Herimann

**Herimann I Herucxa** (Late Ardeschen: Ieromanne) was the founder and the first emperor of Ardesch, then known as Ardarisko in his time.

## History

He was best known for learning the tactics and technology of his foe, the Rompulian Empire, and then using them against his tyrants.

After that, the tribes crowned him emperor and he ruled with justice and fairness. He died at the age of 70 on his bed. On the day of his death, a great storm appeared over Ardesch's skies, and Rompulia had floods and heavy rains for three days. His civilisation from his son's rule onwards was known as the Trelchian Empire, although the homeland proper was known as Ardarisko ("all the [free/righteous] lands [under the sun]").

## Later history

According to legend, the series of meteors that crashed into Ardesch were a curse from Herimann. The first meteor crashed at the Ardeschen Empire, as it had abandoned his teachings in favour of brute force. The second meteor crashed at the capital of Directorist Ardesch, killing many of its officers, and the Directorist regime fell to the Red Ardeschis within a week. The third meteor crashed on the eve of the Utopianist War, destroying a raiders' commune and killing dozens. The meteor allegedly bore an inscription in ancient Ardeschen that read, "When will my people learn?"

The Mardaau cult that appeared at the northwest of Ardesch was a rebellion against the Ardeschen Empire, seeking to revive the worship of the gods known before Herimann's civilisation. Over time, in their quest for power, they became more brutish and violent, that not even any prayers to Herimann were accepted. One great ceremony to kill hundreds of soldiers as offerings to Herimann was interrupted by a lightning storm, resulting in the Mardaau abandoning the worship of Herimann. In the chaos caused by the lightning storm, the soldiers fought their way out as they took back their firearms and blades. Eventually, the Mardaau cult was exterminated by Red Ardesch's soldiers.

To aid the resistance in defeating the Utopianists and even the Ardeschen empires, thousands of warriors were given the Green Rage: their eyes turned green and they became braver. As if the soul of Herimann entered into their minds, uniting them, and even any foreigners in their ranks to defeat their enemies. Earthquakes and firestorms also broke out against the Utopianists and the Lothareschen, killing their armies.

Several more meteors struck Ardesch to punish its enemies and tyrants. The fourth meteor and its storm was against the Grossweissreich and other Terrans, weakening the brutal invaders and stirring the Ardeschens against them. The fifth wave of meteors destroyed the capitals of some empires during the Reorganisation War. The souls of people cloned after the Reorganisation War were believed to ascend to his heavenly realm as star spirits after their deaths, occasionally intervening in later history as mysterious demigods in ten thousand guises.

In spite of the Thralondian Conquest, Ardesch remained autonomous because of the attempted Thralondian exterminations there often failed. On the eve of the Wraithstorm, the people of Ardesch were filled with the Green Rage - even Thralondians who supported the revolts were also given the fury to defeat their overlords.

In these, he reminded the peoples of Ardesch that even as the world hated them for their ancestors' crimes, he still loves them and cares for their well-being. His aid even to enemies who serve Ardesch represent that anyone is worthy of his grace, as long as they serve the Ardeschen people with fervour.

## Appearance

Herimann was blond, but he had orange streaks and tips in his hair. He wore orange and yellow robes.

## Relationships

His father was Sigissond. His wife and consort-empress was Thuselda, a wise queen and a talented forger of glass.

Their son, the second emperor of Ardesch, was Thumelke or Thumelox.

## Worship

See also: Ardeschi folklore

Herimann was later worshipped as a sun god. His symbol was an orange and yellow sun of nine rays, or seven rays within a hexagonal shield.

After he died, he joined Azejon's heavenly kingdom as a leader, wreathed in holy fire. He sometimes directly intervenes to save his people by appearing as a fireball or a rider on a burning horse. Unfortunately, the empires that followed him only worshipped him, but left his principles of benevolence behind for the sake of domination and envy of the Tuksharan Empire.

He is accompanied by an army of saints, victims of disasters chosen by him to be raised as demigods who steer the course of history to his people's favour. In some legends, his demigods ended up wandering too far in the sky, instead becoming messengers and warriors of other gods, like Odin.

Melbjorkar is his greatest temple. His father's tomb is also a holy site in modern Ardesch.

## Trivia

* Herimann was largely inspired by Arminius, a Germanic warrior whose defeat of a Roman expedition made him a hero in modern Germany for preventing Roman domination.