage, however, would come to find it's own worth of drama. After the union was announced, it'd come to light that Silverchu Rochelle's mother, Lady Cleopatra, was adopted by Toren Orne'tare's mother, Raeden Seeker. This meant that, through adoption, his now husband had also become his nephew. While it didn't illegitimate their marriage, it would certainly become quite a party story for them to tell.

That Witch he Always Sought
When it comes to the politics, Toren's mother, Raeden, was also growing. Her ability in management proved to be a necessity within the Empire of Astyllea, and that ability and charisma led her to become the Vice Empress during Ewatomi's turn as Empress. She occupied herself with organizing projects and giving jobs to the less focused High Councillors, doing her magic so that everyone would share the weight of running the Empire. However, to everyone's surprise, Ewatomi would soon come to abdicate and, as Vice Empress, Raeden Seeker would be chosen as one of the regents together with Shaereleria Elernel-Levia (risewiththelillies) and Lirhedai Ellira Accero (Bird), but the latter would also come to abdicate. As such, the duties of Empress and Vice Empress completely took both regents by surprise. Together, they'd manage to achieve the goal of starting the needed reforms while keeping the political scenario stabilized. However, with such great responsibilities, Raeden Seeker saw herself unable to care for the County of Eirini as a whole, and, seeing as Toren had been seeking for a County to develop, she decided to pass it down to him.

Earning his way up into owning a County was one of Toren's main objectives and, while sad for seeing Raeden in such a tough spot, he was eager to achieve great things with the land. Under his ruling there would be three baronies: the Barony of Ashmore, still owned by Raeden; the Barony of Thera, led by Wrathborn; and the Barony of Wolthis, led by Wolfkay. With the recent border disputes that had happened in that land, his main starting focus was to use diplomacy and money to draw a more easily visible border for the County, as well as making sure the cities had enough money to expand and grow.

Signed in Ink
After a long sleep, the dryad Rendel Hudes Cumber McSpeigel woke up in the empty city of Shiny. A city which once was great, but hadn't seen a soul for years after the County of Shiny's capital had been transferred to Swal-Awlz. Seeing the state of his royal Dynasty and looking to expand it with worthy candidates, Rendel saw in Hirae Orne'tare the attributes he had looked for. Hirae had taken care of the County of Shiny after Fear McSpiegel's death and while Rendel slept his century long sleep, and had built the large city of Swal-Awlz mostly by himself. Rendel then decided that Hirae was worthy of becoming the next generation of the Cumber dynasty, and adopted him, as well as Toren Orne'tare, into the family. They'd now have Rendel as their father, finally having a complete family once again.

End of an Era
While Astyllea was definitely not a Nation that would stand the test of time like Yimmu-Audal had, it accomplished many things during it's three decades of existence. Astyllea managed to bring together brothers and sisters from more than ten different nations into a project to keep the continent safe from external forces and develop it as a coordinated team. However, it would be dishonest to say that it didn't have glaring issues: huge amount of inactive High Government members; dwindling population; lack of representation of key states; self-centered state leaders; and lack of organized military force. It was while trying to fix these issues that the High Council and the Emperors or Regents would end up committing mistakes that, together with the egotistical plots of one major political figure, would seal the fate of Astyllea once and for all, to never be revived again.

With many unfinished projects, their plans for economic and infrastructure in the region of Alteniquia would be kept by Toren so that one day this continent would achieve the development it rightfully deserves.

The Horde Roams Free
On the Southeast region of the Empire, trouble was brewing within the walls of Yestanbul. Howertt, their leader, was unsatisfied with the powers given to him by the Golden Codex (the Astyllean Constitution) in regards to waging or participating in wars, and, instead of discussing these frustrations with the High Council, he decided to rebel again. Seeing as this could harm the Empire's stability, the High Council quickly voted to declare war on Yestanbul, meanwhile Daria Elernel used this opportunity to omit crucial information and, unbeknownst to the councillors, justify his undermining of their authority.

The battle itself was a disaster. A change in the army's command led to problems with the organization of the troops. The captains tried fixing it on the days before the battle, but there simply was not enough time. While on the way to the battlefield, half of the ships filled with soldiers ended up sinking, their lives lost to the Astyllean Sea's unforgiving storms. After arriving, the remaining Astyllean forces were met with a rain of arrows from Yestanbul's walls and the already tired soldiers met their end.

The barbaric hordes that had taken the city during the time of Yimmu-Audal were now free, be it through luck or merit (as it depends on who you ask), taking with them part of the little land that remained of the State of Azuria, reducing it to less than 1/4th of it's original size. The discontent of their leadership and of the general populace with the outcome of this war would lead to many reforms in the military sector, with a huge amount of investment coming from the Treasurers.

Cost of Transparency
Following the discontent caused by the loss of the Empire against a City-State, the High Council started to open up the curtains to the lower government and to the civilians. First, the High Council publicized the legislation that was being voted on, as long as it was not a risk to the Empire's security. Second, monthly meetings were done to inform the Imperial Senate and the Imperial Forum of the general situations and projects of the Empire. And finally, the High Council allowed the next election to be made public, so everyone could watch the process that took place during the changing of Emperors.

These changes were very well liked by everyone and increased activity in all corners of the Empire, but it would be an important factor that would lead to the death of the Empire, for the populace's mind are prone to be manipulated by egotistical and ill-intentioned politicians.

Electoral Inferno
In terms of expectations, the High Council had many in regards to the first public election. One thing that they did not expect was the amount of chaos that would happen because of it. On the first day of the election, the candidates gave their speeches as usual. Kerplis' speech had appeal to the older and wiser citizens, while Jovenos' speech conquered the hearts of the joyous young ones. Daria's, on the other hand, was directed at those who believed that the Empire's problems were concentrated only on the High Council itself. On the following days, it was visible that Daria's support was growing rapidly with the common citizens and the military, while Kerplis' was being backed by the citizens with more political sway. The election was effectively tied, with each side having 3 votes and 1 more vote that was switched around, changing who was on the winning side. This situation went on for a few more days, with many States waiting patiently for the right time to relay their votes.

During the wait, Daria's supporters started becoming impatient, and decided to resort to more extreme measures. One of those, was a group called Wolf Eye, who sneakily tried to plan a coup in favor of Daria as a plan B. Their attempts were found, but they were pardoned as there was no coherent planning as well as them politely asking for forgiveness for their actions and explaining that they were just hyped up with the whole election. Other supporters of Daria were not as excusable as those. There were cases of them incessantly telling the electorates to vote on their chosen candidate, sometimes by yelling at them directly or filling their mail with propaganda. And a few went even further, to the point of threatening the other candidates in hopes of them leaving the election through fear.

While these events did not cause, by themselves, a negative effect on the voting, they did show how Daria's appeal to the extremists was a danger to Astyllea. With everything put in place, the last votes were expressed by the electorates and it was clear that Kerplis was to be the new rightful Emperor of Astyllea. Daria, however, did not accept the electoral defeat, and with his gang of extremists, military personnel, and oblivious civilians, declared a coup on the throne of the Empire.

Phoenix Burns into Ash
The discussion that the High Council did after the coup was announced and in order to stop Daria from acquiring control of the Empire were done with a heavy heart, for not one of them expected a betrayal of such magnitude. Although the discussion was still occurring and no votes had passed regarding what to do, the newly elected Emperor unlawfully decided to take matters into his own hands and gambled the fate of the Empire with Daria in a combat for the emperorship. Kerplis fought bravely, but his resolve was not enough to beat the skilled warrior chosen by Daria. With the threat of the coup looming over the Councillors and the newly elected Emperor throwing out the trust bestowed upon him, there was only one decision left to be taken: dissolving Astyllea.

Many of the High Councillors did not want to see Astyllea fall like this, but without a military to defend ourselves, as the one we had turned against us, and the coup being backed by external forces, there weren't many choices available. Dissolving the nation wouldn't stop Daria from his power hunger, but it would definitely slow down the process and give the leaders time to react. And so the Phoenix burned one last time, returning to ashes of which no other would rise.

Last Embers of Astyllea
Not all of the States separated from each other and not all the States managed to dissolve peacefully. The States of Tálor, Adavia, Cobbleworks, Vanakunir, Hostina and Seidora left relatively unscathed by the whole chaos that followed the dissolution. The Shyhenéi au Anòshphéy left with the Kingdom of Yimmu-Audal, the latter becoming a vassal of Anòshphéy for protection against the Yestanbul Hordes that came to take it's capital. The Archduchy of Azuria managed to leave and avoid the barbarians that had taken their northern cities by allying to them. Coltmaere lost a few islands to the neighbouring remnants of Bardonia. Lapidovir split in half, one part being independent and the other keeping relations with Lirgal. Sironia and Theionikos allied together in their faith. The Vastallos States of Astana, Asturcia and Dracade went on to form the small Ombrian Empire. Carn suffered an internal rebellion while Daria tried to take it from his own daughter, Shaerelia.

And so burned the last embers of the Phoenix that once towered over Alteniquia. Some speculate that, from those embers, one might burn brighter and consume the dimmer ones. Others believe that, from those embers, combined, a new fire shall light up and shine brighter than the Audalad sun. But most have accepted that this was the Phoenix's final pyre, and as such, it's rest shall be eternal.

Back to the Roots
On the two years in which the states were mostly separated, the idea of reviving the old Yimmu-Audal to fight off invaders and safekeep the cultural link between those states managed to bring them back together. This time, however, Yimmu-Audal was smaller than it had been, with only Talor, Theionikos, Anoshphey and their vassal joining. However, differently from how it used to be before Astyllea, the kingdom was less centralized and under the protection of the Imperium, with the High King being the same person as the Emperor of the Imperium, Yazov Audalad. The interaction with the Escharian neighbours was a welcome change and Toren would indulge in cultural exchanges to learn about their language and customs. After all, Anoshphey is considered a Niedene State thanks to the Anserii ancestors who settled in these ancient lands.

The political system, however, was mostly unaffected, with the Noble Council and the Audalad Court being kept separate from the bigger Imperium as to not cause internal instability in Yimmu-Audal. In the Audalad Culture, the nobility ranks are hard set, with few differences between the States, and moving up the ranks happens through merit perceived by the superiors in an absolutist manner. While small natural changes had occurred from the old Yimmu-Audal, the powerful nobles were very against any drastic changes, Toren included. On a different note, it was clear that the nation was in needed of less discussions and more actions.

The Khan's Retribution
Even with the protection of the Imperium, the war declaration made by Yestanbul upon the capital of Urnu-Arrak was still being dealt with. While many citizens and nobles like Toren were willing to fight for the beloved capital, and even with the expertise of the best Audalad diplomats, he knew there wasn't much that could be done to appease the Khan, Howertt. Even though Yestanbul was nothing more than a horde of barbarians, their diplomatic skills were not to be messed with. Eventually, a treaty was signed in which the Khan would be given control of the city as long as no damage was done to it and no citizens were removed. This very unpopular decision would cause many feelings of unrest within the Audalad people, as well as international shame, but it was known by the nobles that there was no other way of preserving their beloved city. Many had seen the damages that war could cause, and Urnu-Arrak was not built for it. As such, Toren and Ilyy went there to give their goodbye to the city. The loss of Urnu also led to a renaissance of ideas and projects within the nation, with the choosing of a new capital and even the planning of a new capital for the Kingdom.

The Flaws of the Law
Soon after the Audalad Constitution would become public, and Toren, being experienced with law during his Astyllean time in the High Council, analysed the Constitution. While most of the laws present in the Constitution were reasonable and well explained, some important parts were worrying. During this time, since Toren was not allowed to propose changes to the Constitution, he instead used the Noble Council powers to him given by his nobility to pass on simpler laws while occasionally talking with the Audalad Court's members about the problems that needed to be fixed in the Constitution. Seeing his desire to help, the High King Yazov decided to promote him and add him to the Audalad Court and give him the position of Lord of Laws, later renamed to Royal Magistrate.

In this new position, Toren would go on to propose a dozen of amendments to the Constitution, ranging from simple clarifications as well as important changes in the other parallel institutions within the Kingdom. Most of those amendments would end up being accepted and applied within the 8 years in which Toren worked in the Audalad Court. However, seeing as there were problems that were not possible to be fixed and tired of the fruitless discussions not paired with proper actions to fix the issues in hand, Toren decided that his time was of better use in his original state, Anoshphey. Therefore, he explained his reasoning and resigned from the Court, going back to a calmer lifestyle and caring for a place where he was given the means to properly fix the problems.

The Patron of Urnu-Arrak
While Toren had retreated back to his State, he still cared for the nation in which he had grown up. One eventful day, Toren would end up meeting the Khan Howertt of Yestanbul and engage in conversation about the situation in Urnu-Arrak. After a few decades owning Urnu, the Khan had gotten tired of those same sandstone walls and instead was more interested in the shiny golden color of the Anoshphite coins. Toren noticed that the Khan's demeanor towards the Audalad people had apparently changed with time, with him showing up in events and festivals held in Audalad soil, and as he and his people were known for their mercenary work, it was also clear that they took a taste for gold. Luckily for Yimmu-Audal, Toren had a lot of gold.

For 1 million and 500 thousand, Toren managed to buy back the Holy Capital of Urnu-Arrak and, with the expertise of his cousin Foxmunk, the Khan agreed to sign a Non Aggression Pact with the High Kingdom. This gift would award Toren the epithet of "The Patron", affectionately called "El Patron" by friends and family, and the honor of being remembered every 31th day of the month.

Unrest in the HQ
Since the loss of Urnu-Arrak, a handful of nobles, who were not knowledgeable of the geopolitics occurring at the time, started plotting a rebellion. Even after Urnu-Arrak was recovered, their plans did not change, and after fabricating a border conflict due to an illegally built wall, the few remaining nobles of Prisma and Fairavon joined together to start the weirdest rebellion Toren had seen. They called themselves the Free State of Prisma and claimed land that, strangely enough, was not the land their cities were in. Abdoulla Prisma Maximos-Caicuria was the leader of the rebellion and, after Toren talked with him, he realized that the poor man had lost his mind. It's theorized that the old noble was suffering with memory loss due to his old age, and, from the conversations shared with Toren, he showed a desire to revive a long dead Yimmu-Audal state called by the name of Theios-Essukdal that hasn't seen the light of day for more than 100 years.

The sad truth behind this rebellion is that the so-called rebels were mostly retired nobles who had isolated themselves from the other parts of the Kingdom, and therefore what they knew was of how things were decades ago and they treated the situation as if nothing had changed since then. This would prove to be their biggest mistake and an important reason for the outcome. While the rebels themselves were no match for even the local militia, the intelligence network of the Kingdom found out that they had managed to get their hands on 8 million Rathnir dollars. The spies found out that the outlaws had managed to both sell a very expensive artefact and get the support of another old isolated noble who happened to have a large sum of money. With that money, the rebels hired countless mercenaries to fight for their cause, changing the situation to a somewhat more threatening one.

Price of Delirium
During the months of negotiations, the army of Yimmu-Audal and the Imperium worked on acquiring gear and other items necessary for the invasion of Prisma, which was known as one of the most defensive positions in Rathnir. The armor was distributed by Beagle, the potions were produced by Ilyy, and Toren worked on hiring mercenaries for the battle. With his money, Toren was able to turn the most skilled fighters of the mercenary companies hired by Prisma to his side of the battle, and on the day leading up to the war, many of their mercenaries switched sides by themselves due to realization of the lack of preparation from the Prisma Rebels.

During the battle, Lily Prism led the Imperium army towards the fortress and successfully infiltrated the castle with a team of highly skilled fighters. The main army fought through the main gates and climbed up the walls, reaching the heart of the castle and into the upper section. On the main bailey, the biggest confront happened, with the rebels defending the higher ground against the main forces for a few hours until the infiltrated soldiers surprised them from the other side. And as fast as it started, the rebellion had ended and their soldiers were either killed or ran away. A few months went by and, while sustaining a harsh siege by the army, the other towns folded and gave up on their rebellion as well.

Afterwards, while looking through the massacre that had happened on the then ruined fortress, the army saw that most of their soldiers did not have proper fighting equipment, wearing basic unenchanted armor and using swords and daggers made of amethyst or with enchants that had no use in battle. The rebels spent 8 million on mercenaries, but in their chaotic uprising forgot to equip them with actual weapons and armor. Holding belief that Yimmu-Audal was still the poor crumbling nation that it had been decades ago, they went head in thinking that their superiors wouldn't be able to fight their puny army with barely functional gear. Luckily for the nation and not so much for the rebels, Toren and the Orne'Valerins had revived the economy in Yimmu-Audal and, thanks to that, the Imperium army had both mercenaries and equipment to fight.

Arikari Weaponry
Even though the rebellion itself was futile and only resulted in the profit of the mercenaries and razing of Prisma, it did encourage Toren to do more research on weapons, to learn more about their advantages and drawbacks. As a cultured Caedan, Toren went on a quest talking with Seers of the different Caeda groups scattered across Anoshphey in the hopes of learning about the means with which his people had defended themselves for the past centuries against wild beasts and opposing civilizations alike. Sadly for him, the Seers' memories were mostly limited to the Migration period of his people and not much about equipment from before this time persisted in their memories, with the responsible Seers choosing to focus their efforts on cultural and religious traditions. After a vast and tiring day reading through countless books that comprised the tales of the Caedans, when Toren was close to giving up on his search, he had the idea of looking through his father Caeryn's notes, as it was known that his biological father had been fascinated with the history of blacksmithing in their society.

And there Toren found what he was looking for. An old and crumbling book by the name of "Terame kre i'oso mel Akari", meaning "Metal to Serve the Guardian", had detailed accounts and recipes of the armor, shield and main weapon that was used by the best warriors during the peak of Caeda civilization. These guardians, known as the Arikari, were from the two best warriors of each of the Great Houses of the Caedans with the purpose of rallying commoners and lesser noble fighters together and lead them to battles. As one would expect of leaders and important nobles, the Arikari would wear the most advanced pieces of armors, comprised of a steel sallet helmet, and splinted steel shoulder guards, breastplates and faulds. The shields were tall and oval shaped, with a unique material produced from the mixing of hemp shives and mortar. The swords were uniquely shaped, having a curve with the edge in the inside, just like the opposite of a scimitar, while having a pointed hook on the end, similarly to a sickle. That weapon could be used with one or two hands, and was useful at slicing armor and flesh. Seeing the revolutionary potential of this forgotten weapon, Toren would decide to reconstruct it and, after mastering the recipe, he'd name the blade "Arikari", just like the legendary warriors that used to wield it. This would eventually become an important Anoshphite weapon both for ceremonies and war.

The True Journey were the Memories
At 72 years old, Toren grew more and more tired of politics and public work. He had done what he could, juggling around as many different projects as there were stars in the sky, sometimes finishing them, other times having to leave them for later due to emergencies. Such was the situation with the market and, other times, even with his County. As his mental state deteriorated, both due to the Miasma and the infirmities that come with being an elder, Toren understood that it was time to let the newer generations tackle the problems that he once tried to fix. With a heavy, but wise heart, Toren would sell Market 55 to his loyal son Beagle for a symbolic price as well as give Creere, an up-and-coming citizen, a regency in his County, so that they both could prove themselves worthy in their own time. His beloved daughter, Ilyy, would end up taking up his place in the regency of Anoshphey, showing that the family's motto was more than just a catch phrase. To help smooth out the transition, Toren would guide them through the individual hardships that their jobs would bring, be it in flesh or spirit.

Ironclad Audalad
During his life, Toren had always seen the Audalads with great respect and he hoped to one day be able to join them. As any other Yimmu-Audal citizen, being consecrated as an Audalad was one of the biggest honours that could be bestowed upon someone. Yet, for most of his life, even while working in the Anoshphite regency and helping the nation with sweat and blood, his deeds would mostly go unnoticed by the other Audalads and the Opkaituru (Hukar Sharud's Head of Faith) Narahashu. This wasn't a problem with them, but with Toren himself being of humble origin and personality. While others would loudly announce their deeds, Toren preferred to let his achievements speak for themselves.

As time went on, and with the politics calming down, the transformations brought by Toren's work started showing. The economy of Yimmu-Audal wasn't just the remains of the wealth of an once greater nation, as it could now stand up by itself. With wealth flowing through the lands, many great artisans started opening shops and expanding their businesses, bringing even more economic interest to the before deserted region. Anoshphey became a beacon of industrialization, exporting farm designs to the rest of the nation and sustaining the economy when hard times fell upon the Audaladae. For years, Toren would use his time on nothing more than keeping the economy healthy, and it would all be worth it when he managed to use it to buy back the glorious capital of Urnu-Arrak and later change the tides of the Prisma rebellion.

By the end of Narahashu's time as Head of Faith and with Mistic, now Opkaituru Seramida, Audalad's keen eye, his feats were finally acknowledged together with the other Anoshphites. Ilyy Orne'Valerin and Felix Caicuria-McSpiegel were recognized as Shyr Audalads for their work as regents of Anoshphey and overall hardwork done in their respective areas of expertise, with Ilyy applying the knowledge she learned of the wider world to improve Anoshphey's citizen life paired with invaluable martial knowledge, while Felix proved his unwavering loyalty and honour in the face of rebellions. Beagle Orne'Valerin received the title of Ormu Audalad for the development that his builds brought throughout the nation, in addition of the economic success and religious devotion showed throughout his life and, on top of that, his promotion to Chief Diplomat in Yimmu-Audal. Adeline Orne'Valerin's impressive work with the creation of the most successful and technologically advanced city in the country, as well with her regency and indisputable patience and loyalty torwards the leadership, awarded her with the title of Ormu Audalad as well. Following the steps of his Iron Sister and his Duchess, Toren would also, finally, be awarded the honour of becoming an Ormu Audalad.

Spate of Plagues
Despite the recent achievements Toren had made, his fate would soon take an abrupt turn. One day, in the course of the monthly maintenances that Toren would dilligently do on his poultry farm, he'd notice that many of them had completely disappeared off the face of Rathnir. After breeding them back to their original quantity, he carefully stalked them as they fed on the ration and finally saw the culprit. An invisible being that, from time to time, would blink into visibility, showing the hunched ugly kobold behind the disappearances. For a decade Toren would fight the monsters, but to no avail: one by one, his roosters would disappear or die. Those that vanished were never seen again, and the ones whose bodies were found seemed to have succumbed from poisoning caused by a blue powdery metal. Fighting a losing battle against the wicked sprites would cause Toren a lot of stress, ultimately leading to the end of his cockatrice's reign of wealth.

To add insult to injury, Rathnir would be swept with a wave of a devastating horse influenza. This malady would bring the demise of many of the horse racing breeds that Toren had cared for and bred during half of his life. The epidemic would quickly transmit through stables from travelling horses and had an infection rate of 100% on horses that were bred for horse racing. It is believed that the preference for those horses were caused by the inbreeding that the creation of these breeds required, as they mostly originated from blessed specimens gifted by gods and supernatural beings. Common symptoms were dry cough, fever and weakness that would eventually lead to the equine's death due to not breathing enough air. Orne and Silver would be the first of the horses to be claimed by the fatality, with the white steeds following a week after. Toren's old heart simply couldn't handle all the losses that had happened to him and his dear pets.

Grave Heart
This dire misfortune would lead him to do what he would have never done: Toren struck a deal with Baat, the mischievous Caedan God of sand, hoping that he would succeed in ridding Anoshphey of the plagues that caused the losses Toren had endured. Baat requested that Toren find his heart, so that he would be free from the imprisonment laid on him in Urnu-Arrak. In his search for the place where the Heart of Baat was supposedly hidden, Toren found clues that led him to the Temple of Monath. However, Baat wasn't called mischievous for no reason. Fulfilling the promise, Toren would climb to the top of the temple, in hopes that there he would find the artefact. When he arrived at the top, he realised his mistake. The treacherous God had armed a trap for Toren, in a place where we would have no escape from his powers. Baat's powers were stronger there, as Urnu-Arrak was made of sand and his Heart lay close. The evil God only wished to harm Toren, as he was a follower of Tor'ah (also called Terame), the blacksmith Caedan God, with whom Baat had a rivalry with. Caught in the dispute of two Gods, Toren would end up being pushed off the tower.

To everyone's surprise, Toren had fallen on a unsuspecting bush that grew on the side of the temple, saving him from certain death. The physicians would arrive at the scene and find a sword as dark as onix with engravings reading "Ironheart" resting on Toren's hand. His body would then be taken to the Jirnite Hospital where he'd be placed under constant care. The state of his mind seemed unresponsive, and his frail body fought to stay alive, his heart slowly beating and his lungs deteriorating. The physicians declared that he was in deep sleep and believed the fall had been caused by a hallucination due to the worsening conditions of the patient's Miasma.

Ascension to Ancestral Plane
Just as his body hit the bushes and the hard floor beneath, Toren's soul and body became separated. The near death experience brought upon him by Baat, the treacherous God, had severed the link between his spiritual and material self. If that was the goal, Toren did not know. Confused with what had happened, his spirit watched as Ironheart materialized in his body's hand, and, later when the physicians arrived to move his body to the hospital, the soul followed closeby. Arriving in Jirn, and with the body carefully rested on the hospital bed, Toren's soul watched as his relatives came to check on him. Invisible to them, he could only watch as their tears rolled down their cheeks.

None of them could see or feel his presence, but Joveneos. Born from a spiritual incident, he could feel the presence of Toren's spirit on the feathers that were trapped in his hair: three golden feathers, one of which held his soul in the material world. The soul noticed Joveneos take the feathers and, guided by a strange force, the ghost watched as Joveneos performed a ritual both had never seen before. Hours passed. When it seemed to be reaching an end, a strange feeling took over Toren's essence and the consciousness faded.

And once Toren's soul awoke beyond the mortal realm, there the strange force stood, seemingly waiting for him. His features reminded Toren of Joveneos, but with a much stronger presence. The man in the statues, an old face for the old Duchy, now welcomed him into the realm beyond the living to take a seat with him in the Ancestral plane.

Iron Will's Will
Even though his body still breathed, his soul had departed, and so his loved ones knew it was time to have Toren's Will read. United in the old and familiar Aevindaron Forge, where many great memories had been made not so long ago, Hirae opened his brother's seal and started reading the testament.

First, the market was to be sold to Beagle Rochelle-Orne'Valerin, and only him. The money was to be summed with Toren's wealth, which would be guarded to serve Anoshphey in case it ever falls in hard times. Secondly, Toren's farm, pets and belongings were to be given to Ilyy Orne'Valerin, with the exception of Iron Will, which was to be buried with him, and Iron Bond, which was to be returned to Hirae. The County was to be offered to Creere, a hardworking citizen of Eirini, if the Duchess deemed him worthy after a trial period. Aevindaron was to be Toren's last resting place, with his body being buried in the Orne'Valerin's humble family tomb. The district was to be given to Ilyy Orne'Valerin's care, who is the embodiment of the family's virtues. Myractus, that had been given to Toren in Magnentius' testament, was to be returned to the Rochelle family through Beagle Rochelle-Orne'Valerin, who was the symbol of the union of both Great Families. The historical artefacts that Toren guarded in Jirn were to be displayed in its own appropriate section in the future Jirn Museum.

Biological Family
Toren's biological family besides that his father Caeryn was a human hardworking blacksmith and his mother Nikolyy was a Keita Seer. Caeryn was incredibly fascinated with old Caedan history and achievements, dedicating his life to finding out clues about what the Toraeri Steel from before the Migration was. Those clues would end up being put together by Toren, allowing Toraeri Steel to be brought back to the cultural knowledge of the Caedan people and the Anoshphites. Nikolyy was known as a very sweet lady, who cared a lot about her community and would go do everything she could to care for them. She was also very religious and, as a Seer, was a guide for the Caedans with her memory. Her marriage with Caeryn wasn't accepted by some, due to him not being a Seer himself, but the wider community acknowledged his deep knowledge of their culture.

Orne'Valerin (previously Orne'tare) Family
The Orne'tare (meaning Iron Will in Neo-Anoshphite language) family was created by Hirae Orne'tare and Toren himself. Together, they kept and expanded the brotherhood into a proper family, with Toren adopting Ilyy Orne'tare, while Hirae adopted Siyoi Orne'tare. The first of the brothers to marry would be Toren, who would have Silverchu Rochelle as his husband and the step-son, later adopted as his own son, Beagle Rochelle-Orne'tare. Later, Ilyy Orne'tare would marry KJ Wei-Du and together adopt three great additions to the family. Their marriage, however, wouldn't last forever, and with the separation, only two would stay in the Orne'tare name: Chili Orne'tare Wei-Du Maximos-Caicuria Seeker and Belisarius (previously known as Mehtulbawkses) Orne'tare Wei-Du Maximos-Caicuria Seeker.

Soon after, the Orne'tare family would add a third person to the first generation of the brotherhood: their new iron sister, Adeline. While technically their aunt within the Caicuria dynasty, Adeline had a close relationship with both, to the point where the adoption as a sister made more sense than their locations in the broad family tree. As such, the Orne'tare family decided to rename their family name to Orne'Valerin (meaning Iron Dynasty in Neo-Anoshphite language), as a way of showing the union between the Maximos-Caicuria line and the Orne'tare lines within the Dynasty. The effect of this union would be that the names "Orne'tare Maximos-Caicuria" were to be changed to "Orne'Valerin Caicuria".

The third generation would gain two new members under this new name: Beagle Rochelle-Orne'Valerin adopted Monkey Rochelle-Orne'Valerin, expanding the Rochelle-Orne'Valerin line of the family, and Siyoi Orne'Valerin Caicuria adopted Milk Orne'Valerin Caicuria, making Hirae a grandfather. The next growth spurt of the family would happen through Adeline's line, with the adoption of Dauern, Steakfilly and Rais. Leeicus Maximos-Caicuria would come to accept the Orne'Valerin name as well, as generation zero, bringing with him other Maximos-Caicuria to unite under the same name. With this, the line of Joveneos and Mieng would take the name, as well as Nylah. Other adoptions that happened during this time of growth were: Mei Mei, as Ilyy's daughter; Kilcount, as Beagle's son; AwzTurtle, as Milk's son; and finally Scythe, as Belisarius' son.

Zeroth Generation: Leeicus Orne'Valerin Caicuria

First Generation: Toren Orne'Valerin Caicuria, Hirae Orne'Valerin Caicuria, Adeline Orne'Valerin Caicuria, Joveneos Orne'Valerin Caicuria, Nylah Orne'Valerin Caicuria.

Second Generation: Ilyy Orne'Valerin Caicuria (daughter of Toren), Beagle Rochelle-Orne'Valerin (son of Toren), Siyoi Orne'Valerin Caicuria (son of Hirae), Dauern Orne'Valerin Caicuria (daughter of Adeline), Steakfilly Orne'Valerin Caicuria (son of Adeline), Rais Orne'Valerin Caicuria (son of Adeline), Mieng Orne'Valerin Caicuria (son of Joveneos).

Third Generation: Chili Wei-Du Orne'Valerin Caicuria and Belisarius Wei-Du Orne'Valerin Caicuria (sons of Ilyy), Mei Mei Orne'Valerin Caicuria (daughter of Ilyy), Monkey Rochelle-Orne'Valerin Caicuria and Kilcount Rochelle-Orne'Valerin Caicuria (sons of Beagle), Milk Orne'Valerin Caicuria (son of Siyoi).

Fourth Generation: Scythe Wei-Du Orne'Valerin Caicuria (son of Belisarius) and AwlzTurtle Orne'Valerin Caicuria (son of Milk).

Caicuria Dynasty
Toren and Hirae were both adopted into the Caicuria dynasty as sons of Erevan Maximos-Caicuria Silverpepper and Raeden Seeker. Later, Cleopatra Rochelle Caicuria would also be adopted by their mother. Following Erevan's line, Lee is their grandfather while Ghastly "The Uniter" Audalad together with Uthr Audalath (Longbow) and Lócéós Jóstén Maximós are their great-grandparents. As aunts and uncles, they have Rat M. Jones Maximos-Caicuria Naryshkin Audalad, Abdulla Maximos-Caicuria Prisma, Fireworker Maximos-Caicuria Prisma, Leigh Maximos-Caicuria and Nylah Maximos-Caicuria (Wyn) and Adeline Orne'Valerin Caicuria (MisLee). Notable cousins of Toren and Hirae are Foxmunk Audalad Maximos-Caicuria and Steakfilly Maximos-Caicuria Prisma. Important distant family members are Nyles "The Beloved" Karre Caicuria'Reris Audalad, Mirain Caicuria, Trollerio Caicuria, Subica "The Younger" and Vincent Caicuria McSpiegel.

Rochelle Dynasty
The Rochelle and the Orne'tare are connected in two different parts: the first is that Cleopatra, who is Toren's and Hirae's sister through adoption by Raeden, is the wife of Centurion Rochelle and mother of his sons. The second is that Silverchu Rochelle, Centurion's first son, is the husband of Toren Orne'tare. The Rochelle Dynasty also has a bastard house which was formed by Beagle Rochelle, who is now called Beagle Rochelle-Orne'Valerin.

Cumber Dynasty
Rendel Hudes Cumber McSpeigel adopted Hirae and Toren into the Cumber Dynasty and McSpiegel Dynasty as his sons. The Cumber Dynasty is the dynasty that once ruled as Kings of Shiny and the Royal Isles, and even though the royal dynastic title had ceased to exist with the vassalization of Shiny to Theios-Essukdal and, later, to Anoshphey, the dynasty still held pride to their royal past. The creator of the dynasty was Fear Cumber McSpiegel, who had died years before. Siyoi Orne'tare and Ilyy Orne'tare would also join the dynasty for being the children of the Orne'tare brothers. Through the Cumber Dynasty, the Orne'tare also inherit lineage from the McSpiegel, but due to the Caicuria's close relationship with the McSpiegel, the House Head of theirs decided that they'd need to take the name Caspiel instead of McSpiegel.

Wei-Du Family
The Wei-Dus are connected to the Orne'tares through the mairrage of KJ Wei-Du and Ilyy, making KJ's name KJ Maximos-Caicuria Seeker Orne'tare Wei-Du, officially part of the family. KJ and Ilyy have 3 adopted sons, Chili Caicuria, Mehtulbawkses Maimos-Caicuria Seeker Wei-Du Orne'tare Host, and Purpin Seeker Orne'tare Wei-Du. With the divorce, only Chili and Belisarius (previously Mehtulbawkses) would still carry both the family names, with Purpin keeping only KJ's family name. The relationship of both families, however, are still good, as KJ still is highly respected for his own merit and for being the parent of two Orne'Valerins.

Audalad Dynasty
Unlike other dynasties and families, the Audalad Dynasty functioned more as a title that was given to those who had proved themselves as citizens and leaders in Yimmu-Audal and related states. Nonetheless, bonded by the desire to keep the Audaladae culture and name forever lasting, these men and women of noble spirit would unite in the Audalad Council to discuss the many necessary aspects of the divinity. On his last years of life, Toren was consecrated as an Audalad, together with his daughter Ilyy, his son Beagle and his iron sister Adeline. Toren's title within the Orissaradae was Ormu Audalad, which is above Shyr Audalad and below Kai'Yi Audalad.

Aevindaron Forge
The Aevindaron Forge is a forge specialized in the production of Armor and Weaponry using the newly rediscovered Toraeri Steel, of Caeda origin. During it's prime, this business provided Toren with the first half million money he had ever made. The Forge is still active to this day, but production is now more focused on custom armors and weaponry instead of general soldier's equipment.

Maximos Incorporated
The Maximos Incorporated was an operation that Toren, Leeicus, Hirae and Erevan did both in Eldham and in Rathnir, with the objective of mining as much iron and gold available before and after the discovery of the Deep Underground, below what was thought as possible to mine at. The profit of this organization helped funding the Forge as well as providing a base for investments in other businesses.

Builder's Warehouse (previously Market 404)
The Market 404 plan never ended being finished, with only the lone bank sitting proudly in the middle of the desert. Eventually, the region got integrated into the Market 55 economic complex and was repurposed as a Builder's Warehouse by Beagle Rochelle-Orne'Valerin, so that he could store and distribute building materials for the Audalad Builder's Guild.

Market 55
After the nationalization of Market 55 by the Empire of Astyllea, Toren was put in charge of redesigning the area into the future Astyllean Mall. Most of it was designed by Toren and Beagle, with the help of Trevor Dynami, but sadly politics got in the way and did not allow the project to be fully completed. The idea was to make market 55 a hub for people to vibe and party as well as allowing other businesses to rent selling space in the stalls and shops. The pressure and toxicity that owning the biggest market in Rathnir would end up taking its toll on Toren, however. Why make a place for people to vibe, if people didn't want it? As such, Toren decided enough was enough and sold the market to his son, whom he knew would have an actual use for it, since Toren was already rich enough to not care about the small profit margin the market brought. In the contract, all that Toren asked was for the market to be kept in the family and for 55tremine to always be respected as its founder, with the historical name being kept unless requested to change by the founder himself.

Miasma
A chronic disease reminiscent of his long days working in the Steel Mill, the Miasma is a respiratory sickness that causes shortness of breath, chronic cough, sometimes with pieces of rust being expelled from the mouth, as well as a tired heart. It's said that the Miasma is created by the fumes of the Steel Mill as it combines many metals and chemicals to achieve it's high production rate. It would then enter it's host through the respiration of the fumes, causing the victim have respiratory problems for life. The lungs of the victim are often found to be as shiny and hard as steel, almost as if the fumes of the mill have fused with the organ. Some patients have reported to having hallucinations, which is probably due to the lower oxygen intake.

Even with the patient not being exposed to the fumes for years, the condition does not naturally improve, and in some cases, gets worse. Older patients are known for having much more vivid hallucinations and breathing problems, as the body weakens with time. For these patients, extreme physical activities are known to cause harsher episodes of said symptoms, possibly leading to death or accidents.

Conclusive treatment for this condition is not well developed due to it's recent discovery. Some patients have had success with breathing purified air through coal-powered purifiers, while others have had more luck with a concoction of "God's Grace" Weed and Ipe flower tea from the Eirini Mountains.

From Spies to Friends
One of Toren's and Hirae's first missions as Knights of Anoshphey in which the objective was to get inside the city of Kordania and find as many entrances into their walls as possible.

Arriving there, the brothers disguised themselves as tourists and met the founders of the city (Trev48809 and Megavolt280), who welcomed them and gave them a gift, although did not allow entrance into the city. After rowing on the boat until out of sight, they waited for the townspeople to be asleep and infiltrated the wall. They searched for entrances and took pictures of the many buildings and general architecture of the city, and reported the mission to the Knights.

Later they learned that the town was being assimilated into Yimmu-Audal, and swiftly went there to celebrate peace and share drinks with the Kordanians. Some time later, BeagleBasset24, the third founder of the city and a very capable builder, would be hired by Toren to construct the Aevindaron Forge. These events sparked a friendship between their city and the Orne'tares, as well as a mutual economic interest.

Exploring Pirate Ruins
While travelling across the Tortuga territory, Toren found ruins of an almost untouched city. The city was so preserved that it seemed like the residents had just decided to leave all of their belongings there, exactly as they were, and simply disappear. On a second visit, he brought his brother and his friends from Kordania and they hung out in the abandoned city's tavern, drinking and sharing stories while enjoying the fancy architecture of the place. They avoided messing with the place as much as possible, as to preserve the beautiful city, but Toren specifically took notes of the design they used in their carpet.

Hidden Lab Remains
During an escort mission to bring a new librarian to Jirn, they found themselves inside the ruins of what appeared to be an abandoned laboratory. From the looks of it, one could infer that some kind of beast or monster was being kept prisoner and experimented on, but eventually broke out and brought destruction to the place. From above, it's impossible to tell that there was something there, aside from the few stone bricks lying around, as if they were thrown by a supernatural force. While not much was discovered in that place, the idea that such a monster could be roaming around the Duchy of Anoshphey was a scary realization and explaination that the high walls of the cities aren't just to keep bandits away.

The Cockatrice of the Smiling Peak
"On the top of Aevindaron's highest peak, on the cold and sharp rocks, nested a creature that no Rathnirian had ever seen before. Named Maha'lilie, the beast boasted on it's head a rooster's majestic crest alongside a beak as sharp as obsidian. The scaly serpentine body spiraled through a pair of tough legs, backed by claws as big as the torso of a man, and ending on a long tail with a whip of stone. Two wings large enough to block out the sunlight spread on each of the animal's side. The wings, almost demonic in appearance, had the inner sides full of minor holes with armor-like scales growing on top of the wing's primary bones. As if nature didn't find such combination of features terrifying enough, the chimera possessed a glance capable of turning any living being that dared stare at it into stone. For centuries, the creature remained unrivaled in it's glorious nesting place, towering over the land, watching the city to the south develop into what would become the megacity of Jirn. That was, until the day the growth reached it's borders.

In protest, the cockatrice buried the wooden hut where the noble resided in a landslide. Then the monster flew into the forest, cutting down all of the trees to the north of the Smiling Peak and transforming into stone any knight who tried to oppose it. The land was then abandoned, for no man could defeat a beast as ferocious as Maha'lilie. Or so the common folk thought.

After hearing of the land prize for whoever defeated the beast, a young and clever knight decided that he had nothing to lose, so he worked out a plan. When he had all that he needed to put the plan in motion, the knight waited until the earliest hour of the morning, and, while the Cockatrice left to hunt, he snuck in it's nest.

When the flying fiend returned, it lost itself in rage at the sight of a person in it's nest. Lunging down at the knight, who barely scaped it's grasp, the creature sunk it's claws on the ground. Soon it noticed that it hadn't landed on ground, but on a substance as viscous as honey and as hard as granite that the knight had prepared to trap it. The beast turned it's eyes to the warrior, trying to meet their gaze and petrify them, but, to the creature's surprise, he was wearing strange lens that made it impossible to look him in the eyes. In a desperate attempt to slay the man, the cockatrice started cracking it's tail like a whip at him.

Seeing that the first part of his plan had worked and his goggles were protecting him from a hard end, the knight readied himself for the the next step: with the claws out of the way, he had to escape the monster's whip, and strike a sword through it's heart. The task was easier said than done, as Maha'lilie's tail rapidly swung back and forth through the battlefield, the hero barely avoiding them while looking through distorted sight. The knight attempted to cut it off, but the tail's hardened feathers deflected all the blows. He knew his time was running out, as the chimera was starting to break out of the trap. The knight foolishly tried rushing with the sword towards the irate cockatrice's chest, only to be met by a sharp beak, splitting his shield in half, followed by the thrashing of the mutant's tail.

The strike launched the hero into the mountain lake. Barely conscious and defeated, he swam back to the surface, expecting a cruel death. With the lenses broken and half his face already turned solid by the impact of the fiend's tail and his shattered shield floating above, he had no defense against any of the monster's abilities: would he be decapitated by the cockatrice's beak? Or sliced in half by it's claws? Or would the monster finish petrifying him?

But the hero worried in vain, for when he reached the surface, he saw that which once was Maha'lilie, was now but a fearsome statue. In a reckless attack after freeing itself, the cockatrice had gone to the lake and, observing the broken glasses, tried turning the hero into stone. However, it didn't take into account the refraction of the water, nor the reflection of the waves, only noticing the latter after it had turned itself into it's own tombstone!"

Ilyy of Ilirae
High in the halls of the Kings who are gone / Ilyy would dance with her ghosts / the ones she had lost and the ones she had found / and the ones who had loved her the most

The ones who'd been gone for so very long / She couldn't remember their names / They spun her around on the damp sandstones / Spun away her sorrow and pain

And she never wanted to leave / Never wanted to leave / Never wanted to leave / Never wanted to leave

They danced through the day and into the night / through the sand that swept through the hall / From Sun to the Rain to more Sun again / 'til the walls did crumble and fall

and she never wanted to leave / Never wanted to leave / Never wanted to leave / Never wanted to leave

And she never wanted to leave / Never wanted to leave / Never wanted to leave / Never wanted to leave

High in the halls of the Kings who are gone / Ilyy would dance with her ghosts / The ones she had lost and the ones she had found / And the ones who had loved her the most

Hearts of Gold
He rode through the streets of the city / Up from his farm down low / O' er the sands and the seas and the marble / He met his Duchess' foe

For she was his secret treasure / She was his friend and bliss / For land and money are nothing / Compared to her happiness

For bars of gold are always cold / But a loyal heart is warm / For bars of gold are always cold / But a loyal heart is warm

And there he stood, hammer in hand / The last of Natty's men / And red the sand beneath his feet / And red his banners bright

And red the glow of Audal's sun / That bathed him in its light / Come on, come on the great count called / My hammer is hungry still

And with a cry of savage rage / They swarmed and rode uphill / And with a cry of savage rage / They swarmed and rode uphill

He rode through the streets of the city / Up from his farm down low / O' er the sands and the seas and the marble / He met his Duchess' foe

For she was his secret treasure / She was his friend and bliss / For land and money are nothing / Compared to her happiness

For bars of gold are always cold / But a loyal heart is warm / For bars of gold are always cold / But a loyal heart is warm

For bars of gold are always cold / But a loyal heart is warm / For bars of gold are always cold / But a loyal heart is warm

The Forgotten Blade
On a tiring stormy night, Toren decided to open his father's book collection in a sudden urge to learn more about their culture. While there weren't many books about the general practices and ceremonies, his father, Caeryn, had a collection of books about old smithing techniques and recipes. After the rediscovery of the Toraeri Steel and the improvement of the Jirnite Steel, many of the recipes were now actually achievable and not limited by ancient lost knowledge. While leafing through the pages of ancient smithing techniques, one particular book caught Toren's attention. With an old and deteriorating dark red leather cover, it read "Terame kre i'oso mel Akari". Translating it to traveller's tongue to "Metal to Serve the Guardian", and seeing as the book was one of the oldest in the collection, Toren chose it to be read that night. Maybe, he thought, he'd even copy it to preserve this knowledge before time claimed it into nothing more than crumbs and dust.

As a child, Toren was fascinated with the old books that his father had, and even though his old man barely had time to be with him, he'd make sure to be there every night and read a different chapter of his favorite books to the kid. By the time Toren was about to leave his home and explore the rest of Anoshphey, he had read and seen the written and drawn detailed descriptions of the gear that the ancient Caedans used and, most importantly, knew how to make. Now, reading this ancient relic, his father's stories echoed in his head with crucial information. Back in the middle of the Nuown Era, iron was scarce and steel was a luxury, so many of the weapons were simple and made out of wood and small or thin blades while the armor and shield were nothing more than a mix of woven plant fiber and padded fabric. Of course, there were exceptions to these rules, like the Sword of Ryn and the chain mail armor worn by some nobles, but it definitely was not as widespread as it became closer to the Migration Era.

The period predating the Migration Era saw the biggest developments in Caedan blacksmithing, reaching what scholars call the "Iron Age" for their people. Thanks to increased communication, trading and mutual migration with the Dwarven Kingdoms that inhabited the mountains of Eastern Natalia, the Caedan quickly developed blacksmithing and revolutionized it, creating the famous Toraeri Steel. While iron was still not plentiful, being able to mix it with other minerals and make alloys that had even better characteristics than simple iron allowed the culture to dive deep into the art of metallurgy. And, from the surviving identifications of famous blacksmith names and the age of the book, it was clear that this masterpiece had been written in that exact era. Not only that, but it's also worth noting that the Akari were high ranking nobles, chosen from the Great Houses of the Caedan nobility, wearing the highest grade equipment, with the function of rallying the militia. Therefore, the techniques and recipes written in this newly found treasure were of the top of what the Caedan civilization could produce. With interest, Toren read on, curious on what inventions were forgotten by time after the Migration.

The first chapters of the Guardian's book were mostly about their armour and defensive equipment. Their armor was comprised of 4 main different sections: the helmet, the shoulder guards, the bracers, the breastplate and the fauld. The helmets used by the Akari were made of Toraeri Steel, just like all the other steel pieces, styled as a sallet and with the effective round shaped metal. Tied to it, flowed down a chain mail that served as a neck guard and connected with the shoulder guards. Those guards, on the other hand, were made of padded fabric with pieces of Toraeri Steel plates called "Rousk" woven on it, in the manner that splint mail armours are made. That same technique was applied on the breastplates and faulds, with larger plates of steel slightly overlapping each other from the top down on the breastplate, while the faulds had it done horizontally. The braces were made of padded fabric with one steel plate on the top and one on the bottom. Both the helmets and the braces were largely adorned with engravings and jewels, according to each Great House's wealth and symbols.

The shield of the Akari, however, were made with a material unlike any other Toren had seen before. Called Hlaali, the tall oval shields were made of a mixture of shives and mortar which was used to form a material harder and just as durable as wood. The point of it, however, is that it would not waste precious wood, and instead it was produced much more cheaply and could be easily replaced during a long campaign. The shives were usually the wooden bits that were discarded during the processing of hemp into fiber for textile production, which was pretty common in the Caedan society. Meanwhile, the mortar was a simple mixture of sand, lime and clay that, when left to cure, would solidify into a surface as hard as stone, but lighter. With these two simple and inexpensive materials put together, the Arikari could replace their shields whenever and wherever needed. The size and shape of the shields allowed the troops to form long walls of shields more than capable of stopping slingshots and arrows, as well as take heavy hits from axes and war-hammers.

The most important discovery for Toren was the sword. Made of the infamous Toraeri Steel, the blade had a curvature similar to the scimitar, but with the edge being on the inside of the curve instead of the outside. Instead of increasing the slashing area of the blade, the Caeda smiths created it for a more gruesome purpose: with the inverted edge, the sword was capable of dismembering foes with a single slash. Somewhat resembling a sickle, the end of the blade was drawn with a sharp hook that could be used to unmount warriors and slice through armor and flesh with ease. Attached to the nasty blade, a simple handguard and a long handle decorated with a golden pummel allowed for two hands to wield it, but with the comfortable size of the blade enabling a one-handed use. For days, Toren would study the book until he could replicate this same weapon and, on the 31st day, he achieved it. To honour the legendary units that wielded it in the past, he decided to call the weapon itself "Arikari".