Balhkara was known for many of its deeds throughout the centuries but the Kingdom slowly began to deteriorate. The education system used to be top-notch, or at least surpassing some kingdoms in that regard.
Many scholars had documented its marvelous achievements through the ages, so the country was known for giving birth to brilliant men and women – skilled at art and poetry, pottery, science, philosophy, star-reading, or known as astrology, military and expanding as far as even architecture.
Magic was also a type of skill that one could learn. It had nothing to do with made-up stories that circulated for the last twenty years in Balhkara, and even beyond its borders.
Stories of witches that had black teeth and stinking-of -rotten-plague-rats breath, with long yellow nails that tore babies apart to drink their blood and eat the flesh.
Back in the days, witches were doctors that cured and helped the sick.
Indeed, however, some ill-natured witches misused the knowledge though it was quite rare since the Magic Academia carefully selected the students who could master the dangerous but helpful arts of magic.
All these details and much more were documented by scholars and they did not miss to assign such achievements as credits to the Crown back in the days. Although, 'crown' was a funny word made up as a concept of the new ruling class after Tulo died out.
A bunch of rats who just wanted to show off their wealth and power by sticking on top of their heads smelted and forged gold. Yet…that gold was enough to blind people and people bowed down on knees, forgetting that Tulo never needed gold and never made them kneel.
Whoever knelt before Tulo was on their own accord and free will.
However, such stories of people kneeling on their free will could be only laughed at. These glorious days have turned into nothing more but lore. Documents were burned in "accidental" fires, important stone artifacts and statues vandalized or stolen, and so was art not spared.
Just for one sole reason - abolishment of the truth – the greed for power to rule over and enslave the innocent, and not so innocent, people.
Yet there was a story that survived despite all the ridiculing and attempts to criminalize any claim that speculated its truthfulness. After all, such a story had the power to give birth to imagination.
Something truly horrifying for the current ruling class was the power of the people to imagine. Imagination was a form of an idea, and an idea could quickly take the form of a thought. A thought with roots was as dangerous as hope could be.
It could serve both a good and a bad master.
That story in question was no other but the Origins of the Tulo Clan. Alas, it had lost many of its chunks throughout the years. It has been amputated to such a degree that no one could remember anymore the Beginning of Tulo.
Crafty old women had tried to patch it up as a bedtime story and additionally created folklore lullabies they sang and sang, and sang – so Balhkaran children could remember at least the name of the clan. It showed how much the Balhkaran people loved Tulo.
One of such versions of the story, which was considered the most holistic and authentic one, was about the 'Orenda of Tulo'. Orenda*, in its true meaning, was an esoteric force present in the bloodline of Tulo that empowered them to affect the world and its course – or simply put, to control fate.
Such power came with great responsibilities and was only inherited through the blood ties but bestowed upon a selected King.
If the King was in any way unable to rule – because of a serious injury or corruption of the heart and mind, Orenda would turn into a ball of destruction. Therefore, any King, who came to be, needed three royal guards.
These guards were chosen after a long trial to test their will and loyalty. For they had the responsibility to protect the King but also to protect the people. If the King was to fall ill, whether, in the body or mind, they had to transfer the Orenda onto a new King.
No one knew how Orenda was transferred nor truly knew what Orenda was. Was it a ball of sparkling magic power? Or just a wicked charm that any member of Tulo could acquire?
One was only limited by imagination. Whatever Orenda was, it seemed to be a force desired by many. Tulo had been a leading clan for a millennium, and possibly longer than that however, their virtuous qualities were to be envied, and they were envied.
Tulo was a centralized clan, the leader was selected only if pure-blooded – and despite the understanding of commoners of 'pure-blooded royalty' – Tulo never belittled other clans or anyone from any Kingdom, be it a villager or a lord. They had just one rule – only a pure-blooded Tulo could inherit the throne.
It made quite a good sense, as Orenda had to be protected. If it happened to be inherited by someone outside Tulo, there was no telling what they would do with such a power. Besides, Tulo was merciful towards others but merciless towards their own.
The leader had to display qualities at decision-making, moral standing, excel in knowledge and wisdom, understanding of basic universal laws, love for the people and above all, humbleness towards all the creatures of the world – from the small ant and the insignificant grass to the once-existing dragons which, in fact, had been known to clash often so with Tulo nine-hundred years ago.
Such was the burden of a leader that had to rule for exactly three-hundred years. That was another mystery the mortals across many kingdoms tried to grasp – how could a human life continue after the usual span of seventy or so years of age?
That great opportunity to live that long was documented in the Nominalia of the Tulo Clan, and whoever doubted such unbelievable fact – could quickly flip through the pages and see that no ruler of Tulo reigned less than three-hundred years. Except for the last King – Tsuge...