Thul'draneth
It should be noted that the figure Thul'draneth, if such a being ever existed, is shrouded in missing information and anectdotal maunderings. The only direct references to such a being are in The Consolidated Histories by the author Fradgen Lichtren Wosd, though some cultures like the remnants of the Thyssians contain oral histories that allude to a figure that may be this being. As there is missing and inconclusive evidence, and likely more than a little conjecture, this entry in the Codex serves as a summation of the figure and the land they led for a time.
Thul
Once, it is rumored, a nation of Drycæm ruled over the area surrounding the misleadingly-named Vrasken Sea. This nation was ever-growing and its thirst for dominion was without end. Unlike many other nations, Thul's capital city shared the same name as the country itself, according to the records we've been able to identify and translate. Thul was governed by the most powerful Drycæm, and anyone with particular strength or aptitude for the practice of magic was enrolled in a state-ran school.
An unknown student of this school demonstrated such a powerful gift that, despite their age, graduated in only a few short years and took a position as an instructor. Records are unclear how long this tenure lasted, but at one point this person vanished, and after a significant gap of time, re-emerged publicly with a goal of staging a coup to seize power over the country. Assisted by several of their students, this figure succeeded and became known as the Thultane (a title that seems to have been newly created). One note refers to a 'purification' of the Drycæm that had previously led the nation, wherein the entire ruling body was executed and replaced with the Thultane's favorite students.
Rise & Fall
The exact dates are unclear, but for several decades, it seems, the new Thultane increased the aggressiveness of the nation's expansion. Nearby lands fell in droves, and only the most powerful countries seemed able to withstand the ever-increasing onslaught. Despite the harsh treatment of enemies, newly conquered people often found the Thultane's rule to chafe little. In all the new territories, only one rebellion is said to have occurred, and it was due to a pre-existing dispute between one former nation and another. The rebels had the dispute adjudicated, and the leaders were called to serve as advisors to the Thultane going forward. There are no further records of them after this point.
In response to this period of the ever-growing Thul power, several powerful nations at the time devised an alliance amongst themselves. Designed to be a bulwark to contain the Thul flood, this alliance issued a proclamation that the power-hungry Thultane would extend their reach no further - and true to their word, the Thul armies found no purchase amongst alliance-held lands. Any minor victory was swiftly undone, and indeed, repaid. With their thirst for conquest stymied, the Thultane grew increasingly frustrated. Numerous councils of tacticians, including more than a few Drycæm, were formed to imagine a path to victory - and they disappeared after their inevitable failure. After what appears to be almost two centuries in power, far longer than most other nations' rulers lived, the Thultane became convinced that the only chance of winning was to directly intervene.
Along with a cadre of their most gifted Drycæm, the Thultane ventured to what is now known as the swampy Gravlik Expanse. Political dissenters, criminals, and those who had previously failed the Thultane's will formed a sort of army, though their role in the conflict was not as they imagined. Using Drycæ, the Thultane had devised a method to decapitate the opposition. The closest advisors and gifted Drycæm formed a connection amongst themselves and the captive army, creating a sort of Drycæ "well". The Thultane tapped into this resource to fuel their plan to annihilate the opposition, but the amount of Drycæ appeared to be either insufficient, or the execution of the casting itself failed. More and more Drycæ fed into the Thultane, allegedly growing exponentially, until the "well" began to wither. The captives were utterly consumed, then the advisors and leaders, until the connection finally severed with the death of the last of those appointed by the Thultane. Here, the records - few and vague as they are - diverge completely. Some state that the Thultane was also consumed in the torrent of Drycæ, whilst others say the corpse remained - but still moving. These commentaries often go on to explain the Thultane had survived the ordeal, seemingly, but was weakened and required the Drycæ of others, as men require food or water. It is these explanations that draw the link between the Thultane and Undeath. Specifically, they credit this event as the origination of the aberrant malady.
Conclusion
The Thul empire, used to a single leader for centuries, was apparently in disarray. With the failed casting not only destroying their leader, but also leaving the opposition in full power, the empire began to fragment. The few remaining Drycæm attempted to seize power, beginning with infighting and assassination and culminating in outright civil war. The newly conquered regions viewed this tumultuous time as an opportunity to cede from the broken nation and align themselves with the "victors". In just a decade, the empire had collapsed and the opposing alliance was able to absorb the lands and peoples into their midst. The prior Thultane was named Thul'draneth - a name that indicated both a promise unfulfilled and an embarrassing failure.
It is interesting to note that the original research for the Histories, while unable to be found or validated, appears to differ wildly from account to account. This seems to indicate that direct sources of records were also unreliable at the point the book was published. It should be known that the vast majority of the tale is unable to be verified. There are no texts that describe a nation called Thul at any particular point in history, though it is remotely possible that such evidence is simply yet to be found. In addition, the diverging stories describing the end of the Thultane's supposed ritualistic casting call the veracity of the events into question. Only the Undead exist as proof as any such casting, and even their connection to the mythical Thultane is tenuous at best. It is much more likely the story is false - an ancient storyteller's attempt at narrative fiction that was later used as explanation for the origin of the Undead.
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