Ygueans

― Sage of Izhalithos

The **Ygueans** (pron. [ˈihːgweːens]), were a race of sentient beings that likely existed long before the Primis Era, older than any other being known in all Amár. They called themselves **Ygua** ([ˈihːgwa] Y.: *"Storytellers"*), as they believed that God made them to observe and describe existence with the gift of the word. They are considered fathers of consciousness, due to the evidences that point them to be the sole authors of the Primordial Scrolls.

Narrated in the sacred parchments as a civilization that was destined to be extinct, many deny their existence as mere mythology, tales and legends created over time by Men themselves in their quest for greatness. Known by records as the first civilization, the Ygueans were the first to ever communicate and manipulate their Anima. Ygueans said masteries in all aspects were eventually compared to Men, making their existence to be put in doubt as many believed that they were Men's cravings for a perfection that could never be reached.

According to the parchments, Ygueans were the first race to reach the apex of evolution, gaining access to consciousness, and unlike all other irrational living beings, they became lucid to their existence, turning them kind and wise. They are described as profound adepts of nature and gold, hence why they used to live in golden towns among great forests.

One of the major proofs they actually existed were the artifacts found by the Esmos, but also the unexplainable constructions that are still up on the present days. On the other side, skeptics say they're made from magic itself, even though no one was ever able to prove by reproducing something similar to it.

## History

### The Awakening

The oldest script that refers to Ygueans that was ever found, tell that at some point in time during the Nula Era, their evolutionary state was instilled by the Dark, the major factor to their ascension to consciousness, and no other living species were blessed with this gift. Thanks to consciousness, coming from the Dark part of the Soul, the Ygueans were able to differ from other living beings, and this evolution was not planned by the Light and Darkness, despite their omniscience.

After lucidity, they started to form groups and eventually cities, giving rise to communities and thriving the species. They learned how to farm, and coerce inferior species to their will. They became an extremely intelligent species, and the knowledge acquired with the passage of time eventually led them to a merely simple, but unsettling question: the Propositum Vitae.

### Conflicts and Questions

What seemed to be a simple question, started to cause conflicts between a unified and peaceful race. After the first mentions known to the cursed question, a long time gone by, and with it, Ygueans began to turn into something different, unknown by their own. The prosperity, longevity, happiness and knowledge became trivial, as nothingness plagued their minds in the pursue of something else.

It is told that after thousands of years after these events, the wars started, and kings turned into irrational animals, killing other Ygueans indiscriminately. The king known by the name Lortías, claimed that *a voice appeared into his mind, and its will became his*. Later on, other Ygueans appeared saying the same. Lortías led an army through nearby towns, committing atrocities against other Ygueans. After conquering and destroying many places, he was killed by Kaer Éran, a noble Yguean that had great skill with his bow, giving an end to the king's madness.

Lured to find an answer to such lunacy, Pöe Uylen, a scholar of Anima and the Álra (which is named by Men as "Soul"), decided to write about his studies and findings.

### The Studies of Pöe Uylen

One of the Primordial Scrolls, *The Studies of Poe Uylen*, follows Uylen's story of dedicated studies to unravel and explain the mystery surrounding the Ygueans' slow demise, and his attempt to treat individuals who were under the influence of what he entitled as the Páwä (Yshara for "Plague"). According to his scroll, the voice acted as a kind of disease on the Ygueans' minds, making them practically slaves to the voice's will. At the same time, the wars were spreading throughout Amár, with no end in sight.

With the knowledge Uylen obtained on his studies that lasted more than 75 years, he taught others about the Páwä and in addition, he denounced kings, revealing them corrupted by the disease. Eventually he was found and sentenced to death for *crimes against the kingdom*. Before death, Uylen delivered his last manuscript to one of his followers, the same claimed to be the author of the parchment found by Men, millennia years later, giving all the credits to Uylen's bravery.

### Century War

The Ygueans that kept lucidity and resisted among all the chaos that the voice brought, stood up and reunited to put an end to the madness. Nesa Nyssa, a young and graceful lady, heiress of one of the most important kingdoms of Amár, abdicated of her position to lead the Ygueans to one final stand that would last no less than a hundred years. Albeit a princess, she was very skilled with her pointy and thin long sword she labeled *Liberta* (L.: "Freedom"). Young to her species, she was 58 years old when the events occurred. On her way to Milos, town of the tyrant ruler Mortirios, she found an hermit called Zian, who gave her unthinkable wisdom using magic. He left his hometown, An'eril, 174 years ago, to roam Amár and discover by himself the *Propositum Vitae*.

With his help, Nyssa was able to conquest Milos and subdue the ruler and his army. The end of war seemed closer with her victory, as the news spread fast, and new allies came to her aid. Consequently, the leaders of what became known as Gladii Lucis, established a hunt for head, seeking to eliminate the power and will of her followers. Nyssa predicted her death and was ready for it, giving to Zian the mission to find a hero she saw on a vision, prophesying him as the one that would end the war and set the Ygueans "free". Simultaneously, the relentless and skilled warriors of Gladii Lucis were able to track down Nyssa. Days later, on an ambush near *Jara'shur*, Nyssa surrendered and was decapitated by one of the warriors of the Light and her head exposed on the entrance of the town.

### Prophecy and Extinction

Zian mission found results, as rumors said a young Yguean got famous using a different kind of Anima. He passed to his disciple, Minsali, the mission to find and train the promised hero. Zian was very old and weak and decided to retire to write before the imminent death's embrace. During his final days, Zian wrote about his story and also the friendship with Nyssa. Days later after finishing the codex, Zian died in peace at the age of 212.

The Animage Minsali eventually found the promised Yguean, Tear. At first, Tear denied to help in the war, as he was a pacifist with no intention in killing, let alone lead an army. After unknown events, Tear changed his mind. Theories in the parchments tell that he fell in love with Minsali, and he became a kind but strong leader for the Ygueans cause.

After a long gap of unknown history, the only parchment found that tells the events that occurred after Minsali's mission is the poem of an anonymous writer, called *The End of All Life*, that tells Tear's demise and the defeat of the free Ygueans to the Light. According to the poem, Tear was in fact the soul of Tenebrae, and that caused the cycle to both Light and Darkness come to an end. The aftermath, winners, and how the Ygueans were wiped out of existence is still unknown.

## Characteristics

Their appearance was almost identical to Men, the main difference being their height and bone composition, thicker and longer than Men's average. Most of them reportedly lived more than 200 years. They had very good biological immunity to diseases and weaknesses, some of them could even fly or breathe underwater, since they had absolute control over their Anima and Elementus. Their longevity, strength, individuality power and intelligence were beyond Men's capabilities, and subjects of inspiration to many that wish to become as close as possible to their predecessors.

Their Anima was remarkable, but the majority of Ygueans were archers and spearmen, due to their hunting exceptional skills. The magic was used mainly to constructions and defense, as Ygueans didn't use to fight among themselves. Some Ygueans were said to control more than three different elementus, Volantos was one of the few referred on different parchments as the most notorious and powerful Animage to ever exist on the Nula Era, capable of controlling all known Elementus, except Light and Darkness.

It is addressed that the Ygueans loved many things, but gold was by far their most adored belonging. Some of the oldest drawings ever found on the sacred parchments show their love for golden jewelry and ornaments and how they were graceful and cherished beauty.