Rhea was born and grew up in Whisperwind Enclave, a small
Aetherborn community hidden within a rocky, windswept island, their seclusion a necessity in a world that viewed them with a mix of fear and suspicion. They existed harmoniously within the flows of Aetherial energy and, though viewed as a threat by many, the Imperial Navy felt that they weren't worth the time and cost required to 'clean up', though Arbiters were occasionally sent to harass and remind these citizens of their fragile standing in Yrdde society.
As a child, Rhea showed a strong connection to the nexus point known as the Spire of Dawn – a towering obsidian structure pulsating with concentrated wind magic at the center of their island. While other Aetherborn possessed milder, passive “echoes,” Rhea’s presence seemed to amplify the Spire's influence. This connection, however, was both a gift and a curse. It made her a focal point of fascination for Imperial scientists, and, when whispers of a powerful artifact hidden somewhere beneath the Spire reached the ears of Emperor Thorne, his intentions towards Whisperwind shifted.
Imperial Arbiters arrived, bringing not promises of trade or offers of integration, but steel and fire. The village burned. Families torn apart. Aetherial energies erupted in an uncontrolled symphony of fear and pain, Rhea unable to influence the unnatural vortex now consuming the only place she'd ever known as home.
Taken captive, her family slaughtered, and branded as a dangerous outcast, she was imprisoned, shipped off to Blackstone Quarry and set to work pulling stones alongside captured Chimera and Imperial prisoners seeking salvation through penance and endless labor.
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