Antagonist of Perlysia

Hello Madlings, We discussed some positive influences on Perlysia's life last time. Today, we explore the negative influences in her life. Villains don't come naturally to me, so thinking of actual motivation for overtly evil characters is hard for me. I generally give people the benefit of the doubt and see the world in shades of grey. People can have good intentions but are too deep before realizing what they are doing. Others may choose to pursue violent agendas from the prestige they gain. Then you have those who see anything outside their belief as abhorrent and will commit atrocities to clean those sins.

I will have a D&D-style brainstorming session tomorrow with my friends if this comes out on time. This terrifies me, as I will make most of it up on the fly. I have upward of three hundred thousand words written for this universe, but describing it to the nerds is very hard. As they want to know more, I am motivated to write and discuss more with them. See, if I overthink this all too much, I won't post it, true introvert. That is why I only do a rough edit on these posts and let them represent me more naturally. Is that the best decision? I don't know, but it's mine nonetheless. The Madhouse's content is as random as the thoughts of its residents.

Typhon Solis

The concept of family in Drakeskar was fluid, and people often chose to join a clan rather than remain with their bloodline. Luminara was born to the Creeping Shadow clan, a family opposite everything she believed. Quiet and patient were not qualities that Luminara possessed, so her swap to Sirensong was a natural transition. With her parents dead, this selfish decision left Typhon, the younger brother of Luminara, alone in Creeping Shadow. As he grew, Typhon learned that his greatest asset was his ability to convince people to do what he required.

Typhon could rile up a crowd or manipulate a person by exaggerating fear and confusion. One of his favorite games when he came of age was convincing drunken fools that their partner was unfaithful. He would never suggest they go home and murder their spouse, but if they did, Typhon wouldn't shed a tear. Another fun trick was to play on the fears of his prey; why get your hands dirty assassinating a target when you could tear apart a psyche, and they do the work themselves? Some might think this a sin, but this is far from the truth. Typhon only tormented those who deserved it; Drakeskar had no shortage of sin and prey for Typhon.

Hundreds of years ago, Luminara crossed the sea with a handful of people to form the nation of Luna. One of those individuals was her brother Typhon. Charisma had given Typhon everything he wanted until he met Lilith Blackravens. For whatever reason, Luminara had grown very close to Lilith, and the demonic child Lilith had birthed. Typhon couldn't even be bothered to learn the little monster's name as it grew. Typhon had argued desperately for Lilith not to be allowed to accompany them in founding a nation. The Creeping Shadow had demanded Lilith's death. The contract was active and a stain on the clan's record.

One evening, Typhon overheard Lilith tell Luminara a fairy tale about slaying a goddess and cursing the world. This was a ludicrous claim; no one could kill a god, and Lilith's description of a silver dragon was ridiculous. Any resident of Drakeskar knew the only dragon was the twilight dragon Ultima, and his skeleton rotted away beneath the sands. Any talk of the sibling dragon Gaia was sacrilege; the idea of Lilith slaying the dragon was pure fantasy. Lilith filled Luminara's head with flowery lies, and Typhon wouldn't stand for it.

Initially, Luna was a small entity, a hidden secret to the world, and everything was fine. It wasn't until the formation of Rainbow Town, the second area to form in the Kingdom, that the cracks began to form. Rainbow Town was constructed to house Luna's growing population. It housed a flood of refugees from Drakeskar and The Obsidian Wail wishing to flee the horrors of those nations. Typhon greatly disagreed with including anyone from the Obsidian Wail. He couldn't believe Luminara had allowed those creatures to enter Luna.

Typhon again used his voice to accomplish his agenda, building a "resistance" to the "growing darkness." His upbringing in Creeping Shadow made Typhon patient and deceptive. Luminara wouldn't be prepared for the coming storm that Typhon had prepared. The purge of Lilith from Luna changed the nation and its role in the world drastically. The records of the first Luna Civil War are lost to time. History would be distorted and rewritten under the beliefs of the Twilight Orthodoxy. The doctrine of the first Twilight Sovereign Typhon Solis.

Emeric Solis

The aftermath of Typhon's uprising against his sister Luminara had given birth to the Twilight Orthodoxy. While it would appear that most of the power was held by the Lunar Queen and the royal family, the Solis family held the real power. In Luminara's hubris, she believed Typhon trustworthy when he formed a military order to protect their fledgling nation from forces that wished their destruction from across the sea. The Twilight Orthodoxy had begun with a handful of skilled initiates who lacked magical aptitude, so they trained in martial skills. No one believed that the Orthodoxy would turn its blades on its people. Regardless of facts lost to time, the Twilight Orthodoxy and The Lunar Queen survived and ruled the Kingdom in a cold war.

Typhon had succeeded in removing Lilith and her vampire kin from the Kingdom. Luna was now in his control. Unfortunately, no adjective she spoke would save Luminara. Her life would be lost during the war. With Lilith and Luminara out of the picture, it was simple for Typhon to place the crown on a puppet Queen. That crown would fall upon Irene Luna, the young daughter of Luminara. At merely four years old, Irene would be crowned the first Lunar Queen, graciously aided by her uncle, the prophet Typhon.

Hundreds of years have passed since Luminara left this world, in a spectacle that only she could have pulled off. Typhon couldn't outright kill her bloodline. Luminara's final act had succeeded in preserving it at the cost of her life. Over time, tensions and rivalries would form between the family, but Luminara had gifted her people an incredible font of magical power. The people of Luna were always superstitious, and the same fears that created the Twilight Orthodoxy would be the same zealotry that would defend the Lunar Queen.

Luna would always require a Lunar Queen, and Emeric Solis hated that notion of control. Three hundred years removed from the familial bonds of Typhon and Luminara, resentment had grown between the two families. While Althea grew up in libraries and lavish comfort afforded a Queen, Emeric grew up on the battlefield. Emeric was always on the front line of the Orthodoxy's war against the coming Twilight. Emeric was raised from birth to see anything from Lilith's curse as evil and must be eradicated from the earth. Emeric, the youngest Twilight Sovereign in history, thrived on the battlefield.

Emeric was efficient, ruthless, and intelligent regarding his military goals. Perlysia grew up on fairy tales of Luminara, while Emeric was raised on the doctrine of Twilight. Devoted to the Twilight Orthodoxy, Emeric was vehemently against any peace negotiations with the Nyxaris family. The Nyxaris family praised themselves as true descendants of Lilith and built an entire dominion behind the claim. These monsters needed to be expelled from the world like the parasites they were. Althea had never seen the madness of the Umbra Arborum, the creatures in those woods. No peace could exist between Erebus and Luna. Their beliefs were just too different.

Three hundred years have passed since the disagreements between Luminara and Typhon pushed Luna into civil war. As those same rifts in beliefs begin to form once again, Emeric will be ruthless in his scheme. Perlysia was young and naive; she would make a perfect puppet Queen, just as Irene had been so long ago. The Twilight doctrine demanded there must always be a Lunar Queen. Althea's time as Queen was over, and Emeric assured her there would never be peace with Erebus.

Phalin Elaria

The population has multiplied astronomically over the last three hundred years since Luna's foundation. Even in its earliest days of stability with Irene Luna as Queen, the Kingdom had multiple disagreements. The Lunar Court was constructed out of necessity to manage people's needs. Irene was still a child when Typhon picked the first "Royal" families to join the court. Typhon surrounded Irene with people he knew would manipulate her to follow the will of the Twilight Orthodoxy. One of those individuals was Johanna Elaria, a true devotee of the prophet Typhon.

Since Johanna's time, the House of Elaria has supported whichever political family serves them best. In the beginning, Johanna devoted herself to Typhon; however, many times in the past, supporting the Luna family was more beneficial to the House of Elaria. The family prided itself on navigating the treacherous line between the Luna and Solis families. Johanna had established herself as a liaison between the Lunar Court and the Twilight Orthodoxy. Johanna's legacy in the Lunar Court lasted, allowing her descendant Phalin to hold her family's seat three hundred years later.

Phalin was an ambitious man who enjoyed the benefits of his family's status. Recently, he had lost his parents in a freak accident. His ascension to his familial chair in the Lunar Court was not without contention. Althea knew Phalin well; the House of Elaria was known throughout Luna. Phalin was always concerned about the status and power of his name. He would commit any immoral action needed to protect that image of power. Althea knew this and questioned his allegiance to the Lunar Court.

It was well known that Phalin's parents were devoted to the Twilight Orthodoxy. Phalin's father, Corvus, had been the one who had convinced the previous Lunar Queen to relinquish access to Gaia's Zenith, the tallest peak in the north. Legends of Luminara traversing through the Caverns of Devotion to reach its peak was one of Perlysia's favorites. Emeric used the sacred land to build a terrifying fortress where new templars are broken into loyalty to the Orthodoxy. Althea believed Phalin would be no better than his father and rejected him as her advisor.

However, Phalin knew there was more than one way to stay in favor. If Althea wouldn't allow Phalin access to the crown, he would swear loyalty to the Solar King Orion. The choice to align with Orion provided the House of Elaria with its status and power in the Lunar Court. As the years passed, Phalin would be asked to do terrible things to prove his loyalty. Phalin became an informant who kept close eyes on Althea while attempting to regain her trust. Orion would rely on Phalin for information while he was away. It took years, but he did earn Althea's trust as an intelligent informant in her court. Once again, the House of Elaria was friends with everyone that mattered.

With talks of peace between Luna and Erebus circulating in the streets, Phalin is growing concerned about the outcome. Phalin told Althea the truth: peace with Erebus would mean civil war in Luna. Emeric would never stop hunting for Lilith; his doctrine demanded that Lilith's bloodline be purged from the world. The Twilight Orthodoxy controlled the Templar militia that kept the Kingdom safe and secure. Althea was endangering her citizens for her selfish ideals. Phalin will continue to advise Althea against her desire for peace; there could never be true peace in the Three Kingdoms. If Althea continues to pursue her goals, Phalin will be forced to choose sides. No soul in Lunar Court would bet their fortune on Althea's gamble of peace, so why would Phalin?

Orion Luna

Orion was never "welcomed" into the Luna family; his marriage to Althea was a political union, nothing more. Born and raised in Sandsoul, Orion was used to dealing with the politics of a conflicted society. Like many born in Drakeskar, Orion gave up his original name long ago. Few know his origins, but it is rumored that the man came from The Skar Majesty. This would fit Orion well; their leader liked to call himself "The Crown," and they believed themselves better than the other tribes. Orion had brought that audacious attitude with him across the seas to Luna.

Perlysia didn't hate her father, Orion. The truth was that she didn't know him enough to have an opinion. Even at an early age, Orion was distant from Perlysia; he would spend most of his time in the Solis Temple or Frostfang Bastion. Perlysia was not allowed in these places; her mother forbade her from becoming too familiar with the Twilight Orthodoxy. Orion loved Perlysia from a distance as he was raised so long ago in Sandsoul. Perlysia would always come second to the ambitions and desires of her father.

Many wondered about Orion's ambitions. As Solar King, Orion had no real power to make decisions in Luna. Ultimately, all decisions were made by the command of the Lunar Queen. Orion was nothing more than a figurehead to stand next to Althea, look regal, and produce an heir to be the next Lunar Queen. It seemed the more Perlysia grew, the more Althea distanced herself from Orion. At first, the prideful King filled those lonely evenings with concubines that would make him the center of their world. These affairs were hollow, and carnal desires brought no pleasure to him.

Tedious duties placed on Orion included being a diplomat to his homeland. On an otherwise typical venture across the Violet Sea, their ship was boarded by a crew under the control of The Jarl. Piracy was common in the Violet Sea and expected around Drakeskar's shores. It was open waters under no jurisdiction. Orion's status had protected him from any danger since the birth of Perlysia. When the nobody rushed Orion, he could see the intent to kill in the pirates' eyes. Orion watched that will fade in the pirate's eyes as Orion's grip around his neck tightened.

Orion was born in the Skar Majesty, where he was trained in combat and diplomacy from a young age. The ship was not adorned with wealth to prevent this type of interaction, but its crew were well-trained templars. The fool Captain that thought Orion's ship easy prey had damned his entire crew. Each Templar was a grizzled war veteran from The Obsidian Wail; their counter-offensive would be merciless. Orion would personally lead his crew aboard the invading ship in a surge of emotion long forgotten. When all was done, Orion's crew tied the survivors and set the enemy ship's deck alight.

Great cheers of victory rang in the night as they watched the ship sink on the horizon. Orion's heart raced as he heard the crew scream his name in victory. As the crew's adoration filled the air, Orion felt the surge of respect he longed for. That day, Orion learned the glory of battle was a more significant drug than any other moment he had lived through. Orion reveled in his first taste of combat, a rush he would crave and chase endlessly after. Orion would not be the same upon returning to Luna.

Pride flooded over Orion with every victory he led his crew of templars to. Multiple crusades into The Obsidian Wail had established a new basecamp on the eastern shore. Mors Luna Metus is the only settlement not controlled by the Nyxaris Family in the forest. Orion had tasked himself with building a fortified location in hostile territory. The Twilight Orthodoxy heralded Orion as a Saint, and he relished it. He couldn't care about the doctrine itself, but they saw him as a hero who was cleansing the world of Lilith's legacy. The Solar King had spent most of the last decade fighting his crusade in the Obsidian Wail.

With peace on the horizon, Orion receives a request from the Lunar Queen. Althea recommends that Orion return to Luna and participate in the peace ceremony. She believes that if real peace is to be achieved, he must be present to show their sincerity in ending the war. As the ceremony date gets closer, Orion has no desire to return to his post as a trophy king. Once, Orion had thrown away his name to be Althea's Solar King. Perhaps it was time to throw away the name Orion Luna.

Madlings, Thank you for listening more about life around our little world. Today, we focused on some antagonists and their desires and ambitions in Luna that don't align with Althea's goals. Next week, we will move into the Obsidian Wail proper. Next time, we will discuss the Nyxaris Family (Lucien, Adriana, Kharys). Dóloma, Lucien's guard, will also appear in the next update.

Little shift in the schedule. I will be more busy on Mondays than expected, so we are pushing posts back from Wed/Sat to Thur/Sun. Simple thing that means nothing to anyone but me. I want to let you all know. Also, I will have to push back the D&D thing because I forgot to remind people, and half the group went out partying tonight. I will keep you updated on that, too. Anyway, Blessed Be Madlings, see you soon <3