The King of Red Lions

Long ago the world's oceans were lower. Great continents were divided by thin straits of salty water and crisscrossed by bountiful, coursing freshwater rivers. The Flame of Magic did not exist in this world. Indeed, the gods of the continent themselves were yet to be born. This was a time of heroes, of magic and monsters even the most knowledgeable chronicler of beasts would balk at. In this time, there was but one primordial force of darkness and destruction, a single entity leading the forerunners of entropy. This darkness grew in power, and those who protected the world from it fought against it time and time again in a repeating cycle. In one of these repetitions, the darkness claimed dominion over the land, and the gods flooded the land in order that its people might be spared more grief. Upon the king of these people the gods placed a divine geas. He would not find rest until he found the hero fated to defeat the darkness, and his form would be regal yet seaworthy. The King of Red Lions was this form; a crimson magical boat who scoured the islands that dotted the great sea for centuries. Eventually the king's journey ended, and the gods lowered the water once more, though kept the oceans high enough that the ruins of the land of heroes would never again be discovered.

History or Myth?

This myth is based on a rather fantastical but true story that happened millennia ago in a land far from Tellanor. The story has been handed down through generations by the people of this far-off land of magic and heroes. Its longevity and the prominence of red lions in artwork and artefacts from this land suggests some truth to this myth. The story of the King of Red Lions is well known across the continent, especially on its eastern coast. Some scholars postulate that the great kingdom mentioned in the myth may be the ancestral home of gods, or maybe an empire similar to the Morbhaine Empire, with similarities running so deep that magic was misused and caused a catastrophe.

Related

The Aquaregis: This ship's design and name was inspired by the legend of the King.

This article's content is very clearly inspired by The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. It is meant as homage, not copyright infringement! Please let me know of any concerns!