The Aheri

Origin

The appearance of magic in Lialin in 209 O.L. prompted a flurry of debates across Orellia, at the time a relatively unified continent. Reports of individuals with extraordinary powers began to surface with alarming frequency, without any key geographic point of origin or shared ancestry. As society cycled through the beliefs that these abilities were clever cons, godsent abilities, and revenge for some shared sin, lines began to form between two distinct points of view: that those with magic were meant to serve, and those with magic were meant to be among the people.

The head of the second viewpoint was Ahera, an Orelli noblewoman from Avira, a port town south of Dawnfall. When those with magic, colloquially named mages, began to disappear or conspicuously only appear in service to the Orelli throne, Ahera and her supporters spoke out in outrage. Her supporters ranged from across Orellia, and several of those with newly manifested abilities came to seek her protection.

Over the following years, tensions between the two groups grew. Publicly, the crown would not admit to any wrongdoings with regards to mage kind, allowing them deniability whenever Ahera made declarations or accusations in public. She even made a formal petition to Dawnfall, attending an audience with the monarch of the time, but was informed that it was only natural those blessed by the gods would gravitate to serve the chosen Dawnchildren. Public demonstrations of mage power were held by both sides, with Ahera's supporters attempting to 'liberate' mages from the crown - some of which whom had actually chosen to go to the crown - and loyal forces securing any new mages or those that weren't hidden well enough.

Finally, Ahera realized that there would be no safe place in Orellia for them, particularly not so close to the capitol. Abandoning her family and noble title, she and her followers set sail in Daran of 513. They followed the interior curve of the continent down the eastern side, gaining more as they traveled. In one of the southern ports of Edresti, Ahera heard of the islands that no one had been able to reach. With terrible weather and dangerous waters plaguing the passageway to reach them, the risk of trying to reach them had always turned away the wise while the unwise never returned at all.

With no other options short of sailing for an unknown horizon, Ahera had her people shelter in the southern tip of the continent while their ships were reinforced and sailors recruited. By this point, they were known as the Aheri, or 'people of Ahera,' and had adopted the southern star they had been following as their symbol. When the weather calmed, they set out for the promise of a distant land.

Unbeknownst to Ahera or the Aheri, the storms they passed in the wake of were those that would start the Summer of Storms in Western Lialin. Due to the rumor that one of the mages in Ahera's following was capable of calling rain, they were believed to have been responsible for the summoning of the storms, particularly when their departure coincided with the storms' arrival. This led to a spike in anti-mage sentiment that the crown exploited to secure mage supremacy for several decades, until the Thaumat reforms of 289.

Aherana

Ahera and her followers did succeed in reaching the islands - but not without significant losses. Several of the smaller ships were lost, and by the time they reached shore, they had few to no supplies remaining. Bedraggled and, for all intents and purposes, shipwrecked, they passed into the protected range of the fabled islands. They were quite surprised to find them already inhabited, and the area where they came ashore near a city known as Tripagra.

Orellia's memory of the Aheri ended when they departed the shores of southern Lialin, likely destroyed in their own storms, until a trade ship of unfamiliar design appeared in Edresti in 234. Its merchants offered a variety of rare goods, including previously unseen shades of dyes and exotic foodstuffs. The people aboard didn't speak much, but some were recognized as those who had left with Ahera years earlier.

By collecting rumors and questioning the merchants who arrived, Orelli forces learned that Ahera was currently ruling as Queen in the islands, and that she would allow for limited trade aboard Aheri ships, as they were the only ones who could navigate the troubled waters near the islands. She sent a formal letter later, greeting the Orelli monarch as an equal.

The Orelli version of events held that the Aheri, as punishment for their heresy, were living in a relatively barren and storm-plagued land, wherein Ahera styled herself as a queen, and all those who came ashore without permission were trialed and executed by her mage followers. The islands became known first as the Heretic's islands, and later, once relations improved, Aherana - meaning 'small land of Ahera.'

In reality, Ahera had successfully argued for asylum for her and her remaining followers, who did their best to integrate into the islander society. The island people, who called themselves the 'Akahi,' had their own system of government reminiscent of a monarchy. The heir to the throne spoke often with Ahera, and eventually the two fell in love and married, leading to Ahera becoming queen of the islands. The anniversary of their marriage is still a national holiday in the islands.

Conversely, 'Ahera' is still a word for a traitor or heretic in many parts of Lialin. The southern star, which they used to guide them, is now called the Heretic's Star in remembrance. The word 'Aheri' has become a demonym for the residents of the islands.

209 - 214

Type

Political, Faction / Party

Alternative Names

Ahera's Heretics

Successor Organization

• Aherana

Leader

Ahera

Parent Organization

Orellia

Related Ethnicities

• Aheri ethnicity