Portal The Great Library

Fyros's Portal

Introduction

Pyr is the capital city of the Burning Desert, the Atys region the Fyros inhabit. With its ramparts, streets, vaults, arches and buildings with remarkable architecture, it is the only town worthy of the name. Pyr is also built in a tree stump, which makes it a fortified city.

The main artery of the Fyros economy, the city is considered by some to be the most beautiful in whole Atys. The city is a maze of streets and curved lanes that intersect around arranged squares. It is a pleasure to meander through this labyrinth, in the heat of the day's star, protected by the shade of the flaps stretched between the houses, or in the evening, by the light of firefly lamps.

It is in these narrow streets with names steeped in history that I invite you in this book to discover this wonderful Fyros culture of which we can be proud. For those who already know the city I hope it will be a guide rich in information to rediscover the city in a different perspective. And for those who have not yet had this chance, I am sure it will make them want to visit it.

A people in the service of an Empire

As the capital of the Desert, Pyr is home to the Imperial Palace, where sharükos and his family reside, and the Senate. It is the nerve centre of the Empire. Many of the streets are named after an illustrious Fyros Emperor. The Emperor is the Empire and thus may change or remove at any time, and without consultation, celiakos'^[3] orakenak^[4], as well as any of the organs of society or dismiss from office any Fyros holding a position.

Imperial Hall Square

On this square burns the Flame of Justice. Here begins the Fyros citizenship rite, which consists mainly in finding the three other flames that are those of Discipline, Truth and Honour distributed in the region of the Imperial Dunes, thus forming with the flame of Justice the four pillars of the Empire.

Cerakos Gate and Avenue

Cerakos Gate marks the main entrance to Pyr. Majestic but firmly guarded, it is named in honour of Cerakos II.

Fyros Emperor during the Great Swarming^[5], Cerakos II is a tutelary figure of the new Fyros Empire founded after 2483. Born in 2449 and died in 2481, Cerakos II led the Fyros people in the Prime Roots during the Great Swarming, but he also died then while fighting one of the first waves of kitins. As no fire can be lit in the Roots without causing a disaster, his body was embalmed waiting to be cremated by the Sacred Fire as the Fyros tradition requires. Thus, in 2443, two years after his death, a pyre was raised to incinerate his body. The first bricks of Pyr were laid in this precise place, and this pyre became the graet gate of the City. A commemoration of the Emperor's burning at the stake takes place every year under the moon of the winter solstice. This day is known as Day of the Pyre. The Sacred Fire at the gates of Pyr does not harm homins. It comes from the Flaming Forest, where the Watchers tribe maintains the activity of its sources while avoiding their expansion. Its magical essence was passed on to the Fyros by the Kamis, in order to better control true wildfires. It is maintained at the gates by a few homins who are in charge of it.

Arispotle Avenue

Arispotle is a Fyros Emperor born in 2313 and died in 2361. He reigned from 2329 until his death. He was saved by a Kami, which secured a friendship between the Fyros and the Kamis, as well as a deep respect in the hearts of the Fyros. Indeed, a Kamis' ambassador is always present at Cerakos Gate. The avenue, like that of Cerakos, has walls covered with glyphs. Here and there are arranged kind of booths, twenty in number. These two avenues are called the Sanctuary.

Below is an excerpt from the Sanctuary of Ma-Duk of the Imperial Dunes, entitled The Kamis and the Fyros.

"Very early on, the Kamis noticed a particular ability in the Fyros. The Desert people simply did not fear one of Atys' great plagues: fire. The Kamis tried to win their hearts and rally them to their cause. The Fyros were initially wary of these strange creatures. Then the rescue of Emperor Arispotle by a Kami sealed a new friendship and marked the birth of a deep respect in the hearts of the Fyros.

The Fyros gradually turned to the Kamis to learn from them the secrets of magic. The Emperor was the first homin to use the kamic teleportation. The Fyros experimented with magic using the powers of fire, manipulating the primordial energy of the Desert. In return for the favours of the Kamis, the Fyros have guaranteed protection from the fire of the Dragon^[6], and have agreed to fight to master it in the event of a wildfire.

Fantastic warriors, the Fyros have always been ready to mobilize for a just cause. Although they preferred their own Kamist cults to the Great Order of Ma-Duk, they have repeatedly responded to the calls of Kamis' followers, regardless of their origins."

Abylus Circus

Abylus the Learned is a Fyros Emperor born in 2366 and died in 2348. Son of Cerakos the Righteous (not to be confused with Cerakos II) and father of Emperor Pyto, as well as of Tanistie and Thesop, he is the founder of the Council of Chroniclers, a council in charge of writing the history of the Fyros people. He had to face the Fire of Coriolis during his reign.

Leanon Street

Sister of Emperor Cerakos II, Leanon held the position of regent when her brother died, until her death in 2502 following a long disease. In 2490, she signed the Mutual Assistance Agreement (MAP) with the Matis King Yasson, the Zoraï Great Sage Hoi-Cho and the Tryker Governor Rigan Mac'Darrell to counter the kitin threat.

Dexton Street

Dexton is a Fyros Emperor born in 2480. He succeeded his father Cerakos II. He was not in power until he was 22, when his aunt Leanon, who was until then in charge of the regency, died. He died in 2562 during the Second Great Swarming. He is the one responsible for the rapprochement with the Zoraïs, in particular because of his friendship with the Sage Mabreka. He is the father of the present Emperor Lykos.

The Agora

Just behind the Imperial Palace lies the Agora, which is above all a political arena. Endowed with a platform, it is here that most of the time sharükos or city officials speak.

An ancient people

The Fyros have been trampling on Atys for a long time, and Pyr was not always the centre of their civilization. Long before the First Swarming, Fyros cities were built elsewhere on Atys. These lost cities, which have become inaccessible since the First Swarming, have left their trace in the lanes of Pyr.

Karavia Road and Square

Karavia refers to both a square southwest of the city and the road leading to it. It was a fortified city of the Matis, built on the site of the first meeting between the Karavan and the Matis king Zachini, on the coast of the kingdom of Matia. The city was the scene of clashes between Matis and Fyros who fought over two centuries for its possession. Karavia's strategic position, located halfway along the Route of Water, made it a major military challenge because who had control over Karavia had control over the Route of Water. The Treaty of Karavia in 2490 marked the beginning of a truce between peoples in order to fight the kitins.

Lower and Upper Piros streets

Before reaching the Karavia Road, you can go through the Upper and Lower Piros streets.

Piros was an ancient Fyros city, located north of Colomo, one of the Fyros camps established along the Matis border, where war once raged. Colomo was the furthest from these commercial outposts. It was named after the aqueduct that exploited the Munshia River at this point. It was a very lively place with its fairs and trade convoys, merchants and itinerant crafters telling of their adventures full of wild beasts and perils.

A people of miners

The Fyros are famous for their great knowledge in drilling. It is said that Fyros are able to drill on all occasions, not hesitating to drill with heavy armor to resist Kamis' Wrath or to sink into kitins' lairs to collect kitin larvae. [[file:Scorched Corridor digging.jpg|thumb|center|600px|alt=Fyros drilling in the Scorched Corridor|Fyros drilling in the Scorched Corridor

Miners' Row

This small alleyway pays tribute to all the Fyros drillers who helped build the town. Indeed, the city of Pyr was built thanks to the raw materials recovered by the Barkers, a tribe whose camp is settled in the Sawdust Mines.

The Black Faces (sharmogfyrèthos), these elite soldiers obeying the Emperor alone, are themselves, at the origin, Fyros drillers.

A people of scientists and fire crafters

The Fyros are a people born of fire and fighting with fire. Everything in their craft is oriented towards their ultimate goal: to fight Fyrak the Great Dragon. Their craft is so famous that the Leviers tribe, established in the Imperial Dunes, wants to reserve it mainly for Fyros by heavily taxing Fyros products sold abroad.

For the Fyros, the fight against Fyrak does not end with death, quite the contrary. It continues long after that, because the Fyros think that when they die, they go to the place where Fyrak is in order to fight it and call on the living to fight too. Thus, death consists in overcoming the smoke that lifts us up to descend to where the Great Dragon resides. The Fyros therefore have no use for the body, and once dead, if the older ones are burned, most are summarily thrown under the houses to become ashes again. To be born of fire, to disappear by fire, such is the ambition of the Fyros.

Forge and Hammer Way

This street leads to the Forge, where the amateur crafter can find some well-paid missions and develop his skills with the Toolmaker Master Zemolion Aeros.

fyren, the fire, gave its name to the ancient Fyros capital city, Fyre.

Crafter (ulyakos) is a respected profession among the Fyros, as well as warrior is. The best crafters work at the Forge, because it is from fire that the most powerful weapons are born.

Academy Place

The Fyros are not a barbarian people. Academy Place is the proof of this. It is in charge of the schooling of young Fyros. It is also the meeting place for scientists who sometimes come to share their research with the homins who have come to listen to them. With a large library (talumum), it is probably the most important cultural centre in Atys. The main object of research is of course the quest for the Great Dragon, but also the kitins and the origins of homins and the Fyros culture. In 2596, the Imperial Academy hosted the Academic Congress of Pyr, bringing together historians, kitinologists and other great scholars from all over Atys.

The Academy (talumetimak), is under the direction of the Chancellor (talumetimakos) Euphanyx Apotheps and includes the four chambers of Honour (akash), Discipline (orak), Truth (talen) and Justice (rechten).

akash, orak, alen, rechten, the four Fyros pillars

Coriolis Circus

Coriolis is an ancient Fyros city located in the plain of the same name. In 2435, under the reign of Emperor Abylus the Learned, the Fyros miners found a vein of acid sap that set fire to the surrounding dry land. The fire quickly spread to the homin territories, ravaging the city of Coriolis and forming a fiery trail to the great forests of the Matis. While the Fyros were busy extinguishing the fire, the Matis took the opportunity to attack them and recover their city of Karavia.

Below, a text by Apocasus Menix, Fyros columnist.

"We were under the authority of the Council of Chroniclers, set up by Emperor Abylus the Learned, when the Miners' Guild was created to study the ruins discovered in the Coriolis plain. Despite some opposition due to prohibition imposed by the Karavan, a motion was passed allowing miners to dig to uncover the truth about the Dragon of the Myth and the secret treasures or evil they thought was buried in Atys' womb. The general consensus was that it was better to face the truth than to live in a lie, such is the motto of the Fyros people. However, the path to the truth is not always a long, quiet river…

A team was digging in the Coriolis area, encouraged by the discovery of strange materials, when it came across an acid vein that set fire to the surrounding dry land. Due to the westerly wind, the fire spread rapidly before reinforcements arrived. The fire ravaged the city of Coriolis and traced a fiery path, like a rabid gingo devouring all forms of life on its way. Abylus the Learned sent an army to fight the fire, but the worst was yet to come.

The fire had spread to the Matis border, forming a wall of fire that prevented the Trykers from supplying water. Aniro III, the Matis king, taking advantage of this smoke screen, sent an army to rout the regiments watching the water and take possession of the Route of Water, then turned his eyes to the region of the Lakes. But as our song so aptly states, "as long as the air fills our lungs, our proud and righteous hearts will beat in unison, and as long as the night follows the day, we will fight again and again!" The Coriolis fire raged for several weeks. But luck came to cross our path, the clouds thickened and a violent rain fell, extinguishing the fire as if by magic. Not losing a moment and despite the exhaustion of the troops, Pyto, the son of the then aged Emperor, led a heroic campaign to regain the vital link to the Lakes region."

A people of adventurers

The Fyros enjoy adventure and do not think twice when it comes to the exploration of new territories. But above all, they are truth seekers. One of the streets is named after the greatest of all Fyros adventurers.

Rydon's Walk

This street takes its name from Oflovak Rydon, a cartographer and astronomer from the New Lands of Atys and a member of the Trail Blazers guild with his two apprentices, Deutheus Xaphaan and Be'Cauny Kedgy. Oflovak Rydon is one of the few witnesses to the appearence of Elias Tryton. After telling his story to his compatriots, he went back to the wild depths to find a road to the Old Lands. We haven't seen him since. His name has also been given to the oasis west of the Imperial Dunes.

Below, a fragment of the memoirs of Ulyssus Zessen, a Fyros merchant.

"Oflovak Rydon was a great traveller of the Old Lands. He is known to have saved the lives of thousands of Fyros during the Great Swarming. He left Fyre, the former capital city of the Empire, and led his people to safety in remote areas. On the seventh day of this journey, as Oflovak climbed onto the crest of a dune, a halo of light descended from the sky. He approached it and heard the words of a superior being.

"Oflovak Rydon, listen to me carefully! My name is Elias Tryton and I am coming to thee to save you… Lead your people to the east. When thou reach Baldos Reef, thou will find a rainbow. Time is running out Oflovak, go and fulfill thine destiny!"

Oflovak, impressed, fell to his knees and cried out: "Count on me Elias! As long as the air fills my lungs, I won't stop!"

The minutes were numbered... Not far from there, to the south, there were kitin troops. The wind blowing could at any time betray the position of the thousands of Fyros in exodus. Oflovak encouraged his people to follow him and, true to his word, led them to safety. The homins welcomed with joy and relief the spectacle offered by the Baldos Reef: a rainbow! This allowed homins to take refuge in the Prime Roots. Oflovak turned around and looked one last time at the land he was about to leave.

"Will we come back?" he sighed, while nodding his head.

As the days went by, more and more homins took refuge in the Prime Roots. All of them related the images of horror and devastation they had witnessed. There was no doubt then for Oflovak Rydon that the kitins would destroy the last Rainbows. Thus would the last gates to the Old Lands disappear… How do we get the homin peoples out of the Prime Roots?

Once again, Oflovak found the way by looking up at the sky. Indeed, he immediately began to map the areas that the homins occupied. With his two apprentices, Deutheus Xaphaan and Be'Cauny Kedgy, he found a place in the Prime Roots he could observe the stars. Thanks to the knowledge he had acquired during his many journeys, he had learned to find his way back according to the position of the stars. He was able to conclude that the homins were west of the Old Lands.

Oflovak and his two apprentices spent the following years of their lives travelling leagues and leagues in search of the Old Lands. It was during this journey that he found the refuges that are the New Lands. He stayed there long enough to map a large part of it, then he left alone, leaving his apprentices behind for them to pursue his work.

I was only a child at the time, my parents were among the homins saved by the way Oflovak Rydon traced and were able to settle in the New Lands. I regret that Oflovak, a hero of our people, could not see the rebirth of our civilization. Nevertheless, sometimes I like to think he looks down on us from up there on a cloud beside Elias."

Northgate and Southgate roads

For those who would like to follow in the footsteps of the great Oflovak, the path can start with the Northgate Road, which leads to the Leviers' camp and the Kamis altar, from where it is possible to be teleported to the Almati Wood. One can also start with the Southgate Road, towards Thesos, passing through the Outlaw Canyon and the Scorched Corridor. Each of these doors is as securely guarded as the main entrance.

A people of merchants

One can notice in Pyr the presence of several extremely dynamic markets. Travellers from all over Atys make the trip especially to exchange, sell, buy in these markets. On the other hand, the already flourishing economy of this city is being strengthened by growing imports and exports. These markets, which are major tourist and economic hubs for Pyr and the Fyros, remain open all day and even at night; thus, business and trade are constantly taking place.

Many squares or streets are thus dedicated to the market. Cheapside Market is the main marketplace, where most of the exchanges are carried out and where you can find barbers, tattooists and sellers of burning pickaxes. Highmarket is not to be outdone, where one can find all kinds of vendors. It can be accessed from Cheapside Market via Cheapside Way or Market Lane, or from the south of Pyr via the tunnel called Merchants' Walk. Finally, Traders Way and Pyr High Street also have their own salesmen.

A people of the desert

Pyr was built on a water source, one of the few present in the desert. When you look closely at Pyr, you can see that she is built in a tree stump, betraying the water source below. Moreover, Pyr comes from the fyrk^[7] word which means "wet" but also "life".

Fountain Road and Fountain Square

The Fountain allows the Fyros to quench their thirst during hot weather. It is also a meeting place. It is also not unusual to meet there some homins sleeping drinks off at the exit of "The Yubo's Paw", the bar run by Lydix Deps.

Bath Lane

This path leads to the thermal baths of Pyr. Held by Volubis Gargatus, they are a place of exchange and meeting for Fyros. At the bottom is a hot water bath and on the first floor a sauna. Among the regulars of the thermal baths are Aloisius Iustinus, Hilarius Avitus and Xinna Cekaps, Thulam's sister.

Unlike their reputation among some barbarian peoples, the Baths of Pyr are regularly cleaned. One of these clean-ups remained famous for the small diplomatic crisis it almost caused. Indeed, Tryker washerhominas in the service of the Matis karan^[8], were requisitioned from Virginia Falls by a group of Fyros in order to clean the baths of Pyr. Royal bed sheets carried by the mektoubs of the Trykesses were thus used as mops before being given back soiled along with the washerhominas. Of course, a thanks parcel including shooki and testicles of bodoc was sent to the Kingdom, which was not to the liking of the karan Stevano.

A people of warriors

The Fyros' fighting spirit is legendary, and many times they have shown boldness and bravery in battle. The city of Pyr has suffered many assaults, from wether kitins or marauders, but has always been able to recover. It is strongly defended by more than a hundred faction guards.

Guardhouse Way and Place

That is the stronghold of Pyr, along with the Academy Square and the Imperial Palace. The guard tower on the square allows a view on the whole city and serves as barracks for the soldiers (glados).

References