Rise of Kitesh

F rom the shadow of doubt emerges Prince Kitesh, the son of the discredited Prophet-King Ashur-Tel, his name destined to eclipse those who mocked his father’s warnings. Fueled by an unquenchable fire, Kitesh ventures into the perilous Bonewall Passes, where restless dead stir in the darkness. His journey for truth is carved through blood and battle, and when he returns, it is not with mere words but with irrefutable proof—an undead creature, bound in sun-forged irons, its hollow eyes burning with malevolence, its chains rattling like distant war drums.

Before the Prophet-Kings, Kitesh presents his grotesque captive. Silence grips the sacred hall, broken only by the faint clink of chains and the heavy thrum of fear. Even the bravest rulers feel dread seep into their hearts. Then Kitesh’s voice cuts through the haze, fierce and unrelenting:

The Prophet-Kings, shaken to their core, heed the grim spectacle. Their skepticism shatters under the weight of undeniable proof. They decree that Kitesh ascend Mt. Duniaji, the tallest mountain in the world—a jagged spear piercing the heavens—to seek communion with Amnut, the Sun God, whose light once guided their ancestors through exile and rebirth.

Armed with relics of power—sun-blessed talismans, sacred scrolls inked with divine incantations, and a spear crafted by Nioba’s finest smiths, its blade quenched in the sacred waters of the Niobe River—Kitesh embarks on a pilgrimage unlike any before. This is no mere spiritual journey. It is an odyssey through peril, into the fractured lands of the north, where warlords reign and shadows stretch long.

With one hundred loyal companions—warriors, scholars, and priests—Kitesh traverses the treacherous paths of the Bonewall Mountains, their jagged peaks like the ribs of some ancient beast. They cross crumbling bridges suspended over chasms, their resolve tested by both nature’s fury and mortal hostility. Beyond the mountains lie fractured kingdoms, scarred by ancient grudges and petty wars. Some rulers offer wary hospitality, intrigued by Kitesh’s radiant relics. Others see only opportunity—demanding tribute, issuing challenges, and meeting his passage with bloodshed.

But Kitesh’s spirit is unyielding. His spear shines like a fragment of the sun, a beacon of defiance against darkness. He meets every challenge with unwavering resolve, his presence a living testament to the divine purpose that drives him.

Eventually, the towering shadow of Mt. Duniaji rises before them, its snow-cloaked slopes veiled in clouds that whisper of both majesty and menace. Here, at the threshold of the divine, Kitesh dismisses his companions. The final ascent is his alone—a sacred burden etched into destiny.

Step after agonizing step, Kitesh climbs. His spear becomes both staff and anchor, driving into ice and stone as he ascends toward the sky. The world below vanishes into mist and memory, until only the biting wind and the blinding sun remain.

At the summit, where the air is thin as glass and the sun blazes like an unblinking eye, Kitesh finds a solitary tree with golden leaves, shimmering like fragments of dawn. Beside it sits a radiant shepherd, humble yet eternal, whose presence feels older than the mountain itself. For one day and one night, Kitesh remains in silent communion with this divine figure, speaking of gods and men, of light and shadow.

The shepherd blesses Kitesh’s spear, imbuing it with the essence of the sun, its light searing through the darkness like a blade of divine fire. Then comes the sacred charge, etched into Kitesh’s very soul:

Kitesh descends, his spear ablaze with divine brilliance, its light visible from distant hills and shadowed valleys. Word of his ascent spreads like wildfire—through traders’ songs, whispered legends, and eager voices gathered around hearths. But it is not the tales alone that inspire belief. It is the radiant spear, glowing with an otherworldly brilliance that silences even the most hardened skeptics.

He returns not just as a prince but as the Sun’s Chosen, a beacon of hope destined to unite kingdoms and defy the darkness rising beyond the horizon.