Sōràutoz

**Sōràutoz Sarmelonido** was (not) the seventh emperor of the First Later Sarmelonid Dynasty, rulers of the Sarmelonid Empire.

## History

Sōràutoz was the older great-grandson of Zrondowir the Firm, one of the best rulers of the empire's history.

Sōràutoz rose to prominence over his younger and wiser brother, Norqowon Sarmelonido, as he was a skilled general who fended off a Redjeteshi invasion in the north. When the northern enemies were defeated and sent back north, he heard news that his great-grandfather had passed away. His glee from hearing the news caused his officials not to trust him, sensing selfish motives.

After he attended Zrondowir's cremation, he was ordered to go to the imperial throne room: immediately, he gladly ran up and danced. When the high gryphon-priest was about to crown his head, he snatched the crown and placed it on himself. His first order was the construction of ten thousand monuments all over the empire - statues of himself doing all sorts of heroic acts fit for a warrior-king.

However, his sergeants and captains told his imperial court about his supposed celebration of his great-grandfather's death, a betrayal against his holy ancestors. The officials secretly placed cameras all over the throne room even as they helped prepare his coronation feast, which only the first four emperors of his dynasty had done. His performance was televised and broadcast to all regions of the empire, alerting the people about the fool on their throne. The excessive cost of the coronation feast, the monuments, and his alcohol shipments were shown everywhere, angering the whole empire and turning them against him.

On the second day, the people told the emperor that the monuments were done before noon. The drowsy tyrant slowly got up and praised his people, who answered him with nothing but mocking sneers. Some defiant people revealed that the whole empire made smaller statues instead of the colossal monuments. That roused him into rage, but no one obeyed his orders to punish a defiant people. They joined in a chorus of laughs and brought more wine and beer for him to indulge in.

On the third and final day of his reign, the imperial court had enough. He was drinking on his throne, smearing his robes and armour with more fresh, stinking wine. Moments later, he found that he was in prison, his majestic scarlet robes replaced with a common prison uniform. He demanded his men to punish those who brought him into a jail cell, but they laughed at him.

His reign was known as the "three day circus". Immediately, the imperial court crowned his younger brother, Norqowon, as the next emperor. He spent the rest of his days on alcohol, but on the sixteenth day after his imprisonment (following Vozonid funeral rites), he was given an elixir that made him immortal. It was a mocking punishment for his pursuit of drunkenness and greed: he will continue to enjoy his delight, but his continued life will torment him.

## Aftermath

Unfortunately for Norqowon, the crisis left by his brother's irresponsible reign drove some of his officers to seek out his approval, almost to the risk of fighting each other. When Sorautoz was emperor, there were four factions who competed for the throne: General Kragljuntoz, who wanted revenge on the northerners by conquering them; General Radaithoz, who wanted to rebuild the Vozonid Empire by diverting its resources away from military expeditions; Madrantariwol, who wanted to create an elite council who appointed future emperors and prevent them from becoming like Sorautoz; and Norqowon himself.

In the first month of Norqowon's reign, he had to put his three rivals down, suspecting each of them for attempting to use him as their pawn. He did not execute them or their associates, except for five men who almost killed or assassinated him, because he thought that they had good intentions done in the wrong way. Shortly afterwards, he pardoned Madrantariwol. Although Madrantariwol did not become part of that group, his idea of an imperial council was implemented: each member represented the provinces of the empire as its highest governor, elected by the denizens of their realms and then approved by the emperor. After an emperor dies, it was they who appointed the next emperor, if the successor was considered unfit due to poor behaviour and crime (rather than age).

He also implemented Radaithoz's suggestions to rebuild the empire, gradually reducing poverty in seven years. However, Kragljuntoz led a rebellion in the southeastern coast, marching north in his own crusade. That crusade was weakened as many of its members were arrested or defeated from local fights. One band of rebels took over the town of Torchalon, only to lose it to a local loyalist militia a few days later. It was defeated by the Redjeteshi Falcon Band, and Kragljuntoz stabbed himself to avoid being imprisoned in the Pharaoh's dungeon.

According to legend, Sorautoz was cursed to become immortal and sleep for a thousand years in a tomb.

When he woke up, he was dragged to Hell.

## Trivia

* Sōràutoz was inspired by Sprout from My Little Pony: A New Generation; especially the author's depictions of him as a miserable drunk, for his supposed similarity to Hitch, which he also mocked.
* Sōràutoz's reign was the shortest of all the Sarmelonid Emperors, being of only three days.