Poniriá (po.niˈrʝa)
They are my artists, and they are also my art.
Poniriá is a True Mage, and has the distinction of being the only person known to have resigned from the Burj Alhikma. She is currently the patron of an artist's colony on the island of Kastellorizo in the Kaphtor Islands, where she uses her substantial magical power to enforce her will over the entire island. She claims to have been born in 3892 on the island of Nisi, and is a member of the Aethry species. Some believe that she is actually much older, but this is conjecture and not proven.
A Member of the Burj
Those who observe the Burj Alhikma first noted Poniriá in their records about seven decades ago, although they note that she was an accomplished master, not an apprentice. She took advanced lessons directly from the Malika of Saba, but it is suspected she received her initial training elsewhere. Many theories have been advanced, but no evidence of her apprenticeship has been uncovered. For about two decades, she was an active and visible member of the Burj Alhikma, and acted as a diplomat for the Malikate of Saba all over the Great Ring. From 3913 to 3936, she was the most visible member of the Burj aside from the Malika herself, and was personally known to rulers from Wamato to Lifworðig. Her exceptional beauty and charisma made her a popular figure wherever she went.
In 3936, she abruptly terminated her connection to the Burj Alhikma, and left the Malikate of Saba. The exact reason she left the Burj has never been publicly known, and both Poniriá and the Malika have refused to make any statement about it. She is the only person ever known to leave the Burj alive; while other members have disappeared or died, nobody else has simply left.
A Patron of the Arts
Upon leaving Saba, Poniriá went to the island of Kastellorizo, one of the Kaphtor Islands. There she claimed a castle overlooking the Soúroupo Cove, one of the most beautiful places in the entire region. The previous inhabitants chose to accept the money she provided as compensation after she made it clear that they could not prevent her from taking the castle by force. Once she settled into her new home, she began collecting artists.
During her time travelling the Great Ring, Poniriá had met dozens of talented artists, and collected many of their works. Now, she invited those artists to come to Kastellorizo and live under her protection and care. She would support them and provide all the materials they would need to create their masterpieces, with no restrictions. Many of them accepted this generous offer, and soon the village near her castle was filled with painters, sculptors, glassworkers, and other artists. As the story of her creative enclave spread, others came uninvited and Poniriá allowed them to audition for a place under her care. While many were turned away, a few were accepted, and artists continue to travel to Soúroupo Cove with high hopes and grand dreams.
Every so often, she will take one of the artists as a lover for a few days or weeks. When they return to the colony, they are changed in both body and mind. Poniriá uses her Magic to alter them, making them more beautiful than they were before. They also are more dedicated and focused upon their art, to the exclusion of everything else. Some have complained that their friends, after returning, no longer have interests beyond their art. Poniriá has dismissed their concerns, and suggested that this dedication is exactly what any true artist would desire.
A Violent Peacekeeper
Before Poniriá made her home on Kastellorizo, it was known as a violent and wartorn island. The Kókkini Phylí and the Paliá Phylí have long divided the island between them, and were almost constantly at war with each other. When Poniriá was establishing her colony, she informed the leaders of both phylai that she would not tolerate ongoing warfare that might disrupt her project. She has had to enforce this prohibition from time to time, most recently when the Kókkini raided a settlement of the Paliá Phylí a little over twenty years ago. As the raiders began to ride away from the village, Poniriá appeared from nowhere and petrified them, turning warriors, horses, and captives all into stone. She then demolished the statues with a great blast of light, leaving nothing but rubble to mark where the raiders had once stood. Since then, the warring phylai have focused their rivalry elsewhere, lest they draw the sorceress' attention again.
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This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
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