Part 44: Regarding Sss'ra, Mad King of Bloodrock

Regarding Sss'ra, Mad King of Bloodrock



The dragonkin Sss'ra is a wizard of might and skill, once a savant of Fangrock whose fine breeding and depth of learning afforded him a seat on the Council of Five up until the year 1386. He was restless and inquisitive of temperment, and he delved into deeper and more systematic experimentation than many other savants of the town. Indeed, his skills as a sorcerer and as a chaos magician were highly admired and feared- his fellows believed he may be able to achieve dominance for Fangrock in its rivalries with Blademarsh and with Bloodrock, but believed also his superiority of skill might overbalance the other members of the Council of Five and thwart their own ambitions. As years passed with Sss'ra on the Council of Five, it also became clear that his temperment was violent, vindicative, and easily stirred to anger. In 1386, Sss'ra publically used his magic to burn alive the captain of a company of the warriors of Fangrock, stirred to passionate anger by his failure to achieve victory on the Battle Hills. When Ressaal of the Council came to remonstrate with Sss'ra, Sss'ra slew him also. This was intolerable to the three remaining members of the Council of Five, who gathered their warriors to strike Sss'ra down. In fear for his life, Sss'ra flew north, across the Desert of Fangs.

There, he came to rest in Bloodrock. The dark elves of the town came to seize him as an enemy, but he presented himself as a savant of skill come to offer his services to the Queen Elaissea of Bloodrock. She was tempted by the promise of his skills, and agreed to take him into service. There he began research into gathering creatures that might bring victory in war to Bloodrock, while also flattering the priests of the Great Lady of Beauty to teach him their lore. By 1390 he was initiated himself as a priest of the Lady, and bided his time, slowly enthralling the mind of Elaissea with his sorcery and entertaining himself with the suffering of thralls. In 1395, Queen Elaissea did willingly announce her abdication of the throne and her marriage to the new king Sss'ra, which was held simultaneously with his marriage to the High Priestess of the Great Lady of Beauty in Bloodrock, who did solemnise both weddings herself. With the full assets of Bloodrock behind him and with the enthusiastic support of the religious establishment of Bloodrock, Sss'ra was able to make great progress in his research, his powers reaching a new level of strength which allowed him to gather creatures to subdue monsters in the surrounding districts. With this greater security, Bloodrock enjoyed a resurgence of strength, and many of the noble houses of Bloodrock have grudgingly offered their support to this alien king.

With all power behind him, his violent and cruel disposition has risen to the fore, and he is known to slay certain thralls with torments for his own delight. He nonetheless practises strict regimens of meditation and self-denial, ensuring sufficient moderation and balance in his own appetites to maintain his connection with the Lady. With his years to work and his skills in sorcery, it is impossible to tell how many nobles of Bloodrock support him of their own true will and how many have been decieved and ensnared by the powers of sorcery. He is, by this time, a wizard to match my own abilities, and a ruler of folk in his own right. May the Four support the Kingdom of Greater Dvergursheim and its people!