Emperors Through the Ages
After sending Dona back, we headed to the Imperial Tomb again. 🎄🍓 ☮💢
Nasus came along too, wrapped in a thick coat to avoid frightening others; in fact, in the scorching desert, this attire was even more intimidating.
With his magical protection, I didn't need to expend any extra energy. When we arrived near the tomb, the sun had already set, and the cold wind carrying sand and dust felt like shattered ice.
Sivir was still full of doubts. She didn't know how she had become a member of the royal family, or even how an Ascended had sworn allegiance to her.
However, she enjoyed this feeling because it meant she was both noble and powerful, and that no one in Shurima would dare to question her authority in the future.
Nasus quickly located the passage; he found it by instinct alone, without needing any aids.
After pinpointing the location, he began chanting a spell, and the surrounding sandstorm intensified, gradually forming a tornado.
The tornado churned the ground, slowly creating a vortex. Below, it was pitch black, and nothing could be seen.
"Come on, come with me."
After Nasus finished speaking, he jumped into the whirlpool, and Sivir and I followed suit. After a strange sensation, we arrived at the tomb.
There was a clear collapse here last time, but now when I come back, I can't see it at all. I don't know what happened.
Even more strangely, there was no trace left at the place where Cassiopeia and Sivir had their argument; all the dead people had vanished!
"Huh? Why didn't this place collapse? And where are the bodies?" Sivir shared the same question as me.
"This place is the burial ground of royalty, the most sacred place in Shurima. Of course, mortals are not allowed to enter. The tremor you felt was not a collapse, but a devouring magic."
"Oh, is that so? Then could you show me around here?"
That's exactly what I was thinking.
Nasus led Sivir around, showing her the sights one by one, and I listened attentively:
The first emperor was Shetaka, the founder of the Shurima Empire and the first Ascended. Known as the Ascended Empress, she had countless achievements in her life, but unfortunately died in the Void War.
The second emperor Akut, the grandson of Shetaka. He accomplished three major feats during his reign and died in the 45th year of the empire due to a failed ascension.
The third emperor Mckailin, the daughter of Shetaka when she was eighty years old. She succeeded to the throne after Akut's failed ascension and ruled diligently for sixteen years before dying during the Ascension Ritual.
The ninth emperor Stark. He was born in 377 AD and was the son of Shetaka and a warrior from another race.
He made outstanding contributions throughout his life, the most typical of which was the initial unification of the Shurima Empire during his reign, which led to a situation where Sifang paid tribute to him.
Unfortunately, he also died during the Ascension Ritual in 415 AD, which saddened Shetaka for a long time, and she did not have any more children for a period of time.
The fifteenth emperor Zurita, and her life was legendary. Nasus said a lot about her, which can be summarized in three points:
Firstly, as Shetaka's daughter, she perfectly inherited her mother's appearance and personality, becoming known as the "Martial Empress" in people's hearts.
Secondly, the Void War occurred in the year she ascended the throne, which was 569 years into the Empire. All the Ascended participated in that great war, which resulted in heavy casualties, including the death of Shetaka.
After the war ended, the Shurima Empire was engulfed in conflict, with many city-states and tribes rising up in rebellion.
The young Zurita was wise and decisive, using his exceptional mind to devise a comprehensive battle plan. After years of fighting, he led the surviving Ascended to stabilize the situation.
The final legendary aspect is that she gained Aatrox's devoted support.
Although Aatrox swore allegiance to Shetaka and her bloodline, his status in Shurima was in no way inferior to Shetaka's.
Since his ascension, Aatrox had always acted alone, but after Zurita ascended to the throne, he left his beloved battlefield and devoted himself to assisting her, ultimately contributing to Zurita's legendary life.
As for her fate, like many emperors, she failed to ascend to heaven and was scattered and perished in the yellow sand.
The Void Wars marked a turning point in the Shurima Empire's decline from its peak, but it was the Zurita that stabilized the situation.
Even with her brilliant achievements, she failed to ascend to heaven, which gave later generations no confidence. Therefore, several emperors after her did not perform the Ascension Ritual, thus preserving her body intact for burial.
These emperors were unremarkable, with no outstanding achievements or major mistakes, and lived peacefully with the help of the Ascended.
More than five hundred years passed in this way. The emperors, dissatisfied with the status quo, once again had the idea of ascending to heaven and continued to try it, which became a harbinger of the decline of Shurima.
The twenty-sixth emperor Rawick. He was the most outstanding emperor after Zurita and an emperor who liked to personally lead troops into battle. He spent his life on the battlefield and left behind many legends, earning him the title "The Rider."
All outstanding emperors had one thing in common: they hoped to ascend to heaven, and in the end, they all perished.
In 1196, during the Empire, Rawick's ascension failed, becoming a source of regret and sorrow for the people.
The thirty-third emperor Danes, and he was also a very famous emperor, but all for his bad reputation.
Danes was brutal and bloodthirsty. He believed that the Shurima were due to insufficient punishment, so he enacted many harsh laws, some of which even the law enforcement officer Varus found unacceptable.
According to Nasus, during the nine years that Danes ascended the throne, he massacred seventeen cities, large and small, sparking a massive wave of rebellions that brought the Shurima Empire to the brink of collapse.
The fortieth emperor Nashramae, and her legendary story was no less remarkable than that of Zurita.
As the Shurima Empire faced disintegration, the royal bloodline also suffered an unprecedented and devastating blow. By the time Nashramae ascended the throne, only she and her brother remained as direct descendants.
She spent the first half of her life on horseback, just like the "Rider" Rawick, a skilled warrior.
After ascending the throne, she immediately restrained her nature and formulated appropriate policies based on what she had seen and heard on the battlefield, which greatly eased the conflicts in various regions.
In just thirteen years, Nashramae soft and hard tactics to prevent the fall of the Shurima Empire, an achievement comparable to that of the ancients!
Naturally, she chose to ascend to heaven, but ultimately failed in the face of her brother's trembling gaze.
Nasus paused here, his face somber. Since he was an immortal Ascended, he must have experienced many sorrowful things.
Nashramae's tomb was nearing the entrance; only one emperor remained behind. Nasus didn't offer any explanation but instead planned to lead us away.