pyrolith lore

[ The Royalty ]

Regarded as the final dragon hunters, Pyrolith's monarchs have long borne the burdens of their ancestors' deeds, whether blessings or curses. For centuries, Pyrolith's war insignia has been "Fire and Blood," symbolizing a tradition where bathing in the blood of dying dragon's heart was thought to amplify one's elemental abilities. This belief drove the dragons to extinction while simultaneously strengthening the rulers of the land—a paradoxical blessing and curse destined to endure until the last of the royal line met their end.

Similarly, born from such vile practices would be how they selected their next ruler. Pyrolith was impartial to male or female heirs for their valued strengths over anything. The way they selected their next ruler was that all the children of the current king competed in a bloody fight to the death and whoever emerges victorious in the end would earn the title as well as the unwavering support of the entire kingdom.
This ritual was dubbed "The Rite of Selection"

The sacrifices to the Sun occurred in a chillingly simultaneous manner—a life for a life. Commoners across the kingdom submitted their children's names, which were then randomly paired with competing royal heirs. If an heir fell, so too would their commoner counterpart meet a tragic end.

This vicious cycle would continue on until four years ago when the current heirs decided that enough was enough. They were the generation that would break this curse that loomed over Pyrolith like an iron curtain.

[ Pyrolith Lore & Brief History ]

There was a belief that the Kingdom of Pyrolith had once been the lair of Astralis' most formidable dragons. These mythical beasts shaped and molded the kingdom from the vast mountains and active volcanoes of Ashenvale in the far west to the Summer Isles in the south and the Land of Autumn in the northeast. However, the true heart of Pyrolith lay at its center, where the undying flame burned eternal even 1450 years after the kingdom's founding.

Legend holds that the undying flame, enshrined within the Pyrolith castle, symbolizes the final breath of the last dragon before their disappearance, marking the dawn of the kingdom's golden era. The flame's hue, a vibrant crimson with streaks of silver, mirrors the reign of the twin rulers who currently govern Pyrolith. Even now, the dragons' essence lingers, suffusing the land with potent elemental energy, a constant reminder of their once-majestic presence.

Pyrolithians regarded the sun as their one God and the citizens, especially the monarchy believed in strengthening their elemental gifts with human sacrifices. Though records were lost when this practice exactly came to be, it has always proven effective. But all powers come with cost. Born from this nefarious practice was the curse that would plague the royal family for generations. Every 100 years or so, one royal would fall victim to an affliction called "Infernal Blood." A condition that burned the individual from the inside out, driving them mad before ultimately ending their lives.

Only a select few of the afflicted royals managed to gain mastery over the "Infernal Blood," and an even smaller number went on to become renowned rulers. In Pyrolith, beliefs about celestial phenomena linked to the sun, such as eclipses, were considered potent omens tied to the kingdom's destiny. Sacrifices offered to the sun during these celestial events were believed to be doubly powerful. To harness this knowledge, Pyrolithian mages developed a sophisticated sun calendar, enabling them to predict future eclipses with precision. This calendar was housed in a dedicated chamber within Pyrolith's royal castle, serving as a focal point for the kingdom's astrological and ritualistic endeavors.
This important part of the castle is dubbed as the 'Solar Observatory' and is tied to the many sun temples that surround the kingdom.