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==The History of Muspar'i -- The Sun's Egg ==
'''by [[Malasurath]] Ratoepus '''

  

==Chapter One: The Tribe of Mhalush ==

To truly tell the tale of [[Muspar'i]], the Golden Egg of the 
Sun, the Desert Jewel, we must go back further than one 
would think, before the creation of the city itself. 
Millennia ago, the S'Kra Mur people were created by 
[[Ushnish]], and given their minds and tail by [[Peri'el]] and the 
Serpent God [[Hav'roth]]. 

Once blessed with the gift of tail from Hav'roth, the 
S'Kra developed into a civilized people.  The [[Book of Lovers]] tells us that three S'Kra brothers emerged within 
this early civilization as the leaders of their people. 
They were called the Sons of Hav'roth, and were named 
[[Zaarin]], [[Mhalush]], and [[Dhrakhh]].  Zaarin was the eldest 
brother, and Dhrakhh the youngest. 

Each of the brothers fell in love with a young woman, she 
who was called [[Norayaz]], the Maiden of Peri'el.  She was 
the gentlest and most beautiful S'Kra, and it is said that 
when she sang... but that is not a part of our story. 
  

The three brothers each wished to wed Norayaz. Zaarin, as 
the eldest and leader of the S'Kra Mur, possessed most of 
the tribe's land and wealth, and so in the end, he won 
out.  There was a great ceremony, which the entire tribe 
attended, and it was to be the start of a Malk Akom, 
blessed by the gods as the Maiden of Peri'el wed the Son 
of Hav'roth.  Mhalush was pleased for his brother. 

But not so the vain and spiteful Dhrakhh.  He could not be 
happy.  The younger brother claimed to a group of the S'Kra 
Mur that it was an evil bonding, that it would bring down 
the wrath of Ushnish, and so Dhrakhh took up the 
[[q'zhalata]].  He would kill the woman and save his people 
from the curse.  Or so he said.  But Dhrakhh knew his true 
motivations.  If he could not have the Maiden of Peri'el, 
then no one could. 

Dhrakhh's q'zhalata failed, however, and instead of 
Norayaz sipping the poisoned wine during the Smo'kku'par 
Ceremony, Zaarin drank from it instead.  The eldest 
brother, blessed of Hav'roth, fell over dead. 
  

The earth trembled, then.  It was the fury of Hav'roth. 
For Dhrakhh had violated his Ru'at, Hav'roth's own Ru'at. 
The furious god quaked and shattered the S'Kra lands, 
splitting them asunder.  This was the birth of the 
Reshalian archipelago.  And Norayaz was filled with the 
spirit of the warrior goddess Peri'el, and she drew 
Zaarin's sword and severed the tail of Dhrakhh from his 
body, naming him Smozh. 

The fates of Norayaz and Dhrakhh after that point are the 
source of legendary tales, but it is not of those we shall 
speak.  Our story follows the middle brother, Mhalush. 
Shocked at the split of his Ru'at and the near-destruction 
of his homeland, Mhalush donned the robes of the Silver 
Arm and led those who would follow him in a quest to find 
a new land chosen by Hav'roth. 

Mhalush's tribe crossed the sea that now separated the 
S'Kra Mur homelands from the rest of the land, and they 
began their quest there.  Mhalush was a shaman; nightly he 
would fill his tent with incense and ka'tamas and speak 
with Hav'roth through visions.  It was through these 
visions that Mhalush would lead his people to their new 
home. 
  

So up the eastern coast the S'Kra Mur traveled, further 
north, until they reached that which we know today as the 
[[Faldesu Bay]].  They rested at the bay for several nights, 
and had some dealings here with an isolationist clan of 
Elves. Mhalush's people formed an amicable relationship 
with the Elves, and the two groups traded some. 

After some time resting along the Faldesu Bay, the S'Kra 
Mur began their journey once more.  They followed the 
river, which they named [[Hekemhhg]], to the west.  They had 
no love of forests, and so they stayed close to the 
river's banks. 

When the S'Kra reached a large lake, they headed straight 
north.  And there, in a clearing, Mhalush suddenly declared 
that Hav'roth had ordered them to stop.  The leaders of 
the tribe, Mhalush and the other Poho'adu, built a temple 
there.  They also built a village, though it was a small 
one. 
  

==Chapter Two: Velaka ==

In the forests surrounding their new home (its name lost 
to the dust of time), the S'Kra Mur found a type of Troll 
wandering about.  Taking the Troll people in, they gave 
them rudimentary teachings and trained them in manual 
tasks.  Calling them the [[Gor'Tog|Gor'togs]], the S'Kra Mur bred them 
into workers.  Though one could toss zh'al'hhm at the 
S'Kra for our supposed evil here, the truth is that we 
took the Gor'Tog and turned them from unintelligent beasts 
into a noble race of builders and workers, with devotion 
to the tasks they set themselves to.  We taught them 
communication and writing, building and storytelling.  It 
was due to those efforts that what was merely a group of 
Trolls became one of the Seven Races. 

The assistance of the Gor'Togs enabled the S'Kra Mur tribe 
to reach vast heights, culturally, though other works can 
expand upon such things better than this book.  The people 
of Mhalush, now long dead, furthered their trade with the 
local Elven populations, strengthening their bonds. 

When the [[Long Winter]] came upon the northlands from the 
dikka'staho'osson, the Children of Mhalush were 
devastated.  The Poho'adu counseled their people to 
release the Gor'Togs; with the harsh weather and brutal 
conditions of nature, the S'Kra Mur would be unable to 
support them.  So the Gor'Togs were sent away after being 
taught how to fend for themselves by the Poho'adu. 

It was during the long winter that the Elven woman [[Sorril]] 
was abducted by Humans.  The Elves called upon their S'Kra 
Mur friends for assistance.  Promising food and coin to aid 
the S'Kra Mur through the winter, the Children of Mhalush 
agreed, and became a party to the war.  Many of the 
Reshalian S'Kra, the tribe of Norayaz, also assisted, 
though they for less honorable reasons. 

The Elven-Human War as it was called proved to be harsh on 
all sides, and eventually, despite the agreement, the 
S'Kra Mur needed to withdraw from the war entirely, before 
the endless battle destroyed them.  The Poho'adu strongly 
encouraged the Elves to make peace lest they were to be 
doomed as well, and then bid the fighting farewell. 

The war continued to go badly for the Elves and their 
other allies, lav'hashhgi, and their side lost utterly. 
The Dwarves, Humans, and Gor'Togs were victorious.  Then 
the Gor'Togs, with their other friends, turned on their 
former teachers and drove the Children of Mhalush from 
their land, the land Hav'roth had set them in.  The 
Mehath'Gamant was abandoned and the S'Kra Mur people were 
forced once again to begin their wandering. 

For years after that humiliation, they wandered as nomads, 
facing further insult in the form of harassment from 
Gor'Tog and Human raiders that would occasionally attack 
them.  The Poho'adu had no shaman like Mhalush had been, 
and this time, their wanderings were not guided by 
Hav'roth.  This was a dark time for the S'Kra. 

The Children of Mhalush were slowly driven further and 
further to the northwest where, in time, they came upon 
[[Velaka]], a vast desert encircled by mountains.  Exclaiming 
this to be the will of Hav'roth, the Poho'adu were sure it 
was their new home, for the Great Serpent God watched over 
deserts especially. 
  

The wandering S'Kra Mur entered Velaka, following a tiny 
stream running through the desert, which led to a large 
lake.  They found there a new group of Elves, the [[Sand Elf|Sand Elves]].  Unlike their old allies, though, these Sand Elves 
were hostile, claiming that Velaka was theirs.  Fighting 
broke out between the two groups, and the weary Children 
of Mhalush were driven from Velaka.  Surely they had done 
something to offend the great Hav'roth, and this was his 
punishment. 

They were forced to resume their wandering, aimlessly 
moving across the northern lands, waiting and hoping for 
the day would they would be able to enter the land of 
Hav'roth. 

During this time, an Empire rose, begun by Humans.  The 
S'Kra Mur became a part of this Empire, though the 
wandering tribe still never settled much.  And one day, a 
girl was born under the sign of the King Snake, and she 
was named [[Shorka]]. 
  

==Chapter Three: The Resistance War ==

Shorka grew, and she became disdainful of the lifestyle of 
her people, saying that they had fallen far since the days 
when Dhrakhh, Mhalush, and Zaarin led the S'Kra Mur 
united.  And so she left the clan and began a journey of 
her own.  Shorka hoped to become a new shaman, like 
Mhalush, and speak with Hav'roth. 

Shorka's wanderings were great, and they took her from 
[[Highhold]] to [[Leth Deriel]], [[Throne City]] to [[Hibarnhvidar]], 
[[Darkstone]] to [[Surlaenis]], and even to [[Ratha]], the city of 
Norayaz's descendants.  Her religious beliefs changed 
drastically during this time, but never her desire to 
better her clan. 

We know not where, or how, but at some point, the young 
S'Kra woman met up with a discontented Elf named [[Lanival]], 
one on his own journey of discovery.  The two became 
friends, oddly enough, and forged a bond with each other. 
Some time later when Lanival rose up in rebellion against 
the Elven lord [[Teiro|Tiero]], he called upon Shorka for 
assistance. 

Shorka returned to her people and convinced them to side 
with Lanival in this war.  The charismatic woman was 
certain that fighting this war would ensure a better 
future for her people, and she passed that belief on to 
them.  And so, the Children of Mhalush joined in the 
Resistance War to overthrow the Empire of the Seven 
Pointed Star. 

The S'Kra aid was invaluable to Lanival, as it was among 
the earliest support he gained.  Shorka remained with 
Lanival during the course of the war -- she was brilliant, 
charismatic, and had a fine eye for tactics, and so she 
served as an excellent advisor.  Shorka would later serve 
beside a Gor'Tog by the name of [[Uthmor]], who became 
Lanival's leading general. 

Though the war generally seemed in favor of Tiero's 
better-trained and larger army, and it seemed as though 
Lanival's resistance would be crushed, he did manage to 
emerge victorious, due to the people he gathered around 
him. 
  

After the Empire had crumbled fully and Tiero had been 
beaten, the Imperial lands were in some degree of chaos. 
The leaders of the resistance set about forming new lands. 
But Shorka, and the S'Kra Mur tribe that now followed her, 
left.  They wished to find a home. 

Returning once more to Velaka, Shorka's people found the 
Sand Elves' numbers greatly decreased.  The S'Kra advanced 
through the desert and found themselves once more at the 
crystalline lake within the desert.  It was here they built 
their homes.  And this is the founding of Muspar'i, the 
Sun's Egg. 
  

==Chapter Four: Shorka's Legacy and Muspar'i Today ==

Shorka built a great city within the desert sands!  Nestled 
amongst the golden land, it was said that their new, 
golden city was born from the brilliant rays and harsh 
heat of the sun itself, that this city was the city of the 
sun, its child.  And so it was named.  Muspar'i. 

It took years of effort to build the city, but it grew 
steadily under the direction of Shorka, now accounted as 
their queen.  She proved to be an adept leader.  The ancient 
zha'vazh between the S'Kra and the Sand Elves ended, and 
the nomads visited Muspar'i to trade.  The two peoples 
allied, and would frequently fight together against the 
desert beasts of Velaka. 

Trade routes were established from Muspar'i to 
[[Therenborough]] and [[Kwarlog]], and the desert city soon became 
enormously wealthy, trading valuable desert finds with the 
outside world.  Practicing the natural S'Kra alchemic arts, 
they found many precious ingredients in Velaka.  The eyes, 
hearts, and other insides of many beasts were discovered 
to be fantastic components, as were certain desert herbs 
and powders -- all things Muspar'i took control of.  Like 
[[Sraan Mhhg]], the desert city became famed for healing 
poultices, perfumes, dyes, spices, and poisons, many of 
which are still exported. 

Combining Dwarven engineering they had learned with their 
alchemic mastery, the S'Kra of Muspar'i developed a 
phenomenal forging process which enabled them to craft 
exquisite weapons -- weapons not only beautiful and 
incredibly sharp, but also light-weight.  Precious silks and 
other cloths (especially when combined with unique dyes, 
many colors the S'Kra refused to sell to outside traders) 
become valuable commodities, as well.  The people made 
beautiful pottery and other ceramics, and the jewelers of 
Muspar'i are nearly as famed as those of the Dwarven 
[[Darvagai Anliker]]. 

Living in Muspar'i also allowed the S'Kra Mur to flourish 
culturally, advancing more than they had since the birth 
of the Gor'Togs.  The magnificent sarhhtha was once again 
practiced by the S'Kra, and even improved upon.  They 
developed a distinct style of beautiful poetry, practiced 
by such as [[S'zella]], famed even among the other races.  The 
Poho'adu built great temples to honor the deities that led 
them to their home, the gods of Muspar'i that birthed it 
and watched over it.  The Temple of Hav'roth and the Temple 
of the Dragon are two pearls within the city. 

Shorka herself resided in a great palace filled with 
gardens and fountains, a marvel in the wasteland the city 
was built in.  She ruled the S'Kra as their Queen, and 
when she died, her son became king.  Ever since the city's 
creation, Muspar'i has been governed by the Blood of 
Shorka. 

Note, however: Though the nobility and rulers of Muspar'i 
are known as the Blood of Shorka, few, if any, are direct 
blood descendants of Shorka the Cobra.  The Blood of Shorka 
is determined by a family's social standing, which in 
itself is determined by wealth, heredity, and exceptional 
deeds.  The throne of Muspar'i is not always passed from 
parent to child, as one must always remember one of the 
most important S'Kra customs, the q'zhalata, which makes 
governing by promigeniture difficult. 

Unlike Ratha, which has embraced the outside world, most 
of Muspar'i are traditionalists, following the old customs 
of the S'Kra Mur.  The customs of q'alri are followed 
quite staunchly, and relationships of S'Kra with outsiders 
is looked upon quite unfavorably.  The people generally 
clothe themselves in loose and flowing clothing, and wear 
a great deal of jewelry.  The jewelry of the people can 
often identify many of their traits -- the person's wealth, 
their family, their social standing. 

This concludes the tale of Muspar'i as it was, and 
Muspar'i as it is today. 

For the eternal life of the Blood of Shorka, <br>
Malasurath Ratoepus

[[Category:Book]][[page type is::book| ]][[race association is::s'kra mur| ]]