A Retelling at Caer Witrin

The Birth of Love's Witness

As narrated by Poxie Kaxxlim, artist and keeper of lore

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I · The Long Absence

The murder of Lady Selene by Bal'met, the Worldreaver left the realm of Love without a custodian for a staggering 372 years.

372 years...

Tended by none, it slowly destabilised, until one day, frayed by a lovers' kiss, the final thread snapped.

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II · The Prophecy of Ruin

Lord Adryn, worried for his Keep, hosted a divination to determine the onset of a predicted famine. Unexpectedly, this yielded a prophecy for Darona Firedancer: should she wed Claes Ancyrion, their union would unravel the very concept of Love and endanger the emotional bonds of all living beings.

Attempts at resolution and reinterpretation were fruitless, and the wedding proceeded in Daedalan of 983AF.

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III · The Unravelling

The brides sealed their compact with a kiss, and strange phenomena commenced: private thoughts made public, sightings of vivid visions, inexplicable surges of rage, compassion, joy, and despair. The Divine knew that the prophecy held dire truth; the sudden violent collapse of Brevion, a distant world, to unchecked conflict was evidence enough.

Sapience remained whole, but emotional chaos ran rampant for months. Some were driven into manic bursts of activity, while others fell into profound apathy or despair. The Offspring Himalia's attempt to revive her long-dead lover, Ortho, further exacerbated the problem, unleashing wayward souls and thinning the fabric of Love's tapestry.

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IV · Light and Darkness at War

While investigating solutions, Lord Scarlatti took pity on the suffering Sapients. With the help of Ferenthal, His Muse of Lightweaving, He urged people to release their burdens into peculiar candles. These were brought to Caer Witrin for a ritual in which His Song would provide succour.

Yet Poxie's gaze drifts from the white candle to the tall black candle, and her expression turns grave. The mortal Viol'aa had other ideas. Grief-maddened by her husband's murder, she enlisted Mhaldorian aid to trap the power of screams, unloosing them during a demon-summoning ritual that happened concurrently to the Great Bard's Song.

The cacophonous clash brought forth the Lament, born to remind the world it was not deserving of reprieve from pain, anguish, and darkness.

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V · The Lament's March

The Lament advanced across Sapience, tormenting mortals, who banded together to fight the entity repeatedly in devastating battles, driving it back whenever it manifested, but never fully destroying it. Meanwhile, the solution to unravelling Love eluded Divine and mortal alike.

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VI · The Muse's Choice

Finally, at the Shrine of Ascension, adventurers battled the Lament for the last time. The Muse Ferenthal took the creature's hand and declared her intent to assume the mantle of Love's Custodian. With palpable reluctance, Lord Scarlatti agreed, knowing it would forever alter their connection.

His attempt to reshape her essence alone met with failure, but Lord Phaestus willingly lent His aid. Together, They remade the former Muse into Ferenthal, Witness of Love, charged with safeguarding the Tapestry of Love and arresting its continued disintegration.

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VII · The Jade Empress's Price

As Ferenthal departed and the Lament dissipated, the previously silent Jade Empress demanded a price for the Great Bard's unsanctioned intervention. He fell to one knee, taciturn and accepting, as His wings blackened and fell off, and His vibrant blue eyes faded into temperate grey.

Poxie falls silent, remembering, her gaze fixed on the ground.

It is said there is no Love without sacrifice.
For if it were easy, it would not be real,
and if it cost nothing, it would not be Love.

Time will tell if these sacrifices were worth their cost. For now, Love has its Witness, and there, this tale has reached its end.

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Retold at Caer Witrin · Year 983 AF and Beyond · In Witness of Love