The Legend of Krosa

Krosa was once a large, prosperous human kingdom. The god Angra Mainyu saw it and determined to make it his. At first he harassed Krosa with his armies of orcs, but the king of Krosa defeated them in battle after battle, so Angra Mainyu convinced Zohak, the king's son, to murder his father and seize the throne. Then Angra Mainyu disguised himself as Zohak's cook, and introduced meat to him. Zohak was so pleased that he promised the god a gift of his choosing.

Angra Mainyu asked to kiss the king's shoulders and rest his face and eyes there. After doing so, he vanished. But a snake sprang up from each of Zohak's shoulders. His horrified courtiers tried to cut them off, but each time they sprang back.

Angra Mainyu returned, this time disguised as a physician. He advised Zohak to feed the snakes a diet of human brains. This Zohak did. Zohak became a demon and reigned supreme, until one day he had a prophetic dream that a child was born who would grow up to slay him. In response, Zohak had all the babies killed, but the hero Feridun miraculously survived.

Feridun's mother had hidden him in a garden, where he was suckled by a magical cow. He remained in hiding all his childhood years, training to overthrow the evil king, taught magic by an angel. When the time came, he revealed himself and attacked Zohak, smashing the king's sword with a club. But by that time, Zohak was only the top of a pyramid of corruption. All the people of Krosa were either dead or collaborators in his depravity.

Feridun called down the judgement of the other gods. The kingdom was struck off the face of the earth, falling into the sea, except for a single small island where Feridun was standing. Then Feridun gathered the few survivors and founded a new city, cleansed of the old evil. The people made him their king, and his descendants rule the island to this day.

Modern-day Krosans claim that Feridun was an incarnation of the Prophet of Ela. True or not, Ela is now worshipped on the island, not Ormaz, who was too closely associated with his twin, Angra Mainyu.