The Nightengale Curse
Legend
(wip)Long ago, a Sydroan assassin of the Nightengale family was given a contract on a sorcerer that was causing problems for the rulers in one of the neighbouring countries. Just before she was about to kill her target the sorcerer cast a spell; however, it did not stop her blade.
Returning home after collecting her reward the assassin still felt no ill effects from whatever it was that the sorcerer had cast, and as such dismissed it as a failed spell.
It wasn't until the birth of her first daughter that things began to seem wrong. The pregnancy had been unusually hard on her when compared to her two previous sons, and when she was finally able to see her daughter she was met with two dark purple eyes looking back at her. It had been long enough that she had nearly forgotten about the sorcerer and the mystery spell so she did not immediately link the two.
Life for the child was rather normal, though siblings and cousins were born few and far between. As time went on it was clear she was to be the one of only two females in her generation. Unknowingly the curse appeared to have spread to all of her mother's sisters. The village elders began to believe the cause was due to something contaminating either the water or their food and made the decision to move the village early in hopes to prevent a continued increase in miscarriages.
Despite the move the trend continued with the two newest Nightengale females once they came of age.
Effects
Ever since this curse was cast upon the Nightengale family, it has been at risk of dying out. It only appears to effect the females of the the family as only one or two females are successfully born and reach adulthood each generation. These few females are marked with purple eyes, to further identify them as part of the Nightengale family. No males have been born with the purple eyes to date.
When a Nightengale becomes pregnant, she is heavily watched and essentially forced into bed rest if anything seems the slightest bit off. Even with the increase in precautions and having some of the best healers in Sydroa watch over them, the chance of actually carrying the child to term is lower than that of a regular Sydroan female. Of those stillborn, there is a 75% chance of it being female.
These signs of the curse have not yet been observed in those fathered by members of the Nightengale family. This lead to the conclusion that the goal of the curse was to eradicate the Nightengale family completely.
Spread
The legend itself is only fully believed by those related to, and in close contact with members of the Nightengale family, though most Sydroans have heard of it.
Outside of Sydroa, only dedicated scholars interested in obscure curses and those interested in the myths and legends of Sydroa would have heard of it.
Other
Saiya being born with white spots leads some to believe the curse is growing stronger, and others to believe Pappol is trying to counter its effects with the blessing of white skin.
No official written documents or stories have been recorded about the origin of the curse, causing many details to be lost to time. There have been notes found from various family members attempting to figure out how to reverse it.
Related People
