Name:
Xisuthra
Title(s):
Sar Nunna, Sar Eshnuk, Honourbound Lord, Master of Laws, Just One
Seat of Power:
Xisuthra rules from the Indigo Palace, a grand and massive ziggurat located between the great cities of Nunna and Eshnuk.
Divine Aspects:
Honour, Law, Justice
Appearance:
Xisuthra has two known forms, though he spends most of his time in the human form seen above, which towers over his human subjects at 12 feet tall. His other form is that of an absolutely massive lion, nearly 7 feet tall at the shoulder and with brilliant golden fur.
Artifacts:
Lawbringer - Under most circumstances the Lawbringer takes the form of a worn stone tablet, but it is far more than it appears. Not only can the writing on its surface shift and warp to display any of Xisuthra's laws, Xisuthra can make it take the form of any weapon he desires simply by willing it to be so. Thanks to its divine nature Lawbringer has so far proven indestructible and is far stronger than any mortal weapon, easily able to pierce and cut through anything made by mortal hands.
Unique abilities:
Divine Physicality - Even when compared to other Gods Xisuthra's physical attributes are considered superior. His strength, reflexes, endurance, and agility make him an absolutely horrific foe to face on the battlefield. And he does fight himself, as to him leading his men into battle and fighting alongside them is the honourable course of action.
Aura of Truth - Xisuthra is able to will those around him to speak the truth, even if they themselves would rather lie. It does not force them to speak, but rather it makes it so that when they do speak the words coming out of their mouth are the truth. At least, what the individual knows to be truth. While the effect is absolute and total on mortals, Gods can resist its effects.
Personal History:
Xisuthra came to be in the middle of a dry and rocky desert, constantly scorched by the burning sun high above. He was formed with the Lawbringer already in his hands, but he was unclothed and unkempt. He looked more like a wild man, a far cry from the regal appearance he displays today. He wandered the deserts for many months, before coming to a land that was fertile and green, nurtured by the great river Ibish. It was there that he discovered the twin cities of Nunna and Eshnuk, both inhabited by Ibishian humans. However, despite their similarities the Kingdoms of Nunna and Eshnuk were locked in perpetual war, fighting for dominance of the Ibish.
The first contact Xisuthra had with the Ibishians was when he wandered into a small village near the border of the two Kingdoms. The people were in awe of the giant God, and many were fearful of his appearance. But as luck would have it, on the evening of the day after Xisuthra's appearance a war party from Eshnuk arrived in the village, looking for food and supplies. Xisuthra watched the exchange between the village's elderly leader and the soldier's Captain from afar. However, the leader informed the Captain that they didn't have enough supplies for themselves, let alone all the soldiers. This angered the Captain, who immediately drew his blade and slit the elderly man's throat before ordering his men to destroy the village. Unfortunately for the Captain, this angered Xisuthra greatly. The last thing the man saw was Lawbringer in the form of the stone tablet, before it slammed into his face. The soldiers had already drawn their weapons to kill the villagers when their Captain was killed, and as a result Xisuthra showed them no mercy. All of them died by Xisuthra's hands, some of them literally. It was then that the God swore that he would unite the two Kingdoms, conquering them and bring peace to the bloody shores of the Ibish.
Soon rumours spread of a giant warrior, undefeated in battle, who was singlehandedly cutting a bloody swathe through the land. In truth he was not alone, as there were warriors who swore loyalty to him. Some did so out of a belief that Xisuthra would truly bring law and peace to the land, while some only did so out of fear. First the God made his way to the city of Eshnuk, where his army was badly outnumbered and was faced with the city's massive walls. It was then that his voice boomed, informing those that could hear that he would spare those who did not fight him, but any who stood against him would surely fall. Eventually the God's words spread throughout the city, but many felt safe in the city. After all, larger armies than his had broken themselves against the gates in the past, and while he was a God he was only a single person. Unfortunately for them, Xisuthra strode up to the thick gates, smashed a hole in it with his fists, and proceeded to lift the several tons of wood, bronze, and stone that made up the gate. His small army flooded through the gates, taking the defenders by surprise. In addition many simply laid down their arms, after all they had just seen the gates breached by a single man and he had offered to spare those who refused to stand against him. And Xisuthra kept that promise, any who laid down their arms were spared his wrath and any of his men that he witnessed murdering, looting, raping, or engaging in any such activities were broken by his hand. Thanks to this only those most loyal to Eshnuk stood and fought, and the city was taken with almost no damage.
It was then that Xisuthra declared himself King of Eshnuk, Sar Eshnuk in the Ibishian tongue. He refused the coronation ceremony, however, stating that he would undergo the coronation ceremony of Eshnuk and Nunna at the same time. While he consolidated his rule, the armies of Nunna were amassing and preparing for an assault on Eshnuk. While they had heard of Eshnuk's fall, they disregarded tales that the gates had been opened by the giant warrior and that most of the warriors had set their arms down. This resulted in them believing Eshnuk to be weakened, when nothing could be farther from the truth. So when they arrived at Eshnuk, they received an unpleasant surprise. They met Eshnuk's fully amassed army, lead by Xisuthra in front of a virtually undamaged wall and gate. The battle that followed was a complete bloodbath; both sides lost many troops but Nunna's army was wiped out almost to a man. Because of this, when Xisuthra arrived at Nunna, he found the city gates wide open, the King killed by his own people for refusing the surrender, and the people of Nunna more than willingly to accept his rule.
And so Xisuthra became Sar Eshnuk and Sar Nunna, King of the two great Ibishian cities. The coronation itself took place in the village that Xisuthra had first arrived in, which was chosen, with the blessing of the village's new leader, to become the site of Xisuthra's new palace. Xisuthra's original plans were for a much smaller palace, but the people convinced him otherwise, which resulted in the construction of the massive and many-tiered ziggurat he lives in today. But until it was completed Xisuthra switched between living in Nunna and Eshnuk every few months, as in his mind neither city was superior to the other. And as King, Xisuthra began the process of laying down his own laws for the Kingdom. While he used the previous laws as the basic framework for his Law Code, he changed or disregarded those laws he found to be unjust and unfair. Unfortunately, this resulted in resentment on the part of those who felt the new laws were unfair against them and ensured that the early years of his rule were not dull or peaceful.
One of the most significant changes to the rules and laws was the complete and total outlaw of slavery in any form. Both Kingdoms had practiced slavery quite extensively, and as a result many slave owners were angry when Xisuthra declared slavery illegal and all former slaves free to live as they desired. This was because Xisuthra had no prior experience with slavery, and all he saw were men and woman being treated as objects and property, and he found it vile and distasteful. While there were a few incidents that flared up in violence, they were quickly beaten down and the perpetrators executed. But they were uncommon, as many former slave owners found ways around the laws. It wasn't uncommon for former slaves to end up 'employed' by their former owners and to still be slaves in all but name. Xisuthra did his best to stamp out the practice, as he viewed the spirit of the laws as more important than the exact wording.
This issue would eventually flare up once more several years later, when a nobleman lost his temper in the presence of Xisuthra and beat a serving while referring to her as a slave. Needless to say he ended up dead. To be more precise Xisuthra broke his neck, before embarking on a strict crackdown on the nobility 'employing' former slaves. This occurred in Nunnan, and when word spread to Eshnuk a group of nobility rose up against Xisuthra's rule, which they viewed as unjust and encroaching upon their rights as the nobility. And while the issue started over slavery, any who thought of Xithustra as being unfairly harsh and cruel in his pursuit of justice soon joined the rebellion. The actual war itself did not take long, as the rebels and Xisuthra's side were evenly matched in terms of mortal armies. But Xisuthra was a God, and tipped the scales heavily in his favour. There was a single climatic battle, once more before the gates of Eshnuk, and the rebel forces were routed and destroyed. Then, according to legends, Xisuthra tore down the gates into the city where his army flooded in and killed all who opposed him. In truth his siege engines dealt with the gate, as it had been reinforced since he had first lifted it open. What followed was a cleanup of the few remaining rebel strongholds, while Xisuthra remained in the city and dealt with any remaining rebellious elements.
But fortunately that was the only major rebellion in history, since as time went on the people began accepting Xisuthra and his laws. Those who were adults when Xisuthra arrived remembered the old ways, but those who were children or had yet to be born knew no other laws but those of the Honourbound Lord. That is not to say the land was peaceful, as they still had to deal with the likes of bandits or raiders from the desert. But they were only small raids for the most part, though it was not unknown for Xisuthra to go out and lead retaliatory attacks against the perpetrators. The land itself became known as a safe haven for any and all, watched over and kept safe by the great God Xisuthra.
Personality:
Xisuthra can be both kind and fair, as well as cold and harsh. He values law, justice, and honour above all else; to those he views as having those qualities he is a steadfast friend, but he is disdainful to those who are unjust or dishonourable. And the God is steadfast and unerring in his views of what is right and what is wrong. He can be rather introspective at times, as he wants to be absolutely certain that he is in the right, but he also has a tendency to be hasty or rash when it comes to taking action. If he makes a mistake he will admit it, but he won't let it bother him and will try his hardest to set it right or make the best of the situation. He is also honest, brutally so sometimes, as he views lies and deceit as being both dishonourable and unfair to those who you are lying to.
Name:
Kingdom of Ibish
Location:
The Kingdom of Ibish consists of the land along the Ibish river, which has its origins in the great mountain range to the South and runs all the way to the sea. The land adjacent to the river itself is a rich and fertile flood plain thanks to the Ibish and its annual flooding, which feeds and nourishes the land. And the land along the delta adjacent to the sea consists of wet and flooded marshes. However, beyond that the land is a bone dry and rocky desert. Agriculture is not possible, and the only inhabitants are the nomads who occasionally raid and harass the Ibishians.
Government:
The overall ruler of Ibish is Xisuthra, and his word is absolute law. But he knows that even he is not up to the task of managing every single detail of the day to day governance of the entire realm. As a result he chooses two individuals who he believes would be the best rulers and do the best to uphold his laws as Regent of Nunna and Regent of Eshnuk. They, in turn, are in charge of selecting individuals to deal with more specific areas of governance. Meanwhile the smaller settlements usually choose a leader from people in the village, though they can be replaced if Xisuthra deems it necessary.
Dominant race:
The vast majority of people in Ibish are humans of Ibishian stock. They have rather light skin as well as dark hair and eyes, and are well-known for their intricately braided hair and beards. However, there is also a sizable population of nomads who have either abandoned their nomadic life or are the descendants of those who did in the past. They have darker skin and lighter hair than the Ibishians, and only those who have lived settled lives for long periods of time braid their beards in the Ibishian style. Other than that one can find many other races, as all are welcome to live their lives in Ibish so long as they follow Xisuthra's laws.
Other races:
Domesticated animals in Ibish are typical species, with sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, donkeys, and horses all being raised and used within the Kingdom.
Wild Flora/fauna:
Wild animals within Ibish are generally not particularly strange either. There are creatures such as crocodiles, lions, wild cattle, boar, vultures, snakes, and eagles living on the fertile banks of the river. However the largest creatures in Ibish are the bilam, a species of massive elephant. The creatures can grow to be nearly 20 feet tall at the shoulder, though most do not exceed 15 feet at the shoulder. Both genders have tusks, though the tusks on the male are more massive. They are used in war, though they cannot be considered truly domesticated as they must be captured in the wild and cannot be bred in captivity.
Specialization:
Order and Stability
National History:
The founding of the twin cities of Eshnuk and Nunna are shrouded in mystery and legend, having existed long before the arrival of Xisuthra. What is know is that their rulers came to establish two Kingdoms along the Ibish, and that prior to Xisuthra's arrival they were sworn foes. For as long as anyone could remember the two Kingdoms had warred with each other, though there were lulls in the fighting. But this ended when Xisuthra arrived and conquered the two cities, bringing the Kingdoms under his control and bringing peace to the land. Though early in his rule the land was not entirely peaceful, as the people of Nunna and Eshnuk still held their grudges towards each other, which were not easily forgotten. And Xisuthra's new laws resulted in unrest among those who felt they were unjust. Eventually it lead to a revolt, which began as a revolt against Xisuthra's harsh stance against slavery but quickly escalated into a revolt involving all who wished to be free of the God's rule. However, this revolt failed thanks to the presence of Xisuthra, though the mop up of isolated rebel holdouts that remained would take some time.
But after that, Ibish knew peace for the first time in forever. And it was a true peace, not simply a lull in the fighting where all were simply waiting for the fighting to resume again. It was an era of peace and prosperity among the Ibishians, though they still had to deal with raids from the nomads and their ilk. It was during this time that Xisuthra completed his sets of laws, finalizing and having them set in stone in all of the cities of Ibish, for all of his people to see. He set about on great public works, improving the already legendary walls of Nunna and Eshnuk, continuing construction on the exquisite Indigo Palace, and building monuments. Ties were built up with the neighbouring nations, and for once it was not because the Kingdoms simply desired allies in their wars against one another. Xisuthra had no dreams of expansion or conquest, as aside from the great expanse of desert Ibish bordered only nations which Xisuthra saw no reason to fight. And a war for no reason other to conquer land was a pointless war, akin to mass murder in the eyes of the Just One.
Alliances:
WIP
Enemies:
WIP
Notable People:
Lili, Regent of Eshnuk
Midashma, Regent of Nunna
Ammazuum, Grand General of Ibish
Mammamm, High Priestess of the Faith