Kho — Roleplayer Guild

Qarqaz is a religious honorific, similar to the Christian Priest/Saint/Bishop, Jewish Rabbi/Gadol, Muslim Imam/Allamah, Hindu Guru/Acharya, Buddhist Lama/Pandita/Acharya etc.

This post presents extracts from a book by one "Laminat". The content of this post is only canon insofar as it portrays his views about the world.

He begins by speaking about how the world was created - as everyone knows, the world exists on top of a giant's head, who swims around the Moon. The sun swims around this his head.
the first humans, two, had children. Those children had children and their descendants can be put into four categories, listed in the post.

The Prophet-Patriarch's inception is then discussed.

The rise of the Palowid dynasty is then discussed.

The fall of the Palowid dynasty and the rise of the Orifid dynasty is then discussed.

Throughout the book, reference is made to the "Bato-Elyds" and "Eliads".
These appear to be religious sects centred around the descendants of certain children of Eskandar. It appears that they believe their descendants to be blessed and the rightful Patriarchs/leaders of the community.

It also becomes clear from the post that there are two 'states' that exist - the Orifid "Realm in the South" and the Jarlid "Realm in the North". To the south of the Realm in the South appear to exists tribes and tribal coalitions who seem fairly well-organised, if primitive compared with the Orifid state. To the east are nomads who often raid. What is in the west is not mentioned, though it is most likely a sea of some kind.


from The Meridian of Chronicles by the Esteemed Voice of the Goddess, His Eminence Qarqaz* Laminat son of Ramak, of the town of Hirda, of the tribe of Loitan, the Karko-Inid


1. Wherein the Praiseworthy are Praised, Some Matters are Appraised, and the Purpose of these Volumes is Before Thine Eyes Placed


We begin, as are all beginnings, by praising the All-High, the All-Mighty, the All-Beautiful. We begin by glorifying the All-Bright and All-Seeing, who in the darkness of even the inkiest of nights shines forth upon our undeserving, ungrateful forms. And we rain praise, as is his due, upon our Lord and Master and Patriarch and Law, the Chosen of the Moon-Mother and our eternal link to the heavens, the blessed Prophet-Patriarch Eskandar Atlaqoos. 

It may be worth mentioning here, as we begin, that the term Atlaqoos is an epithet given to our master by his rightful inheritors long after he returned to our Mother and is not, as is the case with those who have ruled over us since the days of the Prophet-Patriarch, a regnal name. The meaning of this title is undisputed across all religious branches and means "He Who Bore the Mighty Burden". On a technical re-examination of the term, we would humbly put forward that it would be more accurate to understand it as "He Who Bore the Moon".
And there have been some who have suggested that "bear" here means "to give birth", but we reject this, firstly, impious and, secondly, semantically incorrect suggestion. "Bear" here means "one who carried" or "one who endured" and these two meanings are not mutually exclusive. After all, it is impossible for the Prophet-Patriarch to have given birth to the Moon due to, firstly, being a man and, secondly, the Moon having pre-existed him and, thirdly, the Moon being the goddess and the parentless, unbirthed, uncreated creator of all things. Thus while the words are constructed in such a way as to make sense, understanding the word "bear" as "to give birth" gives rise to an impossible meaning, and it is impossible that an impossible meaning is intended. This effectively means that there is only one conceivable meaning, and that is as has already been mentioned. 
And it would not be at all far-fetched to go so far as to say that "Moon" and "Mighty Burden" are both accurate, and thus the epithet's meaning can be stretched beyond its literal reading into "He Who Bore the Mighty Burden [which is] the Moon" or "He Who Bore the Moon [which is] the Mighty Burden". The nuanced differences between these two possibilities are so vast and deep that it would be futile to attempt even a brief discussion of them in this present work.

Eternal praise upon him, praise whose beginning is unknowable and whose end is unseeable, a sincere and yearning praise as none has sent upon him of our forefathers and as none will send upon him in posterity. And long-lasting praise also upon the blessed elect of his household, those pillars of light and purity, those ones who were and remain steadfast on the path of Truth, and curses unending and furious upon those who strayed, and particularly upon Palo Mikraho [meaning: Head of Heresy] and those who followed his example and who follow his example and who will follow his example until the end of all things. May the Moon-Mother bless the Matriarch Elia Shohiqam [meaning: Moon of Martyrs] and her blessed household, and may she also bless the Madhlum Bato Durghal [meaning: the Wronged Bato (who was) Erringly Struck] and his descendants, particularly the Matriarch-Superior Ely Nafzakia [meaning: the Pure Soul], who is known also, due to her fiery hair, as Sharrinar [meaning: the Blazing Hair]. Undying praise upon them all, as much as can be penned and as much as can be uttered and as much as can be thought and repeated in heart and mind and soul. May it be so that the Moon-Mother decrees that we are joined with them in Her sublime presence in a place where there is no fear or grief or misery or betrayal or darkness or Falsehood, in eternal bliss and happiness and Truth.

We find that it is of some importance, before beginning, that we lay out the intended purpose of these volumes which we have found within our heart a need to write and within our mind and soul a mighty inspiration and in the tongue of our pen an erudition which is truly not of us, but of Her who is All-High and whose light has put to flight the darkness of our mind on these matters of which we write. It is our intended purpose in these volumes to chronicle, with absolute fairness and accuracy and by referring to all trustworthy and authoritative sources, the history of the world from its genesis to the coming forth of the Prophet-Patriarch. Thereafter, we wish to put down the largest and most complete and encompassing record of the blessed Patriarch Atlaqoos' life. Thereafter, we shall recount also the lives of the Shohiqam and the Nafzakia. We shall then chronicle the history of the Palowids, from their progenitor the Mikraho to the last of them, who was overthrown by the sons of Orif Shohiquy [meaning: Sun of Martyrs]. Thereafter, we shall recount as complete a history of the Orifids, who rule to our day, as is possible given our place in history, and given the limitation of our, all too human, knowledge to what is in the past - for the future is the prerogative of none other than our sublime Moon-Mother.

2. Wherein the Beginning of the World, as Told by the Prophet-Patriarch and Preserved by His Blessed Inheritors, is Recounted


The people of knowledge are all agreed, and it is confirmed by those hallowed holders and preservers of the Prophet-Patriarch's words, that the world was first created by the Moon-Mother. It is not known whether there existed anything else before, or whether the Moon-Mother alone existed within a great plane wherein nothing else existed. 
Some narrations make mention of guardians grim and mighty who were created by the Moon-Mother and who, to this day, carry out Her every whim and command. And these narrations describe them as terrible beings of terrifying power, impossible for a mere man to look upon and remain sane. And others say they are simply so bright that it is physically impossible to look directly at them - much like the sun.

Nevertheless, as it were, the Moon-Mother existed - whether alone or along with these 'Guardians' - and She eventually willed into being from nothingness a great ocean. It was not an ocean of water, but an ocean of smoke. In this dark ocean, Her's was the only light. And thereafter She created another source of light, the sun which we see in our skies to this day. And along with the sun, She peppered that great ocean of darkness with lights which we know today as stars. And She made it so, after this all came to pass, that a great mass emerged from the darkness. It was a being, humanoid in form, around whose head the sun began to swim (and there are those who use the term "orbit", though we find that term inaccurate). 
And this being - whether it is alive or not, we know not - around whom the sun swims, swims to our very day around the Moon-Mother. Its giant flat head is our limited human world, whereon the Moon-Mother caused oceans of water to spring forth and rivers, and mountains to rise and grass and trees to blossom. And She created thereon creatures of all kinds. And eventually, not more than four thousand years ago, She created humans also. She fashioned our First-Mother, Fer, of clay. And sometime thereafter She sculpted our First-Father, Jol, of marble. And from them sprung many people and tribes and nations, and they proliferated and filled all corners of our world.

It is understood that Fer and Jol had seven children, three of whom were male and four of whom were female, and it is from them that the differences in human appearances stem. The eldest, Kark, was a huge man whose skin was dark as night, whereas his sister-wife Ina was of lighter complexion. And from them come the dark people who dwell in the south and south-east.
The second son, Ikar, was of moderate height and of exceedingly pale skin, and his hair was fiery. His sister-wife, Ila, was brown-haired and likewise pale, though not as much as Ikar. From them stem the light people, found often to the north and north-west. Indeed, they prefer the cold climes and darkness as the intensity of the sun affects them terribly and some have been known to die from being in the sun too long.
The third son, Lato, was neither exceedingly pale nor exceedingly dark but was in all ways moderate. Strong of build and neither tall nor short, he married his two remaining sisters, Vaka and Mara. Vaka was as dark as Kark, and from her come those people who generally inhabit the east. Mara was, like Ikar, red-haired and exceedingly pale. It is from her line that the Prophet-Patriarch is descended. They tend to be concentrated neither to the north nor to the south nor to the east, but have throughout known history occupied the world's centre - and being in so strategic a position, it is no wonder that it was deemed fitting that the Prophet-Patriarch should rise amongst them. 

Thus, humans can generally be split into four categories, and they are as follows:
Karkids or Inids or Karko-Inids
Ikarians or Ilids or Ikaro-Ilids
Lato-Vakads
Lato-Marids


As the poet says:
Let Her who was a light in the first darkness know - Wherever Her whims demand of us we swift go
Let Her who formed that primordial ocean see that - Wherever She treads, we loyally swim in tow
Oh You who fashioned Fer, and for her fashioned Jol - And caused that mighty dark-skinned Kark from them to grow
And fashioned also Ikar of the great red hair - And blessed Vaka, Mara, and mystic Lato
And from them all a race unlike any on earth - Who yet with that divine creation gaily glow


Over time, these differing lines grew more distant from one another and contrasting cultures and traditions developed, and, in many cases, many were led to stray from the worship of Truth. Indeed, the prophets of Falsehood are many, and whereas there are those who see with a sight and reject them, those who blindly follow them are many more. May the Moon-Mother protect us from Falsehood and keep us ever on her unwavering Truth, by the guidance and light of her blessed Prophet-Patriarch and the blessed among his household. Indeed, in the likes of the Mikraho and his ilk we have a definitive example of how man, despite having light flowing within his very veins, can reject Truth and embrace the ways of Falsehood. Eternal curses upon him!

From what has been told us by those with knowledge, Fer and Jol were taught many things by the Moon-Mother - how to hunt, the art of spear-making, how to bend the natural world to their will - and these things they passed on to their children, and their children to their children and so on. And that is why you find that wherever you go in the world, despite the differences that time and separation have created, there is always an underlying foundation which is the same in all people. A testament, indeed, to the fact that we all flow forth from one source even if our river has long split into many hundreds and thousands of rivulets, and even if the trunk of our tree has become distant and we now each sit on that tree's peripheral branches.

As mentioned already, the Karko-Inids today largely dwell in the south and south-east - and I, being of them and having travelled extensively, can attest to the truth of this -, while the Ikaro-Ilids largely dwell in the north and north-west - and those are cold regions, as I, having been there, can with certainty say -, and the Lato-Vakads dwell largely in the east and are indeed a most hospitable people, if frightfully astray and utterly submerged in the darkness of Falsehood, much like many of their northern and southern cousins. And in the world's centre, and perhaps slightly in its west also, are the Lato-Marids.

I have, in my travels, attempted to conjure as accurate a depiction of our world as the Moon-Mother has given me the ability to, and I have copied on the next page with the utmost care my most polished and carefully proportioned world map. I have on the page thereafter done the same and labelled the approximate locations of each of the above-mentioned human groupings.

[The present copy appears to have been at some point vandalised and the two maps mentioned in the preceding paragraph removed, along with the remainder of this chapter]


3. Wherein is Recounted what has Reached us of the News of the World at the Time of the Prophet-Patriarch's Inception


The Prophet-Patriarch was born into a world burdened with darkness and crumbling 'neath the weight of ignorance and Falsehood and superstitions. And all forms of progress - which are vital to human existence - were kept at bay by the tyrannical fear of so-called holy men and tribal leaders. Each established himself in one place or another and demanded obedience from those who unwittingly followed. And mankind was divided into hostile tribes, fearful of all things new and held down by the oppressive palm of those in authority.

And the case was not so different in the Prophet-Patriarch's birthplace, a tribal encampment which was destroyed by the Moon-Mother. It is said to have existed in the south, where a great crater exists in the earth to this very day. And it is reported that in that place there once stood a mighty mountain which was filled with caves wherein lived the people of the camp. 

It was established by a group of Lato-Marids long before the Prophet-Patriarch's birth, perhaps by one hundred or one hundred and twenty years. And we know not of the ancestry of the Prophet-Patriarch, for his mother died while giving birth to him, and no reports exist of his father's name. Though I have, in my travels, come across an exceedingly pious and wise old man who claims to have heard from his father, who heard from his father, who heard from his father, and so on down his lineage till it reach the Mawtuq Zekra Amudiskandar [meaning: the Ever-Loyal Zekra Pillar of Eskandar], that she once referred to Eskandar as 'the son of Abarus'. And, if thus is true, we can ascertain that the Prophet-Patriarch's father was called Abarus. Though who Abarus was and how long he lived and what he did and who he married and who his ancestors were, we can never know.

At the time of the Prophet-Patriarch's birth, this tribal camp was ruled over by a treacherous old woman whose name has rightly been forgotten by time. And she claimed to be a representative of the Moon-Mother on earth and was of the Prophet-Patriarch's greatest enemies - and eventually forced him and his Mawtuq Amudiskandar, as well as the newly-born Durghal, to flee from the camp. Little else has reached us of the news of this camp at the time of the Prophet-Patriarch's birth. And as shall soon be recounted, it was obliterated by the Moon-Mother not very long after the Prophet-Patriarch's departure, and those who survived were brought low and enslaved by the Prophet-Patriarch in due time. Indeed, their descendants are today many and have been responsible for much good and more evil. And they are known and take pride in referring to themselves as the "Frinjis". 

This word, it appears, originates with the Prophet-Patriarch, and its meaning is subject to intense debate. There is a scholarly and noble group who claim it is a name of shame given them by the Prophet-Patriarch after he captured them, and discovered their origin, meaning "Felled Ones". Their argument has many merits, and I am drawn to accept it were it not the case that it seems so out of character for the Prophet-Patriarch. For, upon accepting the faith it is reasonable to say that rather than being "felled", they had in reality been "lifted" - from the darkness and ignorance and Falsehood that they had been in afore. Moreover, a name of shame is hardly something the Frinjis would have tried so hard to hold on to, that to this day they remind their children of this "honourable title" given them by the Prophet-Patriarch.
And so, I lean towards the other interpretation, given by an equally scholarly and honoured group, who argue eloquently and most persuasively that the meaning of this title is in fact "Foreigners" or "Newcomers [to the Faith]". And to support this, they argue that many of those defeated by the Prophet-Patriarch during his life, and who then embraced the faith, were also referred to as "Frinjis", though for one reason or another those seem to have later abandoned the title while the present-day Frinjis retained it. Why, the Nafzakia's own mother, Maki Dammahshar [meaning: of the Blood-Red Hair] is herself referred to, in some of the sayings attributed to the Durghal, as "that most beautiful of all Frinjis", and in another, "from my lineage, and from the lineage of this most noble Frinji, will grow forth a blessed and mighty people". And this confirms to us, with almost complete certainty, the correctness of the view of the latter scholarly group over the former. The debate is, clearly, long and complicated, and we plan to write about it at length in other works and volumes should the Moon-Mother aid us. But we hope that this small summary of the positions and what we have found most persuasive will suffice for now, given the subject-matter of the present volume.

In our travels, we have had the honour of setting foot in nearly every village and town of note - however small - in the known world, and each has its own - oral or written - traditions regarding its history. As I aim for this to be a complete and all-encompassing history, I shall now proceed to relate what I have recorded from each one of these villages and towns regarding their history up until the estimated time of the Prophet-Patriarch's birth (I say estimated here because many did not have accurate time-keeping methods before their conquest and annexation into the Realm in the South, and so human reason and estimates are our only tools in this matter).

[A note left by a past reader reads: Interstng but bit lng. Come bak to latr. The reader appears to have done just that and ripped everything out.]


4. Wherein is Recounted the Prophet-Patriarch's Life and all that Befell him from Birth to Martyrdom


[The present copy appears have been vandalised, and the some five-hundred pages of this chapter have been removed. A small note reads: Will put them back when I'm done. Someone appears to have placed a helpful 50-page summary of the Prophet-Patriarch's life in its stead, along with those of the Matriarch Shohiqam and Matriarch-Superior Nafzakia, but the handwriting is illegible.]

5. Wherein is Recounted what has Reached us of the News of the Palowid Dynasty


As is well-known, the reign of the Palowids began shortly after the martyrdom of the Prophet-Patriarch. There are those who insist that this early period wherein the Patriarchate was disputed does not count as being part of the Palowid era, but I am of the view that it does. The claim of Wezar merely laid the groundwork for the Palowid takeover and does not in itself count as a period in which he was Patriarch - for he was never recognised as such. It was merely an interregnum, so to speak. As for the revolt of the reluctant Shohiqam, that was nothing more than that. Despite the fact that the parallel Eliad Patriarchate was established through it, it was never one that held true power or ruled for any effective time-period and has ever since been nothing more than a religious Patriarchate without the means to seize or wield political power. The same can be said of the revolt of the Nafzakia and the Bato-Elyd Patriarchate which developed subsequent to it. And so, we shall cover the interregnum, as well as all revolts - righteous or otherwise - , as falling within the, broadly speaking, Palowid era. 

We structure this chapter as we did the one preceding it, except that rather than by setting out the name of the village as a headline before relating what has reached us of its history, we shall place the name of each Palowid Patriarch or Matriarch as a headline, giving their birth date and death date as well as the length of their reign, before going on to relate what has reached us regarding their life and reign.

Patriarch Palo I, lived from 17-73 Patriarchem (meaning: [after the] Patriarch's Birth, hereafter "P"), and ruled from 37 P until his death at the age of 56. And his reign was 36 years.

And he is known by some as Palo Mikraho, the meaning of which has been mentioned, and is cursed greatly by many of the faithful. And there are some who know him as Palo Yadilom [meaning: Hand of the Mother], for they see him as a force for much good, and a rightful Patriarch. And our view on him is well-known, and we invoke the Moon-Mother to show him no mercy, for he showed the faithful none. Her curses upon him ever!

And he was known, even during the Patriarch's life, as an evil being, full of hatred and ever plotting and scheming. And he had his eyes on power always, and many reports from authoritative sources have come down to us regarding his character and actions during the Patriarch's time. And we have a report from his mother, Beru Sagacia [meaning: the Sage], regarding the time of his birth wherein she says:

Of all my children, Palo caused me greatest pain during his birth. And the moon was blotted out by clouds on the night of his birth. And when he emerged, there emerged with him a darkness of death and a rancid smell which caused me to lose consciousness.A Confirmed Saying of the Sagacia

And this leaves us without any doubt that from his inception the Mikraho was a vile and despised being, evil being as inherent in him as water in a river. And from his brother, the blessed Shohiquy, we have reports wherein he says:

I have never known anyone with so much hate for the Patriarch and his children than that one there [and here, he pointed at Palo who was some distance away].A Confirmed Saying of the Shohiquy

And you will sometimes hear from lovers of the Mikraho that he and the Shohiquy were, in fact, the closest of friends, and that the Prophet-Patriarch had blessed their relationship and other nonsense of the sort; we say to them, what evidence after such damning reports does one need? The Mikraho neither loved the Prophet-Patriarch nor the Shohiquy, but hated the faith and all who wished to uphold it, and loved only power. And it is reported that the Mikraho himself said:

Indeed, with every great light, there must be a great darkness equal to it. There has come to you a light, and there has emerged from it much light. And I am come to bring balance after the coming of that light, and from me shall emerge equal darkness that it may in your moment of disbelief drown you.A Confirmed Saying of the Mikraho

And that shall suffice us, though I have at my disposal much more regarding his evil nature, and I shall write on that matter in greater detail in future works if the Moon-Mother gives me strength and life.

Regarding his reign, we know that he came to power after he murdered the last great obstacle lying in his path - that being the Shohiquy. For the Shohiquy along with the Shohiqam planned to bring an end to the confusion which Wezar had begun by claiming the Patriarchate, and the Mikraho saw that if they succeeded they would bring stability to what the Prophet-Patriarch had built. And the very thought was anathema to him. And so, in the confusion of an affray, the Mikraho stealthily struck the Shohiquy with a large rock, immediately killing him. And the blame was put on Wezar, and the Mikraho used the grief of the people to his advantage, and, to all extents and purposes, seized power.

For a long time he preyed upon the children of the Mawtuq Amudiskandar, and later turned upon the children of the Prophet-Patriarch's other wives. And we shall list below all those of the household of Eskandar killed by the Mikraho, as they are so many that there is no easier way of doing it than this, and we shall list also those who survived:

Of the children of the Mawtuq Zekra Amudiskandar: 
The Durghal: 'tis well-known that the Mikraho framed the blessed firstborn and heir of the Prophet-Patriarch for a crime he did not commit, and the blind justice of the Prophet-Patriarch was set upon him in error. Only after justice was served did the Prophet-Patriarch see the deception, and it is well-known that the Prophet-Patriarch wished to punish the Mikraho severely, but found that there were many around him who were weak of faith and would turn their backs on Truth were he to punish yet another of his sons. And it is well-known also that the Mikraho had at that time established himself and surrounded himself with a band of vile supporters - amongst them the conspirators Hezric and Tymis and others who were caught at an earlier point and punished by the Prophet-Patriarch.
And had it not been for his martyrdom, the Prophet-Patriarch would have eventually uprooted this heretical group and cleansed the faith of them, but alas; we plan and the Moon-Mother plans.
The children of the Durghal and his wives did not survive the Mikraho's purges, other than the Nafzakia and her blessed mother. And as is well-known, the Nafzakia returned in due time and claimed her father's and grandfather's Patriarchate, which was her right and her's alone. Through her, the Batowid line lives on, and the Bato-Elyd Patriarchate. May the Moon-Mother make it so that we soon see their victory over those who have robbed them of their rightful title and authority.
Hezric: As mentioned, Hezric was of those who joined with the Mikraho and conspired against the Prophet-Patriarch and the faith. And he was the fifth child of his mother and was caught and punished by his blessed father after his corruption by the Mikraho. And we count his downfall as being due to the Mikraho, as he would never have sinned and strayed were it not for him.
Wezar: And he is the sixth son of his mother, said to have claimed the Patriarchate after his father's martyrdom. And he was framed for the killing of the Shohiquy and thereafter personally killed by the Mikraho]
The Shohiqam: And she was the second child of the Prophet-Patriarch, the most senior and most respected of the blessed household after her elder brother, the Durghal. And there are those who are of the view that she was a rightful Patriarch following the martyrdom of the Prophet-Patriarch - and I would agree with them to a limited extent, as shall be explained at a later point.
It is well-known that, following the death of the Shohiquy, she challenged the Mikraho and was the centre of a perpetual insurrection in Qari'Ab [meaning: Town of the Father, or Town of the Patriarch], directing those who opposed the Mikraho behind the scenes. This was the case until her involvement was discovered and her eldest child, Ogos, was murdered by the hand of the Mikraho. Following that, she escaped from Qari'Ab to Eni-Elia [meaning: The Eye of Elia] and led an open revolt. She was eventually let down by her followers and slain in open battle by that most despised Mikraho. Today, her descendants claim that she was always the rightful Patriarch and that the Patriarchate is the right of the Eliads (hence the Eliad Patriarchate which exists even to this day).
Sarin: And she was the fourth child of her mother. And she followed her older sister, the Shohiqam, when she declared open rebellion. And all her children had before that been slaughtered by the Mikraho, and all her husbands. And she was imprisoned in the battle wherein her elder sister was martyred, and thereafter executed. And there are some who are of the opinion that she was raped by the Mikraho beforehand and gave birth to a child before her execution, though the truth of this is not verifiable as she has no known descendants who could have kept hold of such knowledge.
Meli Gutera [meaning: the Good]: And she was the third child of her mother, and she joined her elder sister in her rebellion. And 'tis ascertained that none of her children or husbands escaped Qari'Ab when the Shohiqam made her escape. She was commanded by her sister to flee Eni-Elia along with Maki Dammahshar and the baby Nafzakia. And she settled with the Dammahshar in her home village (which is, as mentioned earlier, today known as Qari'Ely or Qari'Maki), and her descendants dwell there to this day. And the great majority of them are followers of the Bato-Elyd Patriarchate, with a minority who follow the Eliad Patriarchate.
Po Qai [meaning: the Strong]: And he was the seventh child of his mother. And he was killed, along with his family, in an infamous assault on his home in the early days of the Mikraho's reign, which is today known as the Jayokareeh [meaning: the Hateful Day]. And he is known to have resisted most nobly, so much so that the Mikraho deemed it necessary to fight him personally. And after a long battle, wherein the Qai wounded his opponent severely, the Mikraho at last dealt him a killing blow. And he is known to have been, along with his older half-brother Verik, of those who first met the Earthen Beast and who reported its coming to the Prophet-Patriarch. Verik, being a son of the Sagacia, sided with the Mikraho, and was struck down by the Qai during the Jayokareeh.
Sirta: And she was the tenth child of her mother. And she was killed alongside the Qai. For she had on the Jayokareeh been paying her older brother and his family a visit along with her own family. And all were slain. And 'tis reported that the blessed Sirta and her months-old child were the last remaining when all had been killed, and they made her watch as her babe was slaughtered before her very eyes - and its blessed and sanctified blood was sprayed on her hallowed face - before she too was dealt a killing blow. May the Moon-Mother avenge those who were oppressed and murdered! May we be the tools of Her most just and terrible vengeance!
Musas: And he was the fifteenth and last of his mother's children, and was at the time of the Prophet-Patriarch's death only two months old. And his mother grew very weak following the tragedy of her Prophet-Patriarch's death, and weaker still due to the death and killing that followed. Against her will, the Mikraho took the child, claiming that he would have one of his life-mates care for him. And little Musas was never seen or heard from again. May the curses of the Moon-Mother scour that vile and debased demon! Who is't that will rise and avenge the blessed mother and the blessed child?
Fen: And she was the eighth of her mother's children. And her husbands and children were all killed before her eyes, and she herself imprisoned. She was never executed but lived out the rest of her days in the Mikraho's primitive dungeons and some are of the view that she was humiliated often and her dignity wounded. May Her curses fall on all who caused her even the slightest distress, let alone such severe injury. Avenge oh Avenger!
Lida: And she was the ninth of her mother's children. She departed from Qari'Ab when the Shohiquy was killed, along with her children and husbands. And until today none knew what became of her and them. But I have, with the blessing of the Moon-Mother and as mentioned in the previous chapter, discovered what became of her. And to repeat in summary: she travelled to the south and came upon a tribe of Karkids with whom she stayed. And though they were nomads before she came to them, she taught them much and they settled and embraced the faith. And that settlement - now a large town - is today called Ariqa. The descendants of Lida have intermixed with the locals over time, and all the inhabitants of the town today are in one way or another related to her.
Ruba, Hubal, Uzzit, and Ruway: Respectively the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth children of their mother. And they were all cared for by the Shohiqam and escaped with her to Eni-Elia. And they did not go out to fight with the Shohiqam and so were not witness to her martyrdom. They were hidden from the Mikraho by some of the loyal locals and their descendants all live in Eni-Elia to this day, and are collectively the most respected and influential tribe there. They are for the most part of the followers of the Eliad Patriarchs and are amongst their most ardent and loyal supporters.


Of the children of Seri Teghrey [meaning: the Tigress]:

Gar Athogos [meaning: the Golden]: And he was the firstborn of his mother, and was from a young age renown for his extreme intelligence and perceptiveness. And he was considered, after the Durghal and the Shohiqam, as the most senior of the Prophet-Patriarch's children in age and status, though there are some who would put the Shohiquy one step ahead of him with regards to status, and we are of them. And he was, from the beginning, a most stalwart supporter of the Shohiqam against the Mikraho, and escaped to Eni-Elia along with her when open rebellion was declared. Upon the Shohiqam's defeat and martyrdom, he escaped with his family to the north and travelled for many years before coming upon Qari'Maki and taking up residence there with all others who had found there a refuge. And his descendants remain there to this day. And of them are those who follow the Eliad Patriarchate, and of them are those who follow the Bato-Elyd Patriarchate.
Zeri: And she was the second born of her mother. From a young age, Zeri was very close with her half-brother Sheb. Little is known of what happened to her, but they disappeared together before the rebellion of the Shohiqam. It is not known with whom they sided in the conflict, but it is well known that they were very close to their Zekrid siblings, and so we are of the opinion that they were supporters of the Shohiqam. It is not known where they went and what befell them after their disappearance.
Tora: And she was her mother's third child. She was energetic and took from her mother her warlike character. And she was of the Mikraho's stalwarts and many good lives were put to an end by her hand. Her lineage appears to have been cut-off after the Orifid usurpation of the Patriarchate - for they sided with the Palowids and, along with most of those, were exterminated.
Reyk: Like his sister, he joined with the Mikraho. And he was the fourth child of his mother. He was killed by Sirta during the Jayokareeh. And he was known for the swiftness of his spear and was praised as being a fine warrior indeed, with his mother's strong spirit and determination. We count his death a tragedy, for he was most certainly led astray by the Mikraho, and that demon of darkness is responsible for the debasement of this otherwise noble son of the Prophet-Patriarch. His descendants, who later sided with the Nafzakia, were exterminated by the Palowids.
Lopa Laharia [meaning: the Peacekeeper]: And she was the fifth child of her mother. She was one of the rare individuals who managed to maintain her neutrality and was ignored by the Mikraho. She cared for her mother until the Teghrey died, and her children (known as the Laharids) dwell in Qari'Ab to this day. They hold to a principle of neutrality and pacifism which they claim was taught to them by the Laharia, who was specifically taught it by the Prophet-Patriarch. Notably, they collectively broke this principle during the Orifid revolt against the Palowids and joined forces with the former. And they have their own theological reasoning for this which we are not sufficiently knowledgeable to delve into or explain.
Yog: And he was the sixth of his mother's children. His lineage was cut-off at a very early point, and it is said that he and his family were killed by Tora at the command of the Mikraho. The reason is not known, but we have reports which confirm that he was one of the Shohiqam's key supporters. It would appear that he was caught during the Shohiqam's escape from Qari'Ab, along with his family, and executed by his sister.
Yara: And she was the seventh of her mother's children. She was very quiet and little is known about her, though it is known with certainty that she was very close with her older sister, Tora. It is said that she was her deputy and a warrior of great skill. Others disagree and say that she was always sickly and lived her life with her mother, and later with her sister the Laharia. It is not known when she died or how, and it is highly unlikely that she ever married or had children. The Laharids claim that they have all the known reports regarding her, but we have not had the privilege to read those or affirm their authenticity.
Thol: And he was the eighth child of his mother. He sided with the Mikraho and was later sent to Eni-Elia to rule on behalf of the Mikraho. It is said that he was aware of the presence of the family of the Shohiqam there, as well as the other Zekrids, but did not report them to the Mikraho. After his failure to aid the Mikraho during "the Great Crusade", he was recalled by the Mikraho and imprisoned for a while, before being released and living out the rest of his life in Qari'Ab. His descendants, the Tholids, remain there to this day, and neither follow the Eliad nor the Bato-Elyd Patriarchates. They hold a positive view of the Palowids as well as the Orifids and, while looking up to and respecting their Eliad and Bato-Elyd cousins, treat the so-called "cult" that has developed around them with extreme suspicion.
Samit: And she was the ninth child of her mother. She was young and little is known about how she met her demise. Reports from her mother say that she had gone into the cave one day and was later found dead. It is not known whether there were any wounds or signs that she had been murdered, but it is well-known that the Teghrey had at that time been a vocal and influential opponent of the Mikraho. Perhaps, and the Moon-Mother knows best, this vile murder was meant to threaten her into silence.
Manaj: And he was the tenth child of his mother. He went with his elder brother, Thol, to Eni-Elia. When Thol was recalled, Manaj stayed there. He only came back to Qari'Ab for his mother's funeral and remained for the rest of his life in Eni-Elia. He did not marry, but it is said that he fell in love with one of the village girls and had two children by her, and the Moon-Mother knows best.
Munaf: And he was the eleventh child of his mother. He was very young at the time of the Prophet-Patriarch's martyrdom - around twenty months. And he was not involved in any conflicts and died very young of natural causes.
Amara: And he was the twelfth and final child of his mother, and he was born one month after the martyrdom of the Prophet Patriarch. He joined the Nafzakia when she came to Qari'Ab. His descendants lived in Eni-Elia until the overthrow of the Palowids, when they immigrated - along with the Eliads and Bato-Elyds - to Qari'Ab. And they are followers and supporters of the Bato-Elyd Patriarchate.


Of the children of Tse Smaeha [meaning: the Tender]:

Sheb: And he was the firstborn of his mother. And as mentioned before, he disappeared along with Zeri in the early days of the Mikraho's rule and nothing is known of what befell them.
Caz: And he was his mother's second child. He was a timid child, and some say he was very weak, and others say he was sickly. He remained by his mother's side and was not involved in any conflicts. He was killed in error by Tora as he fished from the River of the Moon-Mother sometime after the martyrdom of the Shohiqam.
Derk Sarquta [meaning: the Crusader]: And he was his mother's third child. He was very adventurous and left Qari'Ab long before his father's martyrdom. And he settled in the east where two warring tribes were brought together by his hand, and he was made a king over them, and they embraced the faith by his will. And when he heard the news of his father's death and the tyranny of the Mikraho, he marched out with his warriors planning to put an end to the evil. And many who had followed the Shohiqam joined with him. And this is today known as "the Great Crusade". While he was noble in intention, the Sarquta was not a great military leader and was defeated. He managed to escape with his tribal followers, though their town (known to this day as Qari'Derk) was conquered by later Palowid Patriarchs in their expansion of the Realm in the South. His descendants live there to this day and were re-instated as local rulers when the Orifids rose to power.
Buz: And he was the fourth child of his mother. He originally sided with the Mikraho and was of his loyal supporters - for he sincerely wished to avenge the Shohiquy. However, once he saw the tyranny of the Mikraho, his support waned, and he later joined his brother during the Great Crusade. He was killed during the fateful battle.
Aya: And she was her mother's fifth child. She, like Buz, joined the Mikraho in the early days, wishing to avenge the Shohiquy. When bloodshed increased, she withdrew and took on a neutral role. When the Shohiqam declared an open revolt, Aya left Qari'Ab and the entire region. She travelled north and appears to have settled far away with a people who treated her with suspicion for a long time. Over time, some of her descendants mixed in with the locals and forgot their religion and roots, while others made the journey back to Qari'Ab. And those returned Ayads live there to this day. Like the Tholids, they follow neither the Bato-Elyds nor the Eliads but view the Orifids and the Palowids positively.
Ana: And she was her mother's sixth child. She followed in the steps of the Laharia and maintained her peace and neutrality. She cared for her mother and was largely ignored. Her descendants today are known as Ano-Laharids and are of the Laharid creed. Over time, the two lines have intermixed to the extent that they are today more or less one.
Banto: And he was his mother's seventh child. He was one of the Mikraho's supporters. He is not known for exceptional savagery, or for anything else really. He remained a supporter of the Mikraho all his life, and his descendants also. Though they sided with the Palowids during the Orifid rebellion, they were not exterminated after the Orifid victory. They were relocated to the west, where they now live in the town of Markaha, along with the Lato-Marid tribe after which the town is named, the Markahids.
Jara, Talom, Ala, and Ramad: And they were the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh children of their mother respectively. And they were young through much of this, though Jara and Talom joined their elder brother during the Great Crusade and were killed. Ala and Ramad remained neutral until the coming of the Nafzakia. Ala joined the Matriarch Superior while Ramad joined the Palowids, and both were killed in the subsequent conflict. The children of Ala moved away and settled in the north, not too far from Qari'Ab. The town present there today is known as Qari'Ala, and her descendants live there for the most part. They are moderate followers of the Bato-Elyd Patriarchate. As for the children of Ramad, they continued to live in Qari'Ab until the Orifid rebellion. Some of them were thereafter executed, and the others were scattered throughout the land and quickly came to forget their roots.


Of the children of Beru Sagacia: 

The Mikraho: And he was the firstborn of his mother. By the many who rightly despise him, he is called the Mikraho which, as mentioned before, means the "Head of Heresy". And his descendants for long lived in Qari'Ab and were the Patriarchs of the Palowid Dynasty. Among them were good, but most of them were as evil as their progenitor. Their era saw great military expansions and greater oppression and tyranny. With their overthrow by the Orifids, the great majority of them were exterminated. Many of their women, however, were taken by the Orifids and enslaved. When they moved their base to Darofid the Orifids took these with them, and they formed part of their first "House of Concubines", which is to this day a monument of the decadence and debasement of these Orifids, who are nothing like the noble ancestor after whom they are named. Nevertheless, 'tis a fitting end for the descendants of so vile and evil a creature as the Mikraho, and were it in our hands a far more fitting revenge would have been served.
Verik: And he was the second child of his mother. He was of the Mikraho's core followers long before the martyrdom of the Prophet-Patriarch. As mentioned previously, he was amongst the first to spot the Earthen Beast along with his half-brother, the Qai. He was of those who assaulted the Qai and his family on the Jayokareeh and was struck down by that powerful and noble Zekrid. His descendants lived in Qari'Ab until the Orifid rebellion, after which they were all exterminated. It is said that a lone daughter escaped, though the truth of that has never been verified.
Eril Sagaciel [meaning: the Little Sage]: And she was the third of her mother's children. And she was known for her shrewdness and depth of knowledge and is said to have been her mother's only disciple. She was an outspoken critic of the Mikraho, along with her mother, and was confined to a tent with her mother from which neither were permitted to depart until after the rebellion and martyrdom of the Shohiqam. After her mother's death, she left Qari'Ab and travelled for some three decades, before settling in Eni-Elia. Her descendants dwell there to this day and are the carriers of the wisdom and teachings of the Sagacia and the Sagaciel. May the Moon-Mother preserve them for us, and may She bless the honoured ancestors and the honourable progeny ever.
Bish: And he was the fourth child of his mother. And he was killed in the first affray which took place after the Prophet-Patriarch's martyrdom. And according to all the authoritative reports, he was killed in error by Wezar. It was to ignite a blood feud which would see the Zekrids decimated and banished from the land. He had no children, and thus no descendants.
Walo: And he was the fifth of his mother's children. He was very close to his elder brother, Bish, and was blindly loyal to the Mikraho after Bish's murder. He is notorious for his viciousness and is said to have eaten of the innards of Wezar when he was slain by the Mikraho. His descendants, men and women, were amongst the most fanatical warriors of the Palowids and are famed for their final stand at the Grove of the Weeping Walos during the Orifid rebellion. Those who survived were captured and imprisoned, and what became of them is unknown. Some have speculated that the women who survived were placed in the "House of Concubines" along with their Palowid counterparts, though this is not verified. We hear from time to time of one adventurer or another who claims to be a descendant of Walo, so 'tis not improbable that some escaped and survived beyond the borders of the Realm in the South.
Naka: And he was the sixth of his mother's children. He was very close to his eldest brother and followed him everywhere once the Palowids seized power. It is said that the Mikraho had a soft spot for him and spoiled him. His descendants played an influential role in Palowid court politics and much mischief is generally attributed to them. They melted away and disappeared without a trace when the Orifids rose up in open revolt. It is unknown where they escaped and what has become of them since.
Dam: And he was the seventh of his mother's children. He did not partake in the early purges and is said to have disapproved of the Shohiqam's murder. He joined the forces of the Great Crusade against his brother and was captured. He was forgiven, as the Mikraho did not wish to slay direct kin. He later joined the Nafzakia and was of her key allies. While his children managed to escape to Eni-Elia with the Matriarch Superior, he was not able to. He was caught and killed by the third Palowid Patriarch, the Malamn. His children survived and relocated to Qari'Derk in the east, where they still dwell to this day. They are stalwart supporters of the Bato-Elyd Patriarchate.
Reebo and Saho: And they were the eighth and ninth of their mother's children. Like Dam, they were too young to partake in the early purges, though later proved themselves more than capable savages. Along with the Walowids, they formed a triumvirate of evil and savagery, and their descendants continued this tradition. They were present at the Grove of the Weeping Walos. Their ultimate fate, like the Walowids, is a mystery.
Meera: And she was the tenth and last child of her mother. She was born two months after the martyrdom of the Prophet-Patriarch. She is not believed to have lived very long, for her mother was sick with grief and very weak when she gave birth to her, and the child was likewise weak. She is said to have reached her seventh year, though nothing of her after that point remains in the records. This has caused most scholars to assume that she passed away not very long after that point. And, being too young, she left no children and has no descendants.


Of the children of Igdin Cala [meaning: Iron Cala]: The Shohiquy: And he was the firstborn of his mother, said to be born around the same time as the Mikraho. But whereas that one was a darkness and a blight, this one was a blessing and great light. And he was, as mentioned, slain treacherously by the Mikraho during an affray, and the blame was put on the innocent Wezar who was thereafter also slain. His children lived in Qari'Ab and enjoyed the Mikraho's favour for some time, though it is clear from the records that they disapproved of much of what he did in their father's name. They eventually gathered enough strength to overthrow the Palowids and establish their own Patriarchate. While they received the support of the Eliads and the Bato-Elyds, they have since turned their back on both and treat them with cautious suspicion at best.
Mera Nabtisa: And she was the second child of her mother. And she is known to have been a terribly cold and austere woman, whose gaze was famously described by a rejected lover thus: 
"Oh Ikaria, from your throne of ice descend - Raise up Mera, who with one gaze souls does rend
On what mountain were the stones in her eyes carved? - This one: flatter, and the next one: reprimand!" 
Her beauty was unparalleled, and her coldness unequalled, and she was by some known as Mera Nabtisa [meaning: the Unsmiling], and by others as the Sarak [meaning: the Rock, or the Stone]. And she hated the Mikraho with a passion, though none knew why - and it is our opinion that she knew who truly had slain the Shohiquy. And she spent her days with her mother and the children of the Shohiquy, and her descendants after her were linked to the Orifids and were their most loyal and mighty supporters. Much of the success of the Orifid rebellion can be attributed to them. To this day, the Meraids are the strong arm of the Orifid state, and it was their suggestion that the Realm's capital be officially moved from Qari'Ab to the newly constructed Darofid after their victory over the Palowids. The majority of the Calaids, who previously dwelled together in Qari'Ab, today dwell in Darofid.
Lez: And she was the third child of her mother. While she supported the Mikraho in his feud against the Zekrids, her support was tempered by her elder sister's suspicion. She fought alongside the Palowids during the Shohiqam's rebellion, and was a leading figure in the fight against the Great Crusade. Her descendants maintained their loyalty towards the Palowids and became very influential both in the military and within the court. Ultimately, however, their loyalty lay with their Orifid and Meraid cousins, and they sided with them when the Orifids rebelled.
Zana: And she was the fourth child of her mother, and she was close to the Mikraho and the Shohiquy from a young age. She was - tragically - utterly loyal, and was manipulated by the Mikraho after her elder brother's murder. While she was never truly the most intelligent individual or the most skilled fighter, she was courageous and blindly faithful. She was killed during the Shohiqam's rebellion and left behind no children or descendants.
Raga: And he was the fifth child of his mother. Despite his youth, he was a passionate supporter of the Mikraho and took a very active part in the persecution of the Zekrids and others. As he matured, the Nabtisa's influence on him grew and he became more wary of the Palowids, though he did partake in campaigns against the various rebellions that arose and was well known to be the right hand of Lez. His children and descendants maintained a strong position in the Palowid military as well as the close relationship with other Calaids. They joined the Orifid cause once the inevitable Orifid rebellion took place.
Kaf: And he was the sixth child of his mother. He was cared for by the Nabtisa towards the end of his childhood, though eventually departed Qari'Ab and disappeared from all records. It is not known what befell him.
Kanan: And he was the seventh child of his mother. He too was cared for by the Nabtisa but was always sickly and weak. He spent the majority of his life in his mother's tent and eventually died aged nine or ten.
Baern: And he was the eighth child of his mother. He was greatly influenced by both the Nabtisa and his older brother Raga. He was a well-known warrior and a deep thinker. He joined with the Nafzakia when she came and eventually escaped with her. He died of a fever in Eni-Elia, and it is more likely that he was poisoned by agents of the Palowids. His children were cared for by the Nabtisa, and his descendants today dwell in Darofid. Unlike their ancient father, they are not followers of the Bato-Elyd Patriarchate.
Hadar: And he was the ninth and final child of his mother. And as with his other siblings, the influence of the Nabtisa on him was apparent. It is said that she bid him travel away from Qari'Ab and establish himself in the north-eastern village of Mersia, whose people had been converted by the Shohiquy in earlier times. And he dwelled with them and married a number of their women, and 'tis known that he and his descendants maintained a close relationship with the Orifids of Qari'Ab. And Mersia was by the time of the Orifid rebellion a town of some size and of the first to declare its support for the rebels. The Merso-Hadarids dwell in Mersia to this day.


Of the children of Bayda Anja [meaning: Far-Eyed Anja]:
Jarl Auga [meaning: the King]: And he was the first of his mother's children. And he was known amongst his siblings as 'the King', for he had their unswerving loyalty. And it is said that they rejected the continuation of the Patriarchate following the Prophet-Patriarch's death, being of the view that the Patriarchate passed from this world with him and was unique to the Atlaqoos and none other. When the Mikraho seized the Patriarchate the Auga refused to pledge allegiance to him and, along with his mother and the Anjawids, resisted him. They eventually migrated en masse to the north where they established themselves as dominant players. And the Auga was the first of the Jarlid kings of the Realm in the North. And many scholars are of the view that they are of a faith and we of another, though I, having passed through their land, must wholly disagree.
Mit: And he was the second child of his mother. And with the Bayda's children in general, he was far closer to his fellow Anjawids than to his siblings from different mothers. And he was of the Triumvirate who were from an early point in Jarlid history appointed as advisers to the king, as well as a counterbalance. And he was the Right Hand of the King.
Aril: And she was the third child of her mother. And she was quiet and seemed to all who saw her uninvolved in political intrigues or struggles for power. And she, perhaps unsurprisingly to other Anjawids, was of the Triumvirate, though nothing preceding her appointment ever suggested that she was viewed as a leading figure amongst the Anjawids. And she was the King's Word.
Zind: And he was the fourth child of his mother. He was of the Triumvirate and was the King's Strong Arm. And he was known for his immense bodily strength which rivalled even that of the Qai. And it is said in the reports that he and the Qai would endeavour to outdo one another in feats of strength and were a spectacle and well-known to all others. And he left Qari'Ab along with the other Anjawids, and it is said that when news reached him of the killing of the Qai he wept for days and eventually had to be restrained from marching out on his own to avenge his beloved rival and, some say, friend. His descendants are known as the Qaio in honour of their esteemed ancestor and his esteemed rival-friend, and they consider themselves the spiritual descendants of the Qai whose children were all slaughtered by the Mikraho. They are a warlike clan and have many unique traditions and ways, and have for long ensured the military dominance of the Jarlids in the north and their successful resistance of both Palowid and Orifid attempts to subdue them and incorporate them into the Realm in the South.
Semt, Hazm, Mal, Dabab, and Vangar: And they were the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth children of their mother respectively. And they were young when the Prophet-Patriarch was martyred and were taken with their mother when she departed with the rest of her progeny. And it is well known that Bayda was never very close with the other wives of the Prophet-Patriarch and saw him as her only link to Qari'Ab and its inhabitants.


Of the children of Kae Ayunadaki [meaning: of the Laughing Eyes]:
Rana Qalbidaq'Aaq [meaning: the Beating Heart]: And she was her mother's firstborn. And she was a joyous soul, much like her blessed mother, and brought smiles and happiness wherever she happened to be. And her father is known to have loved her greatly and often praised her character. And he called her "the Beating Heart of my Household", which eventually became the more well-known Qalbidaq'Aaq. And she was very close with her sister, the Shohiqam, and constantly petitioned the Mikraho to cease his persecution of the Zekrids. In the years following the Shohiqam's martyrdom and the failed Great Crusade, she became increasingly disillusioned with and critical of the Palowids. She disappeared in the Mikraho's later reign without any trace (and she was most probably killed), and her disappearance caused the Kaeids to rise up in revolt. And her descendants, the Ranawids, supported the Orifid revolt and dwell in Qari'Ab to this day. They are sympathetic towards the Eliad and Bato-Elyd Patriarchates but view the Orifids in a positive light for the most part.
Indi: And she was her mother's second child. And she was known for her lightheartedness and wit and is known to have been sympathetic towards the Mikraho in his early years. She did not partake in his persecution of the Zekrids or military expeditions but is known to have been one of his advisers. She condemned him scathingly after the disappearance of the Qalbidaq'Aaq, but did not rise up in revolt like other Kaeids, a thing which causes Kaeids today to generally look down upon the Indids. They remained neutral during the Orifid revolt.
Vetri Qarqazifa [meaning: the First Qarqaz]: And he was his mother's third child. He was a man of deep understanding and knowledge, known to have followed his father around everywhere and to have endeavoured to learn from him all that there is to know. And though he rarely spoke in public, the death of his elder sister gave him the opportunity to display his charisma and brilliant leadership. He organised the Kaeids and successfully seized Qari'Ab, forcing the Mikraho to flee. A year-long civil war ensued, and the Kaeids were ultimately defeated and the Qarqazifa slain. His descendants were spared and rose up alongside the Orifids during their revolt. Many great scholars have emerged from his line, and they are privy to vast swathes of knowledge which the Vetrids secretively keep within their circles - and we condemn them for that!
Klup: And he was his mother's fourth child. And he was a fierce warrior, quick to anger and fond of laughter and poetry and strange herbs and concoctions which altered one's mind for varying periods of time. And his father was often displeased with all that he did with regards to these strange herbs and concoctions. He was found dead in his tent with two of his wives in the early reign of the Mikraho. Sources say that they appear to have died due to ingesting a strange new herb - and others say it was because they ingested large quantities of a herb they often used. And his descendants, the Klupids, are known for their knowledge on herbs and strange concoctions - many great mediciners have emerged from them, and many klups as kluppish as Klup [and a "klup" is broad term used in reference to a person who is a fool, a cretin, an imbecile, a dunce, a nincompoop, and other such meanings].
Taglib: And he was his mother's fifth child. Like his elder brother, he was a fierce warrior-poet and a master of spear and bow. It is known that he was the silent military mind behind the Qarqazifa's early military success. Following their defeat, he was imprisoned for a long time by the Mikraho, and was not released until his successor, Umdat, became the Palowid Patriarch. His descendants dwell in Qari'Ab to this day and are very well-connected to the Orifid military, a reward for their role in the successful Orifid overthrow of the Palowids.
Lafad: And he was his mother's sixth child. And he was born blind and was cared for by his mother. And the Ayunadaki was famed for the many tales she knew and for the charming manner in which she told these tales. Lafad became her de facto disciple and became famed as the blind storyteller in later times. Patriarch Umdat, in particular, honoured him. It is said he believed in the Nafzakia's message in secret though this was never confirmed. The Lafadids, who to this day dwell in Qari'Ab, are renown storytellers and poets.
Yadan: And he was his mother's seventh child. His was an adventurous and curious soul, and he set out from a young age to explore the world, find adventure and spread the message of his father. He is a famed ascetic and many ascetic orders trace their origins back to him. It is said that more than a thousand tribes (and in other sources, villages) embraced the faith due to his preaching. And he was of noble character, kind, humble, patient, diligent, just and incredibly perceptive. He left behind him no children, but many pupils learned from him. He was one of the faith's pillars. May the Moon-Mother bless him and reward him greatly for all his efforts.
Zanda: And she was her mother's eighth child. She was a passionate warrior and was influenced by her brother's asceticism - for she never married. She had a strong hatred for injustice and was of the foremost and most famed fighters during the Kaeid uprising and subsequent civil war, wherein she met her demise. She is commemorated to this day by the Taglibids.
Rad: And he was his mother's ninth and final child. He joined the Nafzakia when she came and is said to have loved her profoundly. It is unlikely that he ever told her or that it was requited. He was killed while holding a pass along with a few others while the Nafzakia and the rest of her followers made their escape towards Eni-Elia. His descendants dwell in Eni-Elia to this day and are loyal followers of the Bato-Elyd Patriarchate.


Of the children of Bet Maligna [meaning: the Cursed, the Damned, the Vile]: 
Sanibet: The first and only child of his mother. The Maligna's child and his descendants enjoyed protected status in a village constructed specifically for them, and which stands to this day not far from Qari'Ab - Qari'Bet. And her descendants, the descendants of Sanibet, are known as Betids.


As can be seen, the Mikraho was responsible for the murders of at least twenty-eight members of the Prophet-Patriarch's blessed household, and we have refrained from making mention of the Patriarch's grandchildren and others killed by this reprehensible animal. The horror of it is incomprehensible, and the curses we wish upon him uncountable. 

His early reign was unstable as he set about consolidating his hold on power. The first great rebellion was that of the Shohiqam which was successful insofar as it split the Realm for a few years. When war recommenced, the Shohiqam was defeated and the Mikraho was finally able to unite the Realm in the South. Not too long thereafter, the Great Crusade arrived, and despite its threat to the Mikraho's rule, he was able to crush it.

There followed a period of internal stability that saw the Realm in the South expand greatly. Much of what was under the Prophet-Patriarch's rule before was reconquered. In his final years, following his murder of the Qalbidaq'Aaq, the Kaeid uprising took place. For the first time, he lost Qari'Ab and was at his most vulnerable. Despite that, he had reconquered it within a year and slain the Qarqazifa.

On his death, a surprisingly peaceful transition took place and his eldest son, the Patriarch Umdat, took over the Patriarchate.

Patriarch Umdat, lived from 30-76 P, and ruled from 73 P until his death at the age of 46. And his reign was 3 years.

And he is known as Judil [meaning: the Just]. And he was as to his father as clay is to water. He was a blessed and holy man, learned in the religion, and immensely pious. And he is known as the "Good Palowid". His short reign saw the ending of much of his predecessor's draconian policies, and focus turned to ensuring the well-being of the faithful rather than maintaining the interests of the Palowid clan. It is said that he had plans to make an Orifid his heir, and some even say that he planned to make an Eliad. 
He died under suspicious circumstances early in the third year of his reign and was replaced by his repulsive, rotten, and evil son, Kirtam.

Patriarch Kirtam, lived from 55-98 P, and ruled from 76 P until his death at the age of 43. And his reign was 22 years.

And he is known as Malamn [meaning: the Damned]. His ascension to the Patriarchate was received with an outcry from the populace, for he was known for his impiety and irreligiosity. And he publically mocked the blessed children of the Prophet-Patriarch and treated the memory of our holy master with contempt - for he wished for the people to forget the Prophet-Patriarch and honour the Mikraho in his stead. And he, like his hated grandfather before him, claimed to be a child of the Moon-Mother and a prophet.
As though in outright rejection of his claims, the Moon-Mother sent the Nafzakia to Qari'Ab the following year. And she was 47 years old when she arrived. 

An aged and wise woman, she had the charisma of her noble father and grandfather, and she was known for her beauty and for her red hair which even in old age did not wane. And she mounted a mighty religious resistance to the Malamn's fabricated claims, and many followed her. Of her mos-

[The text cuts off abruptly here and a few pages later is a small note listing the other Palowid Patriarchs:

Patriarch Palo II, lived from 70-121 P, and ruled from 98 P until his death at the age of 51. And his reign was 23 years.

Patriarch Okil, lived from 97-149 P, and ruled from 121 P until his death at the age of 52. And his reign was 28 years.

Matriarch Lira, lived from 123-151 P, and ruled from 149 P until her murder at the age of 28. And her reign was 2 years.

Patriarch Fawmar, lived from 125-154 P, and ruled from 151 P until his death in battle at the age of 29. And his reign was 3 years.

Patriarch Palo III, lived from 149-155 P, and ruled from 154 P until his overthrow and murder at the age of 6. And his reign was 1 year.]

6. Wherein is Recounted what has Reached us of the News of the Orifid Dynasty


Patriarch Orifil, lived from 115-172 P, and ruled from 155 P until his death at the age of 57. And his reign was 17 years.

And he is Orifil, son of Mira, daughter of Aran, son of Kiro, son of Orif Shohiquy, son of the Prophet-Patriarch Eskandar Atlaqoos.

Eskandar [0-37 P] -> Orif [17-37 P] -> Kiro [30-83 P] -> Aran [57-109 P] -> Mira [73-122 P] -> Patriarch Orifil [115-172 P]Lineage as Detailed in the Book of the Eskandars

And he took his mother's place as chief of the Orifid clan at the young age of seven. And it had long been agreed, since the days of the Nabtisa, that the Orifid chief also occupied the position of Great Chief over all the Calawids. And thus, from the age of seven, he occupied one of the most powerful positions in the Palowid Realm, with Calawids at all ranks and geographical locations in the Realm being loyal to him before anyone else.

The Palowid Patriarch at the time, the recently ascended Okil, was well-aware of the danger posed by the Orifids. However, he viewed the Jarlids in the north and the Eliads and Bato-Elyds in Eni-Elia to be the far more pressing concern. Throughout his reign, as mentioned in the previous chapter, he kept a close watch on Orifil and ensured that the Orifid chief regularly visited him in the Palowid palace at the centre of Qari'Ab. Beyond that, the terrifying Okil relied on the iron grip he had on the state to ensure Orifid obedience. And that most tyrannical and war-like Palowid got what he wanted - for none dared to raise a voice against Okil, let alone a fist or spear.

But his oppressive ways did not mean that dissent was extinguished completely. It only meant that it occurred in the darkness of night, behind tightly sealed doors and in hushed and terrified whispers. 
When Okil died and the decadent Matriarch Lira took over, the dissenters grew braver. She was no Okil and delighted in her luxuries and lying with her husbands and drinking the drinks brought to her by those Klupids who were kept at court. And as mentioned, the borders of the Realm grew insecure under her unwatchful eye, and the nomads in the east raided the Realm's peripheral settlements freely, and the Jarlid aggressions in the north went unpunished, and the tribal coalitions in the south grew braver and encroached on the Realm's territory. 'Twas a surprise to none, then, that she was quickly murdered by those she thought her loyalists a short two years into her reign.

While many of the dissenters mentioned earlier were either of the Eliad or Bato-Elyd bent, these two pretender Patriarchates had no effective power in Qari'Ab. The Orifids alone had power and authority similar to their's and, which was more, were in a position to strike. In many ways, the Calawid penetration into the Palowid state put them in a better position than either the Eliads or Bato-Elyds even had these two had a greater presence in Qari'Ab.
As it were, the Orifids quickly became a magnet for dissenters of all stripes during Lira's short two-year reign, and by the time of her murder were able to, if they so wished, launch an assault against the sometime-oppressive and now decadent and incompetent Palowid state. The instalment of Patriarch Fawmar, however, prevented any such move. 

Fawmar, the second child of Okil, was a known warrior and had clout within the military. His reputation as a cruel and unforgiving leader preceded him and none dared test this seeming reincarnation of his father. He was quick to live up to his reputation, crushing the eastern nomadic raiders and sending a considerable force headed by the brilliant Ormangar, a Torawid, to put down the encroachers in the south.

Even as the southern tribes were being dealt with, he readied another force which he personally led north and for the next two years he fought a vicious war of attrition against the Jarlid forces over key border regions. Whereas a decisive confrontation was avoided successfully for a while, two mighty forces clashed at last in 154 P. The Battle at Irna, named after a nearby Jarlid settlement, has gone down in history as the one that potentially broke the Palowid state and presented the Orifids with their golden moment. At Irna, Fawmar fell. In Qari'Ab all was chaos as his five-year-old son, Palo III, was declared Patriarch.

Ormangar, who had made spectacular advances against the southerners, swiftly left his conquests and made for Qari'Ab upon learning of Fawmar's death in battle. But Orifil had not been sitting quietly as all this happened.

Even from the moment of Fawmar's departure to the north, he had set about organising his followers and sending messengers to all potential rebels in the Realm. Critically, he was in contact with Calawid elements who were present with Ormangar in the south. The Torawid was a powerful figure and had more or less, along with Fawmar and their other allies, held the Palowid Realm together during Lira's disastrous reign. Any feasible plan to overthrow the Palowids would require the elimination of both Fawmar and Ormangar. By the grace of the Moon-Mother, Fawmar was slain. Only Ormangar remained.

The long-planned attempt on his life took place when he had camped some way south of Qari'Ab on his return journey. Two agents were smuggled into the camp by some Ragawids on the orders of the Great Chief. They made it into Ormangar's tent, only to discover that it was empty. Soldiers were swift to encircle the tent, but the two agents had each slit their wrists and were dead before the wounds could be sealed or they could be questioned.
This foiled assassination attempt put Ormangar on full alert, and news of the complete disappearance of the forces which had been with Fawmar in the north furthered his suspicions. The shattered remains of the army defeated at Irna had found their way to Mersia where the impatient Merso-Hadarids had trapped and slaughtered them, before sending news of the victory to the Great Chief in Qari'Ab and preparing to march out to his support.

With things accelerating beyond expectations in the north and with Ormangar's survival and nearness to Qari'Ab, Orifil felt hard-pressed to act before the Torawid reached Qari'Ab. He sent a swift messenger to Eni-Elia with news of the "victory" at Mersia and spurring the Eliads and Bato-Elyds to rise up and march out against Ormangar before he arrived in the capital. 

Bato-Elyds: Eskandar [0-37 P] -> Bato [12-30 P] -> Ely [30-78 P] -> Emara [49-90 P] -> Sakin [72-124 P] -> Innasim [95-148 P] -> Miqda[119-172 P]
Eliads: Eskandar [0-37 P] -> Elia [13-43 P]-> Zekra [29-67 P] -> Eliali [53-98 P] -> Mar [76-112 P] -> Sa'aen [99-151 P] -> Albitra [123-168 P]Lineage as Detailed in the Book of the Eskandars

The Bato-Elyd Patriarch and the Eliad Matriarch, Miqda and Albitra, met quickly on receiving Orifil's message and agreed that the moment of truth had arrived, and they pledged to put their differences aside and march out as one against their shared and hated foe. Albitra called up Eliad loyalists in Eni-Elia; the Rubawids, Hubalids, Uzzitids and Ruwayids (known as the Zekrid Coalition at Eni-Elia and influential even to this day), while Miqda called up the Bato-Elyd loyalist Amarids and fanatically devoted Radids who also dwelled in Eni-Elia. The Alawids, who dwelled north of Qari'Ab in Qari'Ala, were also known supporters of the Bato-Elyds and were likewise summoned by Miqda.

Eliad and Bato-Elyd partisans in far off settlements were likewise called upon to rise up, though they were not able to make it to Eni-Elia in time to aid in the coming battle against Ormangar. In Qari'Maki, the largely pro-Bato-Elyd Meliwids mobilised (and the minority amongst them who were of the Eliad faction also rose up with their fellow clansmen), and the Garids - evenly split between Eliads and Bato-Elyds - mobilised along with them. The people of Qari'Maki, largely Bato-Elyd partisans, likewise mobilised.
In Qari'Derk the pro-Bato-Elyd Damids rose up, and the Derkids (seeing this) also began their preparations despite not receiving orders from Qari'Ab bidding them to do so. When the Merso-Hadarids passed by Qari'Derk on their march south, the Derkids and Damids joined them.

As the Bato-Elyds and Eliads declared open insurrection, the Orifids in Qari'Ab - and their allies - remained quiet and waited on the reeling Palowid court to react. The boy-Patriarch Palo III had barely assumed his position and was already being subjected to court intrigues - his mother from one side attempting to manipulate and protect, the military faction, on the other hand, pushing for action despite the fact that Ormangar had not yet arrived. The Nakawids, famed for their constant court intrigues, were likewise attempting to worm their way into the head of the boy-Patriarch. And though the paralysed state needed no further paralysis, Orifil commanded the influential Calawid Lezids at the Palowid court to create mischief and confusion at every opportunity, and to sow discord wherever it could silently be sown.

And thus, even as the combined Bato-Elyd and Eliad forces marched out of Eni-Elia to meet Ormangar, the Palowid court was unable to establish enough control or order to realise the danger or react and send out forces to aid their most capable commander. And perhaps if they had been able to, they would have survived. 
The Bato-Elyd force camped near the foot of the Qari'Ab mountains on their southern side, while the Eliad force hid in the thick forests sprawling westward from the mountains. Once Ormangar's force appeared on the horizon, Miqda commanded his force to arise and become clearly visible as they marched south-east, away from the mountains and the thick forests, towards the Palowid forces.

As the intelligent Torawid halted his march and began to prepare for delaying manoeuvres, the Calawid elements amongst his forces broke away and, organising very swiftly, struck at their former comrades. With one flank engaged and his force suddenly weakened and demoralised, Ormangar found  the large Bato-Elyd force upon him. The memories of the devout do not fade, and amongst the war cries that day were the names of those murdered throughout Palowid history, and particularly by the Torawids: "For you, Oh murdered Rad!", "Assuage the thirst of the Qarqazifa!", "Oh, betrayal! Oh Baern!", "For the Avengement of Ala!", "Oh Nafzakia!"

Yet the Torawid was a mighty foe and an experienced one. Miqda had anticipated as much and had thought ahead, foreseeing that Ormangar would attempt to withdraw to the thick forests if the tides turned against him - and so the Eliads were waiting there. But it seemed the Torawid was far more cunning and skilled than Miqda had given him credit for. In their passion and enthusiasm to shed the blood of the hated oppressors, the Bato-Elyd force had forced its way between the Torawid's forces and their Calawid allies, enabling the Torawid to extract himself from battle and begin a quick retreat eastward, away from the Bato-Elyds and their allies, and away from the thick forests to the west.

Upon regaining some level of control over his forces, Miqda sent a messenger to Albitra bidding her march out of the forest in order to give chase to the fleeing Palowid force. And upon regrouping and organising, that they did. But not even those chosen and elevated and blessed by the Moon-Mother were to catch Ormangar if he wished otherwise!

And so, even as rebels descended from the north and Orifil prepared his supporters for a takeover of Qari'Ab, the Torawid continued his march to the capital. And now he was on full alert and considered all to be enemies unless they proved themselves to be otherwise. 

Meanwhile, in Qari'Ab, news of more rebels descending from the north shook the Palowids from their paralysed stupor. A force was readied, consisting of the famed Walowids, Reebowids, and Sahowids. And they collectively made up an elite force known for its military prowess and efficient savagery. They were commanded to march out, and at their head was the bullish Tyrin, who had in him Walowid, Reebowid, and Sahowid blood.

By this point, the combined Qari'Derkid-Mersid force had met with the Qari'Makid force and both were marching forth and growing even as they crawled single-mindedly towards Qari'Ab. And they had elected as their commander the Garid chieftess, Kaelin. And she was a masterful tactician and well-known warrior, having led the local Qari'Makid defensive against Jarlid incursions on the border near Qari'Maki during her father's later chieftaincy and once she took his place as chieftess. And this was an honour bestowed on the Garids from the earliest days - some say by the Nafzakia, and others say it was, in fact, her blessed mother who did so.

Eskandar [0-37 P] -> Gar [14-63 P] -> Elyne [30-87 P] -> Ankib [58-102 P] -> Rastin [72-117 P] -> Rossum [98-139 P] -> Kaelin [122-182 P]Lineage as Detailed in the Book of the Eskandars

Kaelin and Tyrin's forces met on a great open plain north of Qari'Ab, and the Palowid force had a grove to their backs whereas the rebels had nothing but the the plains and open skies. Tyrin was a straightforward warrior who had little interest in manoeuvres and complex tactics (unlike Ormangar). The forces were more or less equal in size, but the Palowids had the advantage of soldiering experience and traditions, as well as Palowid war-spears and war-bows (though Tyrin appears to have foregone the latter in favour of the former).
Kaelin's Qari'Makid forces had some experience, but that experience was largely in skirmishes and swift manoeuvring, not great open battles on a field. The others were willing volunteers who had perhaps received some informal training, but nothing more.

What followed is the first example of an attempt at establishing a formation in the history of warfare. Until that point, commanders tended to rely on swift manoeuvres and tiring out the enemy force, or forcing them into a disadvantageous position through attacking and quickly withdrawing, thereby goading the enemy force into pursuing. But formations were unheard of. 
Kaelin bid her force of spearmen to form up on one another in four lines, and for her bowmen to form up behind them. The formation was primitive at best and the untrained and ill-disciplined force struggled to maintain it even without being in battle. She commanded the first line to duck down on their knees, behind their wicker shields, and to hold their spears outwards and to not move at all. The second line was commanded to close in and hold their spears steady in the gaps between their comrades' shields, and the lines behind likewise held their spears above the shoulders of the lines ahead. The bowmen behind were commanded to prepare themselves and to fire at will. And they were told that, upon running out of arrows, they were to pick up their spears and split into two groups, circling around the spearmen to flank the enemy force and destroy them.

And so it was. The Palowid force ran forth in the chaotic nature of all forces in those days, and the rebels did as their commander commanded. Though the Palowids were, as individuals, capable warriors in every sense, they fell like flies before the shaky wall Kaelin had built. And though shaky, it held until the bowmen carried out their flanking manoeuvre and caused the Walowids and their allies to descend into a confused frenzy - some lashing out wildly while others realised their defeat and ran for the grove. Seeing victory nigh, the first line of spearmen rose up and began to advance also, forcing the Palowid force to begin fleeing to the grove en masse. And Kaelin's impassioned force, impossible to control completely in the heat of that victorious moment, followed their foes. And the grove rang with the cries of the Walowids and the others. The battle is to this day known as the Grove of the Weeping Walos, and that grove is today known by that name also. And we have visited it, and by the Moon-Mother, you can yet hear them cry and weep!

Intoxicated by their tremendous victory, Kaelin's force soon regrouped and continued the march to Qari'Ab. And it is not known what, exactly, happened to the remnants of the Palowid force. The generally accepted view is that many scattered and escaped, and many were also taken prisoner. But these are merely assumptions and there is no source that makes mention of their fate.

News of the Palowid defeat reached Orifil before it reached the Palowid court. Assured of incoming reinforcements, and certain of the unparalleled weakness of the Palowid state, Orifil, at last, declared his rebellion and called his supporters to rise up and overthrow the decadent Palowid dynasty. And so it came to be. The Palowid court was stormed, the boy-Patriarch was slain, and all the Palowid loyalists who were found were likewise slaughtered. Palowids were slaughtered and enslaved. Others managed to escape and raise up pro-Palowid forces elsewhere, rallying under the banner of the Torawid in the eastern regions. And even as Orifil established himself in Qari'Ab, the Jarlids descended from the north to unite the Realm in the South with the Realm in the North. With none left in Qari'Maki to offer any resistance, they had seized the moment. And they invaded with a vision to put an end to the great many "heresies" which had grown and establish a purely secular, temporal, and united Eskanadran kingdom on earth. And this strange view is one of the chief reasons that many scholars see the Jarlids as heretics who have misunderstood the faith, or lost it completely. But we pardon them their errors and see hope for them yet. May the Moon-Mother guide them and bring them back into the fold of the faithful and the Realm.

Meanwhile, the Bato-Elyds and Eliads were able to unite with their loyalist forces and, were it not for the dangers approaching them from all directions, would have turned upon one another and the Orifids. As it were, Orifil bid Miqda and Albitra return to Eni-Elia and gather up their property and people, "for I have returned Qari'Ab to you, and you to it".

With the two separated from their loyalists, he split them up and placed them under the command of two of his family members and placed loyal Calawids amongst them. A Lezid, Arnibo, was commanded to march east and exterminate the threat posed by Ormangar once and for all, and with him all those who remained loyal to the Palowids.

The other force was placed under the command of Safina, a Ragawid. And he commanded her to train the force and prepare them to march out against the Jarlids - and he, Orifil, planned to lead them personally. 
And as all this occurred he began preparations - on the advice of his most trusted advisor and guide, the Meraid chieftess and his wife, Lamitra - for the building of a new settlement which would become the new capital of the Orifid Realm: Darofid. And he left the matter of establishing it in his wife's hands as he prepared to march out against the Jarlids. 

And it came to be, during this time, that a group of militant zealots in Qari'Ab declared that they were going to gather outside Qari'Bet and cleanse it of every living soul in revenge for the murder of the Prophet-Patriarch by their vile mother. And on hearing this, Orifil summoned these to them and reprimanded them severely, and it was the first sign that he was of the hypocrites - for he protected those whose should ne'er be protected! Vile ones lower than even the Palowids in our estimations. May the Moon-Mother curse the children of Bet, and may she make their purging something fierce and something soon. And these militant zealots were not a strange occurrence by that time, for many of the Yadanite holy orders had become militant - some fighting the oppressive Palowids on the side of the Orifids, and others fighting the Orifid "insurgents against the will of the Moon-Mother."

With his forces trained, and with the Bato-Elyds and Eliads, along with other clans from Eni-Elia, established in Qari'Ab, and with his wife in control of all things in the capital (still Qari'Ab at this point), Orifil sallied forth to defeat the Jarlids and remove them from the Realm in the South.

In the east, while all this occurred, Arnibo, at last, came to face Ormangar. They attacked and withdrew, chased and were chased by one another, and they raided each other's supply lines and in all ways attempted to weaken the other. And this was the case for some weeks. But Ormangar knew that time was not on his side, for the longer he tarried, the likelier it was that more troops would arrive to aid his foe. And so he sent some of his forces in one direction and feigned that he was planning a retreat to the east, where he could fortify himself in one settlement or another.

Learning of this, Arnibo immediately gave chase and was still in pursuit when night had fallen. And under the cover of night, Ormangar - in an exceedingly reckless and daring manner - commanded his force to split into ten groups and to rush in differing directions, and he told them where to regroup at a later point. 

Darkness covered his plan, and Arnibo was confused and deceived and was unable to tell in which direction his enemy had escaped. It was indeed a daring and reckless act, but if there was anyone who could ever manage it, it was Ormangar! By the time morning had dawned, Ormangar's forces had made it quite some distance to the west and had completely cut-off Arnibo's capacity to retreat towards Qari'Ab and left him in hostile eastern territory. Fearful of the position he found himself in, he had no choice but to pursue Ormangar. 

The Torawid chose the battlefield, and Arnibo marched to him. On a hilly plain, Ormangar fortified himself and battle was joined. Having chosen the battlefield, and having readied his men and been at rest beforehand, and being a military genius in all ways, Ormangar easily crushed Arnibo's force and took many prisoners, Arnibo amongst them. 

When news of the horrific defeat reached Qari'Ab, Orifil had already departed and the Torawid was already marching towards it. Lamitra summoned Kaelin to her and gave her command of all the forces available in Qari'Ab and the surrounding region, and she bid the Garid chieftess made famous by her heroic victory at the Grove of the Weeping Walos to march out and ensure the survival of the Orifid state as she had ensured its rise before. And so she did.

Gathering around her the Bato-Elyds with Miqda's blessing (and he, in fact, joined her), she then approached Albitra and requested she raise her loyal supporters and once more unite with them to fend off the Palowid remnants. And though relations have very quickly soured again between the two competing Patriarchates following the overthrow of the boy-Patriarch, she agreed and marched out under Kaelin.
Volunteers soon arrived from Eni-Elia and Qari'Ala, but the force was nowhere near the size of that which had sallied forth under Arnibo. But she was not dismayed, and Miqda and Albitra took it up by turns to deliver sermons and remind the people that "many a little group has defeated a larger group by the will and grace and blessing of the Moon-Mother. Fear not for She is with you, She sees and She hears!"

The Torawid, pressed for time, had decided to make for a mountain-pass just east of Qari'Ab. It was the shortest route towards it without travelling all the way around the mountain range which protected the holy town. His haste was to prove his undoing. Positioning a formation of spearmen at the end of the narrow pass, Kaelin commanded her troops to ascend the mountain either side of the pass and to hide in the rocky outcrops. Once the Torawid's forces entered the pass, they were to seal its entrance by pushing boulders down into it and thereafter firing arrows and throwing rocks and spears down at them. And all who remained would be cut-down by the spearmen waiting at the other end.

And that came to be. But the Torawid was ever a cunning and suspicious commander, and he did not march with his entire force into the pass. Not wishing to notify him of the plan before all his troops had entered the pass, Kaelin did not single for her hidden troops to seal the pass or attack the soldiers going through. Eventually, the small number of the Torawid's forces found themselves facing a wall of spears and did not advance any further, sending a messenger back to notify Ormangar of the obstacle they now faced. Learning of this, he sent a larger force in and bid them engage.

The Orifid force was commanded to tighten their formation and prepare to mow them down as they came. Some archers, who were far enough down the pass as to be out of the Torawid's sight began firing down at the enemy. The engagement was long, and the narrowness of the pass meant that no more than five men could at any one point walk down it, and only three men with shield and spear in hand could actually engage. Men fell and the pass became blocked, and the Thorawid's men had to climb over their dead in order to continue fighting, and those coming up would slip on the blood of the dead which flowed down as they walked up. It was a battle of endurance which lasted some three days before the Torawid withdrew and decided to take the long route around - his force diminished much. Thus was the Battle of Blood-River Pass. 
Ormangar thought himself safe having withdrawn, but Kaelin was a master of attrition warfare and sent her most experienced skirmishers to cut off his supplies and harass his flanks - killing who they could before fleeing, and then returning at a later point to do the same.

Kaelin's main force, meanwhile, retreated to Qari'Ab where reinforcements from some of the settlements further off had by this point arrived. Resting for a day and reporting to Lamitra, they soon set out once more. But before they had been on the march long, scouts reported back to Kaelin informing her that the Ormangar had retreated back to the east and was no longer advancing on Qari'Ab.
The Torawid had realised that an attack on Qari'Ab would be futile, and even if it succeeded, it was almost impossible to hold the capital for long. And so, with his signature pragmatism, he had withdrawn to regroup and strengthen his position in the east. As it were, the Palowids had been slaughtered and others importance in the Palowid state had likewise been purged or had disappeared. There was to be no return for the Palowids.

Kaelin immediately changed her route upon learning of his retreat and followed east. She would not meet the Torawid in battle again, for he would die of a fever some weeks later. She led her forces to the east and, without their genius commander, the remaining rebels were easily defeated and exterminated. No prisoners were taken and all those who had any links with the Palowid state were likewise killed – it was not so much out of loyalty to the Orifids, they did so but as a form of further vengeance against the killers of the pious and noble children of the Prophet-Patriarch.

In the north, Orifil had managed to push the Jarlid forces to the extremities of the Realm’s borders. On a dark, wintry day, Jarlid King and Orifid King met on the field of battle, and Orifil routed his foe and scattered his forces. The Battle of the Two Kings established, for a good few decades, Orifid supremacy at the border. In his later years, Orifil would return and expand further into the Realm in the North.

With the last threat to Orifid power removed, Orifil returned to Qari’Ab and went about ensuring the construction of the new capital.

[The next few pages have been ripped and some kind of substance has been spilt on many of the remaining pages, causing them to stick to one another. The last page has a note stuck on it listing the Orifid Patriachs who followed Orifil.]

Patriarch Darowel, lived from 138-192 P, and ruled from 172 P until his death at the age of 54. And his reign was 20 years.

Patriarch Maral, lived from 151-213 P, and ruled from 192 P until his death at the age of 62. And his reign was 21 years.

Matriarch Frala, lived from 182-227, and ruled from 213 P until her death at the age of 45. And her reign was 14 years.

Matriarch Inar, born 212, and ruled from 227 P to the present (229 P at the time of writing) and is aged 17. And her reign has so far been 2 years.
Kho Member

Status

Recent Statuses

Bio

Most Recent Posts
