General History
Before the Mad Pharaoh, the Scorched Sands were full of life, ranging from lush, green forests to wild, flowing rivers. Many races, including the Wood Elves, High Elves, Humans, Gnomes, Halflings, Primordials, and even the Crytalines made the land diverse and cultured. It was rare for any race, faction, or group to wage war on another. The entirety of the Scorched Sands was practically the exact opposite of what it is in the present era. To make things worse, a subrace of Human was all but destroyed after the events of the Mad Pharaoh, and now they are spread across the world, attempting to do everything they can to survive.
The Mad Pharaoh, a High Elf born into the royalty of the Vilaskis Dynasty, spent a majority of his Childhood being taught all there was to know about ruling over a vast and connected Nation. The only problem was this: The Mad Pharaoh (or Vynalos) was destined to rule over a desolate and wind-swept realm of sand and sun. At a young age, an advisor of Vynalos (As he was known) who went by the name of Rez’ Coryn, spent a great deal of time raising and teaching the young emperor. Unknown to the Vilaskis Dynasty and to Vynalos was that this Rez’Coryn would be the start of the end of such a lush and prominent landscape. The Advisor to the Emperor spent the first 100 years of Vynalos’ life pushing him into a certain direction of belief. Unbenounced to the remaining members of the Vilaskis Dynasty Council, Rez’coryn was slowly feeding dogmas and beliefs of a certain religion called (Tel’zorex’ Visage) to the future destroyer of the dynasty. It seemed that every act to stop this sort of prophecy did nothing to halt the progress of corruption. It was only a matter of time before evil had taken control of Vynalos, and on one fateful day, the assassination of the current ruler of the Vilaskis Dynasty, Tornyx Highbarrow, was committed, and The new Emperor took possession of the Dynasty. Unknown to this new ruler was what Rez’Coryn was actively pushing into the depths of the capital of the Vilaskis Dynasty. It seems that in the burial chambers under the city was hidden an ancient ritual that was so immense and dangerous that the ancestors hid it away, attempting to keep the eyes of curious individuals away.
However, The Weaver, as he soon came to be called, discovered it thanks to the divination of his chosen religion. In research and study, The Weaver found a way to complete this ritual, and take full control over the entire Dynasty within the span of a day. The only issue was that someone of noble blood had to go through a process of change and devotion willingly in order to complete it. Luckily, The Weaver had set up a perfect vessel for this ritual to take effect: Emperor Vynolis. After a very short few years of establishing reign, The Weaver came to his new emperor with a proposition that would change the fate of the Dynasty forever. With anticipation, Vynolis followed the steps of The Weaver down into the sacred burial chambers of the ancestors, and with a process that took multiple days, the Elegant High-Elf Emperor took on a new appearance: The first Jackle-Headed Marru. This new “Pharaoh '' stood at 9 feet tall, completely morphed into a muscular being of pure hatred, composed of rage and wild intent. His head was no longer like that of a noble high elf, but instead resembled a nightmarish long-nosed black-scaled jackle of the deserts. Along with this transformation came an artifact that some believe was gifted by none other than Tel’zorex, The God of the Desert and Despair. The artifact is known as the Sun’s Embrace, a Staff made of the Purest Gold, curving and twisted upward into a single amber gem at the top. Now that Vynolis had accepted this amazing gift of power, he had to accomplish a simple task in return, which involved climbing to the highest, most centralized building within the Capital of the Dynasty. Once there, a simple thrust of the staff into the roof of the building would empart the power of Tel’zorex’s home realm onto the beautiful lands of the Dynasty. Within the span of a day, hundreds upon hundreds of square miles were turned into a wasteland expanse of sand, clay, and sun. Native forests of the region were completely decimated, villages and cities alike lost all of their farmlands, leading to famine and death. Soon after the Great Scouring of the lands, many of the Nations Cities responded with force in order to stop the Mad Pharaoh, and attempted to reverse what had happened. However, the attacks against him were futile, for the entirety of the inhabitants that lived there were all turned into Jackal-headed Versions of the Mad Pharaoh, and these creatures obeyed their new ruler and fought tirelessly to defend him. Entire armies of the surrounding surviving cities were decimated and scattered with every battle, until the landscape was ravaged and scarred. It seemed that this Tyranny of the Sun (Era) would never end. After 800 years of conquest and control, wars and rebellions, the Mad Pharaoh was finally defeated, and The Weaver disappeared and was never seen again. The surviving cultists and extremists of the Mad Pharaoh with one final effort sealed him and his collection of material goods away in a tomb hidden by the ever-shifting wastes of the Scorched Sands. To this day, the Scorched Sands still hide the Mad Pharaoh’s Hoard, and no one has ever uncovered it, though many have tried. The last known remnants, scrolls, and history tombs of the Vilaskis Dynasty lie scattered amongst the ruins of the past cities, temples, and graveyards. The only source of the past that one could begin their research into the Mad Pharaoh and the times that came before would be in the Sacred Vaults of Al-Faji, though none but the closest of Al-Faji’s Rulers can enter.
The Mad Pharaoh, a High Elf born into the royalty of the Vilaskis Dynasty, spent a majority of his Childhood being taught all there was to know about ruling over a vast and connected Nation. The only problem was this: The Mad Pharaoh (or Vynalos) was destined to rule over a desolate and wind-swept realm of sand and sun. At a young age, an advisor of Vynalos (As he was known) who went by the name of Rez’ Coryn, spent a great deal of time raising and teaching the young emperor. Unknown to the Vilaskis Dynasty and to Vynalos was that this Rez’Coryn would be the start of the end of such a lush and prominent landscape. The Advisor to the Emperor spent the first 100 years of Vynalos’ life pushing him into a certain direction of belief. Unbenounced to the remaining members of the Vilaskis Dynasty Council, Rez’coryn was slowly feeding dogmas and beliefs of a certain religion called (Tel’zorex’ Visage) to the future destroyer of the dynasty. It seemed that every act to stop this sort of prophecy did nothing to halt the progress of corruption. It was only a matter of time before evil had taken control of Vynalos, and on one fateful day, the assassination of the current ruler of the Vilaskis Dynasty, Tornyx Highbarrow, was committed, and The new Emperor took possession of the Dynasty. Unknown to this new ruler was what Rez’Coryn was actively pushing into the depths of the capital of the Vilaskis Dynasty. It seems that in the burial chambers under the city was hidden an ancient ritual that was so immense and dangerous that the ancestors hid it away, attempting to keep the eyes of curious individuals away.
However, The Weaver, as he soon came to be called, discovered it thanks to the divination of his chosen religion. In research and study, The Weaver found a way to complete this ritual, and take full control over the entire Dynasty within the span of a day. The only issue was that someone of noble blood had to go through a process of change and devotion willingly in order to complete it. Luckily, The Weaver had set up a perfect vessel for this ritual to take effect: Emperor Vynolis. After a very short few years of establishing reign, The Weaver came to his new emperor with a proposition that would change the fate of the Dynasty forever. With anticipation, Vynolis followed the steps of The Weaver down into the sacred burial chambers of the ancestors, and with a process that took multiple days, the Elegant High-Elf Emperor took on a new appearance: The first Jackle-Headed Marru. This new “Pharaoh '' stood at 9 feet tall, completely morphed into a muscular being of pure hatred, composed of rage and wild intent. His head was no longer like that of a noble high elf, but instead resembled a nightmarish long-nosed black-scaled jackle of the deserts. Along with this transformation came an artifact that some believe was gifted by none other than Tel’zorex, The God of the Desert and Despair. The artifact is known as the Sun’s Embrace, a Staff made of the Purest Gold, curving and twisted upward into a single amber gem at the top. Now that Vynolis had accepted this amazing gift of power, he had to accomplish a simple task in return, which involved climbing to the highest, most centralized building within the Capital of the Dynasty. Once there, a simple thrust of the staff into the roof of the building would empart the power of Tel’zorex’s home realm onto the beautiful lands of the Dynasty. Within the span of a day, hundreds upon hundreds of square miles were turned into a wasteland expanse of sand, clay, and sun. Native forests of the region were completely decimated, villages and cities alike lost all of their farmlands, leading to famine and death. Soon after the Great Scouring of the lands, many of the Nations Cities responded with force in order to stop the Mad Pharaoh, and attempted to reverse what had happened. However, the attacks against him were futile, for the entirety of the inhabitants that lived there were all turned into Jackal-headed Versions of the Mad Pharaoh, and these creatures obeyed their new ruler and fought tirelessly to defend him. Entire armies of the surrounding surviving cities were decimated and scattered with every battle, until the landscape was ravaged and scarred. It seemed that this Tyranny of the Sun (Era) would never end. After 800 years of conquest and control, wars and rebellions, the Mad Pharaoh was finally defeated, and The Weaver disappeared and was never seen again. The surviving cultists and extremists of the Mad Pharaoh with one final effort sealed him and his collection of material goods away in a tomb hidden by the ever-shifting wastes of the Scorched Sands. To this day, the Scorched Sands still hide the Mad Pharaoh’s Hoard, and no one has ever uncovered it, though many have tried. The last known remnants, scrolls, and history tombs of the Vilaskis Dynasty lie scattered amongst the ruins of the past cities, temples, and graveyards. The only source of the past that one could begin their research into the Mad Pharaoh and the times that came before would be in the Sacred Vaults of Al-Faji, though none but the closest of Al-Faji’s Rulers can enter.
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