Rukhmar

The Firebird

"It is said that once the graves had finished being dug, she visited each one last time. Then, without warning, she raised her wings and took flight to the west; leaving Pasdjit behind, never to return. Where the Firebird travelled, none can say; and none have seen her since."

— Account from 864 Re

Rukhmar, known to most as Rukhmar the Firebird, was a being that resided within Pretheya from the early 6th century Re up until the year 864 Re. Considered one of, if not the single most important figure in the continent's history; she played an integral role in numerous pivotal events throughout the continent's history, and her legacy is considered to be in large part responsible for the current state of all affairs in Pretheya. On a direct level, she is considered primarily responsible for the development of Rastilan culture; for kickstarting the chain of events that would lead the people of Holy Valley to secede from The Grannrormrlen; and for her role in defeating Lyri the Mad's army during The Battle of Pasdjit.
She is worshipped as the sole deity of Shahru, Pretheya's largest religion; adherents of which believe that she is an all-powerful being, responsible for the creation of the world and all life upon it. Independently of this, she is seen as a symbol of resistance against the Ormr, and one of opposition to the Leskeln; while many followers of Gaulir view her as an evil being responsible for the collapse of the Grannrormrlen and the destruction of their way of life.
The only mortals that she is known to have had close personal relationships with were the members of the Band of the Phoenix; including Isalendar the Huntress, Lihwen the Hero, Vardaran the Esoterikos, Tengere of Ganthrat, and Darlack of Elwynn. After the majority of them were killed during the Battle of Pasdjit, she supposedly took flight and left the country a year later in 863 Re. Her destination, as well as what became of her, is unknown; and there have been no credible sighting of her in the flesh since.

Appearance

"In Her form she embodied the visage of the sun; radiant, beautiful, and blinding, all in equal measure."

— Unknown

Very few firsthand sources from the time of Rukhmar's presence on the continent survive to speak about her appearance, and of those that do remain, it is difficult to draw a clear picture from them. Generally speaking, all sources agree that Rukhmar bore the shape of a large red bird. The type of bird which she resembled is heavily debated, with most sources comparing her to birds of prey; in particular falcons, eagles, and more rarely vultures. It is clear, however, that these descriptions seem to have been shorthand attempts to compare her to a familiar creature; and in reality it is thought that she did not closely resemble any known species of bird or other animal in Pretheya.
A number of sources do, however, speak to some specific details about her appearance. She is frequently described as having a 'crown' of feathers around her neck and head, and some sources describe her feathers as being partly black in places in addition to red. She is also said to have had feet that were covered in scales made of stone, and many sources describe her talons as being either 'as sharp as obsidian knives', or literally made of obsidian.

Part of a series on

Shahru

a

1. Shahru
2. Rukhmar
3. The Firebird Church
4. Doctrine of Shahru
5. Intercession
6. Rukhmarite Mythology
7. History of Shahru

Rukhmar

Race: Unique
Gender: Depicted as female
Alternate Names: Has a number of different regional names
Titles: The Firebird

Physical Characteristics

Form: All surviving accounts describe her as resembling a giant red bird, similar to a falcon
Appearance: Described as being 'beautiful like the morning sun', said to have possessed feathers 'that dripped with liquid flame'
Height: Thought to have been around 20-30~ ft tall

Life

First Seen: 515 Re
Last Seen: 863 Re
Status: Unknown, believed in Shahru to now reside within the Heaven of Flames

Physiology

The most noteworthy quality of Rukhmar is her alleged immortality; a trait she shares only with the Ormr and Fyrstbairn. Unlike the two elder races, however, her immortality is said not to have come in the form of physical invulnerability; but rather in the fact that she is completely unable to die. While known to be vulnerable to harm by mortal means, as demonstrated when she was hunted for multiple years by the Rastilan people, she is alleged to have recovered from any injuries

sustained in a matter of moments. Additionally, regardless of how severe the injuries in question were, she would always fully regenerate; even in the case that entire parts of her body were destroyed, such as via arcanums or siege weapons. This quality presumably also extends to death via old age; given that she is known to have lived for at least 300 years, which is longer than any non-Wyrm creature is known to be able to survive.
She is also said to have constantly secreted a flame-like substance, described in most accounts as 'liquid fire', from her feathers. The substance in question is described to have burned the same way that fire did, but to have had the qualities of a liquid; being capable of moving when detached from her body and allegedly having the tendency to get stuck to objects. It is described as exceptionally lethal, with there being no way to remove it from a person's body once it comes in contact with it, and to have burned all the way through to the bone.

A feather alleged to have belonged to Rukhmar; displayed within the Alight's palace in the Vestaltir

Species

Another trait of comparable significance to Rukhmar's immortality is the fact that she is thought to have been an entirely unique being; with no other creatures in any way resembling her having ever been seen. It is unclear, therefore, what - if any - species she is, and whether there are others like her. The circumstances behind her birth, or whether she was even born in the first place, are similarly unknown. Particularly noteworthy in this regard is the fact that she does not seem to have been a creation of the Wyrms; with recovered correspondence from the Grannrormrlen between two Fyrstbairn governors suggesting that neither knew, nor had ever heard of any creature like her.

History

Rukhmar is first recorded to have appeared in Zemet in the year 515 Re during the middle of summer. The first sighting of her was within the east of Holy Valley, where she was first observed catching and eating a boar. How it is that she came to be within the valley is largely unknown: Most non-theological explanations posit that she must have flown to it from elsewhere, but the plausibility

of theory is dubious for a number of reasons; chiefly that Rukhmar is believed to have been a poor flier, and that to and to travel from the outside of Zemet to the Holy Valley would have required a flight of more than 200 kilometres, far more than what most sources posit her to have been capable of. Indeed, later evidence would suggest that she was incapable of surmounting the 5,000m high Bulwark mountains that surrounded the valley; which would render any such journey impossible.
A short time after her discovery by the human population of the valley, the Fyrstbairn governor of Holy Valley - Threfoeifi - would be made aware of her presence. Spurred on by reports of the numerous fires she had allegedly caused, they made the decision to travel out into the jungle and attempt to slay her; deeming her a threat too dangerous to be left to roam the valley. Threfoeifi

View of a part of the inner side of the Bulwark

departed with a retinue of warriors the next day, and then travelled for roughly a week to where Rukhmar had last been seen. After several more days spent tracking her, the Fyrstbairn finally set eyes upon her on the 16th of Ofrithr. The chronicler Mantun of Wozal describes their encounter in the following terms:

"The governor stepped forward and raised eir head, and a moment later, a bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, and struck the creature squarely; piercing it through its torso. It did not let out so much as a whimper as it collapsed to the ground; and we, believing that it was dead, made to approach it. Yet when we arrived next to it, the creature rose up onto its feet as if unharmed, and lunging towards Threfoeifi tore out eir throat."

— Mantun of Wozal

This event catalysed the Rastilan people to attempt to separate from the Grannrormrlen, and they would successfully gain their independence several months later. In the months after her killing of Threfoeifi, Rukhmar came to be revered by the Rastilans for her role in helping them defeat the Wyrms, and they began to bring her offerings of meat as thanks. In the following centuries, this would evolve into full-on worship; as Rukhmar came to be seen as the patron deity of the Rastilans, replacing their former forced worship of the Ormr.
For her part, this would represent the beginning of a time of peace for Rukhmar: For the next 330~ years, she would continue to live in Holy Valley and would reside there largely unmolested; with the Rastilans refraining from making any attempts to trifle with her. The other fauna that lived within the region were unable to pose any serious threat to her, and so it is presumed that she simply went about her life; hunting other animals for food and migrating from place to place within the confines of the Bulwark.

Reign of King Dazaryin

This period came to an end with the accession of the new Rastilan king Dazaryin in 847 Re. By the time of his crowning, the Rastilan religion had changed drastically from its original form in the 6th century; having coming to incorporate certain new beliefs about the nature of living beings. One of these was the idea that the act of consumption had mystical qualities, and that humans could come to obtain the characteristics of other animals by eating them.
Though usually interpreted metaphorically, Dazaryin was a literal believer in this idea, and came to believe that he could achieve immortality if he were to successfully kill and then eat Rukhmar. In a drastic shift in paradigm from how Rukhmar had been treated up until then, Dazaryin ordered the beginning of numerous hunts aimed at capturing

or killing the Firebird. At first dozens, and later hundreds of Rastilan soldiers were mobilised to attempt to slay her and bring her heart to Dazaryin for consumption. These attempts played out over the course of around a decade, and were all unsuccessful; ranging from bloodless failures, to outright catastrophes that left dozens dead.

Intervention of Lihwen's Men

The hunts only ceased in the year 858 Re when a group of cullers from the Grannrormrlen, lead by a man named Lihwen of Pasdjit, defied orders and mounted an operation to rescue Rukhmar from Holy Valley. Originally sent to the region as part of a diplomatic mission, their task had been to guard an Ofirar ambassador sent to treat with the king of the Rastilans in an attempt to convince him to rejoin the Grannrormrlen. Upon learning of the hunts orchestrated by king Dazaryin, however,

Fate of Dazaryin

Rukhmar's escape from Holy Valley was seen as a divine punishment levelled against Dazaryin for his hubris. The departure of their goddess shattered the Rastilan peoples' faith in their king, and four years after her departure, Dazaryin was dragged out of his palace by an angry mob and torn apart in the street; where his remains were cooked and then eaten.

they instead opted to discard their original mission and went rogue, attempting to orchestrate an escape from the valley with Rukhmar in tow.
Their attempt was a success, and Rukhmar was smuggled out of the valley alongside Lihwen and his companions. There, she embarked on a long journey aside her new companions to attempt to reach the land of Pasdjit. Little is known about the specifics of the route that she and her group took, but it is known that they arrived at their destination in the year 859 Re.

Time With the Band of the Phoenix

Rukhmar seems to have decided to stay with the group after arriving in Pasdjit. After arriving in the country, the group began taking up work as cullers in order to provide for themselves; which Rukhmar joined them on. To represent this change, the group - which had formally been known as Lihwen's Men during their time serving the Grannrormrlen - took on the new name the Band of the Phoenix. For the next two and a half years, the group travelled across Pasdjit, slaying beasts that threatened villages and performing other peacekeeping activities.
The presence of Rukhmar with the group quickly brought the Band of the Phoenix to the attention of the king of Pasdjit; who came to favour them both for the story of their impressive escape from Holy Valley, and the tales of Lihwen's exploits during his time as a Grannr culler. They would go on to receive numerous tasks directly from the crown, and by the turn of the year into 862 Re, the band had become famous and well-liked across the entire country.

The Battle of Pasdjit & Departure

In the year 682 Re, Lyri of Grestvyt marched upon Pasdjit at the head of an army of Leskeln. She attempted to treat with the king of Pasdjit to secure passage for her army, stating that her intention was merely to pass through the country to bypass an opposing Grannr force; but the negotiations quickly fell through, and battle became inevitable.
The Band of the Phoenix were drawn up to participate in the engagement; which came to be known as the Battle of Pasdjit. During the battle, Rukhmar participated by setting alight many of the opposing Leskeln; her presence supposedly causing such panic among the Leskeln that those who were not immediately caught in the blaze turned

and fled. Seeing this, the human portion of the army began to break, and soon the entire army of Ethlarnashem was in a rout.
The victory at the Battle of Pasdjit was not without losses, however. Of the originally six-strong Band of the Phoenix, only three had survived, counting Rukhmar; with Lihwen, Isalendar, and Darlack having perished in the fighting. Isalendar's death was particularly significant: As the only Speaker in Pasdjit at the time, her passing left Rukhmar bereft of a translator, and rendered her unable to communicate with the surviving members of the Band or anyone else.
For this reason, it is unknown how Rukhmar reacted to the death of her comrades. After the conclusion of the battle, she remained in Pasdjit for several more months, before departing one day to fly west. It is unknown what became of her after this.

A statue of Lihwen, erected at the site of his grave

Role in the Creation of Shahru

TBD

Cultural Conceptions

TBD