The Death of Coryduin and Kotzuiyrn

"Skarzvard? He was one of mine."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Skarzvard was one of my priesthood. As Coryduin was. You do know who he was at least?"
"Yes, I know who Coryduin was."

— Kotzuiyrn to Mathias Skarzvard and Valeska, though mostly to Mathias

---

HALT ACCIDENTS TO POWER/BORN INTO POWER SOMEHOW PLAYER

The following contents are campaign spoilers, if you are my players, tread with care and caution, I have faith in your ability to not metagame, but consider this your warning for unmarked spoilers will exist below the Spoiler Box

Summary

Saint Antral marched forward, the blade forged by a redeemed Adrakians priest in her hand. The False God spew flames at her and insults, but she was protected by The Lady of the true Thydian gods.
She came to the imposter in good faith, alone as requested. He did not, and brought his High Priest, the Lich, to try and ensnare her. Styn, shielded her with his divine magic, as her faith was strong.
She drove the blade into the heart of both the priest and then the dragon, proving the truth.
What deity could be slain by a mere mortal?

Historical Basis

This myth is based on the Fall of The Adrakian Empire. Thydians claim the fall came about at Saint Antral's hands and actions, while other peoples of Soplas claim other factors or leaders were the true cause of the Empire's fall.
The Order of Forged Light has Coryduin's Bane in their vaults. Or they did until Edvin Skarzvard stole it, and now they're searching for him and his son to recover the blade.
A party of adventurers has found Skarzvard's Blade, which is inhabited by the soul of Koztuiyrn, and he described that both Coryuduin and himself had been each sealed away in the same event into swords - himself into the Skarzvard Blade, and Coryduin into Coryduin's Bane - by the actions of Skarzvard. The Skarzvard Blade had been stored away in a vault of the Archives in Bastadina since shortly after the fall of the Adrakian Empire. The vault had been unopenable until the lock had been unlocked by a pair of curious members of the party, over two thousand years since it was last used.

High Priest Coryduin was always manipulating others, and now he sought to manipulate a god. If the cunning snake were manipulating the Unfettered Gear, or the Jealous, the War Priest Skarzvard would almost not care. But for Coryduin to manipulate the Razing, who would sweep from the skies and burn the Empire free of enemies? He wanted to snarl at the other man's hubris.
He looked to his hands and prayed for the forgiveness he knew he'd not be granted. There were laws he had to break, before Coryduin drove the Empire into ruins. He knew the signs, they'd been passed down from his mother to him, as he passed them down to his children in turn, but he had learned them as signs to avoid being near.

The blade was a simple one, unlike his primary weapon, the one Coryduin had forced out of his hands and now rested at the feet of the statue. He lifted his current humble weapon, his first weapon made when he was a child. This weapon's crafting drew the eyes of Kotzuiyrn to him. This weapon's alteration would undoubtedly draw his god's wrath now.
"You're a fool, Skarzvard. You cannot see what is before you."
He looked up again and held the blade out. "I do not need sight when I have faith in our god's vision. Faith you clearly do not share when you try to usurp him."
The other priest chuckled. "Then you will die."
He stood over the remains of his former friend, the simple blade extracting the soul. A bright light flashed, and the glowing light of Coryduin's soul tried to escape before being pulled into the blade at the claws of Kotzuiyrn's statue.
It was over.

Show spoiler

Skarzvard lowered his hand to his side where Coryduin, his once-friend, had burned him, and prayed for healing. The burn did not heal.
"No." Skarzvard looked up to the draconic statue. "He was trying to usurp you. Why do you turn you gaze away from me? Smite me if I have angered you, but tell me something!"
The blaze within his heart where he had felt Kotzuiyrn's presence was cold, confused.
Who are you? Who am I?
He lowered his gaze and shook. The body of his former friend shifted form, growing red scales and in size.
"No."
He looked back at the sword in his hand, and his favored blade at the statue's feet. The faint glowing ties from the dying body to both blades chilled him further.
He slew Coryduin to save Soplas from their god's wrath influenced by the now dead High Priest. He slew his friend to save them from the misguided influences of mortals.
He slew his god, and put his divine soul into two blades.
He slew his god.
He was the heretic now. Nowhere would he be safe.
He shook as he looked to his once-god.
"For what kind of god," he spat as he picked up the other weapon, "could be slain by a mere man? Her gods are no more real to me than your divine prowess, but I have no choice."
Who are you? Who am I?

— The Historical Event

Spread

The official version is the most known as it's the version that is taught as history. The version where Skarzvard was the one who did the deed was only loosely passed down the Skarzvard line as the origin of Coryduin's Bane was a point of pride among the descendents of Skarzvard. The Skarzvard Blade was originally taken from the family Manor by one of his sons who fled south to Tormyra and found their way into Bastadina, changing their name as the border between Theydim and Tormyra would shift and the family didn't want their Adrakian heritage to be reason for their extermination.
The true evidence contradicting the officially taught version is the Skarzvard Blade, inhabited by Kotzuiyrn who had forgotten his identity after being sealed into the Blade, as he was Coryduin. However, Kotzuiyrn has had his soul shattered and scattered. Within the Skarzvard Blade, the fragment of Kotzuiyrn that more represented his relaxed state, the persona he generally wore while he was Coryduin to make people willing to be around him or lower their guards around him, including the ability to communicate within people's minds and shielding people after a period of influence with him.
Within Coryduin's Bane, his more emotionally extreme fragment had been sealed. The fragment within Coryduin's Bane has the ability to influence minds around him, usually agitating them into paranoia and lashing out for perceived wrongs.

Variations & Mutation

The Skarzvard Family told a variant where their ancestor Skarzvard had slain Coryduin, but there was no mention of Kotzuiyrn's death in the act, and descendants at various times have been more outspoken in their distaste for Saint Antral. The Skarzvard family usually tries to stay quiet about their controversial negative view of Saint Antral, but the story has passed on with the feeling of Saint Antral taking credit for others' work.

"Saint Antral. Ugh."

— Scruffems, the player of Mathias Skarzvard as the Game Master waxes on about Saint Antral, again

Cultural Reception

Outside of Theydim, Saint Antral is seen as a rebellion leader who aided the destruction of a falling empire. In-fighting has been recorded as happening within the priesthoods of the Dragon-Gods, so upon hearing that a priest of Kotzuiyrn had killed another priest of high standing, and then killed Kotzuiyrn in the process, seems more believable than the rebel "Saint."

Name Pronunciation Guide (English-based)
Skarzvard - Scarz-vard
Coryduin - Cor-ee-doo-in
Kotzuiyrn - "Coat"-zwee-urn
Antral - An-tral
Adrakian - A-"drake"-ee-en
Thydian - Th-ee-dee-an
Styn - Stee-in
Edvin - Ed-vin
Bastadina - Ba-sta-dee-na
Theydim - Th-ay-dim
Tormyra - Tor-mee-ra

Related Ethnicities

• Adrakians
• Thydian

Related People

• Coryduin
• Kotzuiyrn, the Razing
• Saint Antral
• Skarzvard

Related Items

• Skarzvard's Blade