Achaean News
A Royal Reception
Written by: Anonymous
Date: Tuesday, October 11th, 2022
Addressed to: Everyone
On the fifteenth day of Aeguary, 899 years after the fall of the Seleucarian Empire, Queen Titania and Lord Oberion stood hand-in-hand beside a cradle of their newborn babies. It was the day of their royal reception, and none would miss it. One by one, the invited representatives of Sapience's city-states funneled in to meet the dual-blooded children of Dryad and Sidhe: the fayad.
Just as the gift-giving was about to begin, a twilit gloam descended upon the Aerinewild and Fafnir, Lord of Dark Court manifested with a cold glare. The Fairy King scowled at the exiled fae as they exchanged vitriolic words, but despite his hatred he had vowed to not sully this day with violence, and so the Unsidhe remained.
First to bestow his present upon the children was the Great Mhunna of Moghedu. He pushed a lump of soft clay into Queen Titania's hands, and spoke on the values of moulding, shaping, and sculpting the soft earth to the whims of civilisation. Next, Lord Adryn set a gold coin upon the cradle, urging the infants within to gaze upon it and be inspired by the pursuit of wealth and opulence. Knowing the value of a good story, the Mayor of New Thera offered a blank tome, a sheaf of unwritten pages, so that the fayad may scribe their yet unwritten tale for all to read.
Uninvited to do so, Lord Fafnir quickly fluttered forward on his malformed wings, only to lay a spellbound silver necklace upon one of the innocent young, bestowing his gift of a racial tongue to the fae-born progeny. Not the language of Annwyn, nor that of their mother, but a unique dialect to serve their own interests and free them from the corrupting influence of the Sidhe.
On behalf of Eleusis, Aodfionn was next to present a gift, offering to Titania's children four ritual daggers, each bound to one of Nature's ever-changing seasons. Smiling, the Dryad Queen thanked the Village and turned to Perl to receive Cyrene's gift: a ship in a bottle, representing the rough waters any nation must go through, and the perseverance that comes from working together.
With stately grace, Imyrr moved before the nobility and their progeny to unveil a magnificent chest containing Ashtan's gift: the beauty of mutability and raw potential of humanity, manifested as a blackened seed kissed by Chaos. Hesitant at first, Lord Oberion did finally accept the gift, before moving on to the representatives of Targossas, Aranos and Elyra, who brought a blessing of Light in the form of an oil lamp, to blaze endlessly and eternal through the Dark.
Xemnas and Tilia stepped forward next, delivering a Hashani scientist's kit to the fayad with the hope that they will study, examine, and grow in the analytical pursuit of Progress. Lastly, the reigning Tyrannus of Mhaldor, Entaro Nithilar, strode forth and gave the innocent newborn his gift: a thorned rose-shaped rattle.
"Innocence is a construct for the vapid and powerless," spoke Entaro.
"My gift is a poignant lesson that everything that is beautiful in this world comes with the price of pain, hardship, and loss."
Only a moment later, a crying scream ripped through the chamber. Fyrosa, one of the fayad children had pricked his finger upon the rattle's razor-sharp thorns, and a droplet of his blood had spilled. Titania and Oberion roared in outrage and banished all from the royal chamber, but it was too late - Mhaldor's gift was a curse, and it had taken root in the blooming children-to-be.
The sky descended into dark crimson as fell magics swept through the Aerinewild, silencing the cries of the fayad and replacing them with the harrowing screams of the Dryad Queen. In malevolent mockery of a gift, Mhaldor had robbed the progeny of their youth and innocence, forcing them to maturity and damning the first generation to a life without a childhood.
Angered and outraged, King Oberion swore his vengeance on the fortress Baelgrim, but no matter the blood shed or havoc wreaked, none could return what the fog-touched City of Evil stole that day.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Summary: King Oberion and Queen Titania hosted a royal reception for their newborn children: the fayad. Several gifts were presented by the nations of Sapience, including the city of Mhaldor who bestowed a cursed rattle on the infants, robbing the first generation of their youth and innocence and forcing them to grow to adulthood.
Penned by My hand on the 1st of Sarapin, in the year 900 AF.
A Royal Reception
Written by: Anonymous
Date: Tuesday, October 11th, 2022
Addressed to: Everyone
On the fifteenth day of Aeguary, 899 years after the fall of the Seleucarian Empire, Queen Titania and Lord Oberion stood hand-in-hand beside a cradle of their newborn babies. It was the day of their royal reception, and none would miss it. One by one, the invited representatives of Sapience's city-states funneled in to meet the dual-blooded children of Dryad and Sidhe: the fayad.
Just as the gift-giving was about to begin, a twilit gloam descended upon the Aerinewild and Fafnir, Lord of Dark Court manifested with a cold glare. The Fairy King scowled at the exiled fae as they exchanged vitriolic words, but despite his hatred he had vowed to not sully this day with violence, and so the Unsidhe remained.
First to bestow his present upon the children was the Great Mhunna of Moghedu. He pushed a lump of soft clay into Queen Titania's hands, and spoke on the values of moulding, shaping, and sculpting the soft earth to the whims of civilisation. Next, Lord Adryn set a gold coin upon the cradle, urging the infants within to gaze upon it and be inspired by the pursuit of wealth and opulence. Knowing the value of a good story, the Mayor of New Thera offered a blank tome, a sheaf of unwritten pages, so that the fayad may scribe their yet unwritten tale for all to read.
Uninvited to do so, Lord Fafnir quickly fluttered forward on his malformed wings, only to lay a spellbound silver necklace upon one of the innocent young, bestowing his gift of a racial tongue to the fae-born progeny. Not the language of Annwyn, nor that of their mother, but a unique dialect to serve their own interests and free them from the corrupting influence of the Sidhe.
On behalf of Eleusis, Aodfionn was next to present a gift, offering to Titania's children four ritual daggers, each bound to one of Nature's ever-changing seasons. Smiling, the Dryad Queen thanked the Village and turned to Perl to receive Cyrene's gift: a ship in a bottle, representing the rough waters any nation must go through, and the perseverance that comes from working together.
With stately grace, Imyrr moved before the nobility and their progeny to unveil a magnificent chest containing Ashtan's gift: the beauty of mutability and raw potential of humanity, manifested as a blackened seed kissed by Chaos. Hesitant at first, Lord Oberion did finally accept the gift, before moving on to the representatives of Targossas, Aranos and Elyra, who brought a blessing of Light in the form of an oil lamp, to blaze endlessly and eternal through the Dark.
Xemnas and Tilia stepped forward next, delivering a Hashani scientist's kit to the fayad with the hope that they will study, examine, and grow in the analytical pursuit of Progress. Lastly, the reigning Tyrannus of Mhaldor, Entaro Nithilar, strode forth and gave the innocent newborn his gift: a thorned rose-shaped rattle.
"Innocence is a construct for the vapid and powerless," spoke Entaro.
"My gift is a poignant lesson that everything that is beautiful in this world comes with the price of pain, hardship, and loss."
Only a moment later, a crying scream ripped through the chamber. Fyrosa, one of the fayad children had pricked his finger upon the rattle's razor-sharp thorns, and a droplet of his blood had spilled. Titania and Oberion roared in outrage and banished all from the royal chamber, but it was too late - Mhaldor's gift was a curse, and it had taken root in the blooming children-to-be.
The sky descended into dark crimson as fell magics swept through the Aerinewild, silencing the cries of the fayad and replacing them with the harrowing screams of the Dryad Queen. In malevolent mockery of a gift, Mhaldor had robbed the progeny of their youth and innocence, forcing them to maturity and damning the first generation to a life without a childhood.
Angered and outraged, King Oberion swore his vengeance on the fortress Baelgrim, but no matter the blood shed or havoc wreaked, none could return what the fog-touched City of Evil stole that day.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Summary: King Oberion and Queen Titania hosted a royal reception for their newborn children: the fayad. Several gifts were presented by the nations of Sapience, including the city of Mhaldor who bestowed a cursed rattle on the infants, robbing the first generation of their youth and innocence and forcing them to grow to adulthood.
Penned by My hand on the 1st of Sarapin, in the year 900 AF.