Ilya III Shiroko
Emperor Ilya III Shiroko
Ilya III only ruled for two years and became the first of the Shiroko Dynasty to step down from the position of baejan due to declining mental capacity.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Born in 563 to Zora I Shiroko, Ilya III was raised to become the next baejan since his birth. His mother trained him in the art of ruling, along with teaching him military history, strategy, politics, and religious doctrine. The Doctrine of Dea-an Heritage stated that he would marry within the family and his mother set the match to be with her daughter, Zora II Shiroko. The peace brought by his mother and grandmother continued throughout his childhood, although he did witness the persecution of practitioners of Tekel and grew to hate the religion because of it. His devotion to Bolugama caused him to spend most of his time in the temples around Niuus.
During his Attunement Test it was found that he was a lu-esh and his education in the making of the Ilyannoi began immediately. He was skilled in their creation and considered the magic to be a form of worship.
As he grew older, he noticed his mother's depression more and more, taking over some of the leadership duties, along with his father, when she was unable to rule and the day he turned twenty, Zora I stated that she would be immediately stepping down from her position. The next month, Ilya III was crowned baejan and his sister as tsudaeba (royal consort).
Over the next two years, he tried to keep the empire stable and continue the work of his mother. However, he began to forget things easily. At first, he thought he was simply stressed with his new position and began trying to mitigate the memory loss. However, his memory continued to decline and he began becoming lost in the Gandenye and sometimes stopped in the middle of sentences during meetings. He lost words and needed Zora II at his side constantly to assist him.
In 585, he realized his mind was becoming too foggy to continue actively ruling and was the first member of the Shiroko Dynasty to step down due to decreased mental capacity. In his stead, Zora II became baejan and he settled into retirement around the Gandenye.
While his mind lasted, he worked in various departments or assisted with watching the children of the family. These tasks were simple enough for him to perform without too much tax on his mind while the doctors attempted to determine what the issue was. Even so, he stated that if his memory did return, he would not seek the throne again. As far as he was concerned, his mind could go again at any time and retirements and returns would cause destabilization of the empire and undermine his sister/wife's reign.
In 601, at 38, he and Zora II had their first child, Ilya IV, and the next several years, they would have another four: Kariin, Sava, Yakiv, and Taras. Kariin married Ilya IV in 623, but died shortly after and Ilya III's mental state took a sharp decline due to his grief. In the preceding twenty-two years, he had continued to lose his short term memory and his abilities to determine visual and spacial input grew more strained. He needed at least one of the Wenutsuekul Gandayan Zitsoeii, six of whom followed him normally, to lead him from one location to another. In 615, he stopped helping with the departments as complex tasks became more and more difficult and requested to be allowed to move out of the Gandenye.
Zora II agreed and assisted the Wenutsuekul Gandayan Zitsoeii in setting up a place for her husband in Parishi where the original Shiroko family mansion stood. Doctors accompanied Ilya III to the mansion and he remained there until his death. Zora II and his children visited often.
With each year, he continued to lose his mental faculties. In 623, after her own retirement, Zora II came to live with him. By 630, he needed assistance with daily tasks, including bathing, dressing, walking, and even eating, as he would forget to do so without reminding. He had extreme difficulty communicating which caused him a great deal of frustration and he would often go days without speaking. Unfortunately, by 633, he often forgot his family. During one encounter, he told his sister/wife that she was incredibly smart and her husband must be very lucky. When reminded that he was her husband, he began to cry in shame in forgetting.
His physical health became worse along with his mental faculties. A rolling chair was devised so he could move from place to place as his own legs had become too weak to carry him. He had difficulty swallowing and could only tolerate liquid foods, causing him to lose weight rapidly. At the end of his life, he could not remember his own name and moved through the family mansion in a fog, eyes glassy as he was pushed along. His caretakers often placed him outside so he could have fresh air and a few servants stayed by him to help him eat at the correct times.
During the especially cold winter of 635, he caught the flu. His weakened immune system could not handle the infection and he died before the year ended at the age of 72. He was cremated in the tradition of Bolugama and his remains returned to the Gandenye to be buried in the imperial mausoleum with the rest of the Shiroko family.
Relationships
Life
563
635
72 years old
Birthplace
Place of Death
Spouses
Zora II Shiroko
(wife/sister)
Siblings
Children
Gender
male
Eyes
narrow, violet
Hair
long, loosely braided, bright white
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
pale white
Height
6'0"
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