Dwilight University/History/The Death of Xiahou Dun
The Death of Xiahou Dun
On an ordinary day in late Spring of the Seventh Year of Dwilight, two men dueled to the death in the D'Haran city of Port Nebel. I was living in an estate in Nebel at the time and heard from a traveling merchant that a man named Xiahou Dun had been killed in that duel. I recognized the name as a rebel leader from Ordenstaat and realized that the rebellion, though long ended, had quietly spilled into my backyard. As all historians should, I became instantly fascinated.
Before I continue I would like to thank those who contributed to this project. I would have no facts without their cooperation and they deserve much credit. First, the cousin of Xiahou Dun, Sir Chao Dun, was the greatest source for my research; followed by Dame Wendela Nicks, Lord Hexic Jeckyl and finally the man who killed Xiahou Dun, Lord Zeromus Abaron. To all of you, thank you for your time and for participating in my interviews. I shall now carry on.
After learning of the duel my mind swirled with questions. My inherent quest for knowledge had been teased and my desire to research and collect history caused the initiation of this project. Somehow it was significant and I needed to know more. The questions I sought to answer were who were the two nobles dueling and why were they enemies. Beyond these simple questions I wanted to know more about Xiahou Dun. Was his life as interesting as his death? The interviews I conducted had given me enough to try and piece together the man killed in that duel and judge whether or not his life was historically significant or not. You must be aware that there is probably plenty of information that I could not acquire, and that what I gathered from my sources was only what they were willing to offer me. If there is anything absent from this work it is not due to slack research but to the inability to reach the whole truth of the matter. I will not insert any speculation or assumptions because that would only weaken fact. All that I say and present to you can be linked back to the words of others who witnessed and experienced the following events. However, for the unavoidable inadequacy all historical pieces suffer, and for the elements of dramatization I might unconsciously slip in, and for the interpretations and conclusions I am required to make in order for this historical essay to be complete, I still apologize.
The death that occurred on the 30th of August 7 YD was significant for the nobles of Ordenstaat and all of Dwilight. It marked the final conclusion of the First Rebellion of Ordenstaat, the ultimate defeat of one of their notorious villains, Xiahou the Heretic, and the splintering of a once assumed truth.
The Rebellion
Xiahou, who was a knight of Maeotis, had launched the rebellion under order from his gods, Tyr and Zisa. They had visited him in a dream and told him that his realm was being ruled by heretics, whom he believed had abandoned the state religion. The mission of cleansing the realm, then, was ordained to him. He had gained the support of some of his fellow Brothers and their rebellion captured military superiority in the capital. A few small skirmishes occurred between the rebels and two brave but outnumbered Lords. Just as all things seemed to be going right for the rebels, they decided to disengage their rebellion and combat monsters in Rettlewood instead. The rebellion failed and Xiahou was banished. One of the other rebels was killed in a duel, another was reformed, and the rest went their separate ways outside of Ordenstaat.
It was told to me that the reason the rebels abandoned their near victory was because Lord Zeromus, who was the Baron of Nark and the Marshal of the Inferi Hunters at the time, convinced them they would be committing heresy if they did not fight off the monsters. I was fascinated by this obvious contradictory behaviour and unfastened commitment to religious zeal so I tried to find an answer for it. Some would say it was because of the passion for their religion that they fought the monsters instead of their own, others that it was because of the respect they had for Lord Zeromus. I do not know exactly what was said or what occurred during that incident and so it is here where I shall skip the opinions and speculation.
The Duel
Seasons passed and somehow a group of nobles from Ordenstaat arrived in D’Hara. I am unsure as to why they decided to land here, what their aims were or their hopes and frankly many of them left soon afterwards, but among the group were the two who fatally met that spring day.
If there was a heated exchange of words and passionate emotions before the duel I cannot say. If one had tried to defend their justification to the other, or if one tried to confess and seek forgiveness, I do not know. Whether for honour, for duty, for faith, for retribution or hatred, these two men met in Port Nebel and fought to Xiahou’s death. What I did hear from an eye witness was that Xiahou died quickly from one fatal blow. It must have been the powerful crash of consequence that ended Xiahou’s life. A fate we all must inevitably face.
Afterwards, Lord Zeromus departed D’Hara north to find a new way to follow and a new cause to commit to.
Xiahou
The main character of this piece was the source of my highest fascination. He was the villain from the realm next door who died in the city near my region. I searched for more answers.
What I discovered was that the man was actually a devout follower of his realm’s religion, the Order of St. Iestyn, and before his falling out, was a respected Brother of the Ordenstaat Brotherhood. I was faced with the bare question of whether Xiahou was actually a villain or a martyr. The nobles of Ordenstaat label him as the Heretic. He was banished from their realm for betrayal and disorder. But I wonder if any of them are as zealous as he was. I doubt they are faithful enough to follow the commands of their own gods as Xiahou did. I cannot detail anything about the standards to which the gods of St. Iestyn measure heresy but I can quote a portion of their creed which may give us some illumination as to how Xiahou measured heresy.
“I believe in the teachings of our father, given to man in the second age: that we should guard ourselves against the shadow, against greed, and hatred, and envy, so that the daemon shall find no shelter in our hearts. I believe that the world is poised on the brink of oblivion, for the heretic and the daemon are ever among us.”
If I am to believe that Xiahou had launched a rebellion against the masters of Ordenstaat because they were heretics, then he must have applied these teachings from his religion. If Xiahou was to believe that he was required to always be on guard against shadows, greed, hatred, envy, daemons and heretics because his whole life was “poised on the brink of oblivion,” then how can he be judged a heretic when his own gods told him these threats had finally taken power of his beloved realm? Would you not respond the same? Could anyone not?
The loyalists of Ordenstaat said he was possessed by demons. They might be right, but they should have at least considered what he was doing. He believed he was following the commands of their gods. It is interesting to note here that none of Ordenstaat’s lords supported Xiahou’s rebellion. Perhaps because when it came to possibly losing their status and rank suddenly the gods were demons and the true faithful were heretics. It is also interesting to note as a factor in determining Xiahou’s character that he did indeed give up his succeeding rebellion to defend Ordenstaat from monsters, especially after Lord Zeromus said they would be committing heresy if they did not. Is it not interesting that he defended his realm from the worst evil while in the process abandoning his sacred task? His compassion for the innocent Brothers of Ordenstaat was a higher priority than the success of his mission. He may have hoped that despite this failure the gods would find another to complete his task.
Conclusion
The death of Xiahou Dun was the end of the first rebellion in Ordenstaat as much as it was the perpetuation of the possible scandalous power held by the Grand Masters of Xiahou’s home realm. No one knows what Xiahou knew that made him seek change. No one else received the same vision he did from his gods.
If Xiahou was a villain, why would he give up the very near chance of becoming the ruler to fight monsters in Rettlewood? That same question could be asked of his quality. If the gods judged Xiahou fit to cleanse heresy, how can the nobles of Ordenstaat judge him as a heretic?
The death of Xiahou Dun is significant because it provokes the lines we all assumed stable. It shatters the glass of our beliefs, our judgment and our knowledge of what is true and what is fabricated. This is not an assault on the Order of St. Iestyn's doctrines but an exposure of the rulers of Ordenstaat who were almost defeated by Xiahou the Martyr.
Summer of 8 YD (or the 22nd of September, 2009)
