Difference between revisions of "Arzad Hamri"

Latest revision as of 18:24, 29 February 2016

Arzad Hamri was a Holder of the Hamri family under Arkon Ardishapur.

Historical Background

Little is known about this enigmatic man after a concerted effort took place to have his name removed from the history books of the Amarr Empire.^[1] There are mentions of him in Ardishapur house records, mainly in connection with his trial for heresy, and his subsequent execution. Most of what is known about the man himself comes from the Starkmanir, who refer to him as Torus Arzad, or St. Arzad.

Early Life

Born the son of Ezzara Hamri, grandson of Yuzier Hamri, Arzad spent most of his life on Starkman Prime. As a young man, he would spend hours in the fields with the slaves, working along side them. He studied the customs and traditions of the Starkmanir, though his father and his elders disapproved.^[2] Arzad's understanding of Amarr Scripture (and the Theology Council's interpretation of it) allowed him much leeway.

Rise in Popularity

When Arzad ascended to the title of Holder, his first act was to grant a day of rest to his slaves, naming it Hand of Solace, and institutionalizing it as a holy day on his holdings.^[3] He would grant his slaves many such days of rest and parlay.^[2] Even before this, Arzad had enjoyed great popularity among the slaves on his holdings, and his reputation would only grow.

By the end of his tenth year as Holder, Arzad had established a network of education centers aimed not only at integrating the Starkmanir into Amarr society, but also as a way of educating the Hamri family in the ways of the Starkmanir, such as woodworking and astronomy.^[4]

Arzad had also refashioned an Amarr symbol of divine authority with blood-obsidian orb native to Starkman Prime. Naming it the Wildfire Scepter, Arzad would bestow this symbol on any of his slaves that he felt had attained a high degree of understanding of the Amarr religion.^[5]

Trial and Death

Growing increasingly uncomfortable with the precedents Arzad was setting, and his growing popularity, the Theology Council finally succeeded in bringing charges against him. Citing his misuse of an Amarr religious symbol, he was charged with treason and blasphemy. Arkon Ardishapur, long-time friend of Arzad and the Hamri family, was forced into presiding over the trial, and though he had planned to let Arzad off with a warning, special prosecutors sent by the Theology Council itself saw him convicted as a heretic and put to death.^[5] Copies of the Wildfire scepter were rounded up and destroyed, and Arzad's name was then expunged from the records as much as possible, though the system which contained Starkman Prime would retain his name.

After Death

According to Starkmanir legend, three months after his death, Arzad appeared in a field to a lone Starkman youth named Drupar Maak.^[5] Arzad is supposed to have handed him a Wildfire Khumaak, leaving it with him along with words of encouragement. Many years later, Drupar Maak would avenge Arzad's death by striking down Arkon Ardishapur with his own scepter. These scepters would forever come to be known as the Hand of Maak, or Khumaak, and its use as a divine symbol of authority forever tainted.

See Also

• Amarr people
• Deceased Amarr Holders
• Drupar Maak
• Khu-Arzad
• Starkmanir
• Starkman Prime
• Chronicle: Khumaak

References