When the usurper Farayin seized the Kayanian crown and ascended the throne, he was consumed by arrogant delusion. Vaunting his newfound majesty, he declared that even a fleeting moment of high kingship was far sweeter than sixty years of bow-headed servitude. Ignoring the prudent warnings of his eldest son to secure his hold against a true heir of royal lineage, he surrendered to reckless extravagance and vanity.
In a mere fortnight, the ancient treasuries of King Ardashir were squandered down to the last coin. By night, Farayin opened the royal halls, bestowing undeserved gifts and gold upon flatterers. His nights turned into endless revelries set amidst amber-scented candles and gem-studded golden basins, as he wandered orchards and grounds with an entourage of candle-bearers.
Yet as his prodigality exhausted the realm's wealth, Farayin turned cruel, faithless, and miserly. He blinded his heart with greed, shed innocent blood without remorse, and turned his foul tongue against his own commanders. A wave of hatred washed over Iran, and both nobles and commoners prayed for his downfall.
Seeing the realm on the brink of ruin, a valiant knight from Istakhr named Hormozd Shahr-an-Guraz gathered the chieftains under the dark cover of night. He urged them to cast off the tyranny of the unworthy monarch. Pledging their absolute allegiance, the soldiers formed a wall of support. Mounting his coal-black steed, Shahr-an-Guraz drew a steel-tipped shaft from his quiver and bent his powerful bow till the notch met his ear. With a thunderous release, the arrow pierced Farayin through the back, its iron tip emerging from his navel. The usurper fell headlong into the dust, his blood pouring into the earth as his soul departed in agony. In the aftermath, panic and dark confusion seized the leaderless army, dispersing them like frightened sheep into the night.