Eptih traveled a great distance with his caravan hoping to find some piece of land that was uninhabited and far from the troubles he knew where beginning. He also wanted to find a place of honor where he could bury the body of Thmascuid. As his journey took him further away from the Mortal realm, more of the Hetharcyp that were following him fell away from the caravan. Typically these men were the younger unmarried men who wished to find wives and build fortunes and when they felt they were getting farther away from those possibilities they could go no further and departed in good standing with Eptih. For his part he was happy to see them go to make better lives for themselves, he knew that the serenity he was seeking was no draw to the ambitious. In reality Eptih wanted to live alone with his wife but he would never turn away those that were following him and so he imagined himself living in concord with his wife and neighbors, farming his new lands and enjoying the spoils he had won in the war.
Eventually, Eptih found what he was looking for in a large valley that was encircled by hills with large mountains to the north. Here on the northern foothills, overlooking the valley, Eptih stopped and built his home. Many of the remaining Hetharcyp built homes in the same vicinity and soon afterward the land below in the valley was cultivated for farming, the land being equally divided amongst the Hetharcyp who settled their with Etih as the unquestioned leader. Many streams flowed from the mountains providing the necessary water year-round and the soil in the valley was richer then any they had seen before. It was obvious that the area had never been farmed and only a few old Sreoth ruins were scattered around the entire area.
Once his home was built, Eptih chose a special spot on his estate and buried the body of Thmascuid, he marked it with a small stone obelisk with the name “Thmascuid” carved in it. This spot would eventually become a place of pilgrimage where many would come in order to pay their respects to the man they felt as though had near single-handedly laid the foundation for Mortal freedom.
Eptih’s slaves and the other Hetharcyp worked the fertile land of the valley and abundant crops soon followed. The yield was so large there was an overabundance that needed to be transported to a far away market and sold off. This vast yield continued and as a result Eptih and the Hetharcyp became wealthy, but at the same time it drew many to the area looking for opportunity. Additionally as word spread about the place and the burial spot of Thmascuid the amount of pilgrims increased, many of which intended to stay, in hopes of making their fortune. The Hetharcyp did not relinquish ownership but they did allow some to work the land and build their homes there.
As the population increased and more people labored in the fields the yield from the farms increased and in time there was a constant flow of goods going in and out of the area. To make things more convenient many wanted to establish a town and a market but Eptih was initially not open to the idea. However when many of the Hetharcyp started to request these things as well Eptih relented and allowed the establishment of a town and market on the opposite side of the valley from his home. The mortals established the town and called it “Hero’s Tomb”, referring to Thmascuid’s tomb even though the tomb was a distance away and on Eptih’s private lands.
Eptih felt the establishment of this town was a bad omen for the future, it represented everything he had hoped to leave behind. He knew now that no matter how far he went to escape the evils of selfish men that evil would inevitably come to him. Due to these feelings he wondered if it might not be better to embrace the town and control it then to let if grow unimpeded and eventually control him.
