Kyrion

1034ms joined Stoneworks on July 7, 2021 and is most active on Eldham.

Kyrion is a Niedene warlord, born in Rathnir, who settled in Eldham in hopes of a more peaceful and prosperous life. Though his time in Eldham wasn't as peaceful as he hoped it would be. He still holds a deep grudge against his old leader, Forda, who caused the destruction of Jacksonville.

Kyrion is currently Chancellor of the Hetmanate of Fedhrekaan, Minister of the Rhineland region, Warlord of Nevermore, the nation's Minister of Learning and commander of the Silvertongues Mercenary group. Kyrion gained these titles and positions throughout all the different stages of his nation; He originally became a citizen of the nation back in the Rhineland days, and became a Warlord as well as Minister of Learning during the Scribe Dynasty of Zhon, becoming minister of Rhineland (The region rather than the nation) during the Federation of Mushroomicania and finally becoming a Chancellor in the current day Hetmanate of Fedhrekaan as well as establishing the Silvertongues Mercenary group during this period.

Kyrion is also, together with Axolotl, one of the founders of the Turtle Project.

A New Home
After Kyrion arrived in the beautiful plains of Eldham he breathed the air he heard so much about at home. He travelled the mountains that could only be described by spikes of earth bridging into the heavens themselves, blisteringly hot deserts, fields of snow, vast grassy plains and harsh oceans. After much struggle and conflict during his time in Rathnir, he finally arrived at a land that promised peace. His hopes of becoming a successful merchant grew everyday as he trekked through the days and nights of a peaceful nomadic lifestyle. After a few months of a nomadic lifestyle he grew tired of having to live off of his wits. The greed he always had homed into his heart; After the Escharian Ascension he boarded a ship to Eldham in prospect of a new home but also wealth. He gave in to it all and searched all over Eldham for a small town which he could grow his business in. He searched for a residence of perfection to no avail till he came to Preyella. One particular town caught his attention, Jacksonville: Jacksonville was a small town that had been built barely any time ago, it was perfect for his business venture and had a small and welcoming community with no other competitors. When he finally came to the small town it had no more than a few houses, and the mayor, Forda, greeted him with a warm smile and showed Kyrion's designated plot of land and as it was, it brought a slight smile to his face.

The Siege of Jacksonville
Kyrion had become extremely joyous to hear from the mayor that Preyella had promised Jacksonville independence after the Preyllean-KWECean war because Preyella boasted they didn't need that small amount of land when they would have the entire empire of KWEC territory. Peace terms were settled the next day and although no one had lost or gained territory yet, a festival was still held to celebrate the upcoming independence of Jacksonville, fireworks, dances, and drinking commenced while games were held and work began on the flag of the upcoming nation. The next day Kyrion travelled out to mines again and all he had on his mind was tonight. The Preyllean Empress, Valérie, had told the citizens of the small town that tonight Preyella would officially declare the town's independence. When the afternoon rolled around Kyrion walked with his friend, Axolotl, back to the town all the while talking about the independence party. As the two trekked over the final mountain they stared over the mountain at Jacksonville.

What they saw shocked them, Jacksonville was smothered in a cloud of pitch black smoke, both of the two citizens sprinted over to their home, being separated in the process. Kyrion approached the small town, now engulfed in flames, as he did he heard screams echoing throughout the plains and loud iron boots stamping into the scorched earth. He peeked through the now ruined cobblestone wall to see a troop of soldiers storming the town, the group of soldiers came upon a citizen trying to escape the deathly march and one of them, who was carrying a large Preyllean banner, impaled the citizen, shouting at the few remaining citizens that these were the consequences of betraying the Preyellan Empire. At that moment it clicked for Kyrion, Preyella had accused Jacksonville of treason to not allow them independence and sent their brutes to crush the town of ever gaining independence. Kyrion fell to his knees, tears flooding his ash-soaked eyes. He trudged back to the mountain he came from with rage bristling throughout every cell in his being.

The Truth of Preyllea's plot
After escaping the siege of Jacksonville, Kyrion regrouped with two citizens and the leader of the town - Axolotl, Forda and Alpha. Knowing that returning to the town would be a death sentence, they headed south and eventually met a trade caravan that led them to Glossau, a humble town located on a forested island in Ravenguard’s northern region just off the shore. The four men were welcomed by the locals upon their arrival, who offered them work and shelter within the town. Kyrion quickly became a popular figure in Glossau, contributing to the town’s growth and sharing stories of his travels, Forda also made a name for himself through his Innovative ideas and Axolotl gained recognition for being the one able to turn those ideas into reality as well as his exceptional brews. The trio’s combat prowess made them good fits for the town guard, however what made them stand out was Kyrion’s unwavering courage and discipline, Forda’s innovative tactics and Axolot’s brilliant commanding abilities and strategies; These qualities earned them a place in the Trakai Guard, where they pledged to defend the land and its lord as well as fight for the empire when they were needed.

As members of the guard, they quickly rose through the ranks and were soon appointed to work alongside Glossau’s Lord and his right-hand man to draft up plans for internal security, politics, trade and industry - Such as the construction of a brewery, shipyards, mines, farmland and the town’s fortress. However Forda and Kyrion’s relationship had been deteriorating after the siege of Jacksonville due to their conflicting beliefs and ideals; The politics within Glossau and Ravenguard only added fuel to the fire.

What ultimately caused Kyrion’s and Forda’s relationship to crumble wasn’t recent politics but rather a truth that came to light from the Siege of Jacksonville. While pursuing documents related to Jacksonville’s history, Kyrion discovered notes detailing a failed hit on the Empress of Preyllea allegedly sent by Forda. This revelation shed light on the sudden war declaration from the Empire while the two entities were at the negotiating table regarding the town’s independence. It was a shocking discovery, and Kyrion knew he had to confront Forda about it.

When confronted about the hit on the empress of Preyllea, Forda admitted to ordering it, arguing it was the only way they could successfully secede from the empire. Kyrion, however, saw this as a flawed approach, even if the hit had been successful. His suspicions were all but confirmed when he asked the empress about the failed assassination during an audience, and she revealed that negotiations could have continued or Jacksonville could have been integrated into the empire, had it not been for Forda's untrustworthiness. Kyrion wasted no time, he mounted his horse and galloped to Glossau as quickly as possible, stopping only when necessary. Upon arriving at the town's guard headquarters, he demanded to see Forda. With rage boiling inside him, Kyrion challenged Forda to a duel the following day.

The Duel
Kyrion and Forda met on horseback at night, in a small clearing surrounded by forest just outside the city. Both men donned the finest plate armour they owned, with visors covering their expressions. Kyrion wielded a lance while Forda carried a spear. Their horses pawed at the ground and both men waited for the other to make a move.

Kyrion made the first move, charging at his opponent and Forda quickly followed suit. As they drew closer Kyrion lowered his lance and Forda steadied his spear, both aiming for the other’s chest and finally their weapons collided with a resounding clang, the sound echoing through the forest. Kyrion’s lance shattered upon hitting his opponent’s armour but Forda kept his balance and knocked Kyrion off his horse. While Kyrion picked himself up he circled back to charge at his opponent while steadying his spear. Kyrion raised his sword and while Forda struck true, Kyrion slashed his horse’s underbelly before being knocked to the ground again.

Viscera spilled from Forda’s horse and the beast fell dead, taking its rider down with it. Both men stumble back to their feet and raise their weapons. Coming closer they circle each-other while making swift and calculated movements, looking for weaknesses in the other’s defence. The silence of the night was broken by the sound of steel clashing on steel, ringing throughout the forest as the two fought with all they had.

Forda’s spear kept Kyrion at bay and left no opportunities for Kyrion to strike back but Kyrion was not yet beaten. Forda lunged at his opponent, and Kyrion from a low guard deflected his foe’s spear and jumped into grappling range, at which point Forda threw down his spear and drew his sidearm. The duel became a grappling match as both men fought with half-swording techniques, aiming for the gaps in each other’s armour.

As the fight wore on, the two grew more and more fatigued until the gasping fighters drop their weapons and resort to savagely striking at each-other with their fists, the duel devolved into fierce hand to hand combat and soon both men fell upon each other, Forda climbs onto the other, he pries open Kyrion’s visor and smashes his gauntlet against his opponent’s face, the thud of steel against flesh and bone now replacing the sound of steel clanging, and with each strike Kyrion grows limp. But with a final burst of strength Kyrion threw his foe to the side, climbing over Forda he drew his dagger and stabbed at the helmet’s eye-slit.

Forda resisted as best he could, but Kyrion was determined to deal the fatal blow. Finally, Forda’s arms gave up and Kyrion’s dagger was plunged into his eyes. Kyrion looked up into the skies, gasping for air as his friend’s body grew lifeless and cold, holding the dagger dripping with Forda’s blood. His heart instantly filled with regret, he had taken revenge but for what? He began questioning his decision, reminiscing about their time in Jacksonville.

Forda’s cold body was found the next day, by then Kyrion was long gone, the few who witnessed Kyrion’s challenge knew what had happened, while some accused him of murder and others assumed differently but, whatever happened, most were saddened by the loss.

Turn to banditry
Kyrion prepared his horse as the sun began to rise, but the usual sounds of birds chirping were absent. He packed his supplies and set off with no particular destination in mind. The day after his duel, Axolotl had agreed to meet him near the dock, and soon they were on their way, Kyrion was back to relying on his wits to navigate the world, seeking shelter in tents, inns and caravans, chatting around campfires at night and riding on horseback at day. But this time he didn’t have a clear objective or purpose.

However, It didn’t take long for Kyrion to find a new calling, one that wasn’t honourable or noble, the opposite in fact, it was a purpose of raiding, plundering and doing other’s dirty work or shedding blood for unknown nobles for coin. He and Axolotl gathered a group of skilled men and began taking up contracts for those willing to pay. It wasn’t a glamorous life, but it was valued work, and they were good at it.

The larger they grew the more brazen they became, anywhere they stepped foot on the mercenaries would ravage the land, raiding any towns in sight, leaving it barren before they moved on to new land to repeat the process. Kyrion had a brief stint in the Goblin Mercenary Guild but ultimately went back to his original group. Despite what the profession’s name might entail, they weren’t solely driven by coin, always seeing their contracts to an end and never betraying their contractors.

Their streak of success couldn’t last forever, when they tried to raid a town they had plundered before, they found the defenders better prepared this time. Though Kyrion and his mercenaries had easily taken the town before, they had grown greedy and underestimated the town’s defences. The defenders held their ground and the raid ended in failure.

Kyrion and his mercenaries rode towards the small town, eager to repeat their success. They had grown arrogant and overconfident, believing they would easily overcome the defenders again. But this time things were different, the town had prepared for their arrival, setting up fortifications and gathering more men.

The mercenaries charged towards the town expecting an easy victory, but were met with fierce resistance. The defenders fought with all their might, and Kyrion soon realised he had underestimated his enemy. The battle dragged on, and the raiders weren’t making any progress.

As the sun began to set, Kyrion and his mercenaries found themselves outnumbered and outmatched. They had lost many men in the battle, and their supplies were dwindling. Realising this, Kyrion ordered a retreat, having to leave many of their wounded or dead, and as the raiders fled the town the defenders followed behind picking off the disorganised mercenaries one by one. Kyrion stayed behind with a select group of men to defend their fleeing comrades, but in the chaos, he felt a sharp blow to his helmet and was knocked unconscious before he could react.

Settling Down
Kyrion woke up to the sound of people chatting, the creaking of rolling wheels, and the thump of horses galloping at day. He found himself sitting inside a carriage with his neck bent backward and head facing the sky. In front of him sat Axolotl, hunched over and tired. He still felt the pain of his healing wounds and a sharp pain on his head.

Kyrion took a moment to process his surroundings before Axolotl filled him in on what had happened. The sound of the strike to Kyrion's helmet had rung throughout the battlefield, and Axolotl was the first to notice him on the ground. He had dragged Kyrion out of danger and carried him to his horse, where they mounted it and fled the battlefield to meet a caravan.

The raid had been a disastrous defeat, and Kyrion felt immense regret for leading his men recklessly into a losing battle. Most of his men had lost their lives, and others were captured or injured. The group had fully splintered, going their separate ways. Even if the survivors had stayed together, their reputation as unstoppable mercenaries was ruined. Kyrion resolved to fight with a new sense of caution and respect for his opponents, so that what had happened that night would never be repeated.

The caravan was headed northeast to a land at the other corner of the world known as The Confederation of Garxijos (C.O.G). Axolotl set his sights on settling there, where he could nurture his brilliance and engineering as well as his scientific abilities, putting an end to his time as a bandit and mercenary. Kyrion followed, but his destiny lay elsewhere.

The caravan led them both to the continent of Valresh and into the heart of C.O.G, where Axolotl settled. However, Kyrion went south to a nation known as The Grand Duchy of Rhineland, a vassal to the Empire of Ravenguard made up of merchants and  fighters alike. There, he settled in the capital city of Kingston. He arrived just in time for the abdication of Imperius and the ascension of Nethy, which marked the establishment of The Scribe Dynasty of Zhon. This was where he would call home and truly begin his journey in Eldham.

He constructed a modest fishing hut near the outskirts of Uzhon, where the city ends and the road to Nevermore begins. He immersed himself in the trades of blacksmithing, brewing, and fishing, while occasionally taking on minor mercenary assignments to supplement his income. When the call to arms came, Kyrion was always among the first to volunteer. His dedication and bravery on the battlefield earned him a reputation as a skilled fighter and a loyal comrade.

The Warlord
After settling in Rhineland, Kyrion found himself immersed in a time of great political change. He bore witness to the abdication of Imperius and the ascension of Nethy, marking the transition from the Grand Duchy of Rhineland to the Scribe Dynasty of Zhon. As the nation underwent this transformation, Kyrion embraced his role as a citizen of Zhon, even during much of the Federation of Mushroomicania period he saw himself as Zhonish rather than Mushroomicanian.

During his time in Zhon, Kyrion's ambitions led him to become a Warlord. Originally intending to establish a fortress in the mountain above the Drachstadt ruins, he encountered a remarkable opportunity. The leadership of the city of Nevermore was left vacant, and Kyrion seized the chance to claim leadership, becoming the Warlord of Nevermore.

In addition to his role as Warlord, Kyrion was later given the role of serving as the Minister of Learning in the Government of Zhon. This position allowed him to further contribute to the development of the nation, however over time his role switched to a military focus.

Through his dedicated service and decisions, Kyrion became a well known figure within the nation. His journey from a humble settler in Rhineland to a Warlord and Minister exemplified his determination and commitment to the nation.

The Coup
The integration of Mushroomica, a vassal of Zhon, as a region into the Dynasty was still fresh when the coup unfolded, driven by a belief that the nation's bureaucracy had grown stagnant and fallen behind by Mushroomica, they saw an opportunity to rise to the top and deemed it necessary for the nation's progress.

The Sovereign Scribe was trapped within the confines of Uzhon's library, while the Chancellor of The Right was imprisoned for alleged war crimes and one of the Chancellor of The Left's experiments was sabotaged, with fatal consequences.

As a result, the Scribe Dynasty was toppled, and Misha S. Silvertongue assumed control, transforming the nation into the Federation of Mushroomicania. The capital was relocated from Uzhon to Mushroomica, also granting the commandery of Mushroomica greater influence and power within the new order.

For Kyrion, the coup shattered the friendly perception he had with the people of Mushroomica. In one of his discourses, he condemned the coup leaders and questioned the legitimacy of the new government. "It was not long ago when the head of Mushroomica agreed to fully integrate Mushroomica into Zhon, and even then we, just like with all the other commandries, gave them complete freedom within our nation. But it seems like the treacherous people of Mushroomica wanted power for themselves, scheming behind our backs to take it from us!"

The War
Tensions escalated within the nation, with Zhonish citizens fighting to reinstate the Dynasty while ministers worried about their positions. The nation was on the edge of disaster when Mushroomican agents discovered a rebellion brewing in the old capital of Uzhon. Their objective included freeing the Sovereign Scribe, which led to triggering a swift descent into civil war. Mushroomica dispatched an army to crush the rebellion, but Kyrion, as the Warlord of Nevermore, chose to align with the rebels.

The rebellion comprised the united forces of Uzhon, Nevermore, Taevaskoda, and Mauberg. Fort Guon and Moss Point remained neutral, while the Kobleni region stayed uninvolved. Mushroomica launched a surprise attack on Nevermore, utilising the fortress at Ruined Cathedral as a base of operations. Although Nevermore's defenders put up a valiant fight, the city ultimately fell; an embarrassing defeat for Kyrion, who had failed to protect his own domain even with such an advantageous position..

Undeterred, Kyrion rallied Zhon's forces to lay siege to Ruined Cathedral's Fortress, receiving support from a small contingent of Kobleni volunteers. The armies clashed on the outskirts of the fort, engaging in fierce combat until sunset. The Mushroomicans retreated, and Zhon's army pursued them to the fortress, where the bulk of the enemy forces were stationed.

After establishing a camp, Zhon's army initiated the siege. Kyrion led a select group armed with enchanted tridents, attempting to get over the fort's walls and inflict damage on the enemy. Meanwhile, the ground forces maintained the siege and repelled Mushroomica's skirmishes. Despite their efforts, both sides grew tired and depleted their resources, resulting in a stalemate. Kyrion reluctantly ordered a retreat, though the Mushroomicans suffered heavier losses.

Desperate for a victory, Zhon turned its attention to Fort Guon and Moss Point, crucial strategic locations. Both sides gathered their forces, aiming to claim these territories. Zhon used Uzhon as a launching point, targeting Moss Point first as a stepping stone to Fort Guon. Simultaneously, Mushroomica utilised Ruined Cathedral as their base of operations, planning a direct assault on Fort Guon.

Kyrion and his troops encountered an unexpected defending Kobleni force in Moss Point but took the risk and pressed forward, swiftly overwhelming the defenders. The Zhonish army reached Fort Guon alongside the Mushroomican forces, and a gruelling battle ensued. The stakes were high, with Zhon fighting for survival and Mushroomica hoping for a decisive victory to end the war swiftly. In the end, Zhon emerged victorious, forcing the Mushroomicans to retreat. The victory provided Zhon with advantageous land for launching a second siege on Ruined Cathedral, which would significantly weaken Mushroomican influence on the continent and put further pressure on Nevermore.

The Peace Treaty
Recognizing the toll of the ongoing war on the nation’s resources and the growing exhaustion among its citizens, both sides acknowledged a diplomatic solution to the war was necessary. The realisation that prolonging the conflict would only cause further harm and deepen divisions prompted the leadership of either side to convene for a peace treaty, with the objective of meeting the rebellion’s demands while maintaining a balanced outcome.

Under the agreed-upon terms, Misha S. Silvertongue would retain his leadership position as the “Trade Prince” of the Federation of Mushroomicania. However an effort would be made to preserve Zhonish culture by maintaining the architectural heritage and customs of the Zhonish Heartlands. Furthermore, the treaty ensured the fair treatment of Zhonish citizens and prohibited any persecution. Additionally all participants of the civil war including the leadership, warlords and ministers of the previous state were abstained from punishment and allowed to maintain their positions, provided they continued to fulfil their duties and pledged loyalty to the Federation.

To further uphold Zhonish culture, a new region was established in the southeastern part of the nation, bordering Rhineland, the Zhonish Heartlands, and the Kobleni Delta, named the “Galran Wildlands” after the previous Chancellor of the Right. Within this region all forms of construction, including infrastructure, housing and industrial development were strictly prohibited. Additionally, In the Zhonish Heartlands any industrial development should be thoughtfully integrated into its surroundings so as to harmoniously blend into and maintain the region’s architecture and aesthetic.