Sopoh Dolysoh
Sopoh Dolysoh /'sɑpə dɑ'liːsə/ was a Dawn settler and the founder of Toor. He claimed to have been the first to reach Ydoh Rol, "the Edge of the World" - the northernmost point of Tarnaria. He then used a religious interpretation of that achievement as a justification for his rule. Aided by a man known as Bonten, Sopoh founded a settlement called Peelee at the foot of Gaajmas. Eventually, the settlement was moved away from the mountain after multiple avalanches made it clear that the location was not safe.
| Sopoh Dolysoh | |
| Gole of Toor | |
|---|---|
| Reign | 1771-1779 FR |
| Successor | Opol Dolysoh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c.1740-1750 FR |
| Died | 1779 FR |
| Parents | Mylda and Blos Dolysoh |
| Siblings | Blos Dolysoh |
Sopoh wanted to pass on the rule to Bonten's son, but was instead murdered by his own son, Opol.
Early life
Sopoh was born in Gantolia, to a family of late Dawn settlers, who were part of the third wave of migration that took the settlers to the north of Tarnaria. His mother was Mylda Dolysoh and his father was Blos Dolysoh. He was the youngest child and had several siblings, although records exist of only his eldest brother, Blos, who was named as his father. The latter fact makes several historians confuse aspects of their lives.
Founding of Toor
Osdol's version
Osdol's version is a highly mythologized version which is part of the Stron Ydoh Rol (Song of the Edge of the World). He talks about how Sopoh and his right hand Bonten led their people to Gaajmas, which is "the Seat of Mankind", and established what is a "paradise and home to any person, the true Mamkoon".
The song then goes on to talk about the great structures that Sopoh and Bonten had build and how Sopoh left to die on Gaajmas, "to pass on his powers to the Seat of Mankind and to infuse it with his personality".
"His Eternal Companion watches over him. And his body marks the Edge of the World".
Stron Ydoh Rol is part of the north-eastern tradition, also known as the Great Lore, and has been passed on from generation to generation until the middle of the second revolution. From there on, only parts of the Great Lore survive, including Stron Ydoh Rol.
Ludoh's version
Ludoh generally sticks to Osdol's version of events, adding in just a little more detail. For instance, she does say that Sopoh was succeeded by his son and that Bonten became "estranged from the blessed family". She also briefly speaks about how Sopoh built Peelee at the foot of Gaajmas. But she doesn't mention anything else about Peelee, other than that the city "pushed for the sky. It could not be a rival to the Seat of Mankind, but its ruler wanted it to not be an embarrassment to the stars."
Ludoh does mention "the treacherous Meledesians", which is the first indication of another party mentioned at the location.
Porteek's version
Porteek's account differs dramatically. He bases his work on three Oaleed sources, none of which have survived.
He talks about how Sopoh justified his rule by being the first to reach Ydoh Rol, same as in the myths, but that as soon as they arrived, they realized that they were far from first. In fact, there were many villages where the people known as Meledesians lived. Porteek speculates that Meledesians must have reached Ydoh Rol as early as a century earlier, basing it on the level of their integration with the environment and established routes and settlements.
At the same time, Sopoh's party was not the only one and Bonten is described as a member of another group which was led by a woman named Doroh Hun. Both groups were fiercely competing and had previously clashed, as both were planning to use the achievement as claim to power. When it was discovered that the area was already populated, Sopoh approached Doroh and suggested to merge their groups and claim the land from Meledesians, who lived in small groups and could be attacked village by village. Porteek reports that Doroh seemed to have rejected the proposal, although her reasoning was not specified in Porteek's sources and he writes that he is not interested in speculating. Bonten, on the other hand, realized that Sopoh's plan was the only one that was capable of bringing them glory and he murdered Doroh, by pushing her off a cliff. He probably had enough support among the group to kill Doroh, as he as then able to take the lead and march to Sopoh's camp, where both groups were merged under Sopoh's lead, while Bonten became second-in-command.
Porteek then describes a bloody campaign that saw the merciless slaughter of Meledesians. Several months later Sopoh claimed that he reached Ydoh Rol first and the settlement of Peelee was founded near Gaajmas.
Reign and later life
While Sopoh was concerned with his power and religious standing, Bonten was reported to have had architectural ambitions and wanted to leave a legacy of great buildings. He led the construction of the royal palace at Peelee, which was quickly developing into a city. Its economy heavily relied on incoming settlers. In the 70s of the 18th CFR, a decade into Sopoh's reign, a number of tin deposits had been discovered and mines were set up around the mountain, the largest at Kees, Fidoh and Zoaen. This quickly became the focus of the kingdom, with more deposits being discovered throughout the next several decades.
At the same time, a number of other groups began claiming the territory. It is at this point that Meledesians begin to more prominently appear in Ludoh's accounts of early Toor history. She specifically mentions the conflict over Seeved and identifies the coast to the east of Gaajmas, Palas and Marij as Meledesian territory. Meledesians were successful in defending Seeved throughout Sopoh's reign, with both Ludoh and Porteek mentioning five separate military encounters, all of which ended with Sopoh's defeat. It is not made clear what contributed to such decisive victories, but Porteek speculates that while Meledesian settlements at Ydoh Rol were few and far between, settlements at and around Seeved could have been more centralized. It is also possible that Seeved deposit was actually already being mined by the Meledesians themselves, thus providing them with tools and weapons which were more developed than those in the possession of Sopoh's forces. For instance, it is well documented that many settlers of the 3rd wave relied on archery and wooden arrows with stone arrowheads. Tin arrowheads were uncommon, since tin deposits in central Tarnaria are rare. Finally, Porteek suggests that a powerful Meledesian superhero warrior could have been responsible for standing up to Sopoh.
Death
Sopoh was impressed by Bonten's focus on building. Peelee became widely known as the northern center within merely a decade of founding, with its twin-towered palace becoming the symbol of the new kingdom. By this time the country had already been colloquially known as Toor, due to the religious undertones of Sopoh's justification to rule. By 1778, however, Peelee experienced two avalanches, with the second one burying a lot of the city, resulting in the famous painting, showing two palace towers sticking out of the snow. This was a huge embarrassment for Sopoh, as it became clear that Peelee's location must be changed. This was awkward for two reasons: state missionaries promoted Peelee as the location where one is more likely to lead a righteous life, and Sopoh was depicted as the visionary. Thus, admitting that the location of the city was a mistake would seriously undermine Sopoh's narrative, a narrative that he spent two decades reinforcing.
Bonten suggested to build another city, away from Gaajmas, downstream of the Gaaj-Mased river. This was also a better location, since many of the mines would be equally close to the city, while Peelee's location on the west side of the mountain made it more difficult to reach and defend Fidoh, which Meledesians began to target.
This seemed to have convinced Sopoh that Bonten is the actual visionary, and while he was not willing to give up his power, he named Bonten's son as his successor, so that when he passes away, the right lineage would lead the people of Toor.
Such a decision was not unheard of, and in Asdoh, for example, the country was ruled by several elite families. So it was generally normal to pass on the rule to the son or daughter of one of the elite families, for various reasons. This decision, however, did not sit well with Sopoh's sons. He had five, but only two are mentioned by name: Opol and Erygmoh. Both have challenged their father's decision. Soon thereafter, Erygmoh dies. It is not specified how, but it is at Erygmoh's funeral that Opol poisons Sopoh's chalice.
According to the story, Opol makes an impassioned speech about Erygmoh and then approaches his father with two wine cups, allowing him to pick one. They both drink, and then Opol publicly reveals that one of the drinks was poisoned. "But not to worry. If you are the one who sees Xaewoon and leads his people, surely you have chosen the chalice of life." At this point Sopoh turns pale and begins to look unwell. Opol then says: "But if you have chosen death, then death be upon you and your teachings mean nothing".
Porteek says the story is part of the Great Lore, but the song has not survived to our day.
Legacy
Having proclaimed himself the visionary, the one who has the insight into Xaewoon, Sopoh sent messengers south to let the word out and to compel other explorers to settle at Ydoh Rol. While Sopoh stopped short of proclaiming Ydoh Rol the literal Mamkoon, this was implied. Stogen was the kingdom that ended up splintering Xaewoon into the Green and Blue variants, but it is Sopoh Dolysoh's claim to power that is thought to have planted the seed. This claim was later mimicked by the Kareden, with Gole Anashary similarly sending out missionaries to compel Xaewoon believers to live in the Kingdom of Mamkoon.
Mōroh philosophy introduced the concept of the True Lineage, and Sopoh is named as the first true gole of Tarnaria.
But even during his time, Sopoh was able to create the reputation of Ydoh Rol as the paradise generations were searching for, as if the purpose of the Dawn was to finally locate this holy land and settle there. The subsequent discovery of tin and the establishment of mining began to shape a quickly growing economy of the region. Coupled with Bonten's desire to build an impressive city, Ydoh Rol became an attraction for decades to come.