The Books of Blutora

14 : The Eshels - I/II

Blutora - home to a vast collection of life in all forms. No doubt the ones with the most impact being the people that reside within the lands. Typically, those with the largest impact are the rulers, the people wielding armies. Sometimes those with the most impact are the wealthy, with the ability to fund armies, or any of their mischievous desires. What isn't all that common, is when the people, the common folk, rise up and band together leaving in their wake a path of terror similar to that of any war. This is the case, with The Eshels - a notorious, and truly dangerous bandit clan.

The story of the Eshels begins in D-544, in the deserts of Odelia and more specifically the capital of Schium. To understand the origins of the Eshels, a little backstory and groundwork is needed. At this time, in D-544, Schium recognized their leader as King Huenin III. For ten years prior, since early in D-534, Huenin III ruled over Schium bringing in his leadership questionable results, at best. Since his inheritance of the throne from his late father Huenin II, Schium had seen declines in its overall wealth, and food supply. As a result of this - tensions were growing ever stronger between the lower and upper classes within the city. Nothing new to the desert capital however, class divides had always been present up to this point. 

The common people of Schium were placing the blame squarely on the leadership, and as they should, many believe. Amongst some of the most skeptical of Schium's citizens, rumors of thievery and greed from the crown began to surmise. Resulting from these rumors, people began to make their feelings known. They began to perform sabotage attempts any time a convoy made its way to - or exited from - the Eraikull palace. Protests began to sprout up around the kingdom consisting of chants calling for the crown to change hands. One of these such citizens among the early resistance movement was none other than Fidril Khalmar of Tyldet. 

Fidril Khalmar was born in the village of Tyldet, a half elf-half human Berimaro to an Arberi human father and Yimaro elf mother, in the year D-517. For much of his life, he learned the merchant trade from his parents, becoming a natural due to his charismatic nature. After a rough ending to his childhood and transition into the world as an adult, Fidril became a travelling merchant all on his own, making stops from the provinces of Kyn Alora to Odelia and all along the eastern coast. In the year D-544, Fidril found himself in a situation unlike anything he'd faced prior. While on his way to Schium for a delivery, he was stopped and attacked by corrupt high ranking officials, who had spotted the profits possible from the cargo on the ship. He was thrown overboard and forced to walk by foot through the desert until reaching the city. Upon reaching the city and seeking shelter and recovery, Fidril began to talk with the common folk and quickly began to learn of just how bad the situation in the capital really was. People were starving, merchants were being robbed by high ranking officials, and the city's wealth was dwindling rapidly. This infuriated Fidril, and after hearing enough of the different horror stories among the people, he decided he would fight - not just for his own revenge, but for the betterment of all the common folk in Schium. Shortly after the start of protests and resistance to the crown, Fidril Khalmar banded together a collection of the most passionate of the resisting crowd, and named their group the Eshels.

In the early days and months of their existence, the Eshels were simply a group of protestors against the Schiumian crown. As they saw it, King Huenin III was not fit to be ruler, and had been stealing from the kingdom and its people for years. Not only this, but many of the people in positions of power were corrupt and needed to be removed. Their goal early on was to put enough pressure on the crown that change would result, or enough people would join that they could make change themselves. They recruited countless citizens, actively protested and interfered with royal business on a daily basis.  After months had gone by with no real progress, and no real signs of the crown giving in to the pressure, Fidril began to see their efforts as not nearly enough. 

After the realization of the Eshels efforts being in vain, Fidril decided that the group would change up their tactics to show the crown just how serious they were. The year at this point had turned to D-545, and this is when the Eshels began to take on the nature they would be feared for during the rest of the era. Under their cunning, driven and charismatic leader Fidril, the group began to conspire up plots to shake the crown entirely. This included the assassination of high ranking officials, stealing from the crown, and even destruction of their own city if need be. In the eyes of Fidril and many of the members, the idea that evil could only be fought with evil become more and more believed.

The first instance in which the Eshels would strike fear into the hearts of the people would be carried out shortly thereafter. Fidril at this point wasn't a widely recognized figure, and as such used his charismatic nature and seemingly innocent appearance to garner the favor of Prince Huenin IV of Schium. The Prince had commonly made his way out of the palace and into the city to sate his appetite for adventure. During one such adventure, he would encounter Fidril in the market, and began to quickly fall victim to Fidril's seemingly friendly and good-willed nature. Eventually, while strolling through the city with the Prince and his guards, Fidril told him all about a spice he had acquired from his trade routes. He detailed how expensive and sought after the spice was, and how it was rumored to enhance ones ability to connect with the magical aura of Teldess. The Prince bought into every word, and when Fidril offered up the spice as a gift to the great Prince, he took it with pride, hiding the transaction from view from the guards as he didn't dare let anyone plot to take it from him.

Later that very night during a feast with the royal family, Prince Huenin IV would collapse to the floor with blue spots all over his skin and blood running down his face from his eyes. To Fidril, this plot was necessary as arguably one of the most corrupt was the Prince. It was common knowledge that when the Prince was roaming the streets people had to meet his every demand, or they would be executed. As a result of Huenin IV's ways, upwards of thirty innocent citizens had been executed since his father took the throne. Prince Huenin IV was known for his evil ways, his blatant disregard for human life and well being, and as a result he was the first target by the Eshels. 

The Prince was dead, the King was furious, and the people were both excited and scared of what might come. The King knew that the poisoning was done by the people resisting against the crown, and in retaliation had the city guard round up all known protestors. They were brought to the front of the Eraikull palace and executed one by one in front of the people of Schium. Some were hanged, some were beheaded, some were stabbed, some were forced to bleed out. This act of true evil and abuse of power by King Huenin III of Schium and his royal court was the final straw for Fidril and the Eshels. 

They would watch the crown burn, if it was the last thing they did.