Zynai
Zynai was a distant descendant of Ela'k -a culture hero of the Útels who established their traditional caste system1 and emphasis on agriculture- and one of the last Útel tribal chiefs, ruling roughly the same territory where Malónat is now some 7000 years ago.
Ever since the death of Ela'k a millennium before, the Útels had been divided into numerous city-states founded by Ela'k's six children and their descendants, and endemic warfare was the norm. Battles were waged by rival chiefs to obtain land and resources, glory in battle and to avenge their predecessors, all of which Zynai grew increasingly weary of, and longed to end once and for all.
When she had become old, bedridden and knew her time was short, Zynai sent messengers to invite the other chieftains to her home in Úlmora and discuss a truce, which they reluctantly accepted. There she asked them to fulfill her final wish, to unite the Útels and end the bloodshed; such wishes are taken with utmost seriousness in Útel society, so the chiefs (and Zynai's son) swore an oath to honour her wishes.
According to tradition, the chiefs withdrew just aside Úlmora, on a riverbank under an ash tree. There they discussed, subsisting only on water from the river and seeds falling off the tree until stars appeared on the sky, then returned to Zynai and described what they had agreed upon, after which she smiled and passed away. During the funeral, the chiefs declared that the city-states would form the Útel Alliance and would be ruled by a Yt-Þarizen or council of elders, representing every settlement in Ela'k Forest, thus marking the beginning of Útel civilization.
To this day, Zynai is still honoured via libations of wine, honey and almond milk at the beginning of each Yt-Þarizen.
Ever since the death of Ela'k a millennium before, the Útels had been divided into numerous city-states founded by Ela'k's six children and their descendants, and endemic warfare was the norm. Battles were waged by rival chiefs to obtain land and resources, glory in battle and to avenge their predecessors, all of which Zynai grew increasingly weary of, and longed to end once and for all.
When she had become old, bedridden and knew her time was short, Zynai sent messengers to invite the other chieftains to her home in Úlmora and discuss a truce, which they reluctantly accepted. There she asked them to fulfill her final wish, to unite the Útels and end the bloodshed; such wishes are taken with utmost seriousness in Útel society, so the chiefs (and Zynai's son) swore an oath to honour her wishes.
According to tradition, the chiefs withdrew just aside Úlmora, on a riverbank under an ash tree. There they discussed, subsisting only on water from the river and seeds falling off the tree until stars appeared on the sky, then returned to Zynai and described what they had agreed upon, after which she smiled and passed away. During the funeral, the chiefs declared that the city-states would form the Útel Alliance and would be ruled by a Yt-Þarizen or council of elders, representing every settlement in Ela'k Forest, thus marking the beginning of Útel civilization.
To this day, Zynai is still honoured via libations of wine, honey and almond milk at the beginning of each Yt-Þarizen.
1Main article: Útel caste system.
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