The Tale of Ciannedra
Ciannedra arrived in the world as most children did but didn't like most. While a blessing to her parents, her appearance differed. Unlike the other children, her beauty was not readily apparent. Her demeanor, too, held a quiet wisdom, her gaze echoing the depths of experience. Some saw an aged soul in her youthful eyes, a reflection of her grandparents who had moved on the
Whippled-Nethers shortly after their centenary. Her gait, with its slow, deliberate steps, mirrored the movements of the elderly. In a world that valued youthful vigor,
Ciannedra was an enigma, an outlier.
Seasonal cycles turned, and
Ciannedra's difference became a burden to her parents and a source of scorn from the townsfolk. On a night marked by the number nine - the ninth day, of the ninth moon's cycle, in her ninth seasonal cycle - fate took a cruel turn. Her parents bundled her in a burlap bag, and denied her the warmth of
Morgance's fire, a traditional farewell for the deceased. They abandoned
Ciannedra, casting her into the river's unforgiving current. For nine agonizing nights, she drifted, a tiny soul lost in the vastness. The river eventually relinquished its hold, depositing her on the shore where a
Priest discovered her lifeless form.
The
Priest, guided by his faith, carried
Ciannedra to one of
Morgance's
Runestones and escored her to the
Whippled-Nethers. Here, amidst the milky mist of departed souls,
Morgance became aware of
Ciannedra's ordeal. The injustice ignited a spark within the goddess. For nine seasons,
Morgance became
Ciannedra's guide, teaching her the ways of magick, loyalty, and the vital lessons of obedience. Yet,
Morgance's lessons extended beyond these. She unveiled the secrets of the land, the whispers of the animals, the complexities of the court, and the struggles of the common people.
Ciannedra, a vessel of resilience, absorbed this knowledge with an open heart.
With a newfound purpose coursing through her veins,
Ciannedra was reborn. This time, she emerged radiant, her inner strength reflected in her beauty. Her wisdom, honed by hardship and divine guidance, propelled her to become a trusted advisor to the King and Queen. Ciannedra, the once-ostracized child, blossomed into a leader, a beacon of hope for those who felt different. The children she bore,
Arlais,
Nevan, and
Rayal, became testaments to her strength and the transformative power of choice.
The Tale of Arlais
Arlais,
Ciannedra's eldest child, brimmed with potent magick. Unlike her mother,
Arlais craved more, a relentless yearning for ever-greater power. She saw her mother's role as advisor to the King and Queen as a squandered opportunity. In
Arlais's eyes, magick was meant to rule, not to advise.
Driven by this ambition,
Arlais repeatedly pressured her mother to seize control with her magick. Yet,
Ciannedra remained steadfast in her chosen path. Frustrated by her mother's refusal,
Arlais abandoned the Royal Court, seeking a path to power on her own.
Her journey led her to a harsh desert land, home to a people steeped in ancient magick. Blinded by ambition,
Arlais exploited their hospitality, draining them of their magickal power in her insatiable hunger. As the last of these wise elders lay dying, he uttered a chilling prophecy. It spoke of
Arlais's rise to power, but also of the devastation she would unleash upon the land and the people. A young woman gifted with magick, prophesied the elder, would rise in their darkest hour to challenge
Arlais's reign.
Arlais, consumed by her desire for power, ignored the dire warnings. She seized control, ruling with an iron fist and draining the land of its life force. Only when
The Shattering occured did the horrifying truth dawn on her. She finally understood the wisdom her mother had embodied: true power didn't lie in domination, but in responsible stewardship.
Overcome with remorse,
Arlais's very being froze. Trapped in a block of ice, she became a chilling monument to her ambition. Yet, a sliver of hope remained.
The Ashai, bound to their land by
Arlais's actions, awaited their prophesied savior.
Arlais, too, clung to the possibility of redemption, yearning to break free from her icy prison and use her magick for good.
The Tale of Nevan
Nevan,
Ciannedra's middle child, bore the scars of a life ravaged by loss. The untimely deaths of his lifemate and child plunged him into a deep abyss of grief. Unlike his ambitious sister,
Nevan wasn't driven by a thirst for power. He craved solace, a path to rediscover himself in the vastness of the world. His journey took him far from the comforting embrace of
Morgance's
Runestones, away from the solace of faith. Grief gnawed at him, fueling doubt. How could a benevolent goddess like
Morgance allow such tragedy?
His bitter wanderings led him across the fractured continent, a constant reminder of
Arlais's destructive reign. As his life force dwindled, on the brink of death, an extraordinary vision unfolded. He saw his lifemate's spirit, radiating love and peace, holding their child close. In that moment, a profound understanding washed over him. They were not lost, but part of the greater tapestry overseen by
Morgance. Although his heart ached, he wasn't meant to join them yet.
Driven by this newfound awareness,
Nevan uttered the prayer of healing. He pleaded for
Morgance's healing touch, a chance to rise from the ashes of despair. In response, a warmth coursed through him, a divine fire that invigorated his body and soul. He rose from the brink, health restored.
Morgance herself appeared, her presence both awe-inspiring and comforting. Nevan, humbled by his experience, finally embraced her grace. He spent the rest of his days as a devoted follower, spreading the message of
Morgance's love and receiving her blessings in return.
The Tale of Rayal
Rayal, the youngest of
Ciannedra's children, was an observer. He witnessed his sister's destructive thirst for power and his brother's path to faith after profound loss. Unlike them,
Rayal possessed a quiet wisdom, a studious nature that saw the world in shades of grey. He understood that while
Nevan found solace in faith, his mother remained deeply wounded by
Arlais's actions.
Ciannedra, once a beacon of strength, retreated into despair after
Arlais's downfall.
Rayal, ever loyal, tried to offer comfort, but his attempts were met with a wall of grief. She abandoned her duties as advisor to the King and Queen, consumed by a singular purpose–freeing
Arlais.
Torn between loyalty to his mother and his duty to the crown, Rayal made the agonizing decision to inform the King of
Ciannedra's desperate plan. When the King forbade her journey,
Ciannedra, fueled by grief and a warped sense of duty, defied his orders.
Rayal witnessed his mother's descent into anger and delusion. He watched her capture, the fiery defiance in her eyes turning into a desperate plea for her daughter's salvation. The King, fearing a rebellion, ordered
Ciannedra's execution.
This placed
Rayal in an impossible situation. Loyalty to the king demanded obedience, but love for his mother demanded a desperate plea for mercy. He argued passionately for her life, highlighting her lifetime of loyal service and the clouding influence of grief.
The Queen's intervention swayed the King toward a compromise.
Ciannedra's life was spared, but she was condemned to a life of isolation in the dungeons.
Rayal, heartbroken, watched his mother disappear into the prison's darkness, forever barred from visiting her.
The rest of
Rayal's life was shrouded in a heavy silence. He served the crown faithfully, but the memory of his mother's fate, a casualty of unyielding grief, forever cast a shadow on his loyalty.
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