*๐ป๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐น๐บ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐น๐ฐ๐ซ๐ฌ๐น:*
Before humans came to Elturel, the site was ruled by an Ogre Lord in a crude stone bastion atop the tor where now stands the High Hall. The Ogre Lord captured the son of Lady Shiarra, a local noblewoman. Lady Shiarra, seeking vengeance against the Ogre Lord, drove him out of the bastion. After the Ogre Lord was defeated, Lady Shiarra called a concord of local lordlings to the site where Shiarraโs Market now stands. These lordlings pledged fealty to each other and formed the Riders of Elturel, with Lady Shiarra as the first High Rider.
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๐ป๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐น๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ถ๐ญ ๐ป๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ณ๐ณ ๐น๐ฐ๐ซ๐ฌ๐น๐บ:
Olanthius, the High Rider of Elturel, was often away from the High Hall, for the frontiers in those days were sore-pressed by warbands passing over the Sunset Mountains from the Goblin Marches. Fields were despoiled, livestock slaughtered, homes razed, and people dragged off to terrible fates. [When, exactly, Olanthius ruled Elturel is uncertain, but generally agreed to be the 9th or 10th century, although some claim itโs as far back as the 8th. Some of the early chronicles say that the trouble actually originated from the Trollclaws and not the Goblin Marches, although some loremasters argue that both might be true.]
While Olanthius was away, a Prince of Devils came to Elturel. Cloaked in a handsome form, he insinuated himself into the High Hall as Nothius, a Lord of Iriaebor. Over time, he enslaved the soul of Olanthiusโ love, the Lady Yael. [The early-14th century poet Aternicus wrote โThe Lay of the Lady Yael,โ a now-classic masterpiece which weaves this story into a romantic seduction.]
As winter fell upon another year, Olanthius returned from campaign over fresh-fallen snow to discover that his lady love had been stolen away. Alack! If only he had returned a few hours earlier, Lady Yael might have been saved! [In some versions of the story, Olanthius is now visited by a nameless angel who guides the Riders to where Yael is being held prisoner.]
Olanthius led the Riders of Elturel in a frenzied chase. [Maatalโs Chronicle instead describes a search of eighteen months โ in some versions, eighteen years โ in which the Riders of Elturel scatter across Toril, seeking the hiding place where Prince Nothius has concealed Lady Yael. Various tales have accumulated to individual knights, some of whom journeyed to distant Zakhara and even Maztica.]
When the Riders caught up with Lord Nothius, the devil revealed his true form. A great battle then commenced, which ended when Nothius opened a gateway to Hell itself and, with a cackling laugh, carried Lady Yael through it! [Several chronicles also ascribe the goblin or troll invasions as being part of Nothiusโ schemes; these usually feature a ferocious battle as Olanthius and the Riders try to fight their way through to Nothius. In other versions, Nothius has carried Lady Yael to a citadel in the Sunset Mountains โ sometimes identified as Darkhold โ and the Riders must lay siege to it.]
The Riders of Elturel did not hesitate! They plunged through the gate, pursuing the devil into Hell itself! [Some versions of the story have the Riders pursue the devil Nothius through all nine of the Hells. In these, Nothius is often revealed to be Asmodeus himself. These are generally agreed by serious historians to be exaggerations.]
The pursuit of Nothius now continued across the blasted plains of Avernus itself. At last, the Riders of Elturel met the armies of Hell! The Riders defeated one of the fabled blood legions and Yael was reunited with Olanthius, but as they rode back towards the portal home a second and even larger legion threatened to cut them off.
Olanthius knew the only hope of escape was if this legion was delayed. He asked for volunteers to accompany himโฆ and all the Riders did so. Therefore lots were drawn to determine the lucky few who would ride one last time at the side of their lord. Olanthius begged Yael to fly to safety, but she, too, chose to ride into battle at his side.
In the face of the Ridersโ charge, the legion of Avernus trembled and buckledโฆ but did not break. Olanthius and Yael perished on the Avernian plains. It is said that where they fell in a final, martial embrace, a spring of holy water sprung up that was poison to the devils of that land.
Their sacrifice, however, bought the time the other Riders needed to escape from Hell. Overcome with grief at the loss of their glorious leader and his love, they returned to the city. Their valor was never forgotten, and from that day forward the Riders of Elturel were known as the Hellriders.