Myth of the Isaurans

The Myth of The Isaurans is the tale of how their Kingdom fell and why they were forced into a Dispora. It gives their culture and a history of their people. It is passed along through oral tradition, very rarely will it be found written down.  

The Myth

In the Alaesia of 5000 years ago the lands were split into the realms of the Isaurans, Dwarves, and Elves. Every 500 years a portal bordering the Isaurans would open up releasing Demons into the world that attempt to raze the world. Each time Elves, Dwarves, and Men would form a coalition to throw them back into the portals and reseal it. Until Tiberius 'the Butcher' (c. 2027 BE). Or at least that was one of the Isauran names for the High Elf who extinguished the flame of Man. Tiberius was High Elven general serving underneath the Elven Coalition, they sought to premtively set up additional defenses around the Demon portal to vanquish the Demons before their next invasion even began. This plot would require the approval of the Isaurans as the armies of the Elves would need to pass through their lands and establish a military base around the Portal. This permission was likely and the Elven Trinity (The top commanders of the Elven Coalition) sent their best general Tiberius 'the Honorable' to propose the plan. He responded back that they had accepted and the Trinity ended their conferance, happy in the knowledge that the Demons would be dealt with now and forever.   But it was a lie. Tiberius was sent to the capital of the Isaurans, but he had his own agenda. He would conquer the lands of the Isaurans for the High Elves and they would not have to deal with fledgling humans any longer. Instead of proposing the Elven plan to destroy the Demons, he took advantage of diplomatic honor and slew the Isauran Queen and her son outright. Expecting the Isauran Kingdom to fall apart, he marched his army into Isauran lands, razing the capital and ordering the slaughter of their citizens.   The living Isauran princess (who was not in the capital at the time) rallied her bannermen and moved the capital deeper into the heartlands of the kingdom. She rushed her armies to meet the Elves and caught them off guard, pushing them back a line of hills. From there the border would change over time, the Isaurans fighting for every inch of land, and the Elven armies killing any human they got their hands on.   One notable occurance was a prisoner exchange across the 'no-man's-land,' the Isauran captain, in good faith, released half of his prisoners first to receive half of his men. And had to watch in horror as Tiberius the 'Honorable' himself "freed the Isaurans from their lives," earning himself the moniker and curse 'The Butcher.' Other Elven commanders would act more honorably in such exchanges, but the reallization amongst the Isauran people was that they fought not just for their kingdom, yet their lives as well. It was a course that led to the grinding war lasting well over 20 years. Until the reopening of the Demon Portals, forgetten by the world of Men by the very real threat of the Elves.   It was later claimed that the Demons extinguished the light of the Isaurans, but this was a lie. By the time they invaded the Isaurans were fighting tooth and nail for their last seven cities. An entire generation of Isaurans had been living in total war by that point and the then aged Queen made a choice. To flee, spread her people far and wide and hope that some would live on. Supposedly she spent the last vestiges of the magical power of the Kingdom to infuse her living Captains with the power of immortality, ordering them to guide her people to safety. She then took volunteers, 12,000 in all, to meet Tiberius in one final battle to delay his discovery of the escape of her people. All 12,000 are have said to have died fighting, the Queen herself said to have landed a cut on Tiberius's chest. But the trials of the Isaurians were forgetten in the Demon war to follow and Tiberius was hailed as a hero after the Demons were slain.   The Flintpike Dwarves in the surrounding mountains knew of such betrayal by the elves and refused to aid in the war against the Demons and were labled as traitors. Beings corrupted by cursed gold, as told by the High Elves.