Knights of Tezoth

The Age of Fire and Metal

The times when the south was ruled not by the mighty kingdom whose subjects we are today, but by a group of independent city-states. With a powerful neighbor in the form of the Tisian Empire, sooner or later they would have fallen, one by one, becoming part of that giant. However, as we all know, fate had other plans, and the unification of the southern lands was undertaken by a humble blacksmith, known to us all today as Eidos the Iron.

Among historians, heated debates about the events of those days continue to this day. A number of skeptics believe that the mission placed upon Eidos's shoulders by Kanamia was nothing more than a fabrication and an attempt to justify conquest campaigns with noble intentions. They say the story of the foreign woman from overseas doesn't hold up, and the Tisian Empire would have found it far easier to unite the continent under its own rule. In my view, the events of the Age of Darkness not only perfectly illustrate why Kanamia did not turn to the Empire for help, but also serve as a strong argument in favor of her prophecy.

While the personality of the first queen is largely shrouded in mystery, we know quite a lot about the founder himself, and he can best be characterized by the popular Forum saying: "Perfection demands dedication." It was likely precisely this commitment to his chosen craft that once drew Kanamia's gaze to Eidos. For what else could have driven a man to unlock the secrets of steel, if not the desire to surpass his past self? Eidos could be called Steely no less than Iron. But I believe the latter epithet gained wider currency due to its greater euphony.

To unite the south, the future king used both his personal qualities, which compelled people to rally under his banner, and that very discovery. As the people like to say, "Strike while the iron is hot." Only Eidos forged not iron, but steel. There is an opinion, not without foundation, that it was precisely the incomparable armament of the unifier's armies that gave his forces the advantage needed to overcome the brave warriors of Grimm. It is no coincidence that steel became part of this era's name.

Through Eidos's efforts, during this period the future Tezoth incorporated the aforementioned Grimm and Forum, as well as Flowers, Lunia, Bright, Albus, and Duskwing. It was also during this era that Lorelei was built — at the time an outpost intended for the conquest of Lunia — which in modern times became the capital of one of the regions and the center of the kingdom's military industry, as well as Kanamia — the capital of the new, then still Kanamian, state.

The foundation of the new power lay in the ideals of its founder, which over time became part of its national mentality, the key points of which consisted of combining humanism with responsibility. According to these ideals, it was envisioned that the state and its citizens would live in a harmonious symbiosis.

The Age of Magic

Where Eidos laid the foundation of Tezoth, uniting neighbors with sword and word, there Silia the Kind consolidated her grandfather's achievements by focusing on developing these lands and strengthening the state economy. If the discovery of steel revolutionized the old approach to warfare, then the magical theory of the first Deus not only touched all aspects of everyday life but also changed the approach to philosophy. Overnight, it turned out that the phrase "With the right outlook on things, a person can move mountains" carried far more truth than one might have previously thought. A number of theorists have even suggested that the magic of the siths stems from their particular outlook on things. Fortunately for Tezoth, no confirmation of that latter thesis has been found.

Perhaps, of all the rulers of Tezoth, I find her the most inspiring. Even an ordinary person can find it difficult to love this world, with all its hardships and possible deprivations, yet on Silia's fragile shoulders was placed not only the heavy burden of ruling the state, but also the continuation of Eidos's mission. And all of this against the backdrop of inevitable comparisons with her great predecessor. But Silia did not break, did not grow bitter, and did not despair. If anything, this speaks of an unyielding core within her. She not only lived up to the expectations placed upon her but surpassed them.

Inspired by her example, some political scientists even considered the idea of a magocracy, where positions of power could be held only by adherents of the principles established by Silia. An interesting thought, albeit somewhat naive.

The most momentous event of this era is the war with Tisia, which finally encroached upon the southern lands. In particular, upon Cortina, which bordered the Empire, and which Kanamia came to as an ally. Silia's true motives have long been lost to the ages, but in my view, the future Deus was driven by an understanding of the threat emanating from such a large neighbor. A giant greedy for territory would not have stopped at Cortina alone, and so the moment of confrontation with it was merely a question of time. Only in the current situation, Kanamia had an ally. Had Silia hesitated then, had she decided not to intervene in the conflict, the war would have been far more difficult. It cannot be ruled out that the kingdom's history might have ended right there.

It is generally accepted that the result of the war, which lasted nearly a quarter of a century, was a draw. Technically, it was indeed a draw, but Kanamia gained far more from this conflict than the Tisian Empire. Not only did it incorporate Cortina, which had suffered in the conflict, but it also established itself as a force to be reckoned with. To some extent, one could say that it was precisely Tisia's aggressive policy of those times that became the catalyst which transformed Kanamia into Tezoth, and made Silia its first Deus.

It was also during this era that Cabocha was founded — today the foremost supplier of food in all of Tezoth — and Sniegalits, which today has become the heart of Sordgard. It is hard to deny Silia's foresight in this decision — through the ages, Sniegalits has served as the kingdom's faithful shield, guarding it against an enemy far more dangerous than the then-mighty Afezeria and Tisia.

The Age of Luxury

Silia the Kind went down in history as a wise, benevolent, far-sighted, and administratively gifted ruler who gifted Tezoth a golden age of peace and abundance. Thanks to these talents, the kingdom continued to prosper even after her natural death — when power passed to the next Deus.

For some, Ceres is an example of the ideal ruler, one who did not meddle in the lives of his subjects and did not try to fix what wasn't broken. In all his spirit and being, the Enigmatic embodied the freedom of the wind and resembled not so much a monarch vested with power, but a legendary hero and adventurer. It is this that immortalized his image in the hearts of romantic youth, some of whom try to emulate the second Deus to this day.

But there is another view, especially among older generations, alien to such romanticism. If his predecessors laid a solid foundation for the future, even at the cost of difficult decisions, the new ruler's contribution against this backdrop looked modest and was limited, for the most part, to founding Dentsets and the presumed prevention of war with Tisia. He showed no attempts to continue the unification of Tezoth, in accordance with the Kanamian mission.

One of the most heated debates on this topic concerns Ceres's adventures in Afezeria. They say a responsible ruler would have agreed to take the king's daughter as his wife, bringing the two states closer and, potentially, uniting them under one banner. Unfortunately, I cannot agree with this position for several reasons. First, there were no guarantees that a joint child would inherit both thrones, given the different institutions of succession in Tezoth and Afezeria. It would not have been without intrigue, but intrigue could also have led to the risk of a bloody internecine conflict. Second, such an ally, emboldened by its own strength, could have dragged Tezoth into a long and exhausting conflict with Tisia, weakening all three states before the tragedy of year 150 that we all know. Would humanity have stood then, in the face of the great threat?

At the same time, I do not think Ceres was guided by pragmatism when he refused the marriage, though his true motives are hidden in the annals of history. I would posit freedom-loving as the true reason, especially if the rumors of the Enigmatic's escapades in Tisia carry a grain of truth. Having bastards in the lands of an ambitious neighbor is no small threat to the stability of the state.

Had Ceres the Enigmatic come to power in less peaceful times, he would surely have shown himself from a different side. The second Deus's ability to quickly master new skills leaves no doubt that with due diligence he would have succeeded in matters of governing the country. It was not for nothing that he was chosen as heir. Alas, the reign of the second Deus fell during a period of deceptive calm.

The Age of Darkness

Perhaps one of the most controversial rulers in the entire history of Tezoth, Satanid the Malevolent remains to this day the most discussed of all the kingdom's rulers. Some adherents of the third Deus justify his actions as foresight. In their view, Satanid did not forget the promise made by Eidos and knew more about the coming threat than has survived in historical sources. Some of them even suggest that he inherited a measure of Kanamia's prophetic gift. While I can allow the first option as possible, I cannot agree with the second. If the third Deus had known the future in advance, then it seems to me he would have acted somewhat differently.

It is hard to deny his talents and his contribution to the defense of Tezoth. Satanid was a talented administrator and a master of logistics such as the kingdom had never seen before or since. Under his rule, Tezoth operated as a single whole. Nor can one doubt the selflessness of the third Deus — his intentions were good. Unfortunately, the price for this was the controversial actions and philosophical views of the new ruler, which not everyone can agree with and which contrasted too sharply with the familiar way of life of past eras.

If Eidos's ideals held that mercy should be shown to the weak, then in Satanid's eyes they were to be treated with the same severity as the strong, and failure to conform to the new ideals was punished by exile to Faredjia. The same applied to people who were deemed "hopeless," such as the elderly and the incurably ill. Overnight, it turned out that a person had to live solely for Tezoth — otherwise, there was no place for them here. Even if you were a patriot to the bone, who had shed sweat and tears for the kingdom's well-being, if you became "useless" and there was no one to care for you — you had only one path. There was a grim truth of life in this — our world is ruled by force, no matter how you look at it, and the weak can only rely on the mercy of others.

The matter was compounded by harshening mores, exhausting training, and restrictive measures against the people's customary amusements, while the third Deus's numerous spies also struck at people's trust in one another. The people feared their new ruler and were in despair — such was the price of new strength. Satanid gave the people of Tezoth a future, but took away their hope. It is generally accepted that the events of year 150 only worsened the situation, instilling despair in the hearts of many citizens of the kingdom. A number of theologians believe that it was then that the cult of Ifilla first took root in the lands of Tezoth.

It is hard to say how history would have turned had the Crater of Regret not appeared precisely during this period. Had a war with Tisia occurred instead, would the embittered people and lords seeking independence have risen against their Deus? Would that have been the end of Tezoth? I believe we will never get an answer to that question.

In our days, Satanid's convictions find resonance in the hearts of many people, especially those who face the spawn of Ifilla day after day, while the inhabitants of the central regions enjoy a mundane existence bought with the blood and sweat of others. They dream of times when Tezoth's resources were used to fight the true threat, rather than in attempts to multiply one's own wealth. And the modern person is too weak and soft for them — if year 150 repeats itself, such a person will not be ready for such a threat.

As someone who themselves is engaged in guarding the peace of the kingdom, I can understand them. At the same time, I cannot agree with all aspects of the third Deus's policies. In some places, a difference in philosophy plays a role, but even apart from that, some of the measures he took do not seem effective to me. In particular, Satanid's restrictive policies primarily struck at the economy and led to the development of a gray sector that found workarounds. In my view, for maintaining the health of citizens there is a more effective, albeit more costly, measure in the form of mandatory annual medical checkups. Harmful habits are not limited to tobacco, alcohol, and sweets alone — a person can ruin their health with a meat-heavy diet, or, conversely, by refusing it. Therefore, a more comprehensive and thorough approach seems to me the better option.

But the greatest mistake of Satanid the Malevolent, in my view, was his lack of a strong successor who could have retained power over the kingdom in their hands. Too much was tied to the personality of the third Deus, and so many of his achievements proved short-lived, while the bad memory became entrenched in the popular consciousness of that time.

The Age of Blue Blood

A period of fragmentation that replaced the authoritarian era of Satanid the Malevolent, during which many modern regions were born. Had it not been for the events of these years, I would not be sitting here writing this essay.

In place of the well-oiled state machine, with its developed logistics and efficient resource distribution, came complex diplomatic games, where the well-being of a region's inhabitants was determined not only by the character and policies of their suzerain, but also by his relations with his neighbors. Against this backdrop, some regions grew poorer, deprived of the support so critical to their economies, while others flourished and thereby raised the standard of living of their citizens. It is precisely for this reason that if you ask a person for their opinion of this era, it will largely depend on their native region.

Amidst the redistribution of power and the lavish celebrations meant to drown it out, the memory of the Great Tragedy was also lost. Even while aware of the danger that was still brewing at the border, people weary of struggle wished to forget it like a bad dream, to return as quickly as possible to their familiar way of life. This was a Tezoth broken and a Tezoth aimless. A Tezoth that had forgotten its roots.

Velmehtra the Radiant, the fourth Deus of the kingdom, like Ceres the Enigmatic, was more a symbol than a ruler, but there the resemblance ended. Where the second Deus was a free bird, with Tezoth prospering and self-sufficient, the fourth Deus was akin to a bird in a gilded cage, lacking even a fraction of that same strength and power.

The Age of Discovery

Being a man full of contradictions, Renavan the Pious was simultaneously engaged in the search for both immortality and himself. A thinker by nature, he could not find a philosophy to his liking. The example of his predecessors? That would mean following a path trodden by others for you. Mysterious and mystical deities? Distant entities whose worldview is alien to mere mortals. Fabrications understandable and familiar. And in his attempts to understand himself, the fifth Deus took up the pen, producing many works that have since become classics. To some extent, one could say that in this way he also achieved immortality in human memory.

But true immortality inevitably slipped from his grasp, or carried too great a price. But would it have made this scholarly man happy? While there are no other immortals around, that path is a path of loneliness. With each era, the world you know will die off piece by piece, until a once-native culture becomes utterly alien to you. It would undoubtedly suit some — those same people who are wholly devoted to their chosen craft or to understanding the universe. Or someone who has decided to take upon themselves the fate of a defender of their native lands, sacrificing an ordinary worldly life.

But immortality does not mean invulnerability. An immortal can end up with their head on a mad hunter's shelf, or as an emaciated body buried beneath a thickness of sand. And a timeless defender will not necessarily succeed in their mission. If their kingdom burns in dragon fire, and their countrymen perish by the swords of invaders, then all that remains is an unfulfillable duty to their vanished homeland. That would be no invincible protector, but a guardian of dust and ashes — a legacy of a bygone era with no place in the new world.

So too would Renavan, had he achieved his goal, have had every chance of outliving Tezoth. But did he truly want that? Would such an existence not have grown tiresome after a century or two? And was this not an attempt to fill the void in his soul that weighed so heavily on his thoughts? So many questions that the fifth Deus himself surely pondered. It is not impossible that these heavy thoughts prompted the ruler to his final decision.

Undoubtedly, the search for a truth dear to his heart also prompted Renavan the Pious to found the city-region of Oshi, intended to preserve and study the diverse beliefs and convictions with which Tezoth abounds.

The most momentous event of this era is rightfully considered the appearance on the surface of guests from a mysterious sky-city, whose true motives still trouble the minds of some thinkers to this day, and these concerns are easy to understand. Why did they arrive and reveal the truth about the crater only seventy-five years after its appearance? Why did they decide to help precisely now? Why do they ask for nothing in return? The Aconians, at each of their appearances, position their gifts and new knowledge as "the mercy of Aconia," but what state, even a flying one, would want to share such dangerous technologies without receiving anything in return? Some believe that with such gifts they are trying to convert the surface dwellers to their faith. But these visits are far too rare to have any effect. Others suggest that for the Aconites, the surface dwellers are nothing more than objects of study. But the truth is hidden somewhere in the bright rays of the sun, which are for now impenetrable to us.

The Age of Ambition

They say that stars shine brightest just before they go out. Koimaji the Majestic can rightfully be considered the brightest star in the Tezothian sky. His reign was short — only nine years. But in that time, the sixth Deus managed to achieve what another ruler could not in a lifetime, yet he had no intention of stopping.

During this period, two island regions were incorporated into Tezoth at once — the Archipelago of Furious Waves, which became the springboard for the new Deus's expansion, and Faredjia. It was also then that my suzerain set off on his long-term expedition, and in Oshi the cult of Kanamia's followers was born, whose forces make an invaluable contribution to the fight against the spawn of Ifilla to this day.

The tragic death of Koimaji the Majestic and the swift return of the situation to the status quo became an event that drove many people to despair. Along with the Deus, the crater swallowed a string of his triumphant victories and many long-awaited reforms, and the nine years preceding this turned for many into a fantastic and sweet dream, now so far from reality. But in the hearts of some people, even despite this, the sixth Deus instilled hope. With his shining example, he showed the kingdom's inhabitants what a united Tezoth is capable of. And this example inspires people even to this day, and his sad fate only adds humanity to his ideal image.

One can only hope that someday the kingdom's inhabitants will cast aside regional squabbles and once again stand shoulder to shoulder against the true enemy that dwells in the very heart of the continent.