Casmute

Li Qing sat upon the throne, gazing into the distant horizon. His palace stood towering atop the flat-topped pyramid, overlooking the Jasseret Mountains—the ancestral land of his forebears, who rose from these mountains to unify Nebuha'u and establish this eternal empire of daylight. But now, all that remained before him was a sea of burning embers. "The sun shall dim and fall..." he murmured softly to himself. The sounds of slaughter outside the palace walls grew nearer, forcing Li Qing to momentarily set aside his thoughts. He knew all too well that the rebel forces had breached the palace. Upon ascending the throne, Li Qing had initiated a series of religious reforms to assert imperial authority, shifting the worship within the empire from Ra to reverence for the royal family and the emperor. Despite vehement opposition from the priests of Ha'u, the central decrees could not be thwarted. Subsequently, a wave of reforms swept through the noble classes, with a succession of centralizing measures gradually diminishing the power of various clans and tribes. Li Qing even contemplated the eradication of bloodline tribes altogether, despite the outcry, yet the march of central authority continued unabated. The empire's might served as the unyielding blade that upheld order—indisputable, inescapable, and irresistible. All were to prostrate themselves beneath its authority, such was the decree. But even might has its end, for all things follow the principle of reversal. As if a guiding hand behind the scenes, the nine tribes within the empire, besides the ruling Jasseret, simultaneously rebelled. The flames of rebellion spread throughout Nebuha'u in an instant. Li Qing suddenly recalled the intelligence delivered by the Imperial Institute before the outbreak of the rebellion. With the assistance of Ha'u priests, the wizards of the San'ufuru tribe had concocted a substance—a drug inducing frenzy, nullifying pain, driving individuals to madness, yet responsive to basic commands and with a limited duration. This drug had become widespread among the soldiers of the San'ufuru tribe. "Fighting under the influence of drugs—no strategy, no order to be found. Unconquerable, indeed," Li Qing had scornfully remarked at the time, summoning the ambassador of the San'ufuru tribe to cease the use of such substances. Yet, months later, the drug had permeated through all tribes and was extensively used within their armies. Li Qing had not anticipated that the once-dismissed substance would become the rebel's weapon against the emperor. These soldiers, driven mad by the drug, were termed "pharmacrazies" by the Imperial Archives. Amidst the great rebellion, Li Qing dispatched spies from the Imperial Institute numerous times to obtain this substance from the rebel forces, yet none returned. He also invested considerable time and effort into reforming the military, hoping that imperial soldiers would have more tactics and techniques to employ against the drug-induced adversaries. However, faced with the ferocity and fearlessness of those under the drug's influence, it proved to be futile. Li Qing had also delved deep into the wisdom left behind by his ancestors in the Hapnui Pool, hoping to glean the path of wisdom to confront the challenges. Yet, it seemed the fate of the dynasty had been sealed. "I have done all I could..." he murmured softly. Outside the palace, Jasseret warriors, adept in the art of Hericombat, battled fervently against the rebel forces, swiftly changing weapons with their four hands, soaring amidst the tide of pharmacrazies. Countless bone fragments and chunks of flesh were meticulously carved from the bodies of the rebels, flying through the air, blood trickling down the stairs, slowly flowing towards the base of the pyramid like a crimson waterfall. Yet they could not withstand the endless horde of foes, and the warriors were engulfed by these fervent drug-induced soldiers. The battle outside the palace came to an end... Members of various families and tribes of the rebels poured in, their fervor directed towards their once emperor, brandishing their weapons, each eager to claim the ultimate prize. Li Qing knew escape was no longer possible; he picked up the longsword symbolizing imperial authority and slowly approached the rebels. No longer was he greeted with the deferential bows of his subjects; instead, he was engulfed by a surge of people. Nebuha'u Jasseret Li Qing ultimately fell within his own palace, bringing an end to his life. The flames engulfed the throne, smoke enveloping the entire valley, shrouding everything within. In the blaze and smoke, the sunset of the empire became an eternal memory, heralding the fall of the empire. The dawn of the 20815th year, 117th day of the Jasseret Empire marked the end of the only unified dynasty on Casmute, ushering in the Era of Silence.