The First "New" Update
Welcome, Madlings, to something I am writing because I have realized I am so out of touch. I have not updated people on how the Obsidian Wail has evolved over the last year. It's been a crazy year. I apologize for the lack of any content on this site. Divorce from a 20+ year relationship is messy, and I needed time to fix life, or at least fix it to something manageable. Also, understand reading this, I need to be vague about certain things, especially concerning the beginning of Lilith.
Lilith Blackravens
Every story has a beginning, and mine has always started with Lilith. In the nearly thousand years Lilith has lived, she has seen the world evolve in many ways. Lilith possesses knowledge of the Obsidian Wail before her curse. She remembers when the sea waters were still crystal blue, how her forest home was once a majestic canopy of silver. The Obsidian Wail used to be a place of beauty where life was abundant, and Lilith cherished all life in the forest. Lilith could never have understood that her quest to preserve the beauty of her home would lead her to her destruction and loneliness.
Knowledge of Lilith has become folklore. A thousand-year-old legend twisted through retelling over time. The few who know the story argue she is a cautionary tale told to scare children not to mess with powers they don't understand. The Nyxaris family will tell you she is a goddess first of her kind who paved the way for their ascension. Those opposed to this belief see Lilith as a monster that cursed the trees to cry forever, to bleed forever. Neither story is incredibly accurate. Each retelling is selective in details to fit their narrative. The closest thing to truth is a journal supposedly written by Lilith herself before her fall. A journal that is now in the possession of Lucien Nyxaris.
The journal, if genuine, documents a young woman's journey who desperately sought to save someone she cared deeply for. Someone Lilith had labeled as "M" was dying, and that pain drove Lilith to save her sick friend. The land she describes in this journal is foreign to even the oldest scholars. It references twin dragons who speak to Lilith in her dreams. If dragons didn't discredit the tale instantly, Lilith continued to document how fairies led her to a different plane of existence where she met someone named "S." Whoever "S" was, the journal claims this is how Lilith learned of the Caverns of Devotion, and the trick to navigate through safely. Also, "S" had given Lilith forbidden knowledge; she told Lilith of The Sacred Glade, home of the mother dragon Gaia. The journal ends soon after, as Lilith is believed to have entered the mountain caverns and changed the world forever.
Now, Madlings, I will tell you the truth. Most of Lilith's journal is genuine, and she fought desperately to save her only friend from the clutches of death. In her most desperate hour, Lilith unknowingly chose to damn the world so that her friend might live. In doing so, she set things in motion that irreparably, in her eyes, changed existence. It would take decades for the changes to happen. During this time, Lilith fought to repair her mistake to save her precious forest from its damnation at her hands. Lilith "failed" because every move she made had been the design of another individual. Once revealed, the betrayal will drive Lilith into madness, isolation, and despair.
It would take hundreds of years for her ancestral home to be destroyed by the darkness she had unleashed. It takes time for civilization to be mutated and crushed to rubble and more time to be rebuilt. Lilith didn't know how long she had been alone in the Umbra Arborum, but everything was different when she woke up from her slumber. Crimson leaves had replaced the silver canopies of her youth. A near-constant downpour of thick, blood-like fluid now flooded her once majestic home. Large obsidian walls had blockaded off the river now known as the Crimson Nexus. Many encounters soon followed, where Lilith failed to prevent the darkness she created from spreading.
Lilith was not the only entity to awake in this new world, and these two forces would clash until, once again, Lilith would return to hiding. However, even the most stalwart of introverts eventually get lonely. This loneliness drove Lilith to make a crucial error that would change the world again; she created a child and gave birth to Belial Blackravens.
Belial Blackravens
Since waking in the Umbra Arborum, Lilith had decided to hide in plain sight. Lilith would live an entire life naturally, growing "old" and moving on to a new life when people were suspicious of why a woman so old never aged. It was during one such period when she was witness to an atrocity, the complete genocide of a village. Lilith was living as a doctor, using various herbs and her "skills" to heal those foolish enough to remain in the Obsidian Wail. No matter how long she lived or how far she has traveled, her heart has always remained in her forest home.
As everyone around her was slaughtered by the Sons of Cain, ancestors to the Nyxaris family, Lilith finally snapped. In a blood-crazed frenzy, she succumbed to the madness that had rattled inside her since the events within The Sacred Glade. Ultimately, she alone would remain covered in the blood of friend and foe alike. Lilith might have remained in that crazed state if not for the screams of a child she had helped deliver mere days before madness claimed her.
The child's cries grew weaker as Lilith followed the muffled sound. What she found was a tiny child mere days old howling in pain with a significant slash across its left eye. The boy's left eye, for some reason, had been removed. As Lilith lifted the child from its blood-stained cradle, she realized the baby had a slit across its throat and a stab wound directly piercing its heart. The child was dead, but Lilith was hearing it scream viciously within her brain.
What happened next defied all rules or understanding Lilith had of life. This was Lilith's awakening, blood-focused magic, and sanguine-filled eyes. Blood tears flowed from Lilith's eyes, and a thin stream burst from the veins in her wrists. Without knowing what was happening, the blood began to seep into the child through each of his wounds. Lilith's blood swirled around the infant, forming a cocoon cradled in Lilith's extended arms. Transfixed on the cocoon of blood, Lilith lost all sense of reality or time. The cocoon began to slow its spiral when the cries in her mind stopped. Then, as the blood crumbled to dust in the wind, Lilith looked down at her child for the first time.
Lilith loved her first child dearly. She raised him as best she could, but even as Lilith looked upon him as a baby, he frightened her. During her long life, she had fought against the madness in her mind, the ancient force that consumed her long ago. Lilith had feared that she had also passed along her demons by resurrecting Belial. However, as these things tend to go, Lilith creates a beast much more dangerous than herself. Even in the birth of Belial, Lilith had failed to get things right.
Belial differs from his mother in a few key ways. Lilith was born mortal and had a life of kindness, friendship, and joy before her "curse." Belial had no such luxury. Where Lilith never needed the waters of the Obsidian Wail, Belial seemed addicted to them. In his youth, Belial would sneak into Lilith's old home in the Undercroft to bathe in the blood pools. In adolescence, he would kill to gain access to the Crimson Nexus. As an adult, Belial's desire for forbidden temptations would topple a Dynasty and give birth to Chaos. Lilith will again blame herself, believing she failed by gifting Belial to the world.
Lysandria Belladonna
However, Madlings, Belial was not Lilith's only child. Belial would be the catalyst that would finally force Lilith to leave her forest of darkness. She had heard tales of a land devoid of trees across the ocean for decades. The high canopy beds of the Obsidian Wail blocked out most sun, so the thought of a "sun-bathed desert" was rather intriguing. Belial had turned the "Sons of Cain" into the "Son of Cain" who would become the patriarch of the Nyxaris family. The thought of one family ruling her homeland fueled her unease; knowing they used her name as a legend to proclaim dominion filled her with self-loathing.
It was true that, in a way, she was responsible for life mutating due to her choices in the Sacred Glade. Lilith had unleashed what now corrupted the land like a plague, but hundreds of years of evolution created these creatures, not Lilith directly. The Arborant were not "evil trees" created to feast on the souls of the innocent. Trees didn't bleed because she opened some demonic portal. The legends about her were getting ridiculous; she had become a dark goddess that had gifted humans immortality through bleeding trees. One final confrontation with Belial gave Lilith the will to leave, so she crossed the ocean to the sandy shores of the Drakeskar Wasteland.
Lilith was filled with a new sense of adventure as she stepped off the ship onto the docks of Sandsoul. Even then, the majestic capital was home to the Skar Collective, seven rulers who reign over Drakeskar together. The land of Drakeskar was too massive for anyone to govern alone, so it was split into territories. A member of the Skar Collective leads each of these seven territories. Together, the collective could generally keep the peace between the diverse tribes. Lilith found inspiration in the fact that so many different ideals and virtues could come together and work towards prosperity.
In Sandsoul, Lilith was finally invisible; most in the nation knew very little of the "demon forest of blood," and fewer still had any idea who she might be. After a few decades in the nation, she became daring and joined the Sirensong tribe. Not as a courtesan, she wasn't so brave but instead as a dressmaker. During this "life," she became acquainted with a member of the Eclipse, a tribe of patient assassins. All seven clans were welcomed in Sandsoul under a banner of non-aggression, so it was a bit of a shock when Alistair Belladonna was sent to assassinate Lilith. Lilith gained two loves that day: a love for a man and a love of poisonous tea.
Alistair was already well into adulthood when he convinced Lilith to join him for tea. He was fascinated that Lilith could consume copious amounts of poison and not die; she just enjoyed his company. Their friendship would last almost 30 years before age got the better of the man, and he went out, like many in his profession, at the hands of a younger, faster assassin. Lilith didn't mind the death of her lover because he had left with her a precious gift, a baby girl she named Lysandria.
To Lilith's surprise, Lysandria was spared the madness that plagued Belial. Lysandria was carried in Lilith's womb and is the only "natural" child of Lilith. Lysandria was a glowing pillar of happiness for Lilith, but that light faded over time, and eventually, the past would catch up with Lilith. Deep underneath the sands, it had begun to stir; she could feel it grow stronger every year she spent in Soulsand. It wasn't Lilith who discovered the connection that another had once again deceived her that Lilith's entire life in Sandsoul was planned. No, that honor lay with the tutor of Lysandria, the hyper-intelligent, super, enigmatic, and extraordinary Luminara Luna.
Luminara Luna
Enough about the old raven. Madlings hearken to me. I am the great, the fabulous, the majestic, the brilliant, the beautiful, every damn adjective you can think of. I am Luminara Luna, and yes, my ego is big enough to carve the most incredible Kingdom the world will ever see out of ice AND name it after myself; suck it, nerds! Lilith is the Madhouse of the past. I am its glorious, shining future. Don't get me wrong, Lilith is a dear friend, and I cherish her dearly, but the Madhouse has always had two bloodlines, and mine is just better.
Every time she speaks, it's of the past, of darkness, of pain, of madness, of her failures. It's just so bloody exhausting. Do you know what I mean? Where is the splendor? Where is the magic? Where is the beauty and vibrancy of life? That, my dear Madlings, is my family. I produced the most prominent light the Madhouse has ever known. I gifted Maiden his Madling Queen.
Now let's back up a measly 300 years; who the fuck can tell anymore? Regardless, I didn't give birth to Perlysia. Of course, I am just her ancestor, but I did set in motion the most significant change to the world since Lilith fucked over an entire forest. Luminara's Ultimate Nexus, Arcanum Total Idiots Conjuring Stupidity. Can you believe they wouldn't use my acronym of L.u.n.a.t.i.c.s? What a wasted opportunity, and I worked so hard on it. Instead, they revere me as a "Queen." That was a terrible idea. Do I seem Queenly to any of you? Before you answer, know I can kill you with a thought.
Lilith did have one thing correct: people 300 years later make up the craziest nonsense. That I was a pious woman, bitch please; I was a member of Sirensong and a damn popular attraction, might I add. More partners have been between my legs than The Paramour, but I digress. Fairytales that Perlysia is far too obsessed with that I was the shining pillar of Gaia. The first Guardian of the Glade, and through Gaia's blessing, I raised a kingdom to fight against the darkness of the Obsidian Wail. Typhon created a religion from this fantasy bullshit.
First off, how could I be born in the Obsidian Wail if I had never stepped into the place? Can you imagine me? There? Rivers of blood? Trees that cry blood, SENTIENT trees that want to kill you, an oppressive dominion that wants to eat you, honey.... hard fucking pass. That shit can stay across the ocean. I'm just here on the ice to be fabulous. If you want to know the truth of how Luna was started, it's elementary... I like to blow shit up. I had some eccentric friends who also loved to blow shit up. Thus, we built the most exciting and powerful Kingdom in the world merely out of the desire to blow shit up.
At first, there was only a handful of us. Lilith & Lysandria, of course, but most names are lost to time. I mean, if they believed I was a pious virgin, how can I expect them to get anything right? Maybe if Lilith hadn't fucked off back into hiding, she could have set the record straight; perhaps she thinks it funny, me a nun! That's the biggest joke I've ever heard. Anyway, I had kids, my brother had kids, the kids had kids, blah blah blah, all of them were terrible little shits, and we time-traveled to what was it 300ish years?
Magic was once a rare thing. It took decades to learn any proficiency. Old scholars who trained their lives couldn't do many of the fantastic things we could.... that Lysandria could. I wouldn't say I like to boast, but I trained the greatest sorceress in the world. Thank you. Yes, that was me; I am bowing now. You are welcome. Madlings.... There are ancient things hidden in every corner of the world, and I found one, I found THE ONE! Blessed be? Your damn right I'm blessed, and so are my kin. Isn't that right, Perlysia?
Perlysia Luna
"Excuse me! I cherish your insight, dear ancestor; you are totally all of those adjectives you throw out, but did you claim Lysandria Belladonna is the greatest sorceress in the world?" Perlysia slammed her book shut, a thin line creasing her brow.
"Those thick glasses don't make you smarter or better than Lysandria. They make you look like a nerd." Luminara's face beamed as she leaned forward, flicking the rim of Perlysia's glasses.
"Rude! You are the rudest person and Sirensong? Is that true?" Pink flushes over Perlysia's usual pale completion of the very thought. "You were a whore?"
"Yep!"
"The first Queen of Luna..."
"Was never a Queen, Was a complete slut who liked to blow shit up, yep! Don't meet your hero. You'll be disappointed every time. Good luck accepting reality over your fantasy. I understand your life goes to complete shit soon, so good luck, buttercup."
Whatever, Madlings, I am so excited, oh, I could just absolutely burst. With the totally not a whore in my mind founder of my home gone, I am just so thrilled to be here finally. Maiden kept me secret for a reason: I am the anchor to everything. Everything in the Madhouse revolves around me, no matter what Luminara claims. I used to have a different name, and I used to have a different life. Now, I am Perlysia Luna! Maiden's Madling Queen.
Ok....wait.....shit, I totally had something for this, fuck. Do you hear the voice screaming? "Perlysia, focus!"....No? Oh, oh, that's just me, ok. Well then, I swear I was supposed to say something: "Perlysia!" Yes, ma'am, sorry, ma'am, two minutes on the tea. I am so sorry, it won't happen again.
I was saying something. What was it... Right, yes, I mostly remember now. Sorry whore on the brain. Madlings, I am Perlysia Luna, super energetic, mega excitable, ultra loved, shining light of the majestic enchanted Kingdom of Luna. I can use adjectives, too! You, rude old hag. (OLD!) You heard me! Jingle your little fairy wings back to the grave. You had your moment. Now kindly fuck off. Madlings, I am NOT the most extraordinary anything. I am merely Perlysia.
From an early age, I was groomed to be Queen. I studied endlessly. I trained consistently, and I made tea...incessantly. My mother, Althea, believed I was a shining star, her silver radiant moon in a sea of black. Like my mother, I dedicate my life to advancing Luminara's legacy, the advancement of magic. I have read every book ever placed before me, and my memory is perfect. Not really, but I like to pretend it is. I forget many things. I mostly forget people, and I am incapable of punctuality, but whatever, who needs to be on time as long as the work is done?
Madlings, so much of what you have read today is the past; Lilith is the past, the obnoxious suffocating darkness of the Madhouse. I am its radiant future, and I want to tell you of that future, but I just can't. Maiden wants to avoid significant spoilers but still needs to update his friends, MY friends, on what they had supported even when Maiden was lost in the Madhouse. I will have to end our little adventure soon because if I go into detail about my friends, this will take forever, and who wants to stare at this website forever? Lilith gave you a minor taste of things, but I have friends... and foes to introduce to you all.
Let me give you my vision of things to come. I will push Maiden to post twice weekly about the world he has spent a year re-imagining. These posts, ideally (Maiden is Lazy), will be on Saturdays & Wednesdays. Today, Lilith told you a tiny smidgen about her history and how her two significant children came to grace the earth. Lilith has been hiding since she departed from Sandsoul and her "alliance" with Luminara. We will hear more about those two children of Lilith, but next time, we will speak of my friends in Luna. Even then, we will barely scrape the surface.
It will take a few weeks, but I promise we will get through all the people so we can move on to explaining the destinations and the splendor of our world. Teasers for what is to come next week. My best friend is an emotionally unstable pirate who might have sold her soul to a force she doesn't understand. Another of my allies is a weird man who decided to split his psyche into two parts, which was a fantastic plan. The Nyxaris Family is fucking crazy (sorry, Lucien). Lysandria went on to create her pack of nerds who "save" the world. I hear Drakescar has a Collective of seven rulers working together in harmony. Luna has a sovereign Queen, and we can’t get along as a nation. How does the Collective manage it?
All these discoveries and more in the next post of Maiden is fucking insane! Blessed be Madlings, see you in a few days <3.
Oh, and here’s extra art cause it’s fun. Bye all, thank you for being here. None of this works without you reading it <3.
