Demarchists of Lesandros

Within the historians and wise men of the world, no subject has led to as much speculation or guesswork as the lost land of **Lesandros**. The debates of what the **Demarchist of Lesandros** were like, when they appeared, where they came from or if they even existed at all, has been a point of contention in the history of Giantstep. The scattered remnants of information about that lost civilization tells us little of anything about them but their fall. It is this lack of information which has led many to believe the tale of Lesandros was but a mere folk story, told many millennia ago to teach humbleness and humility to the children. And yet, some point out to strange relics and contraptions discovered in the coasts of the west of the world, its mechanics and function unknown still, which couldn’t have made by nothing but a brilliant people. Whatever the truth was, we might never trully know.

## The Sunk Continent

The only description we have of the land of Lesandros itself comes from the “*Tome of the Faek’rah*”, a compilation of stories told by the nomad orcs of the Faek’rah tribe, disappeared many millennia ago. It was then documented by an unnamed owlman, who then brought it back to his home. The passage of the land of Lesandros mentions that was a “land near the southwestern corner of the world, full of tall cliffs and tall mountains. There life sprung with divine strength, the land chosen by the gods to practice their arts of creation without limit, their energies spent on the making of things that would shame the mortal words of beauty. Its magnificence could only be equaled to the shame of its fall of ash, soot and darkness”.

There could be some speculation about the meaning of this passage. Some point out to the mythical land of Lesandros, while some other think that the Faek’rah were talking about Scimitarian. Both versions would have some merit, since the land of Scimitarian has been known to house some pretty impressive volcanoes. Some experts believe that the land of the drow had much less volcanic activity in the past, and it seems reasonable to assume that land rich in volcanic soil could seem as a green paradise. Then again, Scimitarian is not exactly in the Southwest, the continent stretches far to the north, and its supposed fall does not exactly fit with the actual age of the tales told, since the fall of the First Elven Empire (even their first defeats at the hands of Azan) would occur much later. Then again, spoken tales are difficult to date at the best of times, and their change from telling to telling only muddies out ability to discern all.

## The Demarchists of Lesandros

There are around a dozen tales and chronicles talking about what was known as the “*Demarchists of Lesandros*”. Many of this registers talk about it as if it was the first civilization, others mention it as the “*Heirs of Ehrah*” or “*The Hands of Hrah*”. The Demarchists were described as a brilliant civilization, whose brilliance impressed even the gods. They said to be able to go to the suns and the stars to bring light to their homes, and that they were able to travel to the depths of the ocean to unearth unimaginable treasures. Mentions of the great feats of that mysterious civilization have caused a lot of debate around the historians’ societies, debating whether all of those great achievements were purely metaphorical of if there was indeed a grain of truth on them. Those who believe the stories to be false point to the lack of supposed expansion of the Demarchists. If they were so powerful and advance in an age where they had no other equal by far, how come they didn’t rule the world? Those who believe the stories to be true point to the discovery from time to time of strange, unidentified technology in the lands of Southern Scimitarian, Southwestern Giantstep and even some far away places like the Great Floating Garbage Patch. They must have come from somewhere, and Lesandros seems to be the easiest answer. They also point out to “*The Guilt of F’grah*”, a short poem written in ancient drow that talk about the supposed greed of the “*Men of the Sky*”. In it, the “Men of the Sky”, after exploring the entire world, they found it beneath their greatness and decided to stay at their island, keeping all of their knowledge to themselves, and for their pride, they were struck with doom. Many have pointed out that this could have been the reason for the lack of material proof, but it seems hard to believe that they wouldn’t expand or communicate with the outside.

## The Fall of Lesandros and the Great Wave of Kanagawa

The most important tale for many studied men is the “***Tale of the Wave of Kanagawa***”. Unlike most of the documents talking about Lesandros, this isn’t just a chronicle of events. The “Tale of the Wave of Kanagawa” is a love story, a poem telling the tragic tale of a forbidden love that doomed Lesandros. It is remarkable because of the fact that it is the most complete telling of the fall of Lesandros we have left, allegorical or not. It was discovered in a Hithlonian library, and while quite damaged by time, enough has survived to give historians an interesting source to investigate.

In the tale, it is said that one of the gods of Lesandros fell in love with a young maiden, but the maiden couldn’t love it in return, since she already owed her love to someone else. The god tried to appraise the maiden, gifting her with all kinds of blessings it could bestow upon her, but she rejected all, since her love for her beloved was true. Thus the god despaired, since even with all its divine power it couldn’t gain the love of the mortal that mattered to it the most. Trying one last gambit, he sank into the veil beyond the Great Darkness of the west to find anything that could change this situation, to finally earn the maiden’s love. It is said that it found something in the void, a seemingly innocent black flower of indescribable shape and beauty. But when presented to the maiden, she rejected it once again. Enraged, the god threw the flower to the depths of the ocean. The feelings of anger and sorrow of the god somehow fed the flower even in the deep, and its roots grew as bitter as the heart of the god. Its roots dug under the land of Lesandros, and shook the foundations of the land, while the flower grew into a near infinite pillar of darkness. The gods of Lesandros tried to destroy this abomination that threaten to destroy the world, but the darkness of the god’s heart had given life to the tree. Many years they fought, side by side with the Demarchists to avoid the destruction of the world, which they finally did. However, the fall of the dark tree caused a wave of colossal proportions, swallowing Lesandros into the deep, all the while the tears of the gods could be heard around the world.