The Hollow Hymn

The Hollow Hymn is a spell said to erase pain—but at the cost of one's emotions and memories. Ellanora Darksong, the late wife of Lord Bristolus Hermes of Canterbury , created it.

When the tear in the sanctuaries occurred, her husband made a great sacrifice of himself and forbade the use of dark magic. In the aftermath, Ellanora faced countless souls who had witnessed immense death and suffering. To ease their torment, she wove her magic into The Hollow Hymn, a spell meant to take away their pain.

However, the Hollow Hymn is not a spell one can control. Once sung, it takes what it wants from those who listen—emotions, memories, even one's sense of self. In a time of devastation and loss, it became a useful tool. But those who surrendered to its melody often lost far more than their sorrow and physical pain.

The caster absorbs the grief and pain of those around them when singing The Hollow Hymn—a burden Ellanora was not exempt from. At the behest of Lord Hermes, she was urged to stop; the cost was too great. Her mind began to fracture under the weight of her own magic, the spell consuming her piece by piece.

In a desperate act, Lord Hermes sang her own spell back to her, stripping her of the pain and taking it upon himself instead. With the last of his strength, he sealed The Hollow Hymn within the Argent Archives, where it is now only used under the strict supervision of highly trained individuals.

The Hollow Hymn

O quiet night, so still, so deep,
Take my sorrow, let me sleep.
Winds that whisper, tides that pull,
Wash away what once was full.

No more tears, no more name,
No more burden, no more shame.
Ash to echo, dust to song,
Let me fade, where I belong.

Hushed and hollow, lost and free,
Sing me into memory.

Conclusion

The Hollow Hymn stands as both a salvation and a curse—a spell born from compassion yet steeped in tragedy. It was meant to erase suffering, but in doing so, it stole far more than pain. Those who sang it, and those who heard its sorrowful melody, risked losing themselves entirely.

Ellanora Darksong’s creation became her undoing, and Lord Hermes’ final act ensured that its power would not be misused. Now locked away in the Argent Archives, The Hollow Hymn serves as a grim reminder: magic, no matter how well-intended, always demands a price.