The rot eye

The old man of the mountain started to explain the Odam Haji's past.

"Centuries ago, our history began with the brutal conquest of Sassan by Iskander. After his triumph, he appointed Antigonus, the rot eye, to rule in his place. It was then that the Sassans learned the true meaning of tyranny. Antigonus was a cruel and heartless ruler, who saw the Sassans as nothing more than animals beneath him. Beneath...humans. His rotten amber eye burned with a cold fire as he gazed upon our cities, our people, our culture, and all that we held dear.

Antigonus built a grand city on the southern coast of Parsana, but it was not a place of beauty or wonder. It was a place of oppression, where the Sassans were forced to toil in the mines, fields, and factories. They were treated as slaves, their lives worth nothing to Antigonus and his minions. The rot eye reveled in their suffering, finding joy in the sound of their screams and the sight of their blood.

Many people forget that Cyrus, the great Persian king, was not from the opulent cities of the divine rivers or the endless Scythian steppes. No, he hailed from here, from the rugged and barren lands of Parsana. But his son, in his arrogance and neglect, allowed the once-beautiful land to rot and decay. It was then that a powerful sorcerer came to the rescue, constructing this very castle and providing shelter for refugees fleeing the brutal reign of Antigonus.

He didn't have many soldiers, and he himself wasn't much of a fighter. However, what he did possess was a great abundance of knowledge, as any respectable sorcerer does. He realized that a hundred spears placed in a hundred soldiers accomplished nothing, but a knife placed in the throat of the right person kept them safe. Thus, he created the Odam Haji, the order of the assassins.

The assassins or the haji of the mountains were able to kill powerful humans with the least amount of effort. The first old man of the mountain created sorceries that enabled regular townsfolk to become deadly assassins and gave them special weaponry and tools to fight even the most divine of humans.

Despite their incredible success, however, Antigonus and his followers came close to eradicating the entire Parsana people. To this day, the once-lush lands of Parsana remain a barren wasteland, a cruel reminder of what happens when a tyrant is left unchecked. Oh, if only Cyrus could see what has become of his beloved homeland now.

As Iskander breathed his last, Antigonus knew that the Sassans would come for him, and he was not wrong. Arslan, with his fierce warriors, led the charge of revenge against the humans who had inflicted untold suffering upon his people. The towering structure of Cyrus, the former capital of the Parsana Sassan, loomed ahead, its gate shut and impenetrable. Antigonus barricaded himself within the tower, as rumors spread of a brutal battle waged inside its walls between the tower's inhabitants and Antigonus's men.

With the gates locked tight, Arslan and Xerxes turned to the first old man of the mountain, seeking a way to seal the monster within. The sorcerer knew that he had to act fast to ensure the safety of the Sassans, even if it meant sacrificing himself. His knowledge was so powerful that not even a god could break it. The twins, in an act of selflessness, gave their divinity to strengthen the seal further.

The air was thick with the scent of sweat and blood as the Sassans watched with bated breath, hoping against hope that the seal would hold. Finally, it was done. The seal glowed with an unearthly light, its power radiating outwards as if to warn the world of the monstrosity within.

And so, the tower of Cyrus, the former beacon of hope, became a tomb. Trapped within, Antigonus and his men were left to starve in the darkness, their screams of agony echoing through the halls. The tower, once a symbol of power, was now a testament to the horrors of war and the price of human ambition.

The fate of the Parsana people was a tragic one, marked by years of oppression and hardship. But even when a glimmer of hope shone in the form of Xerxes and Arslan, the twin gods who could have helped them rise, it was quickly snuffed out. Instead of staying to lend their support and guidance, they abandoned the Parsana to return to their own worshippers. Xerxes retreated back to the vibrant river cities, and Arslan to the vast steppes, leaving the Parsana to fend for themselves.

The result was devastating. The Parsana people were left to wither in obscurity, as their culture and way of life were slowly eroded by the constant raids of the Scythians and the marginalization by other powerful cities. The once-proud people were reduced to a mere shadow of their former selves until only a handful remained.

Now, with war looming on the horizon once again, the Parsana people fear for the safety of their land. The twin brothers, Xerxes and Arslan, seem set on a collision course that is sure to devastate everything in their path. And amidst it all, the Parsana are left to wonder what will become of them - forgotten once again in a world that seems to care little for our struggles."