Hataemus and Dalkall - Blood of the River
Summary
The story of a great warrior of Koesh. Like Odysseus, except not a king. His wife was the ruler after Koese- his wise daughter. Tells the story of the leader of an army who defended from the early wars with the Araethians. A cavalry detachment, led by Keskin, eventually breaks off and becomes the Dalkallls. The Dalkall river is named for Keskin's deputy, Dalkall, who died from a bad call made by Hataemus. It is this final stroke that causes the fledging nation to separate. This tells the story of where Hatae comes from and why the Dalkalls consider themselves a separate nation.
Historical Basis
After the Koeshians separated from the Arae, they continued south through the desert and came across a large forest. Koese wanted to found his city there, but his second in command convinced him to continue. They followed the river down to the current site of Valpurn. Eventually, as people settled the land, they came across the Dalkall Steppe (then just known as "the grassland") and first domesticated horses. This served to separate the urban farmers of Western Koesh from the eastern horsemen.
War broke out between the nations of Araethia and Koesh, as it often does. Mostly skirmishes, but as the years went on the hate simmered. The buffering desert was the only thing stopping a full-blown invasion.
The Arae still wanted to try. They coveted the lands the Koesh held, and with the fear of the Norindre gone the war was widespread and passionate.
The daughter of Koese rose to power after his death. Fifty years after the founding of Valpurn, she called the army to head. The horsemen of the East made the first cavalry unit, while the people of the West made up the infantry. Chmut was chosen to lead the cavalry while Hataemus was chosen as the western leader. They became good friends and respected eachother.
The Arae invaded, intending to take their land and colonize them. The war was long and bitter, fought on the grasslands of northern Koesh and deep in the forest of Colordre. Eventually they lost the city of Coldeer and were faced with a choice.
Chmut was holding the western front, and Dalkall was in control of the secondary cavalry unit on the Steppe. he wanted to retreat, send the cavalry across the steppe, and disperse the infantry into a bloody guerilla war. Hataemus wanted to stand and fight- he was slowly being driven mad by the war and pain of losing his best friend. Hataemus ordered Chmut and the Eastern Cavalry to hold fast and fight.
The odds were stacked against them, but the eastern army started winning. However, in another bad decision made by Hataemus, the cavalry were pushed against the river and slaughtered. Dalkall was the last man standing, he had an arrow in his calf, his horse lay dead and bleeding before a regiment of Arae soldiers decapitated him.
News of this made its way throughout the kingdom, and Hataemus was blamed for it. It is still unknown if he made the right decision, and it may never be known. The river that Dalkall bled his life into was named the Dalkall river.
Eventually, the distrust and hate that was ignited from this battle separated Koesh into the state it is in now.
Spread
Very common knowledge.
Variations & Mutation
The Koesh believe that Hataemus made the right decision. The Dalkalls believe that they killed their greatest warrior.
In Art
Dalkall art is very river-centric. Rivers are considered to be life-giving.
Date of Setting
around 50 years after the founding of Valburn, hundreds of years before the current story.
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