Third Sack of Yophénthë

The Third Sack of Yophénthë in late spring of 986 brought about the end of the Yophenthean Empire. Dozens of skyfaring chieftains of Thrace and the High Shadevan Plateau made an oath to Väduskal of Thrace to serve him in the assault of the Yophentheans. The skyfaring tribes were driven by several motivations, especially the need for access to resources for building skycraft and migratory access to the Pallathantic Region. Dwarves of the Jaggudorns assisted the skyfaring tribes with logistics and provided abundant supplies of whetcoal. Unlike the previous two Jaggudornish sacks of the city of Yophénthë, this campaign involved the carefully planned and simultaneous assaults of the cities of Trevirs and of Bryndyd. The chieftains were organized into separate groups to be sent against the three respective cities. The skycraft did not make landing during flight on the soil of the Yophenthean Empire, but used landing sites in the Amandal Plateau, the skynesses of Medibgö, and jaibus over the Pallathantic Sea. Records disagree as to the involvement of the Great Sky King. Some accounts say that the Dewyddairsh refrained from protecting the Yophentheans and others indicate that the Dewyddairsh aided the Jaggudornish sky tribes.

The Yophentheans had made several pacts with powerful air elemental lords to protect the skies over Erechóreb. According to myth, when the skyfleet apportioned to Yophénthë arrived over the city, the gods Arathrax and Thwar appeared and engaged in legendary combat. The lords of the air elementals were defeated by Thwar and his sky warriors descended upon the city first to loot, pillage, and take captives. The High Priest of the Yophentheans, Turantúve II, was seized and slain ignominously before the horrified citizens of the city to ensure that no false rumor of his survival would spread among the populace. The Sixteen Tablets of Arathrax were melted down in public view and the subsequent gold apportioned to Väduskal and the Jaggudornish chieftains.

Fabulous treasures of gold and captives were taken into the skycraft. The Braffgrum Ancuvetácodh is thought to have been among the treasures looted. The sky warriors then took to their craft and ascended. Then great volumes of ignited whetcoal were cast upon the city center as part of fire-bombing to destroy the Great Temple of Arathrax and the palaces of the High Priest.

Legend relates that after the city was destroyed, the sky chieftains began to quarrel among themselves about who should receive the greatest share of gold and captives. Some of the gold and captives were slain by the downing of the craft they were held in and some fell to their deaths in the Pallathantic Sea.

Of the treasure that did arrive safely in Thrace, much was dedicated to the god Thwar in his temple in Dzan Kahisa. Another portion was allotted to the dwarves as compensation for their supplies of whetcoal and their alleged privations under Yophenthean rule.

Aftermath

The consequences of the Third Sack of Yophénthë was the decapitation of central Yophenthean Rule or what became known as the Fall of Yophenthea. Within months, the various subject tribes of the former empire declared sovereignty from the Yophentheans. However, many regions retained local rulership under Yophenthean Arathraciots. The states are known as the Yophenthean Successor States. The Dewyddairsh and the Thracians fought for control of Erechóreb and the Dewyddairsh drove out the Thracians and created the Holy Kingdom of Sky and Earth. The hereditary office of the High Priest of the sun was forbidden and this was in part the basis for the non-hereditary Erechórebese Sunfather.

See Also

• Fall of Yophenthea
• First Sack of Yophénthë
• Fleeglesilk
• List of Yophenthean Rulers of Erechóreb
• Second Sack of Yophénthë
• Turantúve II
• Yophenthean Empire
• Väduskal of Thrace
• Whetcoal