[Gwtheyrn]

22nd Day of the Beginning of Autumn, 7th year of Emperor Hejdedros I's reign

It's been more than twelve years, now. Twelve long, bitter years since the world ended, since the gods
turned their backs upon their creations, some say. Twelve years since the grandest city in the world was
obliterated in an instant, the skies turned to an eternal, impenetrable black since dubbed 'The Darkness'.
Twelve years since the demons arrived to ravage us, leaving even our strongest fortifications in ruins.

One by one, the cities fell to the relentless onslaught of these creatures- wild and savage abominations
which resembled the beasts we knew, but twisted into mockeries of creation- until only one remained:
Telantha.

Perhaps it was the strength of arms that finally managed to press back against the tide of demons. Some
say it was the prayers and sacrifices of the priests and the faithful. Others, that Cymur heard the suffering
of Humanity and intervened on our behalf. Whatever the cause, the darkness covering our world was
peeled back around our last bastion, giving us just a fraction of hope.

We should have taken this and united together, but the hatred and sins of the past are ingrained too deeply
amongst the peoples of Aagos. The petty rivalries and politics reared their heads as soon as people grew to
accept their new place.

The many Humans unwilling to let go the notions of privileged nobility in the face of reality. The powerful
Skrel'eth, their numbers decimated and the clans unable to unite as a single people. The wild and nomadic
Tir, long the slave-fodder of the other races, their entire way of life now forever lost. The cunning and
determined Tyen, brought to their knees, but still proud and scheming in the shadows.

With the passage of King Robhert, the Lannen line which had long ruled the northern Human kindom of
Viroth, was ended. The Crown passed on to the Duke of Telantha Robert Telan.

Many have tried to untangle the knot of facts and rumour surrounding the madness which followed. What is
certain, the Vek'pem Ahyre, monsters long thought only legend, became frighteningly real when Robert
forged an unholy alliance with their forsaken kind. The blessed fountain of the Great Dragon, which had
stood in the center of Telantha for centuries, spewed forth tainted blood, an event many took as a sign that
He had finally forsaken mortals, unable to bear or forgive this folley.

Robert's reign was not short enough, by the measure of many for his transgression. On the first
anniversary of his coronation, the dagger struck from the shadows. Hejdedros, the last emperor of the
once-great Tyen empire, slew Robert in the throne room with the aid of Virothian noble house Mao, and
assumed the mantle of power. The proof of the late king's death, his severed head, was presented at the
party to celebrate the anniversary.

The corrupted fountain of Cymur disappeared entirely, drawn down into the ground, never to be seen again,
even though people searched the sewer system which runs underneath the square. In its place, a gigantic
tree, its leaves never changing or falling despite the seasons, grew spontaneously upwards, buckling the
ancient flagstones. And the people, seeing that the gods had returned Their favor with Robert's death, grew
complacent.

New laws fell into place quickly, and though there were rumblings of dissent, most were glad to be free of
Robert's corrupt yoke. The Tir were stripped of weaponry, new nobles were assigned to manage the lands
in the Emperor's name, and all those unfortunate enough to be born of mixed blood were rounded up,
branded, and sold into slavery.

We've spent seven years thus far under his rule, but instability is beginning to cause cracks in the
foundation of Hejdedros's power. Rumors of corruption and outright acts of evil are whispered in the bars.
Already one insurrection has failed, but the rumblings of change have already begun.

Welcome to Shadowsiege, an intense, dark, role-playing MUD with a focus on creative writing, character
development, and story-telling. Enter a realm where magic, politics, and cold, hard iron are the weapons of
choice in the battle for survival and control under the watchful eyes of divinity.


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