A Monument For Her Ashes

A Monument For Her Ashes is an ancient fantastical story etched into a multitude of stone tablets. Written by ancient philosopher Panayiotis Makrou, the story is believed to be a dramatized tale of a relationship between Enhuanna Ellat and a blonde haired emperor, who's identity is never revealed but speculated through description to be Gavius Asina. The tablets are currently held in a vault owned by the Levial Theocracy, the general story is known however, the crucial details are only for the eyes of The Six Ministers of the Doctrine.

The Lonely Emperor

The story essentially depicts a relationship between Enhuanna and an emperor. The text emphasises the fact that this emperor was a powerful man, who single handily erected a great empire from the ashes of its former rulers. Although he was considered tyrannical by neighbouring nations and his enemies, the text dismisses this claiming that those who lived within his reach, truly believed in his words despite his harsh and dismissive vocabulary. The citizens of his empire felt safe and were happy under his rule, his advisors and servants practically worshipped him, believing he would only bring down the hand of judgement for the greater good of his empire.
Despite being loved, respected and feared, the emperor was alone. He became accustomed to the belief that he was above all others and there was not a person that walked the realm, who could truly be his friend, lover or equal. The emperor did not put his full trust in anyone, constantly analysing his subordinates and overworking himself, believing he was the only one competent enough to make every decision.
As the years past the emperor would find an individual who peaked his interest more than any he had ever met, a woman named Pyramus Enhuanna Ellat. A descendant of the ancient Ellat family, warriors who apparently negotiated with gods and won the realm for the Races that walk it. Pyramus had gained relevancy in the empire through her teachings, her words were against the gods. Through her preaching and small following, she gained enough traction to earn the emperors attention. When the two met, they had a unique chemistry in which the emperor had not experienced before, they would begin interacting more often until Pyramus Enhuanna Ellat became the first and only friend of the emperor.
The text describes the time period in which the emperor and Enhuanna were friends as a golden period, together they raised the empire to the greatest heights. Defeating various enemies and gaining control of the whole Reelonain Constellation. The people of the empire lived in a utopia defended by an unbreakable bond.

The Greatest of Feats

The text describes that the time in which the story takes place is a period where divine intervention of the gods was common and connections to planes of other existences were easily traversable, making the realm entirely different from what it is in modern times. Fast forward ten years from the point the emperor and Enhuanna met, the underworld makes a critical error, allowing their horrific guardsman to escape to the material plane, an undead dragon known as Death Praiser.
Death Praiser was a threat to the whole realm, a foe that was capable of trampling the empire and all those who lived within it. The dragon possessed the power of summoning hordes of fallen spirits to fight beside it and its plan was to claim the realm for itself. The emperor was well aware of the catastrophe that was to come and conversated with the gods of the underworld, asking them to retrieve their rabid dog. The discussion between the two sides would eventually turn into negotiations as the gods did not wish to travel to the material plane, eventually Enhuanna would convince the emperor that the gods were of no help and they must slay the threat themselves.
Both the emperor and Pyramus would rally the armies of the empire, 60,000 strong, well trained soldiers would ride by their side towards Death Praiser. The text claims the battle would last for 60 days, losing 1,000 men per day until only the emperor and Pyramus were left standing. Together they would defeat the undead dragon and once again bring safety to the Constellation.

The Last Intervention

A couple months had passed since the empires victory over Death Praiser and their historical reign continued with little resistance. The gods of the material plane however, found the emperors victory so impressive that they would reward him. The gods knew that his empire would eventually need a successor and his relationship with Enduanna was not one in which a son would be produced. This led to the gods providing the perfect partner to the emperor, Kaphion, The Greater Goddess of Love, Beauty and Reproduction. Kaphion was capable of changing her appearance to what an individual desired most and planned to ascend down from her godly seat in order to offer her hand in marriage to the emperor, allowing his bloodline to become divine. The emperor was well aware that with this his children would become demi-gods and his empire would remain for eternity.
Although the emperor knew that the opportunity to become divine was one that had never been presented in history to a mortal, he would still consult his only ever friend, Pyramus before Kaphion was scheduled to meet with him. Enduanna would tell the emperor that despite the opportunity of marrying a god seemed like a blessing, there was more to it. She would explain that her ancestors had dealt with the gods before and they were supreme strategist just like the emperor himself, she assumed that the marriage was an act of fear, that the gods had realised the potential threat that his empire had become and how powerful he was.
In the night Kaphion would descend from the skies and land before the emperors palace, in her first from, a gorgeous woman with luscious black hair. Both the goddess and the emperor would walk the streets of his grand empire, conversating before reaching his holy ground of worship, once there Kaphion would offer herself to the emperor and tell him she wished for his hand in marriage. At this time the emperors mind was filled with possibilities, stemming from his conversation with Pyramus earlier. The man would tell the goddess that he needed a few days to think about an offer of such magnitude, the goddess would accept his decision and ascend back into her domain. This was the first of the three commandments in which the emperor defied, denying a god, as it was a wish, not an offer.
In the coming days Kaphion would return, noticing a slight change in the emperors tastes, the goddess would find this confusing, how could the man's image of his ideal woman change in such a short amount of time? Never the less she would change her appearance to suit it, descending down in her second form, a woman with fire red hair and crimson eyes that matched the emperors. Once again, after walking the pristine streets of the empire, she would be told to return at a later time for the emperors decision. Kaphion was baffled, even in her own plane, she had never been turned away by another entity, her beauty was incomparable.
Before Kaphion's third coming, the emperor and Pyramus would discuss the outcome of denying the goddess completely, in which Enduanna would tell the emperor that the gods are stubborn and proud. If he was to deny their offer, the gods may not take it so lightly. Three days would pass until Kaphion would decide to return for the emperors decision, during her descension however, the goddess noticed something that she had never experienced before, the emperors deepest desire had changed to something she could not replicate or understand. Kaphion would become desperate and assume a third form based on her opinion of what the emperor would desire. The form of a silver haired elven woman.
Upon meeting with the emperor, they would follow the same routine as the previous two interactions. Once they had reached the religious grounds, Kaphion would for the third time, wish for the emperor to take her hand in marriage in her third form. In response the emperor would utter his final words to her:

A great man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not the desire of a woman. The offer you and your fellow gods present to me is shallow and lacking, if I want to achieve divinity, I will do it myself. I am the emperor of the greatest empire there will ever be, I achieved this without intervention. Many centuries ago, the races of this realm worshiped cats as gods and yet they say we are the playthings of gods? I have not forgotten this, I stand above the cat now. I need not your help.

Kaphion found herself in disbelieve and shock, tears would stream down her face as she ascended back into the sky.

The Sword of the Four Continents

After being rejected, Kaphion would inform the other gods in tears, saying a man who can make a god cry, must be punished. Together the gods would declare a punishment fitting for the first ever man to make a god cry, summoning Rapulse to cause the emperors only friend to contract a horrific disease.
Meanwhile the emperor and Enduanna were situated within the palace enjoying the finest wine, when suddenly Pyramus would begin excreting a vile green puss like liquid from every pore in her face. Just like their battle with Death Praiser, the disease would cause Pyramus excruciating pain for 60 days, in that time the emperor could do nothing but stay by her side and watch her slowly die, finding it ironic that in times like this, most people would wish for some sort of divine intervention.
Whilst sitting beside Enduanna's death bed, the emperor would not cry but promise to make the after life a paradise for her. In her dying minutes Enduanna would tell the emperor:

The gods are only unjust because they have no consequences. You must become the Sword of the Four Continents and liberate the realm from the wrath of the unjust gods, you are my emperor and I have always believed that this empire you built, was more holy than the divine planes. My ancestors gifted me with the opportunity to name the fifth man to lead the realm against the gods. Thus my emperor, I no longer will know you as ████████ ██████████ █████, but ████ █████ of the Fifth Hemengloby. Do not fear a death similar to mine, my final breaths will be to inform you of the Kernal.

Pyramus Enduanna Ellat would die shortly after, in this moment the emperor would realise that he did not desire godhood or realm wide domination, his heart only wished for their bond to last forever and now that it was impossible, he would live his life avenging it.

Total Divine Battlefront

After the death of Pyramus, the emperor would not mourn but instead make preparations, sending out messengers to every inch of his empire to inform of his plans to avenge his desire. His first move against the gods would be to break another of the three commandments, mocking the gods by claiming his empire was the only holy place in existence and renaming it to The Holy ████ Empire.
Next the emperor would personally travel to the port city of his lands, Oppidum Exspiravit, to meet with a group of mysterious witches known as The Clattanoia Sisterhood. Once there he would demand the absolute loyalty of the witches and as a reward, erect them a great Painite Temple next to his palace. The emperor did not seek out the Sisterhood to learn their magic, but instead to use their vast knowledge to better understand the Kernal.
The sorcerers took a liking to the emperor and became fully invested in his cause. In order to further develop their relationship, the Sisterhood assigned a member to personally stay by his side at all times and provide support if he ran into trouble throughout his travels back to his palace. This sister was called the Raven Sister, which the emperor found amusing. A raven being a creature that symbolises loss yet also represents prophecy and insight with many believing they connect the material world with the world of spirits.
It would take five long years for the emperor to erect his army of 200,000 men, featuring powerful individuals such as Duimad Zayne, Karmine Draakon Bender and Visha Magnolia along with the members of the Sisterhood. Unfortunately the gods were not sitting idly. Kelemvor would raise an army of the dead to attack the great holy empire and begin the Total Divine Battlefront.
Years would pass and hundreds of thousands would fall, gods and mortals. The emperor would slay over 10,000 gods, marching through the underworld and the overworld, causing chaos wherever he went. After defeating many powerful gods such as Covakin, Meiena and Opendsetbirtalpis, the emperor would reach the one which he desired most, Rapulse. Once the dust from his battle with the god of Disease and Incidental Death concluded, the emperor would return to his land.

A Monument For Her Ashes

Once he had returned to his empire, the emperor decided to leave one last mark on the realm, he decided he would create a god. He would task 20,000 workers with creating a monument so large it would touch the clouds, It would be constructed atop the burial site of his only friend, Pyramus Enduanna Ellat. Throughout it's construction the emperor would trickle the 10,000 hearts of the gods he had slain within the statue. Before attacking the gods, the emperor had defied two of the three commandments, with the last being broken when he drew sword against the divine beings.
The gods would declare the emperor as a Deviant of the Three Commandments and send an elite force of powerful gods to defeat him, known as the Collection of the Six. Knowing of this, the emperor was aware that with his depleted force, they stood no chance of claiming victory against the six. Instead he would command his empire to vacate the Reelonian Constellation and spread across the three other continents. The Sisterhood decided to relocate to the tropical jungle continent of Maronja, his elven population would travel to The Isles of Isaiath and everyone else would settle with The Lands of VeCoastal.
After his empire disbursed, the emperor spent his last few weeks sitting below his gigantic monument, proud of what he had accomplished for the realm. Sophisticated life only existed in the Constellation and now because of him three continents would be sprawling with civilisation and eventually those who retreated underground to South Warren, would repopulate the Constellation.
When the six arrived, the emperor would watch, sitting on the steps leading up to the base of the monument, as the gods destroyed everything in their path in route to him. When they finally reached him, he stood, alone as he had been before and after Enduanna. With a devious smile on his face, the emperor would say:

I am the Deviant of the Three Commandments, a man who brought punishment to those who were deemed unpunishable. I severed life from 10,000 gods, I proved man is the decider of their own fate not the gods. You stand before the monument of Pyramus Enhuanna Ellat, a woman who's prayers you answered, your punishment to a single man changed the realm forever. I lived my life honestly and honoured the true love that I've had, I have no regrets.
You may succeed in killing me, maybe the realm will eventually forget about me, but now your connection is weaker, you can not torment the innocent. What I did was not for myself but for my only friend, her wish was that the next generation would not be hindered by some unjust being and through my selfishness, she achieved that wish.

The emperors words is the last writing within the text.

Type

Text, Literature

Medium

Stone

Myth

The Great Two Empires

Location

The Reelonain Constellation

Authors

• Panayiotis Makrou

Signatories (Characters)

• Duimad Zayne
• Kotryna Villius
• Leva Silvija

Monument of Enhuanna