The Emperor of Shyr and the Second Coming of Jeria
The founding myth of The Second Jeriec Empire is the tale of the survivors of Erinion fleeing to Jeria, and founding their last Empire. As retold by Baruch'shyr, the first to take the Emperor's name and the second Emperor of Jeria.
Ever since then the Children of Avernus scattered, the Jerian races attempting to live underground for a time, the Lost Brothers devolving into complete animals while the majority of the Children wandered and followed the teachings of Avernus into anonymity. However, the Jerian races found their ancient allies in Erinion, and joined the fledgling nation quite a ways into it's rule, helping build it to the great heights that it became, though they never truly rivaled the Elven Mystics or Magistrates of Erinion, even with their own sages in the same academies. After the Burning of Erinion, the majority of civilized survivors in the world became the Hobgoblins, as well as the other Jerian races. Scattered attempts at rebuilding, and salvaging the old and ancient artifacts of the capital, with operations based in satellite islands, until a Hobgoblin whose name is long forgotten, now known as the Emperor of Shyr, saw the hopelessness that was gripping the Old Elven people, as well as his own. He saw the calamity that had destroyed their greatest achievements and how more and more brethren were returning to the Olde Faith for strength to continue, to survive in their new harsh land.
It was then that this nameless Hobgoblin's people were attacked one final time by the Great Tarterian Dragon, Shyr'kathakoa, the Thing of Rages. With their small bastion of defense in flames, destroyed utterly, the last people of Erinion, comprised of eight hundred Old Elves and nearly two thousand Jerians on the hundred ships began the Last Voyage, a horrible trip across Mysta's Trench and away from the flames of their home. However, even fleeing Shyr'kathakoa, the Great Wyrm hungered still. The Typhonic beast with a wingspan of a hundred feet and a breath of scorching fire as hot as Stygia's deepest Soul-Furnace and black as the purest Ink pursued the last citizens of Erinion, striking from the clouds in the dead of night at the hundred ships that housed the last of the true Erinion people, burning them one by one to nothing but helpless Erinionese being burned alive and smoldering ash. The Hob Commander of the Golden Circle, the last surviving general of Erinion, was said to turn the ships around to stage a surprise attack on the Dragon, but it ended only in dozens of ships being destroyed as Shyr'kathakoa flew too low for the numbers of the Elves and Jerians to be of any use. Instead, his ferocity led to the death of hundreds, with the only mark on the dragon being a broken claw from Shyr'kathakoa's failed attempt to destroy Dawn's Last Light, an Erinion warship with an Adamantia hull and ballistae. This talon was recovered.
Finally, after four days of travel, the ships landed upon the Jerian Peninsula, with less than half of their original number surviving. Their plight was not over, however, as before those that survived could even find cover, the Dragon pursuer returned. Falling upon them under the light of the moon, Shyr'kathakoa scattered their camp and killed the Commander of the Golden Circle, finally shattering the last government that Erinion had. His conquest continued, not content to simply destroy Erinion's people, but also their memory. Through this all, the scales of his hide could barely be penetrated, as the greatest Mystics of Erinion all died in the Burning, and all the great materials and enchantments were lost. A nameless Hobgoblin had seen the impatience and brash nature of the failed leaders of the past, the overconfidence and blunders of Erinion, and the demise of all he loved in the last few years. As the last civilization on Sartova crumbled around him, he looked to the light of the rising sun and saw Light return to the world. It was then that Shyr'kathakoa made his first mistake. Shyr'kathakoa landed in the center of the encampment, and began burning and consuming all that moved, but in his Rage and hunger, he did not know that this Hobgoblin had been studying his patterns for the entirety of his siege on the voyaging ships. The Hobgoblin took the shattered sigil of Erinion, the crest of Dawn's Last Light, and used it to reflect the light of the rising sun into the Tarterian Dragon's eyes, searing them and blinding the Dragon long enough for the nameless Hob to charge, leaping with the Wyrms own Talon and plunging it into it's back. Shyr'kathakoa lept into the air, flying with this brave Hob clutching onto the talon, digging it deeper with each mile through the air, as black acidic blood poured from the wound. Soaring through the sky, the frightened people of Erinion saw their first victory, and watched the two fly higher and higher, until they drifted to a weightless summit, and began falling, ending with an explosive collision with one of the tallest mountains of Jeria. The battle between Shyr'kathakoa and this Hobgoblin lasted hours, sure to be one of the most ferocious and deadly battles of the entire Age. When his people arrived four hours later, the Dragon had only just been killed, with the Hobgoblin collapsed in the Dragons open ribcage, completely calm, despite breathing heavy. The acidic blood drenching him completely, scalding him and blackening his hairy fur to the same inky hue, with the Dragons own talon at his feet. He looked upon his people and the four great mountainous peaks around him, around Jeria, their new home and said this: "The beast we have been, brothers, will serve us no longer. Through wisdom, we have defeated the Thing of Rages. The Light has conquered the Beast once again, for all motifs can be mortally wounded. Even this land, known to be the harshest in the world, shall become our home. This will be our struggle. Our test. To prove we are strong enough to resist the Beast, beat back the Father, and consume the complacency that let our past Empires fall. Long may we Reign".
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