Ëšrum-Ðofek

Ëšrum-Ðofek was the first leader of the tribe of Šïbha-Ýïr, which during his reign served as one of the largest rump states of the once-united Arðor-Tal. In this capacity, he was one of two unofficial leaders of the Talians, the other being Ólðavë-Üknard of the similarly-powerful Šïvýð-Ýïr tribe, and together, they would be the main Talian signatories in the Ceasefire of Zïlëŋý. However, both leaders quickly attracted animosity from the other 6 Talian tribes due to a perceived lack of representation, and within days, Ëšrum-Ðofek would be assassinated by the rebellious tribe of Múuŋ-Ýïr, and Ólðavë-Üknard would concede his position as leader to the Múuŋian leader Sðó-šöŋ out of fear. Following Ëšrum-Ðofek's death, Ýžram-Ŋóðar would succeed him as the leader of the Šïbhians.

Biography

Ëšrum-Ðofek, like the majority of Talian figures, was not recorded on any genealogical records, and as such, his birthdate is unknown. However, given his seniority during his time in Šïbha-Ýïr, historians typically place it in the range of around 25045-60 AYM. Despite this, given his status as part of the Talians, back then known as the Fýr-Hŋýtor, the exact timing of his birth would have little to no effect on his resultant upbringing. This is because the Hŋýtians were so closed off and ostracized from the rest of the Khólteð Family and indeed the Ïlýrhonid Tribe at large that the volatility of the time period (of which it was indeed extremely large) would have not permeated the Familial populace to reach them.

Indeed, a significant part of Ëšrum-Ðofek's early and middle life is unknown. They only real hints as to what would have occurred start around 25020 AYM, when Žúž-Akëð begins to make his impact on the Hŋýtians. Like many others, Ëšrum-Ðofek would likely have been radicalized by Žúž-Akëð's teachings, especially the notion of creating an identity and striving for goals and virtues that were mutually exclusive from those of the Family and the Tribe. When, in around 25010 AYM, Žúž-Akëð took formal power as leader of the Hŋýtians (renamed the Talians), and soon later created the Talian army, Ëšrum-Ðofek would join it as one of its first members. The quality of being one of the earliest to join is at least partially why Ëšrum-Ðofek was given so much respect and authority in the aftermath of the Battle at the Palace.

The uncertainties of Ëšrum-Ðofek's life continue even into the first phase of the Crisis of 24982 AYM, as although the conflict was undoubtedly far more eventful than the various periods that preceded it, little records were kept and, especially among the Talians, one always thought in terms of the the tribal whole and not of the individual person. Thus, even if not directly involved in a military defeat, its effects were still felt by large swaths of the Talians even if they were not present at that engagement. However, Ëšrum-Ðofek was still very active in military duty, having been distinguished by the loss of 2 eyes and 3 legs by the time of the Battle at the Palace.

As Leader of Šïbha-Ýïr

In the Battle at the Palace of 22 Ulta-Eimarae, the dwindling Talian forces, which numbered in the 2,500-3,500 range, were decisively routed. Within the cramped building, the only means one could escape from the onslaught was to pass through holes in the walls of the Palace, whose structural integrity was rapidly decreasing. It is through this means that only around 1,500-2,000 of the Talian army could survive the battle, and the Arðor-Úŋï gave chase to these scattered portions of the Talian army, further driving them away from each other. However, this process was cut short by the timely implementation of the Ceasefire of Zïlëŋý, in which the hostilities within the Crisis was swiftly and forcibly halted by the Ïlamatril army and by Zümiža, the Ïlýrhonidian tribal leader. However, these scattered portions of the Talian army were still far apart from one another, and it became increasingly clear that, to persist as a visible group within the Khólteð Family, one had to come back together. Thus, it became the mission of Ëšrum-Ðofek and several others within his company to get as many individuals as they could in this new group. Over the course of merely a few days, this group grew substantially from around 100-150 to around 1300, likely helped by the Ïlamatril army's strict ban on any notion of violence, This constituted around 80-90% of the surviving Talian army, and was subsequently named Šïbha-Ýïr, reflecting their military origins. From the beginning of this recruiting mission, Ëšrum-Ðofek was respected for his wartime experience and seniority, and his presence was only amplified by the ways in which he held the tribe together through his determination and grit.

Šïbha-Ýïr was one of only two Talian tribes (the other being the civilian-oriented Šïvýð-Ýïr) to exceed 1,000 members in these early times after the Battle at the Palace. As such, when the Ïlamatril Army was tasked with gathering information about the Crisis (in order to create a formal treaty ending all violence), they primarily looked to Šïbha-Ýïr and Šïvýð-Ýïr for information regarding the Talian cause as a whole. As such, the two leaders of these tribes, Ëšrum-Ðofek and Ólðavë-Üknard, presided over the relaying of this information, and were likely responsible, at least to a large part, for what parts of this information were given and what parts were left out. It was this selective choosing of information that altered the Ïlýrhonid Tribe's perception of the Talians and allowed them to inherit a full half of the Khólteð Family's land, as well as half of the Family's governmental power, despite the origins of the Talians being from the illegal activities of Öhr-Fëkahr.