Zorhis Ifeihl¶
- Life Duration: (Unknown year, probably Av2 1500s or early Av2 1600s) - ???
- Reign Duration: (Unknown year, probably late 1600s or early Av2 1700s) (1) - (Unknown year, probably mid Av2 1700s)
- An official timeline from version 2.1 gives the length of Ifeihl's reign as Av2 1695-1761, although this timeline is no longer officially referenced anywhere and no such dates are given in the current version of the map.
Zorhis Ifeihl (pronounced "zor-iss if-fail") was the second emperor of the Empire of Avsohm. Despite his initial popularity, he fell out of favor with the general population due to economic downturn and military failures, causing him to be replaced. His reign was the shortest-lived of all the Avsohmic emperors, and his role in history is often overshadowed by his predecessor Drehn Mal'Sohm and his successor Uffeihl Anyr.
Appearance¶
No clear description of Ifeihl is given in-map, and his official reference sheet is not public.
History¶
Election¶
Ifeihl's background and the details of his early life are unknown, but he ran for emperor after Drehn Mal'Sohm's resignation. He garnered support among younger generations, intellectuals, and artists due to his peaceful attitude and interest in the arts, being known to have had experience painting himself. This following earned him enough votes to win the election and the imperial throne.
Reign as Emperor¶
Ifeihl invested lots of money into Avsohm's art and entertainment industries, resulting a period of heightened artistic creativity and creation called the "Years of Color". However, many people in the empire saw his habits as decadent. Ifeihl did not show interest in expanding the empire, and he was especially disinclined to using military force. Some of his other policies were officially banning worship of the Aspects, converting a section the Crypts of Akhlo'Rohma into a prison after the capture of the serial killer "Lake Man", compounding the regicide penalty, strengthening government ties with the Big Three (1), and classifying information about the Primary Energy Collection Facility, with physical records being stored in new, secret vaults. It is also possible that Ifeihl instated a "pseudo-aristocracy" consisting of regional houses of nobility with ceremonial power, but this system may have existed during Drehn Mal'Sohm's rule.
- Red Dawn, Green Serpent, and Blue Exodus
Ifeihl's poor management of funds caused an economic recession that progressively worsened over the second half of his reign. Although the specifics are unclear, he was also seen as an incompetent military commander, bringing the empire numerous military defeats. The final straw, however, was the conflict with the Tri-Moon Theocracy. The Theocracy was formed by necromancers who had fled persecution in the Chosen Kingdom. As such, it viewed Avsohm as its enemy. The Theocracy began raising an undead army in response to attacks by Maelmari, unnerving Avsohm's leaders. Additionally, if Maelihs successfully conquered Lorahn'Kahl, he would be able to attack the empire from the south. Avsohm supported assassinations of the Theocracy's High Priests, causing the collapse of the government. Then, the Avsohmic army quickly swept through the region and occupied it. It is not known if this plan was devised by Ifeihl himself. However, killing off the most powerful necromancers proved to be an unwise decision, as the droves of undead monsters that had been prepared for defense could no longer be controlled.
The now-loose Undead Horde rampaged across Lorahn'Kahl, the Tharxax Plains, and probably Palisades Heath. The Avsohmic military was tasked with eradicating the swarm of bloodthirsty attackers and destroying the Necrotic Engines that produced them. The specifics of the conflict are unclear, but it was known to have been costly and drawn-out due to Ifeihl's poor leadership. Avsohm eventually prevailed, but the emperor's reputation was already beyond salvageable, and a new election was held to determine a replacement.
No further details on Ifeihl's later life or ultimate fate are provided.