The Undying Regiment of Mt. Aksoto
The Undying Regiment of Mt. Aksoto, locally known as "Takuo's Traitors" are a mythical group of undead warriors that would roam the mountain of Mt. Aksoto, on which also a monastery stands. Reports of the men have grown rarer over the last two centuries (before 61 PB) and many aspects of their presence and the details regarding their workings has since been invented. The legend of ghastly soldiers roaming the mountains has spoken volumes to local folklore, with many songs and theater plays having since incorporated the group on Saiko.
The Legend
The legend of the Undying Regiment tells of three kingdoms in the era before the peace of the Heptarchy, The kingdom of Kilona occupying the west, the kingdom of Ozuno in the east, with the much smaller kingdom of Akosi locked between them. When war broke out between the kingdoms of Kilona and Ozuno after long era of peace, they both took to taking Akosi for themselves, turning the land in a battlefield. The civilians of the now divided Akosi were conscripted into the armies of both kingdoms, forced to fight each other. Yet when the famous Akosian sorcerer-general, Takuo Tesalashi, succesfully plotted a mass mutiny and revolted against both nations, it seemed like his country was saved from the brink of destruction. In the second year of the war, with Ozuno and Akosi already having exhausted most of their energy for the war, Ozuno finally made peace with the revolters and granted them their original lands in exchange for an alliance against Kilona. With the tables turned, a final pitched battle on the Akosian front between Takuo and the Kilonans would ensue. Yet when the hour of battle was near and Takuo's army was camping on the foot of Mt. Aksoto, a quarter of Takuo's men, paid off by the Akosi lord, betrayed their cause and suddenly attacked their countrymen, with hidden Kilonan troops springing their trap and attacking the camp. Surrounded and unprepared, all of Takuo's men died, yet before he met his fate as well, he managed to curse the traitors to never leave this mountain again, not by life and not by death. His curse would soon do its work, as coming to the aid, the army of Ozuno would destroy the Kilonan army on that same mountain the next week, with all of the traitors dying on the mountain. They still roam there to this day, bound to the mountain by Tokuo's Curse.Spinoff Legends
The Undying Regiment has, as said earlier, gained quite a bit of notoriety over the centuries, with many stories popping up on the ghastly soldiers. While few try to replace the original story, most versions of their origin do differ on details. Besides different versions of their origin, there are countless myths on more recent encounters with them, many of whom describe the "more recent" version of the regiment in a myriad of different ways. Sometimes, they are described as wise men that teach lessons about loyalty to travelers, or even save those in need in a tragic and futile attempt to reconcile with their sins. Other times, they are described as brutal monsters, committing atrocities to any that they cross. Most often however, they are seen in stories as a comment on the importance of loyalty to your oaths, people and word.
Date of First Recording
370 AZ
Date of Setting
Mt. Aksoto, Kiladochō Domain, Heptarchy of Saiko
Related Locations
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