The Scourge of Teme-Rasadar
After the conflict between Caelsimil and Teme-Rasadar had resolved, the latter nation was turned upside down yet again as many of its citizens fell to horrific acts of violence. These crimes were committed by Vihrea, an act of revenge for the pain she endured during the war. Her identity remained widely unknown, fueling stories that painted her as a bogeyman of sorts. Even after her death and the disbandment of The Cult of Destruction, her visage lived on in the nightmares of Teme-Rasadar natives, especially among communities that saw the worst the war had to offer.
"...There she was. A pale figure with wild eyes, clinging to the shadows as if they were her veil. The bloodied skull of a roc sat upon her head. She was twisted and mangled; her broken bones cracking with every flourish she made. There was no grace left to this dancer, no life left in her fire. Black wings fluttered behind her, just as broken as the rest of her. She was both a vision of grief and death, always eager to drive her blades through the living until she couldn't tell whose blood was whose."
The Scourge of Teme-Rasadar is known by many names and strange origin stories. Some have heard the tale of the "bloody dancer", a Caelsimilan soldier whose death twisted her into a powerful wraith. Others know the embellished tales of the "bird of vengeance", seeking to bring ruin to a nation that wronged her. All of these stories have two things in common; brutal violence committed by a tortured spirit and the inevitable misfortune that follows in her wake.
Historical Basis
While Vihrea was a real soldier among the Caelsimilan military and a violent cultist later on, every version of the stories her presence has left behind stray from history. Given the manner in which she had died, those who originally spun the tale didn't want to accept their role in the violence and torture that was brought upon her in her final days. Official records of Vihrea's involvement in the murders of Teme-Rasadan citizens isn't a widely known fact. The governments of both nations had agreed to force her to atone for her misdeeds through religious redemption and in turn, she would be a free woman.
Their plan ultimately backfired and led to more casualties, one such casualty being Vihrea herself months later. Documents of her death during the war and her later crimes aren't public knowledge. Teme-Rasadan citizens are unaware of the woman behind the bird mask that hunted them and now haunts them. The lack of information afforded to the public aids in keeping the stories of the "scourge" alive.
Spread
The stories of the "bloody dancer" are common in Teme-Rasadar and some Caelsimilan cities closer to the borders between both nations. While many genuinely believed in the "bird of vengeance" and her reign of terror to be, time has cemented these tales as something akin to the bogeyman or banshees.
Related Ethnicities
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