the-realm-of-enderun - Tumblr blog

the-realm-of-enderun · 17 days ago

Text

24: Lore of Enderun: The Lepidae Forest

Word Count: 1,210

Getting lost in the woods can be a frightening experience. Walking around endlessly trying to find your way back to your original path, only to keep getting turned around in circles for hours, even days on end. Hunger and thirst can set in, and fear can quickly build and take over your mind when danger lurks in the woods beyond the trees and bushes. And in many forests of Enderûn, that fear and dread can be sensed and bring in many creatures to come bearing down on you, ready to sate their own ravenous hunger on your flesh, bone, and blood.

In one such place known as the Lepidae Forest, it is even more dangerous for anyone who may stumble into the trees and get themselves lost. The forest grows darker and darker the further you venture into it, even along its paths. A dark but not so dreary place, it is lit by countless Moonglow Roses surrounded by Lunar Moths both along the paths at inconsistent intervals, and in small patches throughout the forest to give off soft, blue and purple light throughout. And even hanging from many of the different willow, oak, and cedar trees are vines with softly glowing pink and blue bulbs growing from them.

But don't let the Moonglow Flowers or Glowvines distract you if you find yourself in these woods. Lurking in this forest are dangerous creatures waiting to attack and feast on you if the hunger and thirst doesn't get to you first if you are lost. You had best hope you don't find yourself in this forest unwittingly. It is home to corrupted spriggans, direwolves, nightstalkers, chimeras, and even eldritch abominations to name a few creatures.

If you get lost in this forest, then you will notice that you won't find many of these deadly creatures. Not right away, anyway. Fairly quickly, you will start to notice a variety of purple, blue, and pink moth-shaped wisps begin to follow you around and surround you as if they are trying to gain your attention: and they are. They are Moth Wisps, summoned to guide lost travellers to a certain destination in the woods, away from the darkness, away from the monsters, away from the harm…

Do not be alarmed by these curious little wisps, for they truly mean no harm, and neither does their summoner who sent them to find you. Trust and follow them, and you will find yourself on the pathway to a rather small cottage. Or a large cottage? Reports of the size of the home are inconsistent, as the inhabitant can freely change everything within her domain on a whim, including her own self. She is the friendliest being you could hope to meet in the Lepidae Forest.

This being is a witch - a very motherly bunny ferakin woman with multiple moth attributes to her body - that aids every lost traveler who stumbles into her forest, keeping the dangerous denizens at bay with powerful warding hexes that keep their senses for the fear of sentient beings numb. She makes the travelers comfortable however she can, always preparing meals or treats for them fresh from her kitchen and blessing them through the food she creates. Or she further blesses them with magic through sexual means, if that is also what makes them comfortable. Either way she uses her magic on her guests, she makes them feel as comfortable as possible until she learns where they come from, and she can send them home through teleportation magic.

The witch is the only friendly face you will see in the Forest of the Moth. If either you visit her purposefully by following the paths, or you get lost and are guided to her home by her Moth Wisps, be careful because you may still come across a stray creature that can make a meal out of you. If that happens, do your best to hide, keep quiet, and keep calm. Given enough time, the witch will come and protect you from the threat, and you may walk to her home together.

How to even get to this forest is a simple matter, so simple in fact that you can very literally stumble through gateways into it. This forest is not of Enderûn. In fact, it is a fringe part of the Fae Wilds itself much like its own realm within it. The only way to enter the forest is through portals found in every forest in the realm, or through certain portals in the Fae Wilds. In the forests are numerous groups of trees that have grown together, either pressed or twisted together with gaps at the bottom large enough to walk through, and there lie the portals in a few of these groups. The portals can very barely be seen by the naked eye through slightly shimmering light, and there are only a few in each forest even though there can be many more groups of trees that grow together. One way to tell if these trees are a portal to the Lepidae Forest is if there is a sigil carved into the trunk, the mark of the witch that safeguards travelers. The sigil - a simple carving of a moth with long bunny ears - can be easy to miss if you aren't looking for any details. Another way to see the portal easily is through detection magic.

Another note to add about the Lepidae Forest is the sheer amount of moths of different species that inhabit it - one such species being the Lunar Moths - all flying around and gathering around the many different soft light sources. This is because this forest is the domain of Mor'Kadroth - the Thousand-Eyed Moth - an eldritch, moth-like demon who was sealed within a tome long ago by an ancient sect of sorcerers and hidden away in a forgotten dungeon in a faraway land, until the witch who now watches over the forest found it, and made a pact with Mor'Kadroth and gained abyssal power to supplement her own abilities she already had, as well as the moth-like attributes as previously mentioned.

These abilities not only made her much more powerful than she had been before, but they also made her an ageless and eldritch being herself, only not to the extent of her patron or his kin. For well over one hundred years she had watched over the Lepidae Forest, keeping countless travelers safe and giving them all blessings to aid them and their families. The forest still holds untold dangers of course. The previously mentioned monsters aren't the only ones lurking in the darkness. But the presence of the witch and her efforts to nullify their senses with her hexes placed in many parts of the forest had made their travels through for their own ingredients a much safer journey, and for those who accidentally find themselves there, they aren't immediately killed.

The Lepidae Forest or the Forest of the Moth - whichever name you use - understand that despite the witch's protection, danger always lurks in the darkness. But just know that she knows where you are in her domain: she always watches over you, she will always protect you, she will always guide you, and she will always send you on your way with a warm meal in your stomach.

#fantasy world #fantasy #fantasy character #original character #the realm of enderûn #lore of enderûn

0 notes

the-realm-of-enderun · 20 days ago

Text

23: Lore of Enderûn: The Dragon God, and the Dragonblight

Word Count: 2,288

In ages past, a great war raged on for centuries across the realm. Bahamut - the great titanic Dragon - ruled over Enderûn with a cruelty unknown before and since those dark days. In flight, his wingspan could block out the shine of the golden sunlight across an entire country. Bahamut's body was fire, it was ice, it was lightning, it was abyss. It was an amalgamation of magick and flesh and scale made manifest that reigned over all and spread chaos across the realm, including all other species of Draconian no matter how large or powerful they may have been. No other Dragon matched his size or power: as the largest, rarest ancient dragons measured the size of mountains, Bahamut eclipsed them.

His origin was theorized by scholars both during the Great Dragon War for those long, bitter centuries and for the ages after. Many of these theories have been archived in the deepest vaults of Dragon Peak, with many scholars in the current age still poring over the theories and attempting to scry into the past to attempt to learn even more about Bahamut. In the years since scholars have begun trying to discover Bahamut's origin, no one had been able to until the birth of the Seers. It was years after that when their services were asked to discern Bahamut's origins, and they were able to determine he was the son of Skrios, the Goddess of Chaos. This revelation shook the scholars and the seers to their very cores to learn that the Dragon God was a Demigod of Chaos. The revelation made them look through all the past notes in the archives for any clues that could lead to that point, but the scholars' skills at scrying were no match to the mysticism of the seers. They continued to work closely with multiple seers to learn more of Bahamut from the past to the best of their abilities from then on and add new notes to their archives, hoping to gain any advantage in case a being like Bahamut appeared again.

As well as being able to determine Bahamut's divine origins, the seers helped the scholars determine what exactly the Dragon God looked like as well and created sketches of him in great detail. Bahamut's head had six horns of varying sizes with two large, two medium, and two smaller horns, two piercing white eyes, a great maw of sharp pointed outer teeth with a second row of teeth behind them, six great wings of black that could cause devastating winds to the lands below with each beat, three massive tails, and four legs but the front two could act as arms. Despite the great mysticism of the seers, it was difficult to do all of this as seeing so far into the past was a great feat in itself, but it also seemed as though an unseen force attempted to prevent them from learning anything of Bahamut.

But they had done it, and they knew a great many details of Bahamut now.

The Great Dragon War was a brutal, long time of painful rebellion. A great many Draconian rose up and fought against Bahamut's oppression of both them and the other races of the world under his rule, but many other Dragons stayed, having been broken mentally and corrupted magickally, and others wanting to stay. The Great Dragon War began when one Dragon had enough of his mistreatment and lashed out, slaying one of Bahamut's generals in a surprise attack, and chaos followed, breaking loose across the realm. The breath attacks of the Dragons filled the skies around the realm, and with them gave all mortal races a slight chance to breathe from the brutal treatment they had been subjected to before other Dragons began to watch them again.

It was during the Great Dragon War as well that the Dragon Cults of the time began to sprout across the realm. Using blood from different Draconic races - including blood collected from fallen Draconians - they ingested it in different ways and from these cults the first Dragonkin were born. Some were brought to join the side of worshipping Bahamut and enslaving mortalkind, but many felt the unnatural way they were created and rebelled, using their Draconic strength and magickal power and joining the rebellion against the tyrant Dragon God.

The war raged for decades before a breakthrough was discovered. The mortal races prayed to their deities for any kind of aid against Bahamut and his forces, until one day the then Goddess of the Sun - Sol - heard their pleas. She granted many of the priests a great boon of magick known now across the realm as Sunlight, carried over when she and her brother Valo - the God of Light - joined in Celestial Convergence ages later. This holy sunlight gave the priests the power to cast bolts of powerful, golden, grossly incandescent lightning unlike any arcane power known before that time and they in secret for months taught it to who would from then on become known as the Soldiers of Sunlight.

When they were sure of their newfound magick, they struck against their oppressors. They found that their sunlight was especially powerful against Draconic races, and they were able to fight against the Draconians in their full Dragon forms even if they were in flight by hurling great bolts of sunlight at them, eventually wearing them down and bringing them crashing to the ground. After sunlight was given to the realm in this new way, the tide was turned and many of Bahamut's slaves were able to fight back against him.

After many long months and years, the Great Dragon War ended when countless Draconians, with Soldiers of Sunlight on their backs, fought against Bahamut high in the skies above the ground. The Dragons used their magick and breath attacks while the Soldiers used their sunlight. They, along with countless others on the ground, launched their attacks against the Dragon God in hopes of slaying the tyrant and bringing an end to his oppressive, centuries-long reign. Bahamut raged against the rebels, breathing fire, ice, lightning and abyss over them. He clawed them and smacked them down to the earth. He rained hellfire over the rebels on the ground.

The battle against Bahamut lasted for several days. Countless souls lost their lives, but fought bravely for their freedoms. Finally, with a great bolt of sunlightning struck directly to a wound in Bahamut's chest and into his heart, the battle was over. The Dragon God let out a roar that echoed across the realm and fell from the sky, and his fall created a titanic crater in the Unnamed Continent far in the east of Enderûn with an impact that was felt just as his death roar was.

The Age of the Dragon God was over, and surviving rebels and those in hiding were able to celebrate their victory, mourn those they've lost, and move forward into the new age. Those who were corrupted by what foul magick Bahamut had used on them and had survived the battle were able to be cured of that corruption and recover from it, and have their minds recover in peace. Those who willingly fought by his side either went into hiding, or were captured and executed. Many a Dragon that fought against the Dragon God had perished in the war, and so after it ended the remaining few that had participated that hadn't been hiding left to find peace in wherever they may go. As for Bahamut's corpse, it took a collective effort of hundreds of powerful mages to levitate him from what became known as Bahamut's Fall, and so began the long journey to the eastern edge of the realm, to where no person had ever journeyed before.

And they cast his seemingly lifeless corpse into the abyss.

A small settlement was built to be manned by those who would safeguard Bahamut's resting place and the mages stayed, never to return where they once called home. An age of peace followed and the Dragonkin, while many distrusted at first, slowly assimilated into life of the realm. The kingdoms rebuilt, grew, and prospered all over. The Dragonkin eventually found that they can not only reproduce, but produce offspring with other races as well as trust in their race grew. And in the centuries that followed, the dormant Draconic blood in the descendants of Dragon Cultists had given rise to Dragon Disciples: people who began to have Draconic features to them much like Dragonkin in a few ways, and had powerful magick like Dragons as well.

More years passed, and a change in the realm began to spread. Subtle at first, unable to be noticed. The mages at Bahamut's Watch were caught unaware when one of the Dragonkin that stood watch with them caught a strange and sudden sickness that turned them into a frenzied beast, a shell of their former self. They were completely feral and lashed out at everyone around them, and nearly killed half of the occupants of the post before being killed in return. The mages began to study the body of the Dragonkin and saw that they were covered in black and crimson rashes and boils filled with black and red ichor. It was as if a sudden blight had infected them and them alone.

The mages scoured the grounds of Bahamut's Watch for any source or trace of this blight, and soon found that the Dragonkin's room was filled with blight much the same that covered them. They followed a trail of it from the window and through their post and finally discovered that it came from the edge of the realm, coming from where the Dragon God was cast down. The investigation continued for several days before another Dragonkin went feral in the night, slaughtering nearly everyone left but twenty survivors and nearly burning the entire post to the ground before being killed. The event was written down by the survivors and sent by carrier hawk to the closest kingdom, thousands of miles away. What transpired shook them to the very core and left them all scarred.

This was the beginning of the Dragonblight, a deadly, grave affliction that affects only those with Draconic blood in them. When caught and treated, it has been discovered it can be cured in time but the blight acts quickly. It makes those it affects begin to lose their sense of control until they turn feral, becoming mindless beasts only wanting to kill and destroy. The only cure that is known is for the healing warmth of sunlight magick to be used. As sunlightning is the great weakness of dragons, soothing sunlight is the cure for dragonblight. Many adventuring guilds began to employ more priests of Sol at the time, and later Solaris after the Celestial Convergence when the Dragonblight became more and more prevalent across Enderûn. Even with priests of sunlight, the Dragonblight is still a great threat to those groups that have members of Draconic blood in their ranks.

The Blight slowly spread from Bahamut's Grave after that point. And spread across the seas. No one knew how or why it had started, only that it was pure evil and chaos incarnate. There are now traces of the Dragonblight in every kingdom in the present day, and sadly many of those with Draconic blood have fallen to it since it first began to spread from Bahamut's Grave. After the world began to trust Draconians in the wake of the Great Dragon War, the effects of the Dragonblight causing those with Draconic blood in them to turn feral with little warning made many begin to lose their trust in any race with that blood out of fear of their safety. Many others however do their best to look past that danger, as it is not those peoples' faults. Dragons, once great in number across the realm, in recent times are now rare because of both the Great Dragon War and the Dragonblight infecting them and causing them to go feral with no chance for anyone to try to cure them.

As for other effects the Dragonblight has on those of Draconic blood - in addition to making them feral - gives them a great boost in strength and magickal power. They will unleash any magick skill they have with reckless abandon in their feral state. This state not only makes them feral, but puts them in a blind rage that makes them lash out against anyone they may be near. This state makes them a danger to settlements they are in - let alone nearby - if they have been exposed to the Dragonblight without a Priest of Solaris available to heal them. As of this writing, it is unknown if anyone that has been fully Blighted can be cured, as no one that has been blighted has been able to be subdued to be able to be treated.

The story of the Great Dragon War is one of the Demigod of Chaos's centuries long reign of terror coming to an end, and the birth of not only Dragonkin but then Dragon Disciples generations later. It is also a story that saw the power of sunlight given to mortalkind to both heal and fight. But, in the wake of the war it also saw the birth of the Dragonblight and the spread of a new, growing chaos in the realm and the distrust it placed in many people toward those with Draconic blood.

In the current age, with the knowledge that scholars have gained, kingdoms, citizens, and adventurers alike must stay vigilant against not only the Dragonblight, but any possible threats that could mirror the Dragon God…

Or watch for his return.

#fantasy world #fantasy #fantasy character #original character #the realm of enderûn #lore of enderûn #dragonblight #the dragon god #bahamut

1 note · View note

the-realm-of-enderun · 1 month ago

Text

Lore of Enderûn: The Greypine Mountains, Cascade Peaks, and Cascade Veil

The Kingdom of Ucrar is a very mountainous region in Irios, and very harsh to live in. There aren't many large settlements in the Kingdom due to the landscape, but some notable settlements are scattered throughout the mountains either through magical aid or natural finds. Villages founded in the mountains can be quite beautiful, some in a rugged way, and some in a hidden way. The capitol city of this kingdom is called Dragon Peak, a city built on top of one of the highest points in the kingdom.

One of the most famous regions in Ucrar are the Greypine Mountains. This is the largest region on the continent of Irios. Filling the valleys between the mountains of this region and even growing on the sides of the mountains themselves are countless pine trees. The region's name comes from the fog of the mountains soaking into the trees, giving grey hue to the lighting all throughout the region.

But, the most famous region of Ucrar are the Cascade Peaks, otherwise known as the Sol's Light Mountains within and above the Greypine Mountains. Waterfalls cascade down from the peaks of the mountains for miles, crashing against the rocky surfaces or falling in front of or even behind numerous natural paths winding across the sides of the mountains. What makes this region the most famous in Ucrar are the beautiful views above the rugged and rocky kingdom. Those who journey across them in the mornings during the sunrise or evenings during the sunset are met with the sight of the sun casting a golden light across the mountains, treetops, and across the waterfalls, which gives the region its second name.

In the Cascade Peaks, a village exists around and behind a large waterfall named Cascade Veil. This village is secluded high in the mountains with only one path large enough for wagons to pass through, and the rest of the paths are only able to be traversed on foot or horseback. The majority of the village exists behind the waterfall in a large cove while wooden walkways were built to surround the waterfall, and even extend to around the nearby treetops for additional homes to be built. This is one of the more famous settlements of Ucrar despite the lack of traffic that comes to it. Those that live in this village feel their bodies and minds rejuvenated and free due to the magically muted waterfall, the views over the forest, and the cool, crisp air filling their lungs.

The Kingdom of Ucrar can be a harsh and untamed place to live, and numerous nomadic tribes consisting of different races roam the forests and mountains, but the beauty of the regions is unmistakable.

(Some examples of how Ucrar looks)

#fantasy world #the world of palara #fantasy #lore of palara #lore of enderûn #the realm of enderûn #original lore #original content

0 notes

the-realm-of-enderun · 2 months ago

Text

For those that see this:

The links in my pinned post do not work right now after I changed my account name to reflect the change in my fantasy setting's realm name. It may take a while for them all to be back in working order with how Tumblr doesn't let me use old links, but I'll do my best to get them all fixed as soon as possible.

I'm going to use the tags this post to make the process easier for myself when I start.

0 notes

the-realm-of-enderun · 2 months ago

Text

Important Changes

As anyone that's kept an eye on this blog for the last few years or any new followers can see, the name of my fantasy world has been Palara, and it's been that way since I changed it from being a simple AU for something to being my own fantasy setting. For a while now, I haven't felt right with that name since on my main blog, I ran a series of polls to decide on the name, polls that my followers would decide on the name since I couldn't. And recently I just started growing more uncomfortable that I just let a bunch of random people vote on the name of the world in my fantasy setting.

So it took a few weeks, but I went through a series of completely new names with the help of a name generator, and I finally settled on a new name out of a bunch I chose from. I narrowed them down to five that would make for a good name. And out of those five, one over all of them fit best as a name out of all of them. So, it'll be now known as:

The Realm of Enderûn

I won't be going back through this blog to change names, dialogue and tags of stories to reflect this change, but from now on with any future stuff (burnout permitting) will be with the new name. The most I may have to do is fix links because of the new account name. I have added the tag "The Realm of Enderûn" to each bio of my characters though.

Now onto other changes

I'm making changes to multiple races. I was talking with a friend of mine and I realized that I have so many of them, and many of the races with animal traits to me as the creator seem very redundant. The below races have been melded into the Ferakin race, or otherwise removed:

Avian, Merfolk, Lizardkin, and Satyrs (All merged with Ferakin)

Gnomes (Removed completely, too similar to Halflings)

There are some that I just want to change in general too, so below I'll list the changes:

_____

1. High Elves (formerly Light Elves) and Dark Elves

Elves are an elegant, beautiful race of people that are skilled in anything they may put their minds and abilities to. High Elves generally have eyes more rounded, while Dark Elves have eyes that are more narrowed. High Elves have light, fair skin and lighter blonde hair in most cases while Dark Elves have darker skin colors with silver or sometimes teal colored hair.

High Elves have shorter, inch long ears where Dark Elves have ears that can be one-and-a-half to three inches long. High Elves can be the tallest out of the four different sub-races of Elves. In most cases, High Elves can stand well over six feet tall, sometimes up to eight feet tall. Dark Elves are all around six feet tall.

Both High and Dark Elves are ageless, maturing at around three hundred years old, and cannot age afterward.

_____

2. Ferakin

The Ferakin, or Fera for short, are a race comprised of people with numerous animal appendages from tails to ears, eyes to teeth, feathers or scales, and in rare cases animalistic feet or hands while some Ferakin are even more rarely anthropomorphic in that they take even more physical animal traits (Such as what Kenku, Arakocra, and Tabaxi are in D&D). Because of this, they are the most varied race in Enderûn. They can become proficient in many things they decide to do, but many excel at close combat and become fighters, or rogues. Much like every race, the origin of the Ferakin are unknown. They have been on Enderûn for as long as all other races but haven't joined settlements until many years had passed.

These people are animalistic in mind at times as well. Those with the traits of dogs or wolves can be very territorial and extremely protective, as well as physically stronger while those with rabbit traits can be more passive or timid, and are more agile. Those of the Fera that aren't like their more anthropomorphic brethren are of any skin color that a Human or Elf can be. Many Ferakin find themselves in tribes of Wood Elves or Wild Elves, but the majority live in the cities and villages around the world. Ferakin can range from four to seven feet tall, and horse Ferakin can be up to nine feet tall.

In the long history of Enderûn, the Ferakin have always been a fairly kind race in most cases, and have most all began to live in cities or villages across the world. They can live up until two hundred years old, and rarely up to two hundred and twenty.

_____

3. Half-Elves

Half-Elves are the product of any of the Elven races pairing with one of the other races, as long as they are compatible. They share many of the qualities of their parents from skin color, eye shape, hair color, facial structure, and so on. They can be very impressionable, taking after their parents in whatever they do as well. If their parents are both mages, they are more likely than not going to train to become a mage as well.

Half-Elves' lifespans are much longer than their non-elven parent, but are not immortal in terms of age. They live for around one thousand years old, but mature around the same ages as their non-elven heritage.

_____

4. Halflings

Halflings are the shortest race in Enderûn, considered by many as "small folk". Their small stature makes them poor warriors, but excellent scouts and rogues, and their innate high intelligence make them excellent mages. Many may become potion brewers, alchemists, or bards as well. They can be of any skin color a Human could have, and any eye color as well. Their ears are slightly pointed but are mostly Human-like, and are around two to three and a half feet tall.

Halflings can live up to one hundred and fifty years old.

_____

5. Drow

Drow, also called the Deep Elves, are mainly a subterranean race of people that dwell in multiple cities throughout the Abyss, but there are some that live in surface cities and villages as well. The Drow have highly innate magical abilities and many are mages or clerics, but many can also be warriors, and a select few are assassins. Drow have dark gray, very dark purple, or nearly obsidian black skin with ash gray hair colors to bone white, much whiter than a Dark Elf's silver hair. The Drow are also a very beautiful race of people, much like other Elves. One stark difference between the Drow and other Elves are their pale white, almost entrancing irises of their eyes. Their ears range from three inches long to six inches long, and are very thin and pointy, mostly pointing backwards behind their heads rather than pointing out to the sides or diagonally upwards.

Drow, unlike High and Dark Elves, are not an immortal race and live to one thousand and five hundred years old, but mature quickly at one hundred years.

_____

6. Wood Elves (Formerly Jungle/Forest Elves)

Much like their Elven cousins, Wood Elves are a beautiful, if rugged race of forest and jungle dwellers, and are known as "The Guardians of the Wood". These Elves are small, fast, and agile, making for great rogues or rangers. As the name of their race suggests, these Elves dwell in forests or jungles in the world and roam freely around them in most cases, although there are some small settlements in the trees themselves. Wood Elves usually have lightly tanned skin but can be darker skinned as well. They have wide almond-shaped eyes, have darker hair colors, and most of the time have tribal-like tattoos along their bodies or faces, and they have two inch long pointed ears. They aren't a violent race, but they make excellent fighters and rangers for when they do have to fight, and will protect their homes viciously when provoked, hence their race's nickname. Wood Elves are almost exclusively around five feet tall, and their lithe bodies can be deceptively powerful.

Unlike their High and Dark Elf cousins, Wood Elves have relatively short lifespans at around five hundred years old, and mature very quickly much like humans at around twenty years old.

_____

7. Wild Elves

Wild Elves have a beauty to them unlike their cousins. They have reddish-brown skin from lighter to darker shades, and more narrowed almond-shaped eyes along with three inch long, pointed ears. They are a very proud race of people with lithe and athletic body types in most cases. They are a mix of fighters, rogues, rangers, and sorcerers in each tribe that roam the wild and untamed prairie lands and plains around the world. Like their forest and jungle dwelling cousins, they aren't a violent people, and they protect their own with their lives. While they keep to themselves mostly, if sought out, tribes of Wild Elves most times are eager to aide others in their struggles. In most cases, Wild Elves travel in tribes alongside Centaurs, making a very impressive and deadly duo in combat. Wild Elves are between five and a half feet tall to six feet tall, although some can be taller.

Wild Elves have the shortest lifespan of all Elven races, living around two hundred years old and giving them a greater appreciation of life and mortality than other elven races.

_____

8. Draconians (Formerly Dragons)

Draconians, also known as just Dragons, are an ancient, fearsome race of creatures. They have become rare in recent ages due to a debilitating disease known as the Dragonblight. Despite the Blight, Dragons are the most powerful race of people on Enderûn. While many prefer to stay in their full dragon forms and stay away from civilization due to the stigma that the Dragonblight and the Dragon God has left on their race, a few still prefer to walk the earth as the other races do in their humanoid forms.

Like Humans, they can come in many different body types and sizes in their "glamoured" forms, as well as their full Dragon forms. While Dragons usually fight in their full glory in their dragon forms, they can be excellent warriors if they wish to fight in their humanoid forms (or if they are cursed to be in those forms), but many in the new age among civilization wish to avoid combat if possible. Dragons are not compatible with any other races but Dragons, but that does not stop them from finding love in other races and surrogating clutches of dragonlings. They can be many different heights in their glamoured forms, with colored scales along their bodies in many places and near invisible scales anywhere else on their bodies giving them natural armor.

Dragons are the only creature in the world other than High and Dark elves that are ageless, and children mature at five hundred years old.

_____

9. Dragonkin

Dragonkin are distant cousins to dragons and kobold, and have draconic blood in their veins making them a very powerful race. They were born from ancient rituals performed by Dragon Cultists in the Age of Bahamut. Unlike dragons, they are compatible with few other races in the world, but like their Dragon cousins, can still find love with other races they aren't compatible with. Dragonkin can have many draconic traits much like a dragon's including horns, hands and claws, feet, scales, eyes, wings, and even their bodies themselves can have the look of humanoid dragons. At times, they can be mistaken for being a Draconian in their glamoured form. They can excel at anything from being fighters to being sorcerers due to their innate magical abilities, and sometimes mix both together in combat.

Much like the Draconians, Dragonkin suffer greatly from the Dragonblight and do their best to keep from being blighted at all costs, but it has done much to dwindle the numbers of their race in the ages since the fall of the Dragon God like the Draconians also.

Dragonkin live around one thousand years old.

_____

10. Kobolds

Kobolds are a small draconic race with small bodies in most cases, with dragon-like heads, legs, feet, and hands. They have draconic blood within them, and as such are at risk from the Dragonblight. Their small frames make them great rogues or archers, although there are many larger ones that are fighters and warriors. While there are some savage kobolds in the Frostbourne Mountains on the southern border of Irios, most of them are civil, such as those on the eastern continent of Mistralia in the Smoking Mountains. Kobolds can be anywhere from two and a half feet tall to three feet and nine inches tall.

Kobolds can live up to one hundred years old.

_____

11. Naga

The Naga are a mysterious and reclusive race of serpentine people within the world of Enderûn, and are one of the rarest people in the world. The Naga are a race seeming to be a mix between draconic and snake-like, and often are considered a draconic race due to many of the features they take, and have a largely snake-like appearance. They are considered cousins of dragonkin, and are descendants of serpent-like Draconians. With their draconic blood, they are natural sorcerers and with their range in size, they can be very proficient warriors or rogues as well. Naga, unlike the serpents they may take after, are warm-blooded people. They have many different varieties of traits and colors to their scales. Much like other races of draconic blood, they are at risk of Dragonblight.

Many Naga live in temples or villages deep in jungles or in mountains, or even underground. Rarely are they seen in a city due to their reclusive nature. From head to ground, they can be anywhere between five feet tall up to nine feet tall, and the length of their tails can be up to three times their height.

Naga reach maturity quickly at twelve years old, and can live to one thousand years old.

_____

12. Lamia

The Lamia are much unlike their Naga kin. While they may take few draconic features like the Naga, Lamia are a mainly snake-like people that are are Half-Naga, and can be half blooded with nearly any other race, such as Humans, Elves, Ferakin, Drow, or even Elementals to name a few. They, much like the Naga, have a great variety in their traits, scale and skin colors. And much like the Naga, they are natural sorcerers and vary in size which can make them excellent in other skillsets as well. Lamia, much unlike the Naga, are cold blooded as they mostly take after snakes and require warmth to keep active, and they can often be seen sunbathing in warm weather.

Some Lamia live with their naga kin, but many have a natural wanderlust that lead them across the world and settle in many different cities and villages across the world. Much like the Naga as well, from head to ground, they can be anywhere between five feet tall up to nine feet tall, and the length of their tails can be up to three times their height. With the draconic blood in them from their Naga parents, they are at risk from the Dragonblight.

Lamia reach adulthood quickly at the age of twelve, and can live anywhere between one hundred and fifty years old to five hundred years old, depending on the race of the lamia's non-naga parent.

_____

13: Centaurs

Centaurs are an equine race of people with the lower bodies of a horse, and the upper bodies of a humanoid with horse-like ears. They are similar to Ferakin and are considered cousins, but very different in body structure due to the Centaurs' lower halves, and vastly different bone and organ structure. The coats of their equine halves can vary between numerous patterns, and their upper halves can vary between skin colors as well. They can also have many different body types from massive and muscular Shire Centaurs to lean and athletic Mustang Centaurs, to small and hardy pony Centaurs. They can be amazing and agile fighters, and are most deadly when one of their Wild Elf companions are on their backs with their own weapons in hand.

Centaurs can be between nine and a half to at least seventeen hands tall from hoof to equine shoulders, and from hoove to head can be six feet to above eight feet tall.

Centaurs can live up to one hundred and fifty years old.

#fantasy world #the world of palara #fantasy #fantasy character #original character #lore of palara #the realm of enderûn

0 notes

the-realm-of-enderun · 2 months ago

Text

I have the post ready and scheduled to post tomorrow at 5 PM. I hope anyone that sees this can look forward to it. I'm also taking the time to work on some new, big lore that you'll be able to take a guess of the content of it is with what's included in some of the changes.

In the process of making a lot of changes to my fantasy setting that I'm hoping to make a big post about in the coming days if I can get everything set up right. Been looking over the draft for it a lot and editing it when needed. It's gonna be a lot but it's stuff I've been both needing and wanting to do for a while.

#fantasy world #the world of palara #fantasy #fantasy character

2 notes · View notes

the-realm-of-enderun · 2 months ago

Text

#fantasy world #the world of palara #fantasy #fantasy character

2 notes · View notes

the-realm-of-enderun · 5 months ago

Note

Oh thanks! Though I already reblogged the big post so I wouldn’t lose it.

It's no problem! Hopefully you like everything!

#fantasy world #the world of palara #fantasy #fantasy character #original character

0 notes

the-realm-of-enderun · 5 months ago

Note

If Palara were an actual TTRPG, what races could you play as?

I would say the vast majority of them could be! The only exceptions would be dragons or giants since they would be really powerful.

Anything else would definitely be good to play as in a TTRPG, I'm just not sure how to balance them. When I first made this setting I mixed in D&D stuff a decent bit before doing my best to just do my own thing with it all. With a recent story I posted I even tried basing the magic system off Frieren a bit with how much I love that show/manga.

But back on topic, here's the races if you wanna look through them all! I do need to make some edits to them still, and in the future with a new character I'll be adding a new race with her too.

Civilized

Wild (Nomadic)

#fantasy world #the world of palara #fantasy #fantasy character #original character

0 notes

the-realm-of-enderun · 5 months ago

Note

They’ll probably just talk yer ear off about world building.

I definitely wouldn't mind that at all, even if I might be slow to keep up with stuff lol. I love talking about this kind of thing

#fantasy world #the world of palara #fantasy #fantasy character

0 notes

the-realm-of-enderun · 5 months ago

Note

I mighta sent someone your way who’s writing their own fantasy story.

Hey there, I appreciate that! I may not really be doing anything right now for the time being, but hopefully they like everything that's already here.

#fantasy world #the world of palara #fantasy #original character

3 notes · View notes

the-realm-of-enderun · 1 year ago

Text

The Second Arcane Age

"In Enderûn, the Demigoddess of the Arcane watches over all that is magick in the realm. In this role, she has seen countless who have used the gift of magick that had been given to them, and the gift of magick they had studied themselves. But many more had not been so fortunate. Sil'ithea wished for everyone to experience magick if they themselves wished, and so she set out to change the flow of all mana in order for that to happen. She did not expect what would come when she began to enact her plan."

Word Count: 4,248

"Mother, what was your plan for all of those people who could not make use of your magick?" Asked Sil'Ithea aloud as she stood with her arms crossed under her chest.

The lamia deity presiding over the Great Materia Lake of Mount Arcadia, the protector of all magick in the Realm of Enderûn itself stood on the edge of the greenish-blue waters outside her inner sanctuary of the temple. Fifteen feet tall from a normal stance with three near-fifty foot long tails coiled behind her, covered in glittering light green, blue, and purple scales along with her sides down to her hips, arms up to her shoulders and neck, her cheeks, and covering the entirety of her back. The scales nearly matched the color of her extremely long, thick, wavy hair, but were a bit lighter. The humanoid part of Sil'Ithea's body and part of her snake body - covered in simple white robes - was rather average in size compared to a normal human for example and she had medium sized breasts. With no real need for food or water her body never changed from its original size from when she was deified in the lake millennia in the past but if she wished, she could change her form however she wanted.

Her power was undeniable to all who had the privilege of meeting her. Perhaps no one person in Enderûn or in the Primordial Realms could match it, even the Primordial Lords. She knew every single bit of magick there was to know in the realms. She knew the flow of it through the veins of the earth, through the winds in the sky, the flowing waters, and the blood of many living creatures whether they practiced it or not, or if they could or not. Sil'Ithea could watch for thousands of years as the gift of magick was given to thousands upon thousands of beings throughout the Realm of Enderûn, and for all that time she could see that many of those gifted with the innate ability to use magick used it to varying degrees of effectiveness in their lives, some had gone on to become great sorcerers in their eras.

But those who were not gifted with this innate magick within were left to rely solely on single-use scrolls or grimoires depending on who they were. Those with interests in magick and no means to be able to learn how to read spells from grimoires or scrolls, use components, or even speak the words of spells were left unable to make use of the wondrous gift of Materia. Even those with the innate ability of magick within them could not even use the most basic of incantations for any form of spell because they were born mute and unable to speak. Perhaps that was the way Materia had designed it to be, but in the thousands of years Sil'Ithea had been the Protector of the Arcane, she had grown increasingly sad and frustrated over the state of how unfair it could be. To feel you had the gift of Materia inside you, unable to be released, or to be unable to read from a grimoire, or to have your voice stolen from you…

It wasn't fair at all.

The demigoddess let out a sigh and looked up at the bright beam of pure mana flowing into the sky. Sil'Ithea may not have been a mortal any longer, but her heart still bled for the mortal plight and how those people must have felt over the millennia. Good or evil, a mage, cleric, sorcerer, or any magick user should never have to be without the use of their magick whether they were able to use it before or not. Anyone with the gift of Materia should be able to use that gift, and anyone who has any interest in magick should be able to study it as mages do and use their inner mana and energy to use that magick. Their mana, their will, and most importantly, their creativity should dictate their ability to perform magic. Not if they have any disabilities or not.

Sil'Ithea let out a frustrated sigh. "Materia, I have no idea what you had planned, but something needs to change."

She slithered closer to the edge of the lake and looked deeper into the waters, as far down as she could. They ran impossibly deep, no one knew just how far down. Not even Sil'Ithea herself knew, despite falling into them so long ago. But, she knew they held the absolute source of all magick of Enderûn, something hidden deep under the waters within Arcadia. She didn't even know what exactly it looked like either, she only knew it was down deep below. She didn't know how far down it was, but that didn't matter. She could swim for as long as she needed to in order to find it. For her plan to work, she needed to find it.

"Balfaren."

A High Elven man that had been standing behind her stepped forward to her side. "Yes, Mother?"

"If my plan succeeds, the entire flow of arcana in Enderûn, and possibly even the Primordial Realms as we know it will change for every living being."

"And for the better, from what you have shared with all of us. And… if you fail? If Materia stops you?"

Sil'Ithea pondered the question for a few moments. "Then I may be killed, you will have to take my place as the leader of the monastery, and magick will have to remain the same. If that happens, you have my full trust to lead this monastery."

"Ah… I understand. Good luck, mother."

Sil'Ithea took off her robes and handed them to Balfaren, who neatly and easily folded them despite their size, and the demigoddess prepared herself for what she was about to do. It was something that no one in their right mind would ever think to do, even a demigoddess like herself. Going against a goddess was not a light action to take. There were protests within the monastery to her wishing to do this, namely for her safety and the preservation of the balance of the arcane, but in Sil'Ithea's eyes?

Safety and balance be damned.

She dove into the liquefied mana and began to swim down into the depths. Once she was fully submerged, she cast a spell on herself to grant herself easier movement in the water, along with clear sight. And that in itself was part of the issue she had with magick as it was. Being the daughter of Materia, Goddess of Magick herself, she could use magick as freely as she wished without needing her voice or any components, or any hand movements at all, but countless people in the world were not so lucky. Everyone should have that freedom.

She swam deeper and deeper into the depths of Materia Lake, but despite how deep she ventured, the light never seemed to fade. And despite Sil'Ithea being a demigoddess, it was hard for her to keep her bearings of up and down, left and right, so she did her best to stay her original course and keep moving in the direction she had originally started. She didn't know how long she had been swimming for. She truly didn't know if she had her plan thought out fully by the time she had finally reached her destination deep within the lake. But eventually, she had finally discovered the source of all magick in the realm. A colossal orb of shining, crystallized mana floating in the depths that all the liquefied mana and the undulating beam of mana above Mount Arcadia originated from. Sil'Ithea felt a twinge of nervousness wash over her for a moment, but she batted it away quickly as she stared in awe at the wonder before her. Despite her status as a demigoddess, she was the first person in the history of Enderûn to discover the true source of magick. It excited her, and she had not felt something like that in a long time.

After taking a moment to revel in her discovery a bit longer, she steeled herself and swam closer to the mana orb, and she laid her hands on it. From what Materia had told her when she was deified after she submerged herself the first time in Materia Lake, anyone with magickal skill could manipulate the flow of magick at the source given enough time and effort. With her bond as the daughter of Materia, and her knowledge over all magick as it is known, Sil'Ithea surmised that she could manipulate it simply, if not with a bit of effort. She began to use her power to alter the arcane flow throughout the orb and thus, throughout the vast realm itself. Her plan was set and she steeled herself to set it in motion no matter what.

But then something unforeseen happened.

A massive pulse of magickal force pushed her away from the orb and rippled through the mana around it and her, forcing her to guard her face. When she took her hands away, she was face to face with the form of her mother, The Goddess of the Arcane herself, Materia. She stood as tall as the lamia with longer hair that was much the same color but it flowed in mist in the water. Her body was slender, her arms and legs long ending in what looked like clouds of mana, and her face was like a porcelain mask. Her eyes were trails of mist and glowed bright, changing between light blue, green, and purple at different intervals, much like her arms, legs, and hair did.

"My my, this is unexpected now…" The goddess said in a curious tone as she stared at Sil'Ithea, "What possible explanation could you have for altering my magick, Sil'Ithea?"

Materia's voice reverberated all around the lamia, threatening to overwhelm her body. It was then that she began to feel fear for what could happen. "I plan to reshape the flow of mana, mother. I plan to make it to where the use of magick isn't dictated by components anyone needs, their eyesight, their use of their hands, or their voices."

"Oh?" Materia moved uncomfortably close to Sil'Ithea, her face mere inches in front of the lamia's. She took a hand and a sharp, porcelain-like finger materialized, and pressed against Sil'Ithea's throat, "I did not expect you to wish to corrupt the very nature of magick. Did you not think I would detect you?" Her head tilted a bit, her eyes glowing a bit more fiercely to show her anger, but did nothing to hide the curiosity within them either.

Sil'Ithea stared deep into Materia's glowing, unsettling, misty eyes. "I did, but I had to do something to end this cycle of unfairness and cruelty that your gift had brought to so many people."

Materia was taken aback by the response she received from her daughter and moved back a bit, taking her finger from Sil'Ithea's throat. "How can magick be a cruelty?" Her curiosity was absolutely piqued after hearing that, despite her gift being so insulted.

"For reasons I mentioned previously," Sil'Ithea began to explain, "Magick is a truly wondrous gift to the realm, to everyone who is born with it and to everyone who may learn how to harness its power. I do not mean to say it isn't. But…"

She conjured an image of a person with no arms. "A person born such as this, or who lost their arms and isn't fortunate enough to have prosthetics, would not be able to use their arms and hands to cast and direct spells."

Materia watched intently as Sil'Ithea changed the image to one with arms and made it begin to speak clearly with a mimicry spell, but then the voice was cut off, the image's lips were still moving. She began to speak once more. "And if a person was born mute, or if they lost their voice in life through various means, they would not be able to speak the incantations needed for all forms of magick if their voice couldn't be healed with the proper magicks."

Sil'Ithea changed the image once again, this time to one of a person leaned over a table, attempting to cast a spell using what little materials they had, but to no avail. "And those who can't afford or find the materials for spells that require them simply just won't be able to cast them."

Again, she changed the image but to one with bandages wrapped around their eyes. "And those with their eyes blinded or if they were born blind, they would not even be able to see to direct their spells."

She let the image disappear and faced Materia fully. "I have lived for millennia, mother. I have witnessed this happen countless times over that long period of time, and even though I may not be a mortal anymore, my heart bleeds for all of those people in the past and the people today who cannot use this wonderful gift because of those reasons. I believe it should be able to be used by everyone the gift is given to, good or evil. Do you see what I am trying to tell you?"

Materia let out a thoughtful hum, thinking all of what Sil'Ithea said over as she began to circle around the lamia, still staring intently at her. Truthfully, Materia thought her gift was being used by everyone it was given to. Being the Goddess of the Arcane herself, it was shocking for her to not be able to tell if it wasn't being used or couldn't be used by people who had the gift within them. But being formerly mortal, having that connection with mortals, actively watching over the world and its magic from a closer vantage point, Sil'Ithea was able to tell for millennia what was happening.

"Well well, what an observant lamia! I apologize for putting such stress on you for all this time!" Materia said after several moments and swooped in close, her porcelain face mere inches in front of Sil'Ithea's once more, "What is your plan to fix this oversight of mine, daughter?"

Sil'Ithea didn't flinch at all from Materia's face being in hers once again, and she began to reply. "As I said, everyone with the gift of magick should be able to use it. Everyone interested in it should be able to as well. I planned to manipulate the flow of mana to where it does not rely on components, hand movements, or voice to use. Instead, I will make it reliant on three key things that every person has deep within; Mana, will, and most importantly, imagination. Just by thinking a spell into being, it will appear, such as a barrier spell or a firebolt spell, and direct it by will. Mages won't require grimoires any longer, but can use them or other items such as staves as focuses to aid them and make their magick more powerful as well."

Materia tilted her head, thinking it all over as she blinked her smokey eyes, and she let out a pleased hum. "Oh Sil'Ithea, I believe this idea of yours is very interesting. You do know this would mean the beginning of a new age, don't you?"

Sil'Ithea nodded her head. "I do."

"With imagination and will being key factors in spellcasting under the new age, the possibilities would be limitless for new spells. The entire fabric of the magick world will be turned upside down!" Materia began to sound almost giddy with excitement.

"Yes, it would. This has been needed for a long time. May I begin?"

"By all means." Materia moved out of the way, her body changing to almost fully a cloud of mana and leaving only a porcelain face.

"I suppose one of us will have to speak with all of our magick users once this is finished and tell them what has happened." Silithea remarked as she moved close to the colossal mana orb once more.

Materia moved next to her once more. "Or perhaps I could warn them all before you do this. It would be a jarring experience to have the use of their magick changed so suddenly without warning. They may have to spend some time to gain the use of it once more."

"That is a fair point also. Please do that while I work on this."

Materia floated away from Sil'Ithea as she did her work to change the flow of magick, and her eyes flared brightly as she began to speak with every single one of her followers in their minds, or in their dreams. "Followers of Materia, listen well! You may have expected to hear this after feeling the mana in your bodies begin to change moments ago. My daughter Sil'Ithea has noticed flaws in the gift of magick and brought them to my attention. As I am speaking to you, she is working to change the very foundation of mana and magick as we know it, and bring us all into a new age of arcane."

"Many of the spells may stay the same, but how you use them will change, and this will lead to a new age of magickal discovery," Materia continued, looking back to watch the orb of mana glow and pulse erratically with Sil'Ithea's actions, "No longer will mages be required to speak spells into existence. No longer will they be required to use components for certain spells. No longer will they be required to use hand movements to direct spells. Will, mana, and imagination are the key factors in spellcasting under this new age. Mages are no longer required to speak spells from grimoires as before, but they can instead be used as preferred focuses to increase the potency of their spells, or choose another type of focus to control with either their hands, or their mind."

The more Materia spoke to her followers, the more excited she became thinking of all the possibilities of new spells. She smiled to herself and continued to address her flock. "My followers, Sil'Ithea will soon finish her work. You will feel when she is done. I want you to go into the world and create all manner of magic. Learn from each other. Take from each other. Improve upon each other. The possibilities are truly limitless. I will be watching."

With that, Materia stopped speaking with her followers. All around Enderûn, they stopped hearing her words, and soon after, they completely felt the nature of the magick they knew change within themselves. The knowledge they held, once useful for all their spells, now near meaningless. Many of the once less fortunate who were given the gift of magick after hearing Materia's words were given hope that they could finally make use of the power they felt inside them that they could not use before due to their circumstances, it would only take time, effort, willpower and imagination. And that was what Sil'Ithea hoped for.

A few moments passed before Sil'Ithea spoke. "And with that… a new age has begun."

"Indeed it has. I feel it in the very mana around us, and the very fibers of the realm. I trust you can as well?" Materia asked her daughter and received a nod in return, "This will be an unprecedented age, Sil'Ithea. I trust you'll teach your own sect of followers well."

"I will. You may need to speak with certain people so they may help others along as well for guidance."

"That is a good idea. It will certainly take time for everyone to adjust. The both of us included."

Sil'Ithea took a long, deep breath and looked back to the orb of mana she had altered. She could tell that it had changed deeply with what she had done as well, even if it did not outwardly show it. "We will all get through it. I will look forward to the next millennia, or even decade with this new age."

Materia's eyes once more brightened enthusiastically. "I will certainly look forward to that. Now, I think it is time for you to return to your temple and your followers. There is nothing more to do here."

The goddess floated forward and enveloped Sil'Ithea's entire body within her ethereal form. Not even a moment had passed before she had removed herself from her daughter, reforming her misty limbs once more, and they were both on the edge of Materia Lake at midnight, on the outside of Sil'Ithea's sanctum. They both stood in front of all of the demigoddess' followers who had come to wait for her return, or news of her demise. When they felt the flow of magick begin to change at first but suddenly stop, they feared the worst and flocked to the edge of the lake to await Sil'Ithea or news of her death. To see her return to them brought them great relief after they felt her work finally finished, but seeing Materia with her was more than a bit surprising to say the least.

Materia looked over the collective of monks for a moment, her head cocked to the side a bit curiously before she turned her attention back to Sil'Ithea. "Quite the interesting group of followers you have. Be sure to teach them the ways of this new age."

Sil'Ithea nodded. "Of course. I have faith they and every user of magick will adapt and become even greater than they were before."

"Good. I will be sure to speak with certain mages across the realm and guide them, and instruct them to guide others if they need it. They will have been some of the most skilled mages and sorcerers in the realm in the previous age. I feel they would be the best for this task. I will be watching, daughter. But for now, it's time for me to take my leave."

"Farewell, mother."

With that, Materia summoned a portal to her realm and disappeared through it, and it sealed behind her leaving Sil'Ithea to return to her followers. Balfaren was the first to greet her, quickly giving her back her robes that she had handed him to take care of before. "Thank you, Balfaren."

"Mother, we were quite worried what had become of you…" Balfaren said after a few moments, his hands clasped in front of his stomach, "What did Materia do?"

"She very nearly erased me from existence," Sil'Ithea replied, shaking her head a bit before she let out a chuckle, "I should have expected I wouldn't have been able to bring this new age about without her noticing immediately. I explained my reasoning behind wishing to change the flow of magick, the injustice brought to those with disabilities who have the gift of it, and she decided to join me in my vision as you all heard. I believe most of that came from her curiosity."

"We are relieved to see you returned safely. How will our training be affected?"

"We may discuss that tomorrow and begin everyone's training within the next few days. I have everything planned in my mind. Explaining it and helping you all put it into practice will be difficult, but well worth it."

Balfaren nodded his head in response. "I understand."

"Now, everyone go rest!" Sil'Ithea spoke to the rest of her followers, "The following days will be crucial in shaping this new age, not only for you, but to give Materia the information she needs to guide the mages she will speak to along their way to help others across Enderûn as well. Rest well, because the coming days will be hard."

Her followers all bowed to her and took their leave of the area, and Sil'Ithea returned to the edge of the lake. It was such an eventful day. She pushed through all the anxiety of standing against her mother and changed the flow of all magick forever, dove into Materia Lake and was the first person in the history of the world to discover the source of all magick. Demigoddess or no, it was an impressive feat, and one she would keep to herself. Even being a demigoddess, she was tired from the ordeal, especially her work with the crystal of pure, solidified mana. And she was sure her work in training her followers in the coming days would be even more tiring.

But, it was something she very much looked forward to.

She looked up to the starry night, past the undulating beam of multicolored mana where she noticed seven shooting stars streak through the sky into the unknown. She couldn't help but let out a smile both at the sight, and thinking of all the wondrous possibilities that will come in this new age of magick. The possibilities brought by endless imagination, creativity, and will. She could already feel countless people experimenting with their abilities after Materia had spoken with them, and it made her smile even more. It was a very good sign that the actions she took were more than justified. The risk she took was massive, but she trusted even more now that it was worth it.

"Thank you, mother."

With that thought and those words, she moved away from the lake's edge and toward her inner sanctum, where she prepared for bed, and prepared for the next day to teach her followers how to use magic in this new age. It had been a very long time since she had taken a main instructor role, but she was looking forward to it.

Finally, she retired for the night, ready for the days to come in the new arcane age.

X x X x X

//Big note at the end of the story: This story was inspired by Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and the magic in that setting. I love Frieren so much from the setting to the characters and their journey, but this is about the magic. I love the magic in Frieren a ton in that it can range from being so mundane that there are spells to clean bronze, to massively destructive spells that can wipe out stretches of forest. And I love that it's all based around creativity of the mages too rather than necessary components.

The magic in Frieren is based on creativity and freedom, and I wanted to write this story to change Enderûn's magick system to be based on creativity and freedom also. Not to "copy" Frieren, but just because I just think it's more fun for me, and it makes me happy thinking of all the possibilities of any future story. This is the kind of magic system I love the most.

So if anyone read this far and read this end note, thank you for listening to me ramble a bit. Have a nice day/night, wherever you are. Stay hydrated, take care of yourselves out there.//

#fantasy world #fantasy #fantasy character #materia: goddess of the arcane #Sil'Ithea: protector of the arcane #inspired by frieren: beyond journey's end #the world of palara #original character

5 notes · View notes

the-realm-of-enderun · 2 years ago

Text

The Black Rose of Tyr

(Note: This story deals with topics of suicide, child death and, while not depicted/written, rape. While this does have the "Child Death" tag, it only occurs early in the story. Reader discretion is heavily advised.)

Additional note: I have made edits and minor additions to this story for anyone that may read it.

The Black Rose of Tyr Pt. I

The Black Rose of Tyr Pt. II

The Black Rose of Tyr Pt. III

The Black Rose of Tyr Pt. IV

The Black Rose of Tyr Pt. V

The Black Rose of Tyr Pt. VI

The Black Rose of Tyr Pt. VII

The Black Rose of Tyr: Epilogue

And here is an alternate link to the story on my new Ao3 account (Note: The versions on Ao3 will not be edited and updated like the Tumblr versions unless I feel like doing so in the future.)

#fantasy world #the world of palara #fantasy #fantasy character #sarai rose #original character #inspired by dungeons & dragons #inspired by dark souls #recovery #revenge #angst #death #hurt & comfort #dark fantasy #child death #inspired by berserk #lore of palara #the realm of enderûn #lore of enderûn

4 notes · View notes

the-realm-of-enderun · 2 years ago

Text

Sarai Rose

Appearance

Art by ME!!!

- Female human

- Long raven-black hair drawn in a braid in the back, with hair extending down the sides of her face and covering the left side of her forehead

- Deep crimson eyes

- Six feet and four inches tall

- She has a buff and rather bulky frame

- 32H (Imperial)/ 70H (Metric)-cup breasts, mostly bound in sarashi bandages

- She has many different scars ranging from dark, to pale, to pink and red across her body from both normal means and attacks from magical weapons and beasts striking her throughout the years, and many scars from whip strikes across her back and one on her jaw

- Her left arm is replaced by a full black aegisteel prosthetic up to the shoulder

- Her right palm is branded horribly, roughly with the symbol of a rose

Outfits

Casual:

Combat:

Bio

- Thirty four years old

- She is a warrior of renown, despite her age

- Known as "The Black Rose of Tyr" or "The Black Iron Rose"

- Follower of Tyriel, Valienca, and Solaris, and has a burning, painful hatred toward Barathrum and especially Skrios

- Sainted as an Archangel of Tyriel, one of the God of Justice's acolytes due to her unwavering dedication to facing evil and chaos

-Honorary member of the adventuring guild known as Dawnfire

-A master at battling with all her weapons, most notably her massive zweihander flamberge

-Primarily a loner due to past trauma, but has since done her best to try to let others into her life once more

-She is still trying to come to terms with the trauma of everything that has happened in her past.

-She will rarely speak unless spoken to.

-She isn't the best at taking care of her gear on her own. when her depression strikes her, but always has help in Dawnfire.

- She has zero tolerance for worship of Skrios, and will more than likely kill any worshippers of the mad goddess she discovers

- Has drifted from kingdom to kingdom throughout her life, originally from the deserts of Sabaal on the continent of Sevlrass

- At age thirteen, her life was thrown into shambles as everything and everyone she knew were destroyed and killed, leaving her with memories of maniacal laughter from the ones who destroyed her life

- Quickly had to learn to fight for her own survival, and she learned how to kill

- Joined with a group of mercenaries named the Shatterblades when she was thirteen and trained under their leader, and grew to high ranks within them by the time she was nineteen

- After a series of harsh battles against the bandits who destroyed her home, she was left broken amongst the corpses of her entire guild after they were all mercilessly killed by the bandits, who had turned out to be cultists of Skrios

- After recovering, she journeyed away from Sabaal, across the seas to the town of Warshire in Vunalis

- From there she trained herself nearly to death week after week and month after month in the deadly Icewind Pass, not listening to anyone that told her to stay away. Her body was forged into what it is now, and she grew intensely strong

-Sarai joined in the battle against Barathruum's corrupted drow and abyssal creatures deep below the Iron Mountains of Vunalis years later in life after the Shatterblades were killed by cultists of Skrios. She traveled deeper into the Abyss but was beaten down, lost her arm, and was taken prisoner by the drow, but not before using the last of her strength with the aid of a sorcerer's spell to protect her allies and cover their escape. She suffered in slavery for five years before she could aid in an uprising and recuperate her body and gain what would be her prosthetic armored arm.

-She eventually killed the bandits who destroyed her life and killed the leader of them with a single, decisive strike of her blade.

-Moved away from the cold of Vunalis and to Aerilon, where she eventually decided to join Dawnfire as an honorary member

-Helps train Aerilon's guard from time to time

-Also aids the Church of Tyriel at times in hunting down groups of Skrios worshippers

- Still doing her best to come to terms with her past and her role within Aerilon

- She will protect her allies until her last dying breath if necessary

- Masterful with battling with any of her weapons, most notably her great zweihander or bastard sword

- She rarely speaks, only when absolutely necessary or when spoken to

- Always on alert for attack, which has caused multiple issues in her time in Aerilon

Weapons

Disclaimer: This art of her bastard sword is the updated design, and I didn't update it in Sarai's character art because it would have been too much to do.

Bastard Sword: Sarai's first weapon crafted for her while she was with the Shatterblades. An adamantine sword with a four and a quarter foot long blade and seven inch long hilt, and a simple curved crossguard and pommel. The hilt is wrapped in white cloth. Sarai easily uses this sword in one hand.

Zweihander Flamberge: A massive, black aegisteel zweihander bearing no name. The huge weapon overall is around seven feet long with a fifteen inch long hilt, an 8 inch long ricasso, and a thick, six foot long and seven inch thick, undulating blade. This weapon was crafted to rend and crush. It is black with silvered edges, a straight crossguard, and a heavy ball pommel. Truthfully, she rarely uses this weapon, but she can wield it rather easily in both hands, and can even wield it in one hand if necessary. This weapon is enchanted to stick to her back when put away. Inherited by Sarai from her mentor and adoptive father.

Shortsword: Small, durable adamantine sword kept on her right thigh, mostly used as a last resort. It has a twenty inch long blade and six inch long hilt. Inherited by Sarai from her adoptive brother.

Dawn's Lightning: A heavy siege arbalest with quadruple limbs, a thick and sturdy chord, a sturdy aeigisteel-reinforced, cedar ironwood frame, and a mithril bayonet. While Sarai doesn't keep this weapon with her, it is enchanted to summon to her hands when she wills it. It is strung with a thick quadruple Fulgur Chord that swaths twenty-inch-long bolts in holy sunlightning when they are fired at the cost of the bolts themselves.

Abilities

Great Strength: Extremely powerful, especially for a human. Her size and strength were granted through both extensive, near-death training and as a boon of Tyriel due to her dedication to beating back evil.

Archangel Form: Sarai grows four great, black wings from her back, giving her the ability of flight. Her eyes also glow a red aura, and the magic connecting her prosthetic arm to her body glows a brilliant white color instead of red.

Charm Immunity: Due to her trauma and the cold it left in her heart and soul for years, Sarai is immune to magic that would charm her.

Here is a MEGA file with all her art in case you couldn't read all the words on the images here.

You should be able to see it all without a key!

#sarai rose #fantasy world #the world of palara #fantasy #fantasy character #original character #the realm of enderûn

2 notes · View notes

the-realm-of-enderun · 2 years ago

Text

The Black Rose of Tyr: Epilogue

Word count (after editing): Around 3,600

X x X x X x X

At thirty years old, Sarai began to pay off her debt to the captain of The Blizzard's Howl, and made a name for herself among their crew for the next three years as a powerful, trustworthy ally against their enemies. As privateers they were commissioned to hunt down targets of the kingdom of Ashantil, and Sarai helped a great deal in doing just that. When they were pirates sailing the seas, she waited until the sails were torn with chainshot and the enemy crew were displaced before she flew the distance between the ships to disrupt the enemy crew herself while The Blizzard's Howl closed the distance and her allies joined the fray, and sometimes Sarai didn't even need them to board with her.

She was a great boon to Captain Miyuki and Edward Cinders' crew, one that the two were reluctant to let go of as they attempted to bargain with time and time again to become a permanent addition to. Sarai turned them down at every attempt though. It wasn't a life she wanted to live. Not anymore. It didn't stop them from trying, much to Sarai's annoyance, but she never lashed out against them for asking. Over time, the bounties the crew took for the Kingdom of Ashantil spread word of their deeds, with word of The Black Iron Rose - or The Black Rose of Tyr - being a powerful Archangel hunting down bandits and pirates thanks to eyewitness reports and the stories of a certain mystic, and gossip spread from there. It was a name given to her by many due to the color of her wings, her hair, and the color and material of her prosthetic arm.

The three years passed in what seemed like a blur, a far cry from what Sarai was used to over the past decade of hell she had gone through. She was used to the hours and days slowly grinding by, but after Sarai put down the cultists who destroyed her home and killed her family and comrades, it seemed that time had begun to be kind to her and pass by at a steady, pleasant pace. She had hoped that after she killed the cultist leader would help her get over the nightmares that plagued her, but sadly she did not have such luck. The nightmares still haunted her and kept her awake more often than not, and left her tired throughout the following days after. She also still felt recurring pain in her midsection from the old, self inflicted wound from so long ago. With more time to relax, the more it seemed that pain began to make itself more apparent, and began to be another reminder.

Over the course of the three years, through bouts of nightmare and pain-induced grogginess, the captain and first mate asking her to join their crew almost began to seem endearing but still, Sarai refused them and had eventually, finally told them of her desire to not travel so much anymore as the privateers have, and as she used to. And so when the kitsune finally told her that her debt had been repaid in full and had been given the choice of where she wanted to go to be dropped off, Sarai nearly chose to have Miyuki take her back to Warshire, or even Chillport, but she stopped herself and hesitated. She then told Miyuki to take her to Aerilon, the city of the kingdom of Artristan on the continent of Irios.

The home of Dawnfire .

If she didn't know what exactly to do with her life anymore after paying her debt off to the privateers, then she would at least be able to speak with Niko more after finding Hope's Bastion Keep. It only took a few days to travel from Ashantil to Aerilon thanks to the magick galleon they helmed. Sarai was not paid much for her services aboard The Blizzard's Howl due to her debt, but she was paid enough to get by for a little while at the very least in order to find her way. She gave her short farewells to the crew she had grown to know in the past three years, despite her best efforts in trying not to become attached to them. The tanuki ferakin assassin had been quite insistent on invading her personal space and getting to know her for the most part, even if Sarai didn't tell them of what the cultists had done to her, and why she was so insistent on why she had to seek the crew's aid in traveling to Black Smoke Fortress.

They weren't family, but they had grown to be comrades, ones that Sarai did not mind being around.

After departing Miyuki's crew, she journeyed into Aerilon for a bit until she found the inn, and she asked where Hope's Bastion Keep was located. Directions to the keep were very easy to gain with how ingrained Dawnfire were in the city even after the guild's apparent move away with their keep, and so her destination was set for the crossroads along the forest edge to the east of the city. With the rest of the day's time she traveled the road toward the keep, and she arrived to the sight of a rather sizable inn called the "Adventurer's Rest Tavern", dark ironstone walls, and the keep beyond.

"Hello again, friend!" The familiar voice of the lunar Seraphim barbarian sounding inside Sarai's mind made her recoil a bit, "I knew I sensed a familiar presence!"

Sarai shook her head a bit at the strange sensations, and before she knew it she saw Luna walking out of the inn. "I'm glad to see you well! Niko will be happy to see you!"

She looked toward the keep and Sarai attempted to reply to her, but Luna didn't hear as she was sending a mental message to the scout. Sarai was left standing alone when Luna ran into the keep, and she didn't know what to do besides wait for someone to return, and so she did. Luna returned with Niko within ten minutes, and for the first time in over a decade, Sarai was hugged when Niko wrapped his arms around her. She froze in place at first, extremely unused to the feeling of physical affection like that, but after several moments her body slowly began to relax and she dropped her gear, she dropped her guard, and she returned the gesture.

It didn't take long after that for tears to begin to flow from her eyes, tears of emotion that she had once thought would never come again. They flowed freely, and she did nothing to try to stop them. The old comrades cried into each other for the next several long moments as Luna left them alone. It was then that Sarai finally realized that she didn't lose everyone when the Shatterblades were broken. She had left Niko. She left him alone in Khor Izkirah to suffer with his pain, his trauma, his grief, and his recovery alone. She left him to fend for himself when he was most vulnerable, and she had finally realized it years later.

"Niko, I…" Sarai choked, "I-I am sorry for abandoning you in Sevlrass… We had no one but each other, but I left you alone and I-"

"Sarai…" Niko cut her off gently, "I have had years to try to process everything I felt about how you left, years to think of what I would do, years to let go of the hate I held in my mind for you for leaving. But I understand you had to leave that place as soon as you could. In my heart I never hated you, even if my mind for a time very stupidly thought otherwise."

Sarai could think of no words to say to him. She wanted to tell him that he should hate her for abandoning him, but she knew deep down that it wasn't right. She hugged him tighter to her body and willed those thoughts away, and slowly began to feel a sense of relief washing over her. She would always feel guilt for leaving the man behind who had draped his cloak over her shoulders when she was a shivering, terrified child after her village was destroyed. But to hear that he did not hate her for it had taken a weight from her mind that she didn't realize she had until then.

Sarai slowly took her arms from around Nibaan, and he did as well. "I see your debt to Miyuki's crew is repaid?" Niko asked.

Sarai nodded her head. "It is. Now I… I don't know what to do."

"You are more than welcome to join Dawnfire if you wish. If you are still unsure then the captain of the guard in Aerilon may be looking for a new replacement aid in general to give herself an easier time. You have options and you have time now, Sarai. You don't have to rush any decision."

She thought to herself for a few moments before she held her hand over her stomach. "Before I make any decision, does Dawnfire have skilled healers? I…" She looked down towards herself, "It's time this is finally healed. The pain has been growing worse in the last year since everything has been calming down, and I hope it isn't too far gone."

"Aurora and Zennia both are immensely skilled healers, Aurora with her talent at birth and with her Lifebringer magicks and Zennia with years of training as a cleric to aid others. Both of them together will be able to heal you, you can be sure of it. They are both here, I can take you to Aurora."

Sarai let out a short exhale, nodding slowly. "Thank you, Niko."

Niko led his old comrade into Hope's Bastion Keep and to the office of Aurora Aramentay, the dark elf leader of Dawnfire . There, Sarai spoke with Aurora and discussed the process of healing the damage in her womb and the surrounding areas. Aurora readily agreed to help, and she sent Niko to find Zennia and bring her as well to help. It was there that Sarai met the halfling cleric of Dawnfire , and where the self-inflicted damage that had been done was finally healed. It had taken an hour with the age and extent of the injury, but the magicks the two women masterfully used soothed the pain for good.

She felt the pain finally fade away into relief. She would at the very least not have that keeping her up at night. Sarai had grown so used to the wounds that it felt so strange for them to be healed. They were normal for her for such a long, long time. But now they were healed, and it was a welcome strangeness that she would have to grow accustomed to. She could feel herself move a bit more freely as well which only made her feel much more relief. It felt like much more than relief. It felt heavenly.

After Sarai finished speaking with Aurora and properly thanking her for her work with her prosthetic, she was allowed free roam over the keep barring the private quarters of the guild, and was given a room at the Adventurer's Rest for the time being until she decided on what to do with her life from then on. Sarai decided to leave the keep with Niko and go to the room she was given at the inn and do her best to relax and speak with Niko, and try to come to a decision.

Niko didn't try to rush her when they spoke. He only assured her that the decision was hers and hers alone and that he would not fault her for not wishing to join with Dawnfire . She confided in him, told him that she truly did not know what to do with her life now that those responsible for what happened to her were dead. She didn't know whether or not she wanted to join Dawnfire or just stop and live in peace as best as she could despite being an Archangel of Tyriel, and despite the trauma that she carried deep within her. It was a terribly difficult decision for her to make.

Sarai stayed in the room she was given for a good week as she thought over what she would do. The silence in the room was often deafening but was aided by her friend, along with others such as Luna or even the half-storm giant warrior - Cronus Stormwind - visiting to speak with her. One day she was even visited by the wild elf warrior by the name Ohan Chua, who told her of his relationship with Dawnfire being that of an honorary member helping them every so often when he wishes or when he is needed. It was that option that Sarai's thoughts would gravitate towards, and so she spoke with Aurora to discuss it.

From that moment forward, she became an honorary member of Dawnfire , but chose to stay in the room she was given on the top floor of the inn. She would spend her days doing her best to move forward, and aid her new comrades in their quests when they called for her. After months passed and she settled into her new life, she also decided to offer her aid to the Church of Tyriel as well from time to time, assisting them in bringing justice to cultists of Skrios wherever they were. It was a much more difficult decision for her, but she did not want to let others suffer the same fate as she had. But, she would not be constantly moving across the continent or the world, and that made the decision much easier.

The months following her arrival in Dawnfire, Sarai grew to know the members of the guild. She was slow to trust them and open up to them for a good while, but with time and with the help of Niko, she began to see them all as friends. Even if the goblin cook - Stabby Shins - enjoyed invading her personal space at every chance she was presented. Over the course of a year, Sarai had aided Dawnfire with only a few quests but she was a tremendous help. And she had helped the Church of Tyriel a few times as well, each time unwittingly spreading the name of The Black Iron Rose further across Enderûn.

During the year that Sarai was with Dawnfire, the Monk named Agmoss had arrived at Hope's Bastion Keep. He wore a red gi with baggy golden pants and white bandages wrapped around his ankles and the soles of his feet, with his brown beard neatly groomed but still chest length, and he was in much better shape than he was four years ago when Sarai had last seen him in Khandaral. Seeing him well was a welcome sight to the warrior. Sarai introduced him to Niko, and after that Sarai and Luna caught up with him over what he had done over the past four years since they had seen him in Khandaral, and the two had told Agmoss of what they had done in that time as well. He himself decided to join Dawnfire and met the Monk of the Endless Paths in the guild named Zel Rhiku who had not yet followed the Path of the Sightless on her journey. The two were able to get along very well, and Zel told him of all the paths she had already followed.

For Sarai, with Niko by her side once more, Agmoss joining Dawnfire and joining her and Luna, she felt like she had family once more. Agmoss was the first person she had opened herself up to during their time as slaves in Daruma's own time of corruption. During Sarai's time of knowing Luna during enslavement and meeting once more in Dawnfire, the barbarian could tell Sarai had been through much more than she let on with her innate connections she could make with everyone's minds, even though she never pried into her thoughts. She was kind and caring, reminding the warrior of those motherly women of the Shatterblades, and eventually Sarai just… opened up to Luna about her past as well.

One by one, little by little, she dropped her guard around the members of Dawnfire. She stayed in her room less, and she spent more time around her new guildmates and got to know them all with the help of Niko. Sarai slowly felt herself grow closer to them all and think of them as her friends. The barriers she put up around herself came crumbling down and while she still didn't speak much, she finally felt more comfortable with speaking more when she did. She found comfort in being able to finally let her guard down around them all.

For the first time in so, so long, despite her mind telling her not to, she felt in her heart that those in Dawnfire could truly be another family.

__________________________

Sarai returned from the private, relaxing bath she took, shut and locked the door, and laid her weapons against the wall next to her bed. She took all her armor laid out on the floor and put it on the rack nearby, and she sat on the bed, covered in bright light from the full moon shining through the window. She looked down at her hands, one black aegisteel and leather and one covered in grey bandages hiding the brand from the rose engraved in the hilt of her father's sword that hung right next to her bed now. She unwound the magically-dried bandages from around her right hand to reveal the burn, and felt a twinge in her heart as she remembered the night that rose was burned into her palm. The night her life was changed forever. It was a night she still remembered clearly, despite how much she wanted to forget.

The last year since joining Dawnfire as an honorary member had been a blessing for her mental health. Before, she would have never taken those bandages off her hand unless they were literally deteriorating and needed to be replaced, but now she did so freely and looked at the damage, and accepted the sight and feeling of the dull, throbbing pain. She accepted that the black brand could never be healed. She would keep the burns covered by bandages as they helped with the pain, but the sight of them no longer hurt her so much that it crippled her. As for the nightmares, she found that they had lessened somewhat since allowing herself to grow close to others once more and since she had reconnected with Niko. Some days were worse than others, some days were better, but overall she felt that things had improved mentally for her. It would still be a long, long road to recovery though.

Sarai took her gear once more and began the process of cleaning and maintaining it all, namely sharpening her shortsword and bastard sword after aiding the captain of Aerilon's guard in training her men. Once in a while, Sarai decided to aid in that as a bit of an extra job to keep herself occupied when she felt like she was able, and when she was free, and it gained her some extra gold as well. She finished up sharpening her bastard sword and began to clean her armor next. Her eyes began to linger on the new emblem emblazoned into the breastplate after aiding the Church of Tyriel. It was the symbol of their order, a golden sword with silver edges, a gold and silver pommel, and gold wings with silver feathers. It is a symbol of grace and power, portraying the high standard to uphold righteousness aloft to the sky in hopes, the wings cherubim as if portraying an angelic, almost divine strength.

After cleaning her armor, Sarai took her bastard sword and walked over to the window. Illuminated by the moonlight, she looked over to Hope's Bastion Keep to see the lights of the rooms flickering from behind the glass. She lifted her blade and pressed the flat of it to her forehead, closed her eyes, and she began to pray that those in Dawnfire would never face the fate that the people of Zavat and the Shatterblades had, and that she would not be truly left alone. It was always a constant, nagging intrusive thought that plagued her mind and scared her.

She ended her short prayer and gave one last look to the keep, the crossroad, and the moonlit forest outside before returning her blade to its sheath, and she prepared for sleep. Laying down in her bed, she made herself comfortable and closed her eyes. With the help she gave training Aerilon's guard tiring her and the hot, relaxing bath she took, she fell into a slumber soon after.

The Black Iron Rose had no nightmares that night.

X x X x X x X x X x X x X

//If you've read to the end and you're reading this, genuinely from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I've been struggling with writers block and burnout for so long, so finally finishing this story and posting it somewhere is so cathartic. I know I could write this better in places, but I hope it's still good. And I know this type of story isn't for everyone, and I absolutely understand that. But if you've read it until the end, I hope you found this story enjoyable. And if you're from Ao3 and randomly found it, just know this isn't the only thing from my fantasy setting that I have, and I hope I can get them posted here eventually.//

#fantasy world #the world of palara #fantasy #fantasy character #original character #sarai rose #inspired by dungeons & dragons #inspired by dark souls #inspired by berserk #recovery #revenge #angst #hurt & comfort #dark fantasy #child death #lore of enderûn #the realm of enderûn

2 notes · View notes

the-realm-of-enderun · 2 years ago

Text

The Black Rose of Tyr Pt. VII

Word count (After editing): Around 5,600

X x X x X x X

Aurora did not lie in the fact that she was skilled in dealing with souls, but the process of working with Sarai's soul and blending it into the armor that would become her left arm was time consuming. It took hours of weaving the essence of Sarai's soul throughout the black aegisteel armor, passing it through the armor and back into the body of her soul as the armor was set where her arm would be. Sarai felt her soul move in her entire body with everything Aurora did. It felt like her entire being shifted with each movement Aurora made with her soul's essence.

She bore the strange sensations the operation brought her for the entire time it took, and her patience was eventually rewarded. Her body felt sore all over from her soul's energy being manipulated like it had been for so long. Eventually, the procedure was finished and Sarai was free to move her new limb around for a bit. It felt slow and sluggish, but with time she would be able to move it around as fluidly as her real arm. That was the future, but for the moment she was exhausted and sore after the ending procedure and so she retired for the night to the quarters she was given in Khandaral. She did not participate in any celebrations.

Despite her wishes, her body needed much rest after the procedure. She took her time to visit the bathhouse and care for herself more properly than when she was a slave, and she was able to put her hair in its usual braid. She did not know how long it would take to rest, but it did at least give her time to move her new prosthetic arm around and grow accustomed to it. It was simple enough, but felt strange after five years of not having a left arm. A rose-red aura radiated from the openings in the armor's joints, most prevalent through the gaps on the sides of the inner elbow and the palm, and the joints of the fingers. The aura didn't give off a glow, much like her eyes of the same color didn't. She could see currents of her soul's essence weaving with magic throughout the aura under the leather and armor like veins. It was almost mesmerizing to stare at.

It took a full two weeks for her body to rest and her soul's essence to fully settle back into place into her body, and for her prosthetic to attune a bit more to match the size of the opposite arm, and the shoulder it was attached to. During that week, a messenger from Daruma had arrived for her with an item, and that item turned out to be her cloak that was taken from her when she was taken by the drow. It was a kind gesture of the drow to do, to do right by those they had unwillingly wronged. With what Sarai was paid for aiding Khandaral, she was sure to pay the messenger for his time in getting her cloak to her, and gave him extra for a good meal.

Once she felt she was ready to leave, she packed her things once more, but before she left she wished to do one final thing in Khandaral. She sought out Agmoss and found him standing outside the gates of the dwarven city, basking in the sunlight. She walked up next to him and for several minutes, she joined him in standing in the sun. After five years underground, and seven years for Agmoss, it was welcoming to just feel the warmth of the sun once more.

"It is good to feel this once more." Agmoss spoke after a bit.

"It is."

"Is your prosthetic arm treating you well?"

"So far, yes. I need to train with it and my weapons again as soon as I can to truly tell."

Agmoss gave a thoughtful hum. "Ah, I understand. Where will you go?"

"I plan to travel with the crew of The Blizzard's Howl to Warshire for the time being, train as I have before I came to Khandaral, visit the Temple of Might and Justice. Yourself?"

"I wish to travel back to the Monastery of the Sightless in Mystralia for a time and reconnect with my brothers and sisters. After that, perhaps travel to Aerilon, join Dawnfire , and help prevent things like this from happening to others."

"That sounds like a good thing to do. Good luck, Agmoss. And thank you for helping me stay strong in the last five years. If not for you, I don't want to think on what would have happened to me."

Agmoss laid his hand on her shoulder and squeezed softly. "You are welcome, Sarai. You can stay strong still. Good luck to you as well in the rest of your journey for justice."

Sarai felt herself smile a bit before she left Agmoss and she set out with the departing crew of The Blizzard's Howl. She wouldn't stay long, and didn't grow acquainted with the crew at all except for the captain, a buxom arctic kitsune woman with six large tails by the name of Miyuki and her hellhound first mate named Edward Cinders, a huge half-fire giant, half-fire elementa werewolf man. She would only be with them until she could be dropped off at Warshire.

Where travel by land took just under one month to complete, travel by air was less than two days. A rope ladder had been thrown overboard and Sarai departed The Blizzard's Howl and once again set foot past Warshire's gates. Nothing had changed that she could tell, but that did not mean the shops would not have anything new for sale that could aid her. After putting her father's shortsword in her new bag of holding, she decided to go to the weapon shop to see any available weaponry that could be used. She bought essential weapon care items first such as oil, sharpening stones, and cloth while she was at it as well, as well as elemental whetstones.

It was there she spotted what would become her ranged weapon, a heavy siege arbalest named Dawn's Lightning with two crossed, stout bows and a thick quadruple Fulgur Chord. She didn't have the hefty one thousand gold for the mighty bolt slinger, but she spent a few weeks returning to what she had done before she left to aid Khandaral, slaying dangerous beasts in the frigid Icewind Pass, hauling their carcasses back to town with the help of someone with a wagon and draft horse to sell to those who can use them, and remembering to thank Unelanv. She was able to earn the gold she needed to buy the arbalest from the weapon shop, with enough left over for a few nights stay at the inn.

The arbalest was crafted in service of the Goddess of Sun and Light, and clearly made for a larger person's hands such as an orc or half-giant. The mechanisms on the inside along with the charging handles on either side helped with pulling the four chords back without the need for a mechanical crank making things slow. With her strength and with some effort still, she was able to pull the chord back to the firing position, and with the weapon's Fulgur Chords, fire twenty-inch-long bolts swathed in holy sunlightning at her targets at the cost of the bolts themselves.

After weeks of training once more to get back into the swing of fighting with each of her weapons aided by the work she did for gold, as well as training her accuracy with the arbalest, she was ready to move on and track down the cultists that had destroyed her life. She took a few days rest afterward to spend more time at the Cathedral of Might and Justice and pray to her gods on their sacred ground. For ten years, she had never forgotten what the cultists had done to her, and she felt she was ready to face them. With one of their captains dead, she was filled with determination to see justice done. With the wind from the Icewind Pass at her back, she left Warshire and began to walk the long road toward Chillport. However, a strange but welcome twist of fate brought her to the steps of a large vardo wagon adorned with numerous windchimes, with a massive Frostbourne Shire horse at the front. The wagon seemed to radiate a comfortable warmth around the area.

But it was clear it was no ordinary traveling home. The door was open and Sarai had looked inside to see an entire storefront, clearly a small pocket dimension. It was there that Sarai met the traveling mystic and merchant known as Miriam Kostana along with her black forest cat companion. After looking around the store, Miriam had off-handedly mentioned that it seemed very cumbersome to carry so many weapons. Sarai admitted that it was true, and Miriam offered her services as an enchanter to alleviate that issue.

And so, Sarai took her up on her offer, and she was able to quickly and easily enchant Dawn's Lightning to have the enchantment of materializing into her grip even after being stored in another location. It was a much welcome enchantment to the already powerful weapon, one that Sarai was more than willing to pay nearly all of her remaining gold for. But she received a sizable discount for helping her with a story she had been writing. Strange, but Sarai would not complain.

Before Sarai left, Miriam had stopped her and offered her services as a mystic as well. In curiosity, Sarai agreed, and Miriam's ring floated off her finger and opened, numerous rings swirling around one another as she used her mystic sight. Sarai waited for several moments while Miriam focused, her eyes turning dark purple and becoming speckled with stars.

"Your journey is not over. There is a siege taking place at a stronghold in Sevlrass, in the great Sabaal Desert and at a fort nestled in the location named Black Smoke Gorge. Cultists of Skrios control the fort and defend it against forces from the church of Tyriel and the mercenaries of Dawnfire , who have been quite busy recently haven't they?"

"The cultists, who are they?" Sarai asked briskly.

"They are the very same who have turned your life into a living hell. If we hurry, you may be able to catch The Blizzard's Howl before leaving Chillport."

"Are you offering to take me?" Sarai grew skeptical of the mystic, "What would I owe you?"

The mystic only smiled. "Why, the only payment I require is material for my stories of course~"

____________________________

Sarai sailed across the ocean aboard The Blizzard's Howl. With wind at the ship's back and magick in the spiritweave sails propelling them, the crew and Sarai made very good time on the journey toward Sevlrass. The war galleon crashed through the waves across the edge of the Sea of Storms, straying far enough away that the heavy winds and choppy waters did not impede them in their journey. The warrior had taken the time during the travel to help a bit with what needed to be done around the ship while she was with them, as her passage was free of charge, but was at a catch.

It took ten less days than what a normal ship would to reach Sevlrass. The cry of "Land ho!" from the barrelman in the crow's nest prompted Miyuki to take position at the helm of the galleon, and she began to activate the ship's levitation crystals through the gemstone conduit. The ship vibrated underneath everyone's feet before it began to slowly rise from the surface of the sea, water cascading and shimmering down the walnut ironwood hull. The Blizzard's Howl kept the same speed at fifteen knots as she rose higher and higher into the air at a steady incline, and was soon close to two hundred feet above the surface of the sea.

In the crew quarters, Sarai had sat in silence and anticipation of the coming battle. She took moments to meditate and soon began to pray to Tyriel, holding the flat of her zweihander's blade against her forehead. She prayed for his hand to guide hers in bringing justice for not only herself, but all those who had suffered at the hands of these cultists. She prayed that this would be the day that she would bring justice for her family, her village, and her former guild that had all been mercilessly victimized. She swore to her God that she would drive her blade through the evil heart of the leader of these cultists.

She lost herself in her prayer so much that she did not pay attention to the voyage after the ship began to take flight, and she was roused from her prayers and meditations by the sounds of the heavy cannon fire from the double drakebores lining the starboard side of the ship. She then heard the yells of the ship's crew and the orders from the hellhound first mate being yelled out. Sarai rose to her feet and equipped most of her weapons, and she walked out onto the deck of the ship to survey the battle.

Dark clouds blocked out the sun as war raged on below in front of Black Smoke Fortress. The air was cooled thanks to the cloud cover, but the humidity was still high. Before Sarai arrived with the crew of The Blizzard's Howl, the forces of the Church of Tyriel and Dawnfire were stuck assaulting the main gates, despite their best efforts it seemed. It was a strong fortress with heavy defenses, including the natural mountain formations around the fortress making the front walls only needing to be manned and defended for the most part. The broadside attack from The Blizzard's Howl had struck across the southern side of the mountain and caused a landslide of boulders and smaller rocks to tumble down onto the men and buildings below.

Sarai felt her blood boil as she gripped the rail of the ship, her gaze looking down at the fortress. Her lips formed a deeper frown and her eyebrows furrowed. She glared straight toward the keep at the northeastern side of the fortress before her eyes turned downward toward the fighting taking place away from the gate. Over a decade since these cultists destroyed her village, she was above them, ready to bring the fight to them. She would not waver. She would wipe these cultists from the face of this existence and send them to the great Judge of Tyriel.

It was then that she became known as the Black Rose of Tyr.

As she stared down onto the battlefield, she began to go into a trance. She continued to stare at the battle down below as the sailors around her swallowed potions handed out by the alchemists and yet another broadside barrage fired off from the cannons of The Blizzard's Howl and rained down on the front wall of the fort.

Sarai did not see what happened next as her trance turned into a vision. The world around her faded and turned into a room of gilded gold and marble pillars, black marble floors, and white pearl window frames. This was the Sanctum of Judgement, where those slain by the church of Tyriel were sent to face judgement for their lives. If deemed worthy, they would be sent to Suvlenoyus to be reincarnated into their next life. If unworthy and beyond redemption, they would be cast into the Hells, where their souls would have no chance at ever being reincarnated and continuing the work of evil, and they would suffer for their deeds.

And Sarai was standing in the middle of the Judge's Sanctum, sure to be judged for all she had done in her life up until that point. A towering figure stood before her adorned in gold and silver armor, wearing a white hood that shrouded their face in darkness aside from their glowing golden eyes, and on their back were four great wings of white. In their hands pointed downward with the tip resting on the floor between their feet. The contrast between their armor and Sarai's was very stark. Their eyes stared into Sarai's for several long moments before any actions were taken.

The figure raised their blade into the air and pointed it straight at Sarai. Sarai stood her ground, staring into the figure's glowing golden eyes and receiving a stare in return. The standoff lasted for several long moments before the blade glowed silver and soon Sarai was enveloped in a silver light as well. She began to feel power coursing through her body and great black raven wings soon sprouted from her back, four magnificent appendages that sprouted to just over double her height in length overall. Her eyes burned and glowed bright red and the dull red aura of her left arm changed to a blazing white aura, and her mind and body were filled with the knowledge of how to make use of her new wings.

"Bring them to justice, Sarai Rose."

The Judge's booming voice echoed throughout the chamber and through Sarai's very being. The figure then raised their sword high into the air and stabbed it into the ground, and the realm around Sarai faded into white. Shortly after, Sarai's vision of the material plane returned and she was returned to the sight of the battle down below The Blizzard's Howl . One more broadside barrage rang out from the double barrel cannons against the front wall of the fort, and the men on top of them were once more sent flying back from them, and the walls were barely left standing. Sarai glanced around at the crew of the ship and noticed they were preparing to jump after each fighting member drinking Potions of Impact Survival.

"Pretty wings."

Sarai turned and looked at the purple-featured tanuki ferakin perched on the ship railing next to her who spoke in a feminine, light Edeonian accent. She knew of this to be the ship's second mate, an assassin by the name of Fable whose gender was ambiguous, and their wit was sharp. They grinned at Sarai with a mischievous glint in their eye, looking her up and down as if sizing up her new form bestowed to her by Tyriel's Judge. Unfazed by Fable's stare, Sarai only just gave a bemused stare back at them.

Fable shook their head and stood up on the rail, letting out a short laugh and a shrug. "Eh bien, vous n'êtes pas drôle, n'est-ce pas ?"

They gave a salute before downing a potion like the others, and they along with the fighting force of the crew leapt from the sides of The Blizzard's Howl towards the earth below. Sarai stepped onto the railing and without a moment of hesitation followed suit, leaping into the air and diving toward the fight. Her four wings spread out fully behind her and as if she had grown up her entire life with them, she began to fly. She didn't waste time with her newly gifted ability of flight. She only used her wings to carry her down to the ground where the battle raged and where the crew of The Blizzard's Howl were landing in the sand, the Potions of Impact Survival allowing them to survive the fall and land safely in practiced, precise poses that let them jump back to their feet and join the fray as quick as possible.

Sarai swooped across the ground and landed, breaking out into a sprint toward the cultists. She drew her zweihander and wielded it in both hands, holding the blade over her shoulder as she charged at them. The warriors of the Church of Tyriel were taken aback by the sight of the warrior quite literally flying ahead of them with Archangel wings sprouting from her back, but they quickly recovered their senses and charged ahead, following her lead as if she were their leader. Sarai let her wings dissipate and leave feathers behind her as the white aura dimmed back to red, but the sight of the blazing white aura from her eyes and arm and four raven wings was burned into the minds of the cultists and caused them to hesitate.

That was all it took for the tides to turn in the favor of the Church and Dawnfire in front of the destroyed gate. Following the shock the cultists were left in, the attackers charged through and put them down. With the front gates of the fort destroyed, Sarai rushed past the cultists she faced, cleaving them down with her great zweihander as her allies followed behind her and took out those she didn't hit. She made it through the broken gates and was met with multiple arrows, bolts, and fireballs being sent her direction. Taking one arrow to her armored prosthetic arm, she ducked behind a wall and put her zweihander to the side, and she willed Dawn's Lightning to her hands from its place back on The Blizzard's Howl.

She took hold of the handle and pulled the thick, powerful chord back and nocked one of her large bolts. She then moved from behind the wall and took aim at one of the spellcasters that had fired upon her and she let the bolt fly. Wreathed in sunlight, the bolt streaked through the air toward the sorcerer and in the blink of an eye and a flash of golden lightning, the bolt pierced their chest and sent them tumbling backwards from their perch. Sarai ducked back behind cover and pulled the chord back, nocked another bolt, and re-emerged to fire at another enemy. The bolt of lightning flying through the air from Dawn's Lightning sent the cultist flying backwards and crashing down through a nearby rooftop.

Sarai ducked back behind the wall as the Church and Dawnfire made their way through the gates and began to assault the cultists inside the fort. Sarai threw her arbalest to the side and before it hit the ground, it dematerialized and returned to where it had been before. She then grabbed her zweihander and resumed her charge deeper into the fort, using her strength and the weight of the weapon to her advantage to bowl through her enemies in her search for the leader. She was an unstoppable force, cutting a path of justice through Skrios' followers and soldiering through any hits that managed to connect with her body.

Ignoring the cuts and the pain, she was like a warrior possessed. She almost single-handedly pushed through the forces of the fort as she made her way deeper. She didn't know where the leader was at, but she suspected that he would not stay hidden for long with her continued rampage. Word would surely make its way back to the leader. Behind her followed a few of Tyriel's warriors along with the half-giant warrior and the half-orc and human barbarians of Dawnfire. A wild elf warcry sounded somewhere behind the group, cutting through the sounds of battle before the roars of a tiger, dire panther, and dire wolf followed.

Sarai willed her wings to existence once more, her arm's aura turning silver, and she flew into the sky to survey the fort. Arrows and bolts whistled past her as she flew across the tops of the buildings, knocking unaware cultists from their perches and down to the grounds below. It didn't take long for Sarai to find the leader of these cultists. The large, muscled, short-haired and scarred orange dragonkin man was making his way from his command post toward the front lines, pushing his way through and trampling over his own men in the process.

One decisive strike.

Sarai recognized the man easily. The same man who led the massacre of her village, and the massacre of her comrades. Her vision burned with tears she long thought were dried. The trauma bubbling back to the surface of her mind threatened to take hold but she was so focused on the man she glared at. She began to streak through the sky towards him like a great arrow, holding her zweihander forward and pointing at him. Visions flashed through her mind of all those this man and his ilk had torn from her life; Her mother and father, all those she knew in Zavat, her brothers and sisters-in-arms in the Shatterblades , Zarrakas, Bron. Memories of her time with them all played in her mind and drove her to fly faster and faster, her great and powerful wings propelling her to extreme speeds, nearly like a meteorite.

The commander caught her in the corner of his eye and turned toward her but was too late to react. Her blade drove straight into his gut and she carried through, the force of her body crashing into his slamming him into the wall nearby. The force of his body and the tip of Sarai's blade slamming into the wall sent deep cracks all throughout the gray stone surface. The man's eyes went wide, threatening to pop from their sockets while blood pooled and leaked from his mouth. He glared into his assailant's face and she glared straight back into his, and even though it had been years, even though he had not been the one close to her that night to try to grab her, and even though she had grown, he knew who she was. The little girl that escaped.

Sarai gave him no chance to try to speak, and she spared no words for him. She pulled her shortsword from its sheath with her left hand and spun it around, and she plunged the blade through his heart, snuffing out the flames of chaos within it, and before he had the chance to use his breath attack on her. Before he finally perished, he let out a dark chuckle and began to laugh in her face, blood pouring from his mouth and down his chin and body. Through tear-filled eyes, Sarai snarled and twisted her blade, and ended the man's life, sending his wretched soul to the Judge.

One decisive strike was all it took to avenge her family, her friends, and her comrades.

Those cultists who witnessed the killing of their commander were stricken with fear, and were frozen in place. Sarai placed her boot against the wall and pulled her blades free, leaving the corpse to slump to the ground before she turned to the cultists. She gave them no chance to act before she began to put them down. Those who didn't run were dealt with handily, while those who did run only died tired. There was no pleasure in the killing, only grim duty to Tyriel in the name of justice.

After the commander was killed, word had spread and the morale of the cultists broke, and within the hour they had all been slain. The silence following the battle was deafening, the only sound for a good while being the wind whistling through the streets of the fort. Soon after the dust had settled on the battlefield, Sarai was approached by a man she easily recognized, despite the trimmed beard and long hair he now had.

"It's been some time, Sarai."

"Yes it has. It's… good to see you, Niko."

The scout smiled. "After a while, I never thought we would see each other again."

"I never thought I would come back to Sevlrass."

"I am glad you did. I'm glad we both did. Would you like to find a quiet spot and catch up?"

For the better part of the hours that followed the assault on Black Smoke Fortress, Sarai spoke with Niko and avoided speaking with the warriors of Tyriel, at least for the time being. It was with no malice that she ignored them. She only wished to speak and spend time with her old comrade for as long as possible. It was a rare, welcome comfort. She found that it was the most she had spoken in a very long time. She listened to him as he told her of his journey to recovery and his struggles with his trauma following the massacre of the Shatterblades , and what led to him joining with Dawnfire on the path towards a new purpose.

"I… would like that, yes."

______________________________

Sarai told him of her journey to the Frozen continent of Vunalis, and the harsh, isolated training she put herself through in the Icewind Pass. She told him of the fight for Khandaral that she had aided in, the loss of her arm, and the half decade of slavery she had endured in the corrupted abyssal city of Daruma. She told him of the strong ally she had made in the monk named Agmoss, and the protection they offered other slaves in their time as slaves. She told him of the seraphim woman named Luna who had arrived as a slave five years after Sarai had, and of the uprising they had enacted and the assault on the city that led to the freedom from Barathrum's control of the drow.

"I was there as well. I must have missed you during the chaos and the aftermath." Niko explained, looking into the contents of the mug he held.

"I only stayed in Khandaral for as long as it was needed for me to recover with this arm," Sarai replied with the fist of her prosthetic hand clenched tight, "These past ten or so years have been hell, Niko… Devoting myself to Tyriel and Valienca, throwing myself into training was all I could do to keep from killing myself. I needed to find those cultists and kill them, or see them killed."

"Training in the Icewind Pass was a death wish in itself."

"So I was told numerous times. It was how I got by. I'm glad you found your own way."

"What will you do now? Dawnfire has a place for you, if you wish to join. It isn't like the Shatterblades . They… We aren't nomadic."

Sarai was silent for several moments.

"I…"

Silence came once more for a longer period of time, before tears began to well in Sarai's eyes.

"I have lost everything twice, Niko. Twice . I can't lose everything again. I can't ." The fear, pain, and sadness in her voice and in her eyes were clear and both of them pained Niko.

But more than anything, the tone of her voice scared him.

"Sarai, I don't think you would have to worry about losing everything again," Niko began to explain, "This isn't to put down the abilities of the Shatterblades because they were some of the finest warriors I've ever fought with, but Dawnfire , the equipment and abilities they have are vastly different compared to them. We have a great keep of ironstone, a skilled barbarian wielding a celestial artifact, an immensely skilled alchemist, a seraphim barbarian, and a Lifebringer as our leader. Sarai, I won't force you to join us, but the offer is always there after all of this is settled."

Another long silence followed.

"Perhaps I can try one day… but I have obligations to honor," Sarai looked to the sky toward The Blizzard's Howl, still stationary above the fortress, "For their services, I offered my own for a period of time for their business where it was needed. Where that takes me, I do not know. There is also the Church of Tyr I will need to speak to soon."

"It seems like you have much more to do."

"It seems so."

"Do your best to keep looking forward, Sarai. Even past the nightmares that come. What we did today… I hope it helps us both."

"I do as well, Niko."

And so, Sarai parted ways with Niko, and had journeyed out of where they had hidden away in the fortress. It didn't take long for her to be approached by fellow followers of Tyr, who greeted her in surprise from her sudden appearance, wondering where she had been in the past few hours. She explained that she only wished to spend time with her old comrade without stress over what she knew the church would speak with her about due to the development of her new ability of flight.

It was then that she came to be an Archangel of Tyriel. There did not have to be a ceremony to coronate her, as the Judge had already done so in his court. Word would pass to the churches of Tyr all around Enderûn of Sarai's anointment as an Archangel. As an Archangel, she was expected to hunt down cultists of Skrios and destroy them, bringing justice to anyone that they harm. It was a cause that Sarai knew very personally of course. And while it was expected of her, the choice was ultimately her own to make. It was not justice to force her out of any life she would want to make for herself.

But she was burned from the life she had lived because of the mad goddess. The wounds in her mind and soul may never fully heal, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to continue journeying through the world after fulfilling her duty with The Blizzard's Howl, settle with Dawnfire and stick to accepting quests with them, join the Church of Tyr fully and hunt down cultists of Skrios across the world, or just… find some place to be and rest. The decision fully lay in her hands. Her mind was altered, and her soul was fractured. She did her best to move forward through the years, and it was not easy, but she would keep trying.

Only time would tell.

But for the time being, the crew of The Blizzard's Howl had finished looting the fortress for valuables and supplies they needed to keep traveling, and it was time for Sarai to set sail with them for the foreseeable future.

1 note · View note