Mydei

Kremnos, the mist-shrouded city of chaos and war! Its royal lineage is tainted with patricide, and its god bears the name of calamity.
The undying Mydeimos, the lion apart from the rest. Chrysos Heir who seeks the Coreflame of Strife, must suffer a thousand deaths, be bathed in blood on the path home, and bear the madness of fate alone.
— Kingslayer be king, godslayer be god. Iron-hooves pound across the wilderness for the campaign, and must eventually soak in the blood of their homeland.

"In the ancient legends of the coastal city-states, the Sea of Souls is said to have birthed beings as mighty as gods. Fishermen speak of a king of the seas who appears among the waves as a young child, with a fierce countenance and bluish lips, bathing in the bone-chilling waters of the Sea of Souls, wrestling with its savage beasts, thirsting for blood, and devouring flesh and bone.

It is said that each time they sink to the seabed, they soon resurrect from the Sea of Souls. Over approximately nine years, they reforged themselves no less than ten thousand times, ultimately tearing apart a giant monster, staining the sea red for miles, yet no flesh-eating sea creature dared approach.

Legends speak of how that the king of the seas could sweep countless fish and shrimp onto the shore with a flick of the tail. Once, shipwrecked fishermen praying for salvation were rescued by the king alongside his crew. As the tales grew more fantastical over time, fishermen started painting the king on their boats, in the hope it will grant them safe voyages.

Rumors have emerged claiming that this so-called king of the seas is the vengeful spirit of the crown prince Mydeimos. Terrified by the prophecy he carried, his father, the former king, cast him into the Sea of Souls at birth. His life cut short, the child died with his grievances unredressed, vowing to scour the Sea of Souls. However, the writer believes this is merely the cunning Kremnoans trying to glorify themselves, for three reasons:

First, though the Kremnoans traditionally engage in father-son struggles where the victor becomes king, why would they throw a newborn crown prince into the sea?
Second, even if King Eurypon of Kremnos, grown old and senile, believed the prophecy and sacrificed his heir to the sea, how could an infant possess the divine strength to battle giant monsters?
Third, even if such a child existed, he could hardly be Kremnoan. Why would a Kremnoan, known for their selfish and brutal nature as they are, assist fishermen struck by disaster?
Dear readers, I will now reveal the truth: the so-called king of the seas
— Naturally, he is the embodiment of the ocean itself!"

— Excerpt from "Inquiry into the Legend of the Mighty Sea King"
archived in the Gibranipar Library collection

"Strong."
— A man's handwriting

"The lone army emits a strong scent of blood, like a blood-stained spear. The leading warrior, the speartip, is always enveloped in unfathomable rage and hatred, thrusting towards the enemy.

From Ladon, through Aidonia, to Aenionus, he returned from death time and again, leaving towering infernos of war in his wake. In the infamous Battle of Aenionus, the undefeated Klytios raised his massive axe as thousands of arrows darkened the sky behind him. Yet, when the smoke cleared and fire rose from the blood-soaked ground, the warrior's fist struck like a spear, tearing open Klytius's throat.

After that epic battle, the true identity of the warrior became yet more elusive. That army clearly bore the marks of Kremnoan training but had never flown Kremnos's flag. None know whether they are Kremnoan spirits wandering on the battlefield or lost souls who have long been away from their homeland.

Wandering bards turned the lone army's journey into mournful songs, while in the rust-flavored winds of Amphoreus, the lone lion led a group of old and weak soldiers as they wandered, searching for a nonexistent homeland.

Reality will never alter its face due to cruelty. The once-elite citizens of Kremnos who followed him were loyal but mortal, lacking his god-like immortality. As time wore on, and even the gods of Kremnos succumbed to madness, how could humanity hope to know whither they should go?

Will that proud, lonely man carry the weight of his people's fate alone? Will he bind himself to the chains of kingship? Or was it all just his wishful thinking..."

— Excerpt from "A History of the Wars of Amphoreus"
archived in the Gibranipar Library collection

"Hephaestion, Perdikkas, Leonnius, Ptolemy, Peucesta... your names will not be forgotten by history."
— A man's handwriting

"Mydeimos! You treacherous ingrate, you coward who has forsaken the spirit of Kremnos!

You slew the former king and had your vengeance, yet you shirked the duty of restoring the dynasty. Was your honor swallowed whole by the beasts of the Sea of Souls?
You roam among those who chase flames, swayed by the wild tales of a witch, fraternizing with low-born soldiers. You choose to pin your hopes on elusive oracles rather than trust in your strength!
The Kremnoans yearn to return to their war-torn homeland, yet you urge us to settle in the city-state of our sworn enemies. Have you grown enamored with the opulence of Okhema, or are you already bewitched by the mists rising from its golden baths?

Mydeimos! You, with your noble and immortal essence, how can you submit to that woman of Okhema? You are a predator, a messenger of Strife — have you lost sight of the difference between predator and prey?

Rumors swirl that you saved outlanders from Nikador's kin alongside the one claiming the mantle of Chrysos Heirs. In that endless Long Night, you let your body shatter, drenched in blood and madness.
Mydeimos! Your noble blood should not be wasted on such unworthy individuals! You should be rallying your armies and plundering resources to carve out a path for Kremnos's survival in these apocalyptic times!

That supposed Flame-Chase Journey has distorted you beyond recognition, my king! A king requires no equals, no allies, no doubts, no rescue — if any semblance of your clear mind lingers, command us!
Let Kremnos's glory eclipse all other city-states!"

— Excerpt from "Collected Resolutions of the Kremnos Council of Elders"
stored in the Gibranipar Library collection

"Keep moving."
— A man's directive

"The holy city of Okhema remains one of the last pure lands untouched by the black tide. Yet, the encirclement of the black tide around it has become unmistakably clear.

For a thousand years, wherever the black tide has swept, life has been twisted into inhuman monstrosities, and city-states have been eroded by the wind into desolate ruins. Even a stronghold like Kremnos saw its gods tainted by the black tide, leaving nothing but wastelands in its wake.

Most of the Coreflames had been restored, yet as the black tide approached, we found ourselves desperately short on time. All we have achieved will have been in vain should Okhema fall before the Era Nova.

The author boldly speculated that, soon, the heroes chasing the flame would inevitably face a decisive battle against the black tide. Historical records showed that even the most valiant warriors could not endure long within the black tide. Among the Chrysos Heir heroes, if there was any hope for this battle, it would either rest upon the fearless Phainon or fall to Mydeimos.

This wasn't merely because Mydeimos hailed as the bravest in this world, carried a destiny that defied death, nor was it solely because the old city of Kremnos occupied a strategic choke point against the black tide. Even though Mydeimos, like the lion of Kremnos, had migrated countless times in his life and ultimately settled far from his birthplace, the solitary king would never submit to foreign rule. Once he had settled his people, Mydeimos, who regarded his mission as his very essence, would undoubtedly return home. Yet, this time, he bore not only the hopes of the Kremnoans but also the future of the entire world.

Talanton's priests once prophesied that the millennium of Strife that started in Kremnos would also find its end there. Perhaps, one day, that eternal figure will face the black tide — suspended between life and death. Imagine such a scene, such a profound tragedy..."

— Excerpt from "Flame-Chasing Observations: Black Tide Special Report"
archived in the Gibranipar Library collection

"As with the Sea of Souls, as it has always been."
— A recently-made annotation in a man's handwriting