Profiles in History: Rytheran
Rytheran of Menilesh was a nobleman of the Dericost in the days when the prince Geraine returned from his sojourn among the Falatacot, no longer weak and sickly, but strong, sleek, robust--and undead. Rytheran and his lover, the Lady Aerfalle, were among the first of the Dericost nobility to be converted by Geraine into undead like himself. Unfortunately, Geraine's skill in the Falatacot healing rituals was not as great as he supposed, and his friends whom he made undead were not, like him, sleek and healthy in appearance. Sooner or later, their undying bodies began to rot. So, in most cases, did their minds. But the primogenitor undead--the select few upon whom Geraine first worked his spells, such as Rytheran and Aerfalle--have not lost their intelligence. Though they resemble walking, speaking, rotting corpses, inside they are still the brilliant courtiers and magicians they once were, and they have had thousands of years to hone their skills.
Rytheran was one of the leaders of the Dericost faction called the Filinuvekta (Winds from Darkness), whose policy was to maintain secrecy about their power and their undead state, to rule by deceit. For centuries they prevailed over the desires of the opposing faction, the Latzimestal (Lords of the World), the warriors who had conquered Dericost by force of arms and wanted to conquer the rest of the world in the same way. For centuries the Filinuvekta faction under Geraine prevailed, so that it was long before the other civilized nations of Auberean realized that the Dericost nobility were undead.
Then came the Millennium War, in which the alliance of the Yalain and the Haebrous at last conquered Dericost. They herded the living common people into camps, and burnt the undead nobility in great fires. But Geraine, and Rytheran and Aerfalle, and many of their followers, escaped in the confusion and made their way to the little island they called Killiakta, which the Yalain called Ireth Lassel and we call Dereth.
Geraine then disappeared--as we know now, to sleep for centuries, perhaps renewing his strength, perhaps escaping boredom. Aerfalle became the leader of the Filinuvekta in his absence, and settled on the small volcanic island that was later named Aerlinthe in her honor. Rytheran set up the Mage Academy in northern Osteth, and for centuries he amused himself by training the children of the Yalain in magic--and in making the best of his students undead like himself.
In time, Geraine rose again to cause the downfall of Asheron, Bael'Zharon, and the Virindi Imperator, as has been told elsewhere; he then retired again to sleep. As Dereth shattered and re-formed into the separate archipelagoes we know today, Rytheran left the Mage Academy in Osteth and founded a new one in the wilds of Linvak Massif. With the sinking of Aerlinthe, Aerfalle also came to Linvak, and in time retired to sleep like Geraine.
Shortly after the mortal races left the Shelters to begin the reclamation of Dereth, three other undead Dericost appeared and began to harrass us. These were the Archons, former servants of Geraine, who had decided to go into business for themselves with the aid of the stolen Book of Eibhil. Before many months had passed, Rytheran turned over the Mage Academy to his student Garaena and came to Osteth to raise an army against the Archons. A battlefield was chosen in northern Osteth, and for a few dizzy months both sides had recruiting agents in Cragstone; mortal warriors could choose to sign up with Rytheran's Loyalists and attack the Archons' rebels, or to sign with the Archons and attack the Loyalists--or to do both, turn and turn about, or to do neither.
Meanwhile, some heroic adventurers exploring the mysterious portal linkages between Linvak and Arramora came upon the sleeping Aerfalle, who awoke in anger. But before she could raise her hand to destroy them, she snatched directly from their minds the news of Rytheran's battle against the Archons, and went off to awaken Geraine.
The battle began. The Archon struck down Rytheran and Aerfalle, and proclaimed themselves victors--and Geraine appeared. The Archons summoned the power of the Book of Eibhil against him; but his power was greater, and he destroyed them, took the Book, and departed into a place unknown to us. He left the battlefields of northern Osteth scarred by fire and chaos, linked by portals into other chaotic planes where valiant adventurers hunt to this day, seeking rich rewards at the cost of many educational visits to the lifestone of their choice.
Rytheran and Aerfalle had disappeared. Garaena holds the Mage Academy to this day. For a while it was wondered whether they had at last achieved the peace of the true death: but the primogenitor undead are not so easily destroyed. Recent explorers have reported sighting them both on Knorr. You yourself may one day behold Rytheran of Menilesh, champion of the Filinuvekta, faithful follower of Geraine, true lover of Aerfalle. If you do, be cautious. He is more than ten thousand years old. He is wise, and ruthless, and he cares no more for your welfare than you do for that of the fly that buzzes before your face.
