The Tale of Verti

A Infatuation Turned Tragic

The tale of Verti the Infatuated is a sad one. His tale is often repeated in the temples of Deveira, as one of dedication and caution. It is said that Verti, a wise and devoted follower of Deveira the Goddess of Water, fell in love with the current Voice of Water--an Ice Dragon taking human form.

Focused only on her duties she did not see the love that Verti possessed for her, knowing him only as a devoted and helpful follower. She did not know how far he was willing to go.

Attempts to Impress

Verti was a very talented elf, boasting talents of ice and water. He would use these talents in his trade, infusing beads of necklaces and earrings with charms to help cool the wearer, or aid in their magical pursuits. Verti offered a stunning pair of sapphire earrings blessed with ice magic, but Lumi believed they were offerings to the Goddess herself. She praised him heavily, but did not understand his intentions.


Whatever Verti gave, Lumi accepted gratefully, yet didn't understand the meaning behind the objects. She believed he was simply donating to the Temple, as he often had before. Seasons passed with little luck for the elf. It was only one Eira day when Lumi and Verti were alone snuffing out candles for the day, did he see a chance to truly prove himself.

"It's a shame we're missing the key symbol of this Temple. We used to have this wonderful pearl...The Pearl of Undine, said to be a tear from a vessel of Deveira. It was on its way here when the ship carrying it met choppy waters, and sank to the bottom of the Great Lake..." Lumi sighed softly, her snow white hair framing her face and resting on her shoulders. "It would look so beautiful under the light of the stained glass windows. No one's ever been able to bring it to where it belongs...I would love to see it."


Verti nodded, his brown ponytail bouncing as he listened. It gave him an idea. If he brought The Pearl of Undine back here, to Lumi, perhaps he would finally be able to declare his love properly.

Demise and Legacy

That mild Eiraose night, once Lumi had left the temple and the streets were empty, Verti made his way toward the bank of the Great Lake. He was wearing a thick coat, with a tight tunic with matching pants. Sturdy knee high leather boots crunched through the snow as he walked up to the icy edge.


The moon shone high as he slipped out of his coat. He wore sapphire earrings of his own, charmed with water breathing spells, as well as a warmth spell. Verti was sure he would be fine, as long as his trip was short. The Great Lake led out to the sea, and was always chilled--especially so in Eiraose, toward the end of the year. The ice was thick, which made it easy for him to see his goal-- The wreckage that rested in the middle of the lake, left as a memorial to those who had fallen, and The Pearl of Undine. Verti took a deep breath, and began to walk across the snowy ice.


The wind made his fingers numb, his breath fogging in font of him as he stood near the wreckage. He knelt down on the thick ice, snow clinging to his pants as he quickly wiped some snow to take a view into the dark water. Verti murmured a quick prayer to the Gods, taking out a small ice pick from his belt. He had looked up what he could before he had set off, and knew that there would be a faint glowing light to look for.


When he finally had the ice broken, and an idea of where the pearl was, Verti sank into the water. It immediately chilled him, though his earrings sparked to life, warming him like a hot drink. Taking a breath--Mostly out of habit-- He activated the breathing spell, and dove down.

And Down...

And Down...

And down further still...

Until, bleary eyed and chilled, he came across it. A round, shimmering stone. It had to be the Pearl. How could no one have found it before? His heart soared and he reached out toward the light, toward his goal.

CRACK.

Verti felt his earrings break away the moment his hands rested on the pearl. He then felt the chill of the water, sucking the warmth from his body. He suffered from the intense cold, like needles stabbing into his skin. His chest and throat burning as his lungs now ached for air, begging for him to take a breath.

And he did.

---

It didn't take long for Verti to be noticed missing. It took even less time to find out where he had gone, his lone footprints on the frozen lake a telltale sign of where he had went, his coat left behind on the edge and his ice pick at the edge of his swimming hole.

He was found floating at the surface, frozen in solid ice, clutching a round, glowing opalescent stone. Verti was brought to shore, where Lumi waited. Moved to tears by his dedication to the temple and Deveira, she ordered that his body be brought to the altar meant for The Pearl of Undine.

Using her powerful draconic magic, Lumi weaved a spell that amplified the Pearl's crystallization magic and turned Verti into a dazzling, permanent display to shimmer under the stained glass windows. She loved the way Verti and the Pearl glittered in the light. It was as beautiful as she thought it would be.