Krëšŋ-Ðórr

The Krëšŋ-Ðórr, or Chresintor, was one of the two designated regions, alongside the Khëlër-Ðórr, that the socially-ostracized Fýr-Hŋýtor (later the Arðor-Tal) was relegated to from around 25100 AYM to the entire Khólteð Family's expulsion in 24982 AYM in the aftermath of the Crisis of 24982 AYM. During the Crisis, it saw heavy fighting due to being the location where the kidnapped Khólteðian Hyvamto-Žö-Ýšïb, Šïk-hórom, was held by the Talians, and later on as the main site of the Massacre of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr, one of the first recorded acts of Ibrófeneðïan genocide. Following the Crisis, the Krëšŋ-Ðórr, like the rest of the Khólteðian territory, sat unoccupied for the rest of the Ïlýrhonid Tribe's history, being designated a memorial park around 24966 AYM. The events that had transpired within it would lead directly to the social reforms known as the Kagaðïŋ-Ïlýrhonid.

Geography

The Krëšŋ-Ðórr itself represents 2% of the total landmass that was under the control of the Khólteðt Family. It sat at the extreme southwest of the tribal land, bordered by Khëlër-Ðórr on the northwest and the rest of the Family's territory to the northeast.

Being relatively far away from the Nuzowli Mountain Range to the north, and thus closer to the southern Ëriðorn Ocean, the Krëšŋ-Ðórr is known for being quite sandy, with a gentle slope downwards to the coast. This slope is interrupted by the series of large tribal walls that denote the boundary between the tribe and the outside world (which restrict movement to the southwest) and between the Khólteðt Family and others (which restrict movement to the south/southeast).

Due to the inability of sand to make competent structures, the landscape of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr was burrowed down heavily by the Fýr-Hŋýtor, where they found and subsequently used the hard bedrock for shelter. This hard bedrock is dark greyish in color and striated, a rock type characteristic of the area south of the Nuzowli Mountain Range and to the immediate west of the Kairn River System. As the Fýr-Hŋýtor grew in size, dependence on this bedrock increased, and in their hunger, the various holes dug were expanded and expanded until the entire Krëšŋ-Ðórr was a single giant pit that, in later years, served as the entrance to numerous tunnel networks that covertly stretched throughout the Khólteðt Family's land.

Compared to other parts of the Family land, the Krëšŋ-Ðórr was relatively featureless. In 22711 AYM, the massive flood that wiped out the Ïlýrhonid Tribe for good also rendered the Krëšŋ-Ðórr a permanent lake; due to the rising and lowering of the tides, it can be a subsection of the larger Ïlýrhonidian reservoir or its own designated lake separated from the rest of the tribe by low-lying ridges. These ridges are a vestige of the original boundary between the Krëšŋ-Ðórr and the Khólteðtian heartland that arose from the Fýr-Hŋýtor.

History

Establishment

The Krëšŋ-Ðórr as a separate designation apart from the rest of the Khólteðtian land did not exist before 25080 AYM, when the Family discovered the actions of Öhr-Fëkahr. Beginning around 25100 AYM, he had broken one of the cardinal rules of the Ïlýrhonid, namely committing Ýyorhïsïb with members of other families, and thus his descendants were designated the Fýr-Hŋýtor, meaning the Corrupted. Because tribal law prohibited killing, even on the basis of wrongdoing, the Family thus sought out a small parcel of land at the extreme ends of the Familial territory (the poorest of the Family) and relocated them there. This is what would become the Krëšŋ-Ðórr and the Khëlër-Ðórr.

Conditions in both territories was harsh and devoid of much resources. It was known for its overabundance of sand (as it was near the coast), which was inedible to them and grew dangerously hot in direct sunlight. As such, the community burrowed deep tunnels, eventually reaching bedrock, which was just slightly edible (if not extremely tough and quite damaging to the teeth). It is said that the first generation of Fýr-Hŋýtor had died out extremely early, having had their claws, teeth, and bones weathered down near to nonexistence by the intense work they were subjected to. Nonetheless, these tunnels proved vital for future generations, and are seen as directly responsible for the community's rapid growth and eventual dominance.

Growth: Connection with the Khëlër-Ðórr and Use of Tunnels

The period known as the Ýmor-Šapariž (25100 - 25032 AYM) is well-known for its volatility. It saw two large waves of natural disasters, which strained the tribe physically, separated by a intermediary period of the Žötó-Žimiara's second wave, which caused political and social turmoil throughout the tribe. The stress and strain caused by these events resulted in a dramatic decrease in birth rates throughout all 12 families, save that of the Fýr-Hŋýtor. As such, in the ensuing decades, the population would explode, going from a measly 0.5% of the entire Khólteðt Family to around 10% by 25032 AYM. This was not just due to the societal turmoil, but the paradoxically optimal conditions for Ýyorhïsïb; these tunnels, although cramped, were deep and spacious enough to accomodate a large number of people, and it offerred shelter from the wind, which was the most frequent cause of birth defects.

The population still grew, and over time, the tunnel system required expansion after expansion. By 25060 AYM, the Krëšŋ-Ðórr was mostly hollowed out. Inevitably, with the outer walls at least 20 meters deep into the earth, the only manageable direction of expansion was to the Khëlër-Ðórr in the northwest (which was accomplished somewhere around 25060 to 25040 AYM) or to the rest of the Khólteðt Family's territory (which began around 25050 AYM).

Khëlër-Ðórr, being subject to the same geological limitations, had already developed their own tunnel system, and thus, starting from approximately 25040 AYM, the two disparate communities could meet with the other and freely travel between them. This went unnoticed by the rest of the Family, who were reeling from the shock of the Kavamïŋ-Züýŋ and about to enter the second wave of natural disasters. The more major expansion of the two was the combined efforts of the Khëlër-Ðórr and Krëšŋ-Ðórr to burrow northeast into the main territory of the Family, which technically counted as trespassing despite not being explicitly addressed or even noticed. These tunnels were originally just for food, as the barely-edible bedrock was running out. There was no intent, at least not in writing, for an extended conflict, as the Fýr-Hŋýtor knew that they stood no chance against the rest of the Khólteðt Family. In fact, both groups' tunnels were adjacent to the Family's walls that separated them from the other families, trying to stay as out-of-the-way as possible.

Around 60 meters in, the geology started to change to the familiar Ïlýrhonidian rock, which was much easier to break down and fairly dense. From there, the pace at which these tunnels were dug grew substantially. By 25026 AYM, they had dug a total of 2 kilometers of tunnel, with both groups having reached the spot just below the Tribal Palace, or the Ëzó-Rhažóval. However, that same year, one of the two groups (it is not sure which) was caught by members of the Family, and the entirety of the tunnel systems were discovered and subsequently filled back up using chunks of rock. These chunks of rock are thought to have come from the Nuzowli Mountain Range, whose various rockslides had been devastating the Ýlëntuk Family for some time now. In addition, the Fýr-Hŋýtor were placed under constant scrutiny by members of the Family, and some of their leaders were summarily executed.

New Leadership under Žüž-Akëð

From 25026 to around 25020 AYM, the Fýr-Hŋýtor simply wallowed under the governance of the Khólteðt Family. By around 25010 AYM, the population had yet still grown substantially, and with the Krëšŋ-Ðórr and Khëlër-Ðórr both bursting with people, the Fýr-Hŋýtor began to rally around the new leadership of Žúž-Akëð. His new plan aimed to subvert the oppression that had been placed upon them, which included the silent killing of those that watched over the Fýr-Hŋýtor, the renaming thereof as the Arðor-Tal, and the successive emptying of the filled tunnels. The rocks that were used to fill the tunnels were mostly eaten or stored up, but a substantial portion was used as material for the construction of rudimentary structures in the Krëšŋ-Ðórr and Khëlër-Ðórr. This included the Ëzó-Akëð, a large structure in the middle of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr that subsequently became the headquarters of Žüž-Akëð.

From 25010 to 24982 AYM, the once-empty pits that were Krëšŋ-Ðórr and Khëlër-Ðórr were filled with hundreds of these conical structures, each built solely from the rocks and held up using small pieces of bedrock. Most of these were incredibly small, with a width equal to 2-3 meters, meaning that there was only room for one. Around 24994 AYM, the tunnels had been fully cleared again, with spare supplies of rocks to blockage the select entrances in case they were inspected by the Family. In the meantime, with easy access to the Palace, many members were tempted to simply usurp the throne, but Žüž-Akëð, likely aware of the power difference of the two sides, would not allow it. Instead, from then until 24982 AYM, the Fýr-Hŋýtor simply enlarged their tunnels into entire networks, by which they could freely traverse the entire familial land.

Crisis of 24982 AYM

Main Article: Crisis of 24982 AYM

Kidnapping of Šïk-Hórom and the Assaults of Rëžýnð and Lŋórak

The Crisis of 24982 AYM was in effect the uprising that members of the Fýr-Hŋýtor (now the Arðor-Tal) had long hoped to do, and they would get their chance when Rithas, the Hyvamto-Žö-Ýšïb (Head of the Khólteðt Family), died. Amidst the widespread mourning, the Talians traversed the tunnels and kidnapped Rithas's successor, Šïk-hórom, mere hours before he was set to take the throne, and imprisoned him in the Ëzó-Akëð. As the Family erupted in chaos, Žüž-Akëð (who probably did not plan for this to occur) ordered the Talians to form a large horde guarding the Krëšŋ-Ðórr. The Family itself formed an army of their own, and named themselves the Arðor-Úŋï. Led by Rëžýnð, they began to make offenses against the Talians in the outskirts of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr. Due to the pit-like nature of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr, these initial assaults often barrelled Talians over back over the rim of the pit, causing many to die from being crushed. This mountain of bodies just beside the rim of the pits would be used as a 'grotesque ramp' by later advances.

Rëžýnð would launch numerous offenses against the Talians, charging into the pits of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr and eventually pushing closer and closer towards the Ëzó-Akëð. In response, the Talians would encircle him and the small group that he was with. There, with little to no support from the rest of the Úŋïan army, he and his group were overpowered and killed. His successor, Lŋórak, followed in Rëžýnð's footprints, launching large-scale movements that saw all parts of the Úŋïan Army push into the heartland of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr. As they went, they destroyed the stone huts of the Talians and began to concentration more and more to the middle of this force, turning the once-homogenous charge into a focused wedge. Powerless to stop them, Žüž-Akëð called for a full-scale retreat westward, where they could concentrate. Crucially, he had assumed that Lŋórak would stop at the Ëzó-Akëð, an assumption that was proven wrong.

After liberating Šïk-hórom, a vengeful Lŋórak would command his force to continue westward. Žüž-Akëð, so taken aback by this decision, had not evacuated the remaining territories of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr and could only muster a hasty retreat northeastward to the Khëlër-Ðórr before the Úŋïans slammed into the outer wall and thus split the remaining Krëšŋ-Ðórr territories in twain.

Massacre of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr

Main Article: Massacre of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr

The Krëšŋ-Ðórr was now almost completely overrun by Úŋïans who, during and after these assaults, had explored the region in detail. There, they discovered the damning evidences of the tunnel system, and Lŋórak was brought to anger over the extent to which this 'disgraceful people' had encroarched upon them. Thus, in surveying the two fragmentary pieces of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr that still lay unconquered, he set his sights on that of the southwestern territory. While the northwestern territory had been traversed during the hasty retreat of the Talians, and thus any civilians were more likely to be still here, yet unknowing of the terrible calamities they faced.

From 25 to 26 Anta-Eimarae, Lŋórak would devote the entirety of his army to the liquidation of the southwestern portion of the surviving Krëšŋ-Ðórr. In total, this constituted more than 2,000 separate individuals, making this act one of the first true genocides of the Ïlýronid Tribe. Žüž-Akëð, knowing the implication of his absence even before making the hasty retreat, wanted more than ever to avoid the same fate for Khëlër-Ðórr. Thus, he would abandon the tunnels of Khëlër-Ðórr and bait Lŋórak into attacking him at Arhžvóo, within the land of the Family proper, while setting a small force in Khëlër-Ðórr itself to guard against the potential of a massive attack. It was a huge gamble, but the threat to the architecture of the Family proved too great, and Lŋórak met him at the Battle of Arhžvóo. It was a huge relief for the Khëlër-Ðórr, but for the Krëšŋ-Ðórr, a bloody sacrifice.

After the Massacre

The rest of the Crisis saw hesitant resettlement of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr by members of the surviving Khëlër-Ðórr. Being a literal warzone, it was littered with bodies, especially at the rim of the pits and at the southwestern fragment (thereafter called the Mïlašóvo or Mïlaš-Ðórr). With the conflict heading towards the Palace, neither the Krëšŋ-Ðórr nor the Khëlër-Ðórr saw any substantial conflict, and the few attacks by the KÝÏ were quickly repulsed, partly due to the sheer depravity of the situation.

Impact in the Ïlýrhonid Tribe

Not much else is known about Krëšŋ-Ðórr, even after the Crisis as a whole ended. Due to the amount of bloodshed that occurred, the entire Khólteðt Family territory was filled with bodies, leaving it undesirable to any of the other families. Starting in 24975 AYM, Zümiža would lead a large-scale cleanup of the area, starting at the Palace and working westwards. With Krëšŋ-Ðórr and Khëlër-Ðórr being at the very western end of the tribal lands, they were not cleared until 24969 AYM. In the official records Zümiža, who visited the site in 24968 AYM, notes that the Krëšŋ-Ðórr 'had bodies that were warped beyond recognition, whether by stress, or heat, or time itself it is unknown ... The Krëšŋ-Ðórr is my biggest failure, that outdoes all my virtues combined'. He would return back to the Ëzó-Rhegarhifiŋ after the clean-up visibly shaken. Soon, he would decree the Kagaðïŋ-Ïlýrhonid in 24966 AYM, which was an in-depth examination of the legal and cultural code, especially that which had enabled the events that occurred in the Krëšŋ-Ðórr. This reevaluation would herald the Heta-Ýmor-Mošindë, an extraordinary 300-year-stretch in which very little conflict was fought.

No family claimed any part of the Khólteðt Family's lands as their own; in 24957 AYM, as one of his last decrees, Zümiža designated it the first of what are called the 'Žömë-Šýapar', literally translated as 'eternal and unmoving', and more closely translated as 'memorial park'. All parts of the Khólteðt Family land, including Krëšŋ-Ðórr, remained that way until 22711 AYM.

Post-Flood

The 22711 AYM flood that definitively wiped out the Ïlýrhonid Tribe effectively turned the Krëšŋ-Ðórr and Khëlër-Ðórr into lakes. Through their intricate tunnel system, which was left vacant throughout the Ïlýrhonid Tribe's history, the stability of the Khólteðt Family rock was reduced dramatically, and soon after the flood occurred, the widespread erosion caused the entire Familial land to collapse inwards on itself.

Due to the political irrelevance that the Ïlýrhonid Tribe posed at the time of its demise, little about the Tribe and its deteriorating condition was discussed.

Legacy

In the public consciousness, the Krëšŋ-Ðórr was quickly overshadowed by the more mutually violent conflits in Arhžvoo and the Palace. Nonetheless, it held substantial emotional weight due to the history of the Fýr-Hŋýtor, and numerous memorials were erected in the years following the clean-up. These memorials consisted of simple conical piles of rocks, much like those created by the Fýr-Hŋýtor themselves, but with carvings on the headstones. The Ëzó-Akëð itself was marked by a long obelisk that was nestled into a large crack in the bedrock, symbolizing the impact the struggle of the Talians had on the rest of the Tribe. The Krëšŋ-Ðórr has long been deemed the 'Scar of the Ïlýrhonid Tribe', due to the sheer bloodshed as well as the widespread focus on introspection and tribal mortality in its wake.

The Krëšŋ-Ðórr, seeing more action in battle than the Khëlër-Ðórr, is often seen in conjunction with the Fýr-Hŋýtor as the typical embodiment of resistance and social change, especially through violent or tragic means. It remains the most 'pure' example; while related instances like the reigns of Ðaŋharkhö and Vörrügša as well as the rise of the Žötó-Harýš did embody a sort of resistance against societal pressures, the story of the Fýr-Hŋýtor more so speaks to a resistance against moral wrongs and prejudices, which were and are seen as more righteous than the trivial warring factions that so populated the zeitgeist of the Heta-Alšewharžar.