Deep within the marshlands of western Marae Lassel, silent and forsaken, lies an Empyrean Skytower. Turned nearly on its side and half buried in the muck, it stands as a mute testament to its people, who were once the rulers of an entire world but are now all but forgotten. However, the tower isn't entirely alone in its muddy grave, for around it has sprung up a small collection of wood, stone, and animal hides. These crude dwellings, standing as a monument to another great but fallen race, are the Tumerok village known as Ahurenga.
Until only recently, the Tonk (the word they use to describe their race) were a united people. Though divided into numerous tribes, the actual number of which we don't know, they acted as one. Two of these tribes, the Hea and Aun, crossed through portals from their world of Ezheret as one people, fought the Olthoi of Marae Lassel as one people, and established the plateau village of Timaru as one people. Even the Virindi, who offered the Tonk great power, were unable to shake this unity and were turned away. Unfortunately, the Virindi still found an ear willing to hear their offer: A young boy named Aranpuh.
Aranpuh was an orphan of the Hea tribe, an outcast with no purpose who had been expelled for some transgression against the tribe's tah, or leader. Full of anger and desiring revenge on those who had exiled him, Aranpuh quickly accepted the Virindi's offer. They granted him incredible physical strength and exceptional skill in the mystical arts, and in addition, they altered his physical appearance. Instead of the lizard-like form of the original Tonk, Aranpuh was given one more akin to a misshapen human, the same form we would come to associate with Tumeroks until the unveiling of Marae Lassel.
Many months after joining the Virindi, Aranpuh returned to Timaru. Using his newfound might, he easily defeated the Hea's leader, Huantah, and assumed his place as leader of the tribe. Now called Hea Arantah, he once again extended the Virindi offer to his people. Seeing what had become of their kin, many youths accepted, and the Hea tribe left Timaru, permanently split from their brothers the Aun. The Virindi altered the Hea in the same manner as Arantah, and in exchange for their new gifts, the Tumeroks became the first foot soldiers for the portalspace beings and were let loose upon the rest of Dereth.
In the many years since that unholy bargain was struck, much has changed. The Hea, themselves outcasts from their Tonk brethren, were further sundered when a group of their mainland warriors rebelled against their Virindi masters so that they could conquer Dereth for themselves. Arantah and his immediate followers, however, remain loyal to their alien masters. To this day they still dwell upon Marae Lassel and occasionally skirmish with their Aun kin, as well as any Isparian who happens to invade their territory. And to this day they make their home in the ramshackle tents and huts they built when they left their first home--Ahurenga, village of the twice-broken Tumeroks.
