Helaim Ghefuzen Iakah

Grand Praetor Helaim Ghefuzen Iakah the Perfect, Forge-Hardened (/he'laɪ̯m gʰɛ'ɸʉzɛn 'jakah/, K12Ds187 - T26Ik59) was the first Grand Praetor of the Iakah Dynasty, from Ik1 until her death. She led the War of Reformation with her cousin Lord Arahman Laikham and colleague and later husband Lord Madhurich Anuq Talitanh; until the Iakah Dynasty was established after this conflict, Helaim was sixth successor to the march nobility of her name. In Ik33, Helaim adopted the title of High Priestess of Nangukaga.

In Ik9 - Ik12, she participated in the Fourth Syenyana War, taking notable victories at the Battle at Lanyhan and the Battle for Tam Batenhunh, during which she regained the land lost to Syenyana forces almost fifty years prior. Because of her actions in the War of Reformation and in this war, she is regarded highly for her prowess in combat and her attitude towards war, called "reluctant but vicious."

Known as a uniquely balanced monarch, Helaim took audience from the populus; she established the Rawnekanum, a board of direct representatives from each of the twenty-three counties of Deshon. However, she retained total autonomy and rejected the ideas of this board as well as of her advisors on a regular basis. She instituted several social reforms, including the first guarantee of rights since Ds15 and a standardized system of combat education for minor nobility. She is remembered as contemptuous, strong-willed, and active to the point of restlessness.

In addition to her social reform and military prowess, she is remembered for her patronage of the arts, specifically of literature. She published four works throughout her life: Adruaher Mhaison (literally "sunlight poems,") published under a pen-name; Adruaher na deFilbhun (literally "poems of the anvil,") published with her full titles; Domer (literally "proceedings,") an autobiography published with her full titles; and Bus'h Buldumer (literally "death dramas,") a collection of stories in poetry published with her full titles.

Childhood
Helaim was born on the tweltfh of Korvantay in her family manor, Drulma-Shin (literally "brown mouth," referring to its function as a mining and ore-processing establishment.) She was named by her father, Lord Yudan Kenhram Iakah, in the dead language of Shokhla: "helaim" is translated loosely as "twilight," referring to both sunrise and sunset, and "ghefuzen" is translated as "blessing." Because of her predilection towards the Chutagshin language, Iakah quickly adopted the nickname "Lain," and would insist throughout her life that her friends address her as such.

Throughout her life, she was referred to as 'plain' and, at times, 'masculine;' she proudly displayed the prominent widow's peak that denoted the Iakah bloodline and inherited what she called, in Domer, the "commanding brow of [her] father." She spoke directly, roughly, and curtly to all, superior or no, and was recorded to have offended others with her brevity and candor.

She was educated independently by her mother, Lady Nailarah Iakah, as well as by her nurse, Lansohn Salhn. Drulma-Shin at the time contained an extensive library and catalogue where Iakah spent a large portion of her childhood, developing a love of literature and language. She drew attention from surrounding nobility at an early age, displaying her linguistic proficiency that would later manifest in public speaking skill. This attention prompted her father to start her training in boys' materials, including foreign language, tactics, and religion.

Early political activities
In Ds203, fragments of unrest had found their way into northern Deshonic territories. Helaim, by this point, had drawn attentions both positive and negative from her contemporaries - while other members of the Iakah family kept to classical education and remained fervently obedient to their superiors, Helaim had gained a reputation as rebellious and unladylike. On the other hand, her genius was recognized, as well as her level-headedness. This led to correspondence between her and other noblemen.

When conflict arose between the feuding noble families of Thanuram and Ohtuk in Ds205, she was called upon to draw the manifesto of Ohtuk's perspective at the very young age of 18. After learning about this perspective through two weeks of extensive correspondence, she refused, and began communication with the family Thanuram. In the meantime, Lord Yudan, her father, had chosen to remain neutral on the matter in the first of several Royal Court conventions. Her discussions with Thanuram continued in secret once Yudan discovered it, and after another two weeks, Thanuram's manifesto was written in totality. Rather than punish Yudan, Emperor Adaqhem III congratulated Helaim on her initiative.

It is rumored that Helaim designed the dissolution of a marriage proposal between her elder sister Dayun and Heir Fhurendazan Agdah of Verihestel.

First marriage proposal
By Ds206, Helaim had begun living and professionally managing court in the village of Thereq Vhoker away from home. Her family maintained communication with her, and in Xetovay requested that she marry Heir Shorun Baduiven of Lashehat. She flatly denied this request.

In this instance, Lord Yudan took action and brought her before a Section Court in Nindavay of that year. Helaim represented herself strongly, and after only two days of debate, the court settled in her favor. This strained the relationship between the two, and Lady Nailarah began acting as sole correspondant between Helaim and the family. At the time, only two of the three eldest children - Jharon Thulurham and Samhegan Mulhder - had moved away, and both had married.

Court management
The court in Thereq Vhoker disbanded in Ds209 after three and a half years of Helaim's management. According to her autobiography, three major families in the area competed endlessly with one another: "If Trasnan was the stubborn concrete wall and Udvolh was the relentless pick, the third family, Yuduvon, was the tinker that repaired them both so they could continue in their petty argumentations."

The dissolution caused unrest amongst all three of these families, all of whom attempted to use the court for their own benefit in a variety of ways. Overnight on the fifth of Perhavay, Helaim worked her way through a complex legal loophole that allowed her to sell the courthouse as though it were her own property, and sold it to a peasant for two kiber. She then gave the peasant fifteen dulkher to burn the courthouse to the ground - with the records still within it. The peasant's name was never discovered, and her exact methodology was unknown until she published her memoir.

Until this incident, the court functioned as intended.

Emperor Ghailan Adaqhem I's reign
When Emperor Ghailan Adaqhem I was coronated in Ds209, he instituted a preliminary tax reform that placed a heavy burden on the lower and middle classes throughout Deshonic territories. Helaim wrote and spoke publicly against these reforms until she was pursued by the Kingsguard. At this point, she stepped back from her public position, purchasing large tracts of land that the lower class in Lashehat could freely use for subsistence farming. She appointed Whodim Doshehan, a colleague from the nearby city of Thulovest, to manage the operation, putting emphasis on attaching the Iakah name to the proceedings.

Unrest rose to a boiling point in Ds210, when the south proposed secession to join the 'rebel' country of Haurm, which had seceded the year before. Helaim requested that her father, now in failing health, motion against the proposal, and was in the process of writing a counter-proposal when Lord Yudan died of surgical complications on the twenty-ninth of Helvay that year. Her brother, Heir Jharon, adopted the title of lord and took his father's place in the Royal Court, and heeded the advice of his sister, but refused to use her counter-proposal.

In response, Helaim redirected her counter-proposal to a lord more accepting of her cause, Lord Udvan Agdah Talitanh. The counter-proposal was suggested, but lost by a slight majority. However, the overall motion to secede was refused. This led to the Second Southern Rebellion, or the War of Shattered Pottery.

Second Southern Rebellion
Helaim participated in part in the Second Southern Rebellion for the Monarchy from early Perhavay in Ds210 to the fifteenth of Vertay in Ds211, when the war ended. She moved residence from Thereq Vhoker to Drulma-Shin, where she aided Lord Jharon and his allies, Lord Adluhrem Ghurayen Ohtuk and Lord Khim Dhanaram Takhueshan. She acquainted herself with the sphere of rebels, which consisted of major and minor lords from eight counties in southern Deshon, and several important victories are accredited to her instruction, including the Skirmish at Evirest Bay and the Battle for Dhihevaner.

Upon the success of the Monarchy, Helaim established a base in the south of Deshon and began actively participating in matters there, including aiding with reparations. This alienated some members of the North, whose hatred of the South had continually grown over the previous several years due to differences in worldview and attitude. However, over the next year and a half, Helaim began to promote an antimonarchial narrative and after some public speaking made allies of several dozen major families, including Laikham, a removed branch of the Iakah family, as well as Muiharnem, which for all intents and purposes still controls the county Hamarken today.

War of Reformation
The War of Reformation ended the Deshon Empire and established the Iakah Dynasty, marking a return to more classical modes of politics and shocking much of the Southwest with the first female rule in hundreds of years.

Early activity
As Emperor Ghailan Adaqhem I's campaign into Aiksuren began in Ikovay of Ds211, his army was split, and Helaim created the Southern Court, motioning immediately to strike taxes and drive royalist troops from cities up through Duvovir. In less than a month, the newly-established Southern Court convened eight times, finally reaching unanimous approval. Helaim immediately assigned her cousin Lord Arahman Laikham to organization and acted as emissary to Haurm, staying for three weeks in the capitol city of Duor Tamah. During this time, she devised the Joint War Settlement with the dual monarchs of Haurm, King Odhuin and Queen Belamhan.

Upon her return on the fifth of Leskhavay, she immediately took up arms in the Battle at Yalghun-Khinen, which was the second victory for the rebel forces. It was here that Helaim established her skill in battle: she was called by the Syenyan exopoet Ziynol, in his account of the three-day battle, "a lady with the strength of a man and the regency of ten." After this, she took control of five armies under separate banners and took up a defensive position in and around the town for three weeks due to information from a scout, during which time she planned her upcoming campaign. Finally, she retreated to Borhn Uquna, a more defensible stronghold to the south.

First invasion of Verihestel County
On O19Ds212, she led a troop of 7,000 men north into Gresdechen County, and conquered the march in the week it took for the aid of the Southern Court to arrive. Emperor Ghailan, percieving a threat, moved the vast majority of his forces - 66,000 men - into the country to repel the rebellion. With the help of Court members Lord Arahman Laikham and Lord Ghurayem Veshen Muiharnem, Helaim engineered what was called in accounts an "egregious flanking maneuver" that was "infamously dangerous." This strategy, involving sending almost 18,000 men away from the crux of battle, partially dissolved the Southern Court as several minor lords under the supervision of two major lords ended their support. However, Helaim remained confident that with Haurm's backing, the maneuver would be successful; she put emphasis on cautious defense and speed.

The maneuver would result in a Pyrrhic victory. While Helaim led forces through Haurm and to the Bela Shiwham, Emperor Ghailan's forces overwhelmed the defenses set up along the Gresdechen southern border. The defensive forces held for two days against the royalist armies, giving Helaim and company time to secure a foothold in Verihestel County. Ghailan's forces planned to establish something similar in Gresdechen, but upon being made aware of Helaim's approaching forces, Ghailan recalled his forces to Verihestel in a reactive defensive measure. During this time, Helaim and company set up ambushes throughout Puintem County, and as Ghailan's forces returned, Helaim employed early guerilla tactics and caused approximately 12,500 fatalities amongst royalist forces while suffering less than 2,100 in what would be known as the Homestead Skirmishes.

Second segment and marriage
For the next two years, Helaim's company moved behind the border of Haurm, taking small villages and maintaining propaganda. On the tenth of Tolvay in Ds212, Helaim publicly married Lord Madhurich Anuq Talitanh of Lehohen County, a major figure for the anti-monarchial platform in the North. The two had met as children and shared sparse correspondance during their early adulthoods, and the marriage would prove instrumental in aligning Lehohen and more northern counties to the Southern Court.

By early Fentay in Ds213, Helaim's forces controlled most of the Deshon-Haurm northern border, as well as most of the south. They raised banners and marched northwards, initially securing Gresdechen over a period of four months, and then securing Lehohen over the following three. Aiksuren forces, supplemented by Syenyan troops, began advancing on the western border in Helvay. This resulted in Helaim's decision, with support of some of the Southern Court banners, to retract from the southern tail, considering it out of royalist reach. By the end of Ds213, Helaim was leading plans to advance on Haqhil, a major city and the capital of Verihestel County.

Conclusive victory
During the winter, Helaim held a meeting in the city of Relochaman for the Southern Court, inviting several anti-monarchial proponents in the North. Over the course of this meeting, later known as the Council of Relochaman, plans were laid to supplant the monarchy, re-instituting it with a new bloodline. Through an impressive series of political manouevers, Helaim managed to establish the idea of a joint monarchy between the houses of Iakah and Talitanh. Later, Madhurich would relinquish the crown before the official coronation, and in her memoirs, Helaim notes that "although not explicitly underlined [...] it was tacitly understood between the both of us. He [Madhurich] had no head for leadership."

In order to accomplish these plans, Helaim with the help of four other major generals amongst Southern families led separate heavy attacks against three of the primary defensible positions controlled by the royalist forces. All three attacks were victories, as royalist control had become too thinly-spread. Adameq-Yarhon was taken on the ninth of Perhavay, Ds214.

Rule, Ik1-Ik57
Iakah's style of rule was headstrong, swift, and measured. Early in her reign, Iakah quickly made enemies, most notably that of Haurm who would then participate against Deshon in the Flail War of Ik78. Deshon came to be seen as vicious and vengeful to some internationally and diplomatic and shrewd to others. However, external perceptions of the country as tyrannical ceased with the beginning of the Iakah dynasty; while fair, Iakah was lenient and tolerant. Syenyan citizens, who suffered greatly under several kings throughout the Deshon Empire period, were treated as first-class citizens, as were Haurmish and Far Southern citizens.

Iakah's council, however, was constantly unstable. She frequently ignored requests from her nobleman advisors, regardless of the political stakes. "How absurdly well-spoken is the Queen," poet and philosopher Adeb Ghorut said in his essay The Material Royalty, "that her unspoken word is total enough to drown out the shouted words of her council!" This led to several full staff changes along with four assassination attempts and Obhraim's Rebellion.