Mykentos

The war shall end with the arrival of the outsider. Not of our time, and not of that time. With three hands he shall bring the people together as one again. From the land without end he shall wield a power against which tyrants and priests cannot stand. Even the gods of old shall rest themselves at his feet. All will be drawn to him and the heavens themselves shall be his.   -Prophecy of the Outsider, 70 H.E.   Surprisingly little is known about the founder of the Mykentian Republic, other than a few vague myths and apocryphal tales. Even his appearance is a mystery, with his image lost from history and it being made taboo to attempt to depict him. The few reliable contemporary sources describe him as unusually short for his time and often appearing almost child like. Where the radiation and forced mutations of the widespread use of nuclear weapons in the Great War of Erdos had resulted in a skin that was thicker and leathery, Mykentos was described as having skin that was smooth and elastic. The most obvious physical trait however, was that he was missing his lower left arm, with no obvious scarring to indicate surgery or injury. Many would report that he had brilliantly piercing and unusual blue eyes, a trait that had not been seen in over a century.   Even less is known of his origins. Local legend in Entani purports that he arrived from the Endless Plains, accompanied by a handful of followers only a few years before moving to end the Great War. Those who worked closely with him would later recall his ability to sit almost motionless for hours at a time as well as his ability to multitask, both traits indicating Knetreka training. Yet he also showed a deep understanding and interest in all things technical, causing some to suspect Tavenso training. All agreed though that he captivated attention, was able to clearly express his ideas calmly and rationally, even to large crowds. Numerous accounts recall how he was able to project his voice clearly across town squares, showing some kind of priestly training of the Utrajalek. As all three were at war with each other, it was thought at the time that there was no possible way he could have been trained in all three religions, yet he was able to move seamlessly between them and discuss even highly esoteric subjects with their scholars.      

Early Life

Spoilers for Age of Mykentos              

Ending the Great War

Mykentos dispatched his most trusted followers to each city state, bearing a message for the leaders. In it, he requested that they join a mutual cease fire agreement, in which they also pledged mutual defense until a meeting could be held to end the war. The messages were delivered on the 12th of Belura, 326 H.E. with mixed results. Some agreed immediately, while others were openly hostile. Several of the emissaries were immediately arrested, and at least one was reported to have been executed. Neltak would volunteer to deliver the message to Yerlaja, where he was immediately arrested by the inquisition for heresy and treason and would dissappear. When an insufficient number joined to make a peace attempt feasible, Mykentos delivered a message directly to the people. Many possibly apocryphal reports indicate that this message was delivered to each city, town, and village simultaneously via holographic projection, but it is doubtful such technology was actually available at the time. He is reported as saying:   My people, I am Mykentos of Entani, in the land without end. I stand before you as the final voice of reason in these times. I am the judge, brought forth by the will of our martyred ancestors. I am your protector against the ravages of war, famine, and meaningless toil. I bring light to cast away the darkness that has been brought to this world.
A few hours ago, I sent an offer to the leaders of your city, asking them to join several other cities already allied with me in a general cease fire, with the intention of finding a peaceful way to end this war. So far only ten cities have agreed to a cease fire, even if it is to last only days. I cannot believe that the people do not want peace. I cannot believe that there are whole cities of people that enjoy the increasing threat of destruction that comes with every new day. It is not the people who are at fault for the war starting, and it is not the people who are at fault for not finding a way to end it. It is the fault of the leaders of the cities.
My people, think back on the myths we were taught as children. Remember the golden days of peace and plenty, when nobody had to cower in fear of the city killers. In those days there was food enough for everyone. Diseases that can now wipe out entire cities were once inconveniences of childhood. People lived to be over eighty years old, when the oldest person in the world right now is just over forty!
This is what the war has done to us. It has not only killed billions of us, but it has destroyed our entire way of life. We as a people have all suffered from the war. Yet look at your leaders. Most of them live in the same massive palaces that our ancestors enjoyed. They have no problems with starvation, or disease, or even finding somewhere to sleep that is slightly better than a hole in the ground. They are not like the rest of us, who toil every day simply to find a way to survive. They are creatures of luxury and vice, who have lost their way, and now see only the prospects of power and glory, not the responsibility of caring for the people they lead.
They are not deserving of your respect. They do not deserve your gratitude. They deserve your hatred, for fighting a war for centuries over a difference of opinion that everyone has forgotten about.
The war is no longer about religion. It is now about who has done what to whom. There comes a point where it no longer matters who started it, but who has the courage to stand up and stop it.
With all that you have endured, I know that you are capable of ending this war. You know who your enemies are, you know where they are, and right now, they are very, very afraid. Now, not only are they facing myself and my allies, but they are considering the possibility that their own people might finally decide to throw off the dominion of corrupt priesthoods and take control of their own destinies.
I no longer ask the leaders of the cities to join me. I ask the people of the world to join me. If you do, then together we can restore that lost world of our ancestors, and again enjoy the peace and prosperity that the world once had.
Remove those that stand in the path of justice, and the heavens themselves shall be yours!
   

Peace and the Provisional Government

The initial peace conference was held under a flag of truce in Entani on the 31st of Belura, 326 H.E. Mykentos is reported to have focused on the creation of a united government on the very first day, resulting in the formation of a Provisional Council. The Council consisted of two Utrajalek, two Tavenso, two Knetreka, and two secular states, with Mykentos at the head. Initially, the members of the Council would rotate weekly to ensure that all within the agreement could participate. Only the Council could authorize the use of nuclear weapons for the defense of the whole while negotiations were ongoing. As negotiations progressed satisfactorily, the Council was granted additional authorities, importantly including the means to produce nuclear weapons. Eventually all sides were satisfied, and agreed to the Treaty of Entani on the 21st of Merkalacek, 327 H.E.    

The Great Charter

Included in the terms of the Treaty of Entani was the implied agreement to form a more permanent representative government. As the last government to represent all three religions was the Hudrajel Empire, which was based on clerical support, it was decided that the new government must represent the people directly. No such government had ever been conceived, and there were concerns about what the new government would, and would not be able to do, or whether the Provisional Government could legitimately create such a government. A request was sent out to the public to submit options to be included in a general contract between the government and the people, listing the rights and obligations of both the government and the people.
  By the 9th of Kerat, the Provisional Council had a list of some four hundred clauses, which they began to compare and consolidate. This list was then sent back for a public vote on the 30th of Kerat, where the public was allowed to vote on each clause individually. The result was the twelve Primary Conditions and nine Return Conditions of what became known as the Great Mykentian Charter. The Charter would be signed by Mykentos on the 3rd of Netara. Either by sheer coincidence or subtle planning on the part of Mykentos, Netara was the Divine Messenger of trade and diplomacy, granting what was to be the first of several religious overtones to the Republic.      

Founding the Republic

Displaying his ability to multitask, even as the Great Charter was being formulated Mykentos was working with Asdo of Lek to formulate the details of the new Republic. Recognizing that the global situation was delicate and still highly unstable, it was decided that the Provisional Council would be retained, becoming known as the Heunos, or Supreme Council. Each of the city states would be represented through a State Council, with the people represented directly by the Assembly of the People. In granting each a share of power, it was hoped that the many evolving and shifting factions would remain relatively stable.   The Charter of the Republic was sent for a public vote on the 2nd of Utrajal, winning enough of a majority to be adopted, in spite of protests by a number of Utrajalek priests. A tremendous ceremony was planned for signing the Charter, planned for the 36th of Utrajal, but Mykentos was forced to postpone the event due to a reported illness. It would later be speculated that he feigned this illness, wanting to form the Republic in the month of Merkalacek, rather than strengthening one faction symbolically by signing the Charter in the month of the Messenger of the Utrajalek. The date would be recorded as both the 1st of Merkalacek, and the First 1st as the new calendar also came into effect.      

Sickness and Death

It was often observed that Mykentos reacted far more strongly to fallout than others, breaking out in painful, burning rashes and sores for several hours. This condition became increasingly difficult to hide as he toured the Republic, often visiting cities which were contaminated. In time he became increasingly lethargic and unable to focus, prone to fits of temper not seen in public. By the fourth year of the Republic, he rarely left the Capital building and it was noted he had lost a great deal of coordination. Though many knew, it was kept a state secret to preserve the stability of the Republic.   All attempts at secrecy ended on Republic Day of the year 5, when Mykentos collapsed giving a speech from the Capital. Though it was initially reported that he was merely exhausted and was resting, he had fallen unconscious and could not be woken. He awoke for several hours late in the evening, meeting briefly with members of the Heunos, Speaker Ecipsos, and Supreme Justice Gruxa. During these meetings he was attended closely by Tycha, the commander of the Legion of Mykentos, and was laregly unable to move. Though coherent, he seemed distracted and distant. After one final short meeting with Speaker Ecipsos, he would again fall unconscious and stop breathing.    

Myth, Religion, and Speculation

It is at this point that the historical record becomes unreliable, a mix of popular myth, conspiracy theories, and the "truths" espoused by the later state sponsored Cult of Mykentos.   Legend
According to the most prominent legend of the time, at the moment that Mykentos died every light went out across the Republic, and people fell to the ground as if the life had been sucked out of them. Those outside the Republic in the states that had not joined were not immune, and were said to have been struck deaf and mute. Other legends purport that food had no taste and water failed to quench thirst for three days.   Cult of Mykentos
Followers of the religion would claim that Mykentos did not actually die, but that he ascended to a new plane of existence which all people should aspire to. He remained among them, watching them and waiting until he was needed. Later they would claim that he would return to walk among them, accompanied by "a mighty Legion of many peoples from many places," heralded by a "pale angel with two hands." Some would come to believe that this "pale angel" was referring to Mark Thomason, and that he would usher in a "Golden Republic" in which Mykentos would govern as the "Eternal Hilt."   Conspiracy Theories
Two main conspiracy theories surround the death of Mykentos. The first holds that he staged his death in order to create the binding force needed to keep the Republic together. Proponents of this theory hold that the lack of visual records of Mykentos is not coincidence, but a determined, coordinated effort to further mythologize the first Hilt. They point out that other than his reported unusual physical appearance, the absence of records means anyone could be Mykentos, and that as a result everyone has the potential to become a Mykentos themselves. That the coffin used for the elaborate state funeral was kept closed would seem to suggest that there was nothing in it. At the time the government stated that the coffin was closed to respect his last wishes, that he be remembered as he was in life, rather than in death.   Another theory suggests that Mykentos did not die, but went into a deep meditative trance, and is indeed in the coffin in the tomb. An alternate version proposes that he was placed in stasis, a technology that first appeared several years after his death, because his illness was untreatable by the medical practices then available.      

The Long Sleep

When Mykentos fell into a coma, he was placed into stasis aboard the Omnos cruiser beyond the Gateway to Heaven by Tycha. It was at this point that Ecipsos, then Speaker of the Assembly, learned what lay beneath the Capital. Only Tycha, Ecipsos, and those members of the Legion that assisted them would know that Mykentos was placed in stasis. A grand state funeral would be held three days later in which the sealed coffin was placed in the Hall of Charters. Later the first First of the Legion would learn what had happened, and prior to his death had his lower left arm amputated so his body could be placed in the tomb to maintain the illusion that the body of Mykentos was indeed in the tomb should anyone gain entry.   Ecipsos, Tycha, and the First would spend considerable time studying the Omnos cruiser, learning that the stasis chamber was designed to allow for the connection of remote sensors. Ecipsos would begin setting this system up with the assistance of the Legion in 10 MY, allowing Mykentos to witness the events that took place in the office of the Hilt during his long stasis.   When Neo Mykentia was established, it was intended that Mykentos be moved there for safety, but that move would ultimately never be made as navigation to the newly established colony became impossible. Ecipsos and the Legion would also lose access to the Omnos cruiser at this time, as the central component of the key to the Gateway to Heaven remained with Tycha on Neo Mykentia.   During this time Mykentos was able to observe everything that happened in the office of the Hilt, experiencing it all as a long dream. With his near eidetic memory, he would be able to freely recall virtually any event that took place within the office. The system was limited to the office alone, leaving him unaware of events that happened elsewhere. As the Hilts of the Second Republic increasingly made their decisions in the residence or Fleet Command, the memory of Mykentos would become increasingly more vague.      

Reawakening

Mykentos would be rediscovered by Mark Thomason in 961 MY, during the opening stages of the First Enmalex War. Realizing he needed every resource he could lay his hands on, Mark would inject Mykentos with a modified form of Galatian nanites to repair his genetics and repair the damage his organs had suffered as a result of long term exposure to radiation. Upon being awakened, Mykentos would assume the identity of Fleet Admiral Unado of Neo Mykentia, a fictitious identity created by Xavier Thomason.   As Mykentos began to grow fur as a result of no longer being exposed to radiation, he would assume the identity of Torak Galaros, an obscure antiquarian from Anatos with an interest in pre-Republic Mykentian history. He would create the Society for the Preservation of Mykentian Culture, and take control of the ruins of the city of Yerlaja. Establishing himself with some students in the ruins of the imperial palace of the Hudrajel Empire, Mykentos would begin the laborious process of teaching the religion, culture, and practices of his time. The inner circle of students would know his true identity, among them being the Enmalex prisoner Daur.      

Children

Mykentos was never confirmed to have any children, but it was widely assumed that Zara, daughter of Tycha was his daughter. This fact was known only to Tycha, Zara, Mykentos, and later the first First of the Legion. Mykentos himself would only have this confirmed on his deathbed, as Tycha understood from the beginning that Mykentos could not help but show affection for her in public had he known, which would endanger the long term stability of the Republic by creating the possibility of a monarchy. In Mykentian culture at the time, it was only the mother who was the acknowledged parent, unless she chose to name the father. Tycha would never do so publicly.   The trauma following the death of Mykentos and the subsequent struggles would cause Tycha to give premature birth to a second child, Radentos. He would have many of the genetic defects of Mykentos and was not expected to live. The First of the Legion, recognizing the importance of the son of Mykentos, would place the infant in stasis in one of the two chambers still aboard the Omnos cruiser. He would be taken to Neo Mykentia where advances in medical technology would eventually allow him to live. After completing his studies, he would choose to return to stasis to await the eventual return of Mykentos, feeling strongly that he must stand by his side.   Zara would remain on Mykentia, where she would earn the position of Chief Archivist of the Great Archive. Her son Ixios would become the third Hilt of the Republic. He would be the last to know of his descent from Mykentos, something he learned only because he had previously served in the Legion of Mykentos. Two other Hilts, Zela and Faron Tugah would be distant descendants of Mykentos.      

Ancestry

In the pre-Great War period of Mykentian history, the people of what would become Mykentia had fur, the patterns of which indicated which tribe they came from. The imperial family was known by Mykentos to have possessed pure white fur and blue eyes, a combination which was rare. Genetic analysis of the preserved body of the emperor Aratoxes would show that Mykentos is a direct descendant. The method of this descent is unclear, as the children of Aratoxes vanished in the aftermath of his assassination, leaving it impossible to trace his lineage. This would be further shown by the throne activating when he sat upon it, providing him with the lost Book of Truth.