The Zayhir Empire ☥
"A sigil of forgotten years, an emblem of Ancient Times"
A relic of a forgotten age, an emblem of Ancient Times, the Zayhir Empire was a huge nation whose territory stretched across the majority of northern Brandjörden, settled before the time of Engelia. Shrouded in mystery, little is known about the Empire at the present time, diverging sources and ancient, biased translations make it ever so hard for scholars to decipher all there is to know about the bygone nation, its legacy fracture like the empire itself. Unlike Människar, where legends speak of dark creatures and wondrous beasts, Brandjörden's past was forged in war—its chronicles stained with blood and struggle.
Origin
The oldest myths about the Shattered Empire tell of a time from before mankind, when the world was bare, savage, dominated by powerful, otherwordly beings. Then came the day the Creator—known to some as Azhraman, to others as Ar’rhur, and to a few as Arior—brought forth a child. His first creation. A being of pure kindness and love. The first woman—Asha. For centuries, she wandered the deserts and mountainous valleys of the scorched land, alone, unbothered. Each night, she plucked a grain of sand and placed it upon the canvas of the night sky, giving birth to a new star and whispering its name. One by one, the heavens filled with her lights—until, at last, when she had named a hundred thousand stars, she stood at the edge of a great plateau and gazed upward. So many lights, so many steps taken… and yet, for the first time, she felt alone.
The land of Brandjörden - the land of Fire, wasn't completely bare, Orcs, the Gröni, populated the realm extensively. They had no essence to themselves but pure savagery, anger - not an inch of kindness, not a smidge of love, they were primitive beings, and their time had to come to an end.
Once again, sources diverge as to what happened next:
The Blessing of Gorm
Followers of the Pantheon of Idols tell of Asha’s desperate prayers. Night after night, she knelt beneath the endless sky, pleading for the gods to grant her children—to end the savagery of the Orcs and bring life to the Land of Fire. She prayed until the day a warrior, a tall and hulking figure had descended from the very skies above her head - he uttered no words, yet his breathing alone commanded respect and power. His look was calm, yet firm, yet a thousand fires could be seen burning in those eyes, he bore no scars on his body, but his axe had seen a thousand battles - it was Gorm, the mighty, the slayer. And in his mercy, or perhaps his judgment, he granted Asha’s wish. He gave her children.
The Light of Ar'rhur
On the other hand, the Cult of the Sun denies any consortium with minor gods or deities by Asha - instead, it was Ar'rhur's light, pure and infinite that had sparked a fire within her womb. Not by her wish, but by the Almighty God's own will - the will to spark the great fire, to give rise to mankind and cast away the shadows of bygone eras.
The Rise
And so, by whatever grace that was bestowed upon Asha, she gave birth to three boys - Merum, Ituon and Kalil, their destiny, to end the dominion of the Gröni. Merum was born at dawn, his skin untouched by the sun’s fire. Kalil came with the morning, his skin kissed by its warmth. Last was Ituon, born at midday, beneath a sun so fierce it burned his flesh dark.
It is said that together, they settled on the banks of pleasant shores to the West, where both Merum and Ituon had taken wives and had children. There, they built a village, which became a town, and then, an enormous citiy surrounded by immense, impenetrable walls. Merum carried with him a spear, while Ituon wielded a hammer, and Kalil, an axe. Each time the Orc hordes descended upon their lands, the brothers rode out to meet them. The battles were so many, so fierce, that the sands of Gelehisar remain red to this day.
By then, Asha had grown old, much of her strength and spirit was gone - it lived in the souls of her triplets. The great city they had built carried her name, the Golden City of Ashalla - it was rich, safe and its people, happy. However much like before, it was yet just another oasis in the great expanse of the desert, another shade in the scorching land, another haven in the savage lands of the Orcs. Before she passed a commandment, or a plead (depending on the version), was uttered to her children - to do as their spirit yearned, to cleanse the land from the Orcs.
Not another was needed, and together, the three brothers rallied the great warriors of Ashalla and marched east, towards war. For decades they fought, leading their legions against the endless numbers of Gröni that plagued the land. Such conflicts lasted for so long, that after the blades had gotten dull and the handles of their axes had broken, that even the rocks were used to bash the heads of the Orcs, this great war became known as the Scorching. From west to east they fought and vanquished the Orcs, but the war wasn't over, the greenskins had built their own bastion to the east and mustered a horde so big, the very ground would quake on their wake. Still, it didn't shake the spirits of the three brothers, and they charged against their foes. The sun rose, settled and was born again, but the battle didn't end, both sides suffering immeasurable loses, yet in the end, one side had been vanquished, the orcs had been defeated. So many had died, so many lives had been lost, that it is said that the souls had gotten lost on their way to the Afterlife and instead became bound the Mortal Realm, bound to wander forever. The place where this battle took part would then be known as the Desert of Souls.
As Victory had been achieved, before their path of destruction and bloodshed lay now the foundation, the roots for an Empire to Rise - The Zayhir* Empire, to be ruled equally by the triplets. It's banner said to be a blue half-circle over a yellow field, with the circle filled with stars - representing all the lights Asha had placed on the night sky.
The Fall
But glory is fleeting, and the hearts of men are easily swayed by power.
Kalil, enthralled by the allure of power, desired more. It came a day when he betrayed his brothers, first Ituon, and then Merum, both were killed. The descendants of Merum fled to the east, while the sons of Ituon, enraged by the act of fratricide, took up their arms against the murderer brother. Still, they could not match the strength and skill of Kalil, who defeated them all. However, in an act of Mercy, or Cruelty, he spared Ituon's descendants from death, and instead bound their hands and feet, sentencing them to work on rising the great structures of the Empire - they'd be the first slaves of Mellanvärlden.
It is unknown how long the nation lasted, some say the empire shattered the very next day. Others claim it endured a thousand years before collapsing. What is known, though, is that when it finally fell, the nation broke into countless states and clans, each rivalling and waging war against the other in an attempt to seize the Crown, long after Kalil had died of old age (or had gotten murdered), reason as to why it is also known as the Shattered Empire.
Ladakh
Out of the countless, warmongering nations that rose from the fall of the Empire, one was said to be led by a direct descendant of Kalil, Ladamos, the kind-hearted. Seeking to avoid the bloodshed infested Brandjorden, he prayed to the Creator, begging him for a blessing, a place of respite for him and his people. Moved by the true intentions of his heart, each of the Idols granted Ladamos a different blessing - Agul and Nahzira would cast frequent rain towards the land, and make it extremely fertile. Ladamos pleas were so sincere and impacting, that even Vahmunaq, the Idol of Destruction, was moved. And so, in order to protect the Man's lands from the endless wars of the east, commanded the very earth to rise and spew forth fire - an immense wall of lava and ash, a sigil of destruction, to keep destruction away - the first Volcano. It was named after Ladamos, just as the lands to the south of it - Mount Ladakh.
After the fall of the Empire, countless nations rose and fell, and to the present day, wars are still fought between princes and sheikhs of the Kaliin Union - the descendants of Kalil, who brings shackles and fire in their wake.
Those who wander around the Land of Fire often come across ancient structures and forgotten temples - ruins of an Empire long forgotten, shattered by greed and lust for power.
*Zayhir stands for Three Points, for the three seats, three brothers.
