This began followed by a three-pronged assault one group attacked the main gate, one scaled the walls nearest the temple, and another infiltrated the city through the irrigation tunnels. However, the defenders of Meridian stood firm, and Avad was forced to order the use of Oseram cannons to decimate the outer walls. His plan worked, as many Carja warriors retreated, surrendered, or even defected. He hoped that his status as rightful heir to the throne would spark an uprising among the Carja and thus avoid large-scale death and destruction.

Months later, and with an army of Oseram warriors and mercenaries, Avad marched on the capital. He and his men crossed into Oseram territory, and thanks to his personal friendship with Ersa, were able to negotiate an alliance with the tribe. Upon the execution of his older brother Kadaman for questioning his father's demands for sacrifices, Prince Avad fled the city along with those soldiers loyal to him.

The Red Raids culminated in Jiran's twenty-first year. When sacrificing slaves failed, Jiran escalated to invading foreign territories in what became known as the Red Raids. In response to the phenomenon known as the Derangement, Jiran began ordering human sacrifices in the Sun-King in an attempt to appease the machines. The reign of the thirteenth Sun-King, Jiran, was a time of great turmoil for Meridian. As the city grew, the people prospered, and traders arrived from foreign lands. The Carja came to settle on the mesa surrounding the great tower, building the capital city of Meridian - named from a passage in the Leaves of the Old Ones - from the abundant local resources.

In spite of persecution and outright violence from other tribes, the Carja continued until Araman experienced a vision of what came to be known as the Spire. Along the way, many Carja died, Araman's own family among them. They wandered for an unknown amount of time, following the Sun and the Glinthawks. Meridian was founded by the first Sun-King, Araman, after the people that became the Carja were driven out of their homeland.

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