Province - Elarion
Description
Elarion, the sunblessed land, is a region unlike any other in Valleria, a realm where the hand of the divine has left an eternal imprint upon the land. It is a place of perpetual autumn, where the trees never shed their crimson and amber leaves, and the air is filled with an ethereal warmth, as though the land itself still basks in the goddess Sol’s radiance.
Nestled between Sylvalis to the east, Auridel to the west, and Contessia to the south, Elarion is a place of rolling golden fields, towering forests of flame-colored leaves, with a great view of the sunny side of the Valpine Mountains to the north.
But Elarion is more than just its breathtaking beauty, it is a land of mystery and power, a realm where the divine and the mortal have intertwined. Here, the very ground resists the touch of corruption, making it one of the purest sanctuaries in all of Empyrion. The whispers of its mythic past can still be heard in the rustling of its leaves, in the distant echoes of ancient hymns carried on the wind, and in the unshaken pride of its people.
History
After the fall
Long ago, in the aftermath of The Cataclysm, Elarion was on the brink of ruin, its lands tainted by the encroaching darkness of The Blood Pact, an ancient coven of vampires who sought to corrupt the very essence of the land. Using vile necromantic sorcery, they raised the dead, twisted the forests into withered husks, and veiled the skies in an eternal dusk, seeking to smother Sol’s light from ever touching these lands again.
Desperate and with no means of salvation, with The Cataclysm leaving the world depleted of Arcane energies the Elves so desperately relied on before, the Vallarei turned to their oldest myths, seeking the answer not in war, but in the divine itself.
The last Solar Invocation
Under the guidance of their ancient Solari priests, the Vallarei enacted a ritual not performed in millennia, one whispered in legend, its details uncertain, its success unproven. It was a gamble, but one they had no choice but to take.
For the invocation to reach Sol’s divine plane, it required three sacred elements, each thought to be relics of an age long past:
- The Grail of the Dawn - A hallowed relic of gold and sunstone, believed to be a vessel of celestial power few could fathom.
- The Waters of Serenity - Waters drawn from a place that may not exist, a hidden mythical pool said to be untouched by time, reflecting only the purest truths. Whether the Solari priests knew its location or were merely guided by fate, none can say.
- The Blood of the Eternal Line - A single drop of blood from the Imperial Dynasty of Valleria, who were believed to carry Sol’s divine essence in their lineage. It was said that the emperors of old were more than mortal.
When the sacred water was poured into the grail and mixed with the imperial bloodline’s essence, the chalice shimmered with divine resonance, a celestial beacon that sent a flare through the aether, a desperate call for salvation.
The Blood Pact and their undead horde fought the Vallarei every step of the way, attempting to stop the ritual from taking place, but the forces of light pushed through the darkness and made their plea.
Sol answered
A golden radiance unlike any seen before descended from the heavens, parting the darkened clouds and washing over the land, burning away corruption, and unraveling The Blood Pact’s vile sorcery. The vampires screamed as the light scorched their flesh, their dark creations collapsing into dust, and their very spirits severed from existence. No darkness could withstand the purity of Sol’s light.
But the divine blessing did more than purge the evil, it changed the land itself. The very forests, once twisted and dying, blossomed into eternal autumn. The trees, infused with the goddess’s radiance, became permanently amber or reddened, their leaves forever basking in an unseen warmth, acting as a natural ward against the dark arts.
The relics
After the ritual, the Grail of the Dawn was hidden away, sealed in a place only known to the highest order of the Solari priests, never to be used again, for fear that such power could be abused or fall into the wrong hands. It is whispered that it was locked within a sunken vault beneath the Celestial Temple, warded by divine incantations that only the purest of soul may unravel.
The Pool of Serenity remains unknown, as if it had never existed at all, even to those who once knew where it was. Or perhaps, as some believe, The Nine withdrew its existence from the world, ensuring that the sacred waters of the pool would never become a mere tool of mortal hands.
And most tragically, the Blood of the Eternal Line was forever diluted. The Vallarei imperial dynasty, once thought to carry the true essence of the goddess, has waned in divine potency over the ages. The blood that once burned with celestial might has thinned, leaving the current rulers but echoes of the power their ancestors once wielded.
If such a ritual were needed again… it may never be possible.
The promise
Though Sol’s blessing was mighty, even divine radiance is not eternal. Over the centuries, its strength has begun to wane, a fading echo of the miracle that once purified the land.
To preserve what remains, the Solari priests remain ever vigilant, tending to both the land and the faith that sustains it. Through devout worship, sacred rites, and offerings from each seasonal harvest, they reaffirm their bond with the goddess, ensuring that her warmth lingers over Elarion.
So long as the faithful of Sol endure in this land, so too shall her blessing - but should their devotion falter, the land may one day be left to the encroaching shadows once more.
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