The Deposed Queen
Despite all the boundaries to the contrary, love always finds a way to bring unlikely individuals to one another. But, this is both a blessing and a curse, as Winter Breath soon discovered.
Summary
A Tragedy of the Heart
Long ago, just after the catfolk took Tabaxi land to found their city of Ailorasil, the queen of the Tabaxi, Winter Breath became smitten with one catfolk; a man named Rukyr Lendris. One day, seeking to kindle a bond between herself and the catfolk, she left her people to visit him, only to find the town ablaze and her love-to-be wrecked and defeated upon the stonework.
The worst was yet to come, though, as she kneels mourning what could have been, her people back home plotted against her, setting up an ambush for her eventual return. The days roll by, the usurpers became increasingly anxious when she didn't return. After two weeks, a scouting party was sent out to find what, if anything had happened to her. Not a day into their journey, her body was discovered slumped against a tree, blood pooled around her. Setting aside their plans of assassinating her, they carried her body back home, where she was cleaned and set at the heart of one of their temples, where she would rest forevermore...
No Rest for the Broken
... But the mourning dead never remain at rest, and Winter's soul was undoubtedly wracked with mourning grief. While she remained still for centuries, her body eventually stopped rotting, and the Shortspear of Winter took to life seemingly out of the blue. Temple-goers became scarcer and scarcer as mysterious chills and unexplained attacks became increasingly commonplace.
Nobody, though, seems to notice that the body of the deposed queen moved from day to day. That her head slowly creaks to follow the few visitors' movements through the temple grounds.
Long ago, just after the catfolk took Tabaxi land to found their city of Ailorasil, the queen of the Tabaxi, Winter Breath became smitten with one catfolk; a man named Rukyr Lendris. One day, seeking to kindle a bond between herself and the catfolk, she left her people to visit him, only to find the town ablaze and her love-to-be wrecked and defeated upon the stonework.
The worst was yet to come, though, as she kneels mourning what could have been, her people back home plotted against her, setting up an ambush for her eventual return. The days roll by, the usurpers became increasingly anxious when she didn't return. After two weeks, a scouting party was sent out to find what, if anything had happened to her. Not a day into their journey, her body was discovered slumped against a tree, blood pooled around her. Setting aside their plans of assassinating her, they carried her body back home, where she was cleaned and set at the heart of one of their temples, where she would rest forevermore...
No Rest for the Broken
... But the mourning dead never remain at rest, and Winter's soul was undoubtedly wracked with mourning grief. While she remained still for centuries, her body eventually stopped rotting, and the Shortspear of Winter took to life seemingly out of the blue. Temple-goers became scarcer and scarcer as mysterious chills and unexplained attacks became increasingly commonplace.
Nobody, though, seems to notice that the body of the deposed queen moved from day to day. That her head slowly creaks to follow the few visitors' movements through the temple grounds.
Historical Basis
The tabaxi are notoriously terrible at keeping detailed accounts of historical events, but the Rasilan survivors of their city's retaking did go on record to state that they witnessed a tabaxi fleeing the city's plaza after discovering Rukyr's body.
Spread
This myth doesn't commonly find circulation outside of Sahuatl and the Rasilan Steppes.
Date of Setting
Erthnetora 78, 1347 (Founding / Mourning Day)
