Alhjozor

**Alhjozor Sarmelonido** was first emperor of the Second Later Sarmelonid Dynasty, one of the latter imperial houses of the Sarmelonid Empire.

## History

### Student of Death

He was the most capable grandson among all of Ōndyrinoz's grandchildren, chosen by the Council of Nobles for being the best in governing and his calm attitude. When he was a six-year old child, his father and mother were killed in a train accident. The deaths of his parents were inauspicious, but his own imperial court was more startled when he claimed that he could see his parents as ghosts. He was raised by his grandfather, who brought him to be raised in a temple of Zoval to learn to rise from mourning for his parents.

As a teenager, he was not sure why would people feel uneasy around him. His peers, from his servants to his classmates, felt as if he had "the chill of death within him", especially due to him being an orphan. Yet this also won him other friends, who helped him learn to be a better leader and friend. His cousins and his siblings also encouraged him to be a gentleman, slowly teaching him many skills and helping him become more likeable to the public.

When he became a young gentleman, he was a skilled commander who fought space pirates. Along the way back to the palace from a spaceport, he saw a hyena pup lying on the dirt. His servants warned him not to do it, for fear that Death would claim his soul and deprive their empire of a capable ruler, but he still took the pup into his care, and nursed it as if it were a puppy. He suffered nightmares where his hyena would be slain by his officials in superstitious fear, and seeing his beloved grandfather or himself die. On one sunny afternoon, he was full of panic, that he sprinted to the temple of Zoval with his hyena in his arms. Before the black statue of Death, he bowed and presented his pet. He offered himself to be Death's student, begging Zoval to spare him and his pet, and allow them to live as long as possible.

His subjects were more afraid, but Emperor Ōndyrinoz assured that Zoval never intended to kill his grandson or his pet. However, that consecration pleased the Lord of Death, who granted the prince several magical gifts. None of them were objects, but they were abilities, such as being able to sense the dead. Zoval trained him to fight the undead, who hated him for becoming more powerful than them and sought to slay him in his sleep.

One night, Alhjozor was sleeping on his bed, when he was surrounded by hundreds of angry demons and ghosts. His hyena was afraid, but the prince frowned and groaned. Alhjozor grabbed his scimitar and spinels, and hacked and punched through the infernal horde as though every demon present were a feeble vagabond. By the time the sun rose, his servants were surprised to see several skulls, bones, limbs, and weapons scattered all over the devout prince. He was kneeling on the carpet to a row of spinels, murmuring prayers to his gods to cleanse his room. The hyena cub was fast asleep, perhaps calmed by his prayers: the servants were able to see several angels singing lullabies to the cub.

Alhjozor was crowned emperor days after his grandfather died. At his coronation ceremony, he even brought his hyena, and swore by Zoval and the other gods to be a just ruler. The presence of his calm hyena was enough to scare the Vozonids to become more disciplined, for they felt that the Gods were putting their whole empire under punishment.

### Hero of the People

During his reign, he also hunted down pirates, crime gangs, and terrorists, bringing peace to the lands and star systems around Vozolaz. His dedication to improve the lives of his poorer subjects caused people to love him more as a wise ruler who listened to their every need. Some fanatically formed crusader bands bearing hyena banners, calling for the deaths of all of Vozolaz's enemies.

His hyena, named Alguin, was also used to punish corrupt officials, that anyone who committed the worst crimes would either be sentenced to death, or bitten by Alguin by the leg. Many of their crimes were corrupt actions that harmed the subjects of the empire, that angry mobs were allowed by the unsatisfied guards to dragged the culprits to the palace. If the accused was bitten three times by Alguin, the emperor would shoot him dead with a gun.

Only four people were lucky enough to be pardoned even after Alguin bit them for the third time, but the second of those offenders was arrested by a crowd of commoners. The commoners brought him to the imperial court, where the citizens read aloud the charges against his corruption and abuse. Hearing those, the emperor put the repeating offender to death.

Alhjozor had a son, Jothakkon. Every day, Jothakkon's mother brought him to Alguin. At the living herald of death, to remind him to value life and always remember his duties as the guardian of his people. Prince Jothakkon was also raised by his many uncles and aunts, cousins and siblings of his father, to spend more time with commoners and think like them. It was from his days with his many new friends that inspired him to be one of the greatest artists of Sarmelonid civilisation.

### Ascension

The last thing that Alguin saw in his deathbed were the saddened eyes of Prince Jothakkon. The elderly hyena was cremated as if he were one of the imperial gryphons, clad in his favourite yellow silk blanket and borne by eight priests in white robes.

At last, after sixty-four years, the emperor passed away. His son led the cremation, and proclaimed that his father would reunite with his wife, his hyena, his god, and all those he loved as a newly-ascended guardian god.

## Legacy

Alhjozor's son, Jothakkon, followed the examples of his father and those who raised him. He never forgot the commoners who were his best friends, and led an artistic renaissance.

Jothakkon's son was Siōlkotrin IV, the emperor of Vozolaz after him. He expanded his and his grandfather's legacy by liberating many worlds from Imperial Igarin and Konjor oppression, and made policies that caused them and the other Vozonid colonies to enjoy near-equality with other Vozonids.

From Ōndyrinoz onwards, all of Jerde was able to become a prosperous world where poverty was almost unheard of, due to his alliance that ensured the poorer nations of Jerde had their share of space resources and riches. Alhjozor and his two descendants allowed the Vozonid Empire to enjoy the same riches, due to their dedication to ensuring the advancement of all people.

After his death, Alhjozor was worshipped as a god of death and justice. Idols of him are depicted sitting on his throne or riding on a great hyena, slaying the undead and the oppressor. His son and grandson were later invoked by supporters of Silojennoz's wars against the galactic empires, or (ironically) when they revolted against the Vozonid Empire, as the two became gods of freedom in Galactic folklore.

Alhjozor is also believed to become a hunter of evil spirits, a patron god of hunting.

## Trivia

* Alhjozor's name should be pronounced as "ahl-YOH-zor". "Lh" in Sarmelonid represents a deep, heavy l, and in descendant languages becomes into a "lw" sound.