Hireos

Hireos is a broad term for a ruler who, whether by fact or by legend, lived significantly longer than the average human lifespan, and demonstrated abilities beyond what a human is known to be capable of, such as being especially strong or intelligent. While some lived for only a couple of centuries, some of the longest-lived Hireos in Riiga were supposedly around a millennium old. Most of them are lived in the Age of the Sun, from around 3000BD - 900BD, and the Grey Era, from 900BD - 0BD. Very few are said to remain alive today.

• Dates generally show duration of rule, but sometimes the years are not known and it correlates more closely to years of birth and death.

• The term Hireos can also be applied to other demigods that may or may not rule over other races, but this list only contains known Hireos rulers.

• All tlars save the first have been excluded from this list, as information on the other tlars is not known.

Biology

Though not studied extensively by modern Riigan scholars, it is known that Hireos demonstrated physical characteristics beyond what humans are generally capable of. Most obvious of these is their longevity, with many reaching lifespans around ten times human life expectancy. The limit seems to be five hundred years. A few ancient Hireos supposedly lived for around twice that, but most historians agree that these lifespans were probably exaggerated, and some of the most long-lived Hireos are known to have spent their final centuries as very old men.

Second to this, most accounts of Hireos demonstrate that they were physically superior to other people. Hireos were often a foot or more taller and were stronger and faster, the greatest of whom usually outperformed the best fighters and athletes. They were also mentally different, in that Hireos often demonstrated a more extreme personality. Usually, they fell into one of two categories: excessively proud, angry, powerful, and critical; or excessively melancholic, intelligent, remorseful, and shameful. Most Hireos rulers were the former.

In regards to origins, all historically reliable accounts describe Hireos as either being born Hireos unbeknownst to all and the differences slowly show themselves as they mature, or they are born human and a god will bless them to become a Hireos.

Age of the Sun

Mezim of Eser

2600BD - 1900BD (700 years). A celebrated Hireos ruler said to have lived among the ancient Esereu People. He ordered the construction of the Mezil Pyramid near his death. He was also known for forming what could be considered one of the first civilisations by conquering and uniting nearby city-states at the start of his reign, and was also probably the first mystic king.

Patnaimu Intonganihuntro Kwanmanga

2000BD - 1000BD (1000 years). Believed to be the first Hireos ruler of the Into Tlarate, he was a tlar of unmatched renown and power, even to this day. He founded one of the biggest and earliest empires, and is said to have ascended beyond the fifteenth patnaimu tlar rank. He did this by having frequent human sacrifices and waging bloody wars on literally any people he could find. The only things that stopped his conquests were deserts and snow. He was allegedly born three thousand years ago, making him one of the oldest Hireos alongside Mezim.

Nadaduq

1900BD - 800BD (1100 years). Nadaduq was an ancient Hireos warlord who united the Baturun People and swept across all of Yyele from Batur from 1900BD. He and his descendants held this land for a millennium, until the Black Wars in 800BD where the Ladarean Kingdom conquered Yyele after breaking their own treaties.

Guranda

1600BD - 1400BD (200 years/15,000 years). Guranda was the first Hireos ruler of the Karbak people, born around 1600BD. In the terms of the Sarrayun religion, he is their Guranda -- their immortal emperor who reincarnates after each death. Guranda brought such prosperity that he had to divide his dominion in two, the Kayen people being granted the other half, though these two regions weren't technically considered kingdoms until much later. If the mythology of Sarrayun is to be believed, he is far older than any other Hireos.

Hoqon Evexar

1200BD - ? (~250 years). Evexar was a wandering Hireos prophet said to be blessed by Xudo. He founded the first Hoqomer state of Evexan and became the first hoqon, starting the long-lasting tradition throughout the area. Hoqomers all but replaced mystic kings in the region.

Moinamarvir

1000BD - 700BD (300 years). Moinamarvir was the first Hireos ruler of the Tasif Kingdom, and is said to have lived from 1000BD - 700BD. During his time and in subsequent Vaman kingdoms, the entire society relied on a single long-lived god-king, and when he died, their entire kingdom collapsed. He claimed to have been a descendant of Olayin Yetun, making this the earliest mention of the Akanism religion.

Grey Era

Gao Jhang

900BD - 750BD (150 years). Gao Jhang was an ancient Hireos priest-king who founded the Ladarean Kingdom, uniting Teman under one name and eventually conquering the Baturun in Yyele. He also had the Ladarean Wall built, and founded the Gaojhi religion.

Renin the Great

750BD - 450BD (300 years). Renin the Great, the first god-king of Nor, is one of the most famous Hireos. He slew the last winged king of Vesdoria but died shortly after. He is known to be one of the greatest and most divine warrior kings in history.

Varhas Narhau

550BD - 350BD (200 years). Varhas Narhau is found as the Hireos king of the Serten Kingdom. In 350BD The Blue Death plague spread from traders from Saron, wiping out between 500,000 and 2,000,000. Narhau fell victim to the plague, causing the Serten Kingdom to collapse into many parts again.

Hoqon Xilouxar

500BD - 250BD (250 years). Hoqon Xilouxar was one of the greatest Hireos hoqon warlords in history. He founded the Xilou Hoqomer, won the Hoqon Wars uniting Seleru and Simber and ending the Qeyu Hoqomer, and he won the Burning Sea Wars against Vesdoria decades later. Under his rule, the Xilou Hoqomer consumed most of Baracsa save Nor. His descendants continued the hoqomer's expansion into Armalia. His expansion brought civilisation to most of Baracsa, paving the way for later kingdoms and empires.

San Han

350BD - 300BD? (~50 years). San Han was a Hireos king who began a new dynastic empire called Suo Mi in his old age. He established San at the same time, and this religion bound his people together, unifying them against enemy kingdoms. It isn't known precisely when he died. Most historians think it was sometime during the years of the Sradaji Plague.

Varhas Haifanvoun

150BD - 200AL (350 years). Varhas Haifanvoun was the Hireos king of the Vaman Kingdom. In 200AL The Blue Death plague resurfaces, killing around 20,000,000 and ending the kingdom with Haifanvoun's death.

Light Era

Dunar Darrqu Zhadas

200AL - 500AL (300 years). Dunar Darrqu Zhadas was another great Hireos warlord of the people of Batur, continually expanding the Dunian Empire over his life of around 300 years. He conquered half of Temanea, most of Armalia -- replacing the East Xilou Hoqomer as he went -- and even held half of Qarbak for a time. One of the effects of this huge empire's reach was spreading horses and trade routes across half the world.

Emperor Halartus Benevarus

500AL - 550AL (~50 years). Emperor Halartus Benevarus was the first Hireos god-emperor of Benevis, uniting Nor, Umbener, and Simber in an area today known as Benevis after him. Though his empire was very short-lived due to his mysterious assassination, his securing of all this land laid the foundations for some of the most prosperous and advanced kingdoms in the world. He did not live past a hundred, unlike most Hireos rulers.