Toren Orne'tare

Toren Orne'tare 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, and resides in Jirn, where he holds the title "Lyorú of Aevindaron" and therefore is responsible for the construction and management of the Aevindaron city-district within the megacity of Jirn, and is also Count of Eirini, where he rules over the baronies and cities of Thera, Wolthis and Ashmore.

Humble Beginnings
Toren was born into a honorable, 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 suffered a work accident which would scar 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 accident, 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 blissful Doctor Szalie (20Sidded) and the timid Rhodian refugee Ilyy (Illyishere). In a few years, the three became close, and Toren performed the adoption ceremony for them 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.

Price 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.

Biological Family
Not much is known about Toren's biological family besides that his father Caeryn was a human hardworking blacksmith and his mother Nikolyy was a Keita Seer.

Orne'tare Family
The Orne'tare 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 and Szalie Orne'tare, while Hirae adopted Siyoi Orne'tare. The family is far from reaching the legendary size of the Caicuria Dynasty, but, as of today, it has 5 proud iron-willed members.

Caicuria Dynasty
Toren and Hirae were both adopted into the Caicuria dynasty as sons of Erevan Maximos-Caicuria Silverpepper and Raeden Seeker. 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). 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 Benjamin Rochelle, who is now called Benjamin Rochelle-Orne'tare.

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
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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.

Mining Corporation
The Mining Corporation was an operation that Toren and other personnel 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.

Market 404
The Market 404 is still under construction. The idea is to be a place where people can relax while buying and selling their products, much like Market55. It differentiates itself in the idea that the selling prices will only be different than the buying prices according to a fixed x% tax with the objective of paying for the upkeep of the land, as well as providing money to circulate in the local economy.

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. While 90% of the Mall had already been designed, there still needed a lot of terraforming and building put into it. It'll require a large workforce and a large amount of time for it's completion.

Fusion of 404 and 55
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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, as well as a weaker 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 to have respiratory problems for life. The lungs of the victim are often found to be as black as coal, almost as if the fumes have fused with the organ. Some patients have reported to seeing smoke even in places where there are none, so it is possible that hallucinations are also a symptom.

Treatment for this condition is not well developed due to it's recent discovery.

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!"

Riding the Shame
War with Yestanbul - accounts of a post-war scene

Echoes of Fire
Epic story about battling the Phantoms that spewed fire during April Fools

Ilyy of Ilirae
Parody of Jenny of Oldstone (honouring daughter Ilyy)

Last Embers
Poem about Astyllea's death and the remains