Home World :: The Land of Eternal Sunshine
A world constantly illuminated by the radiance of its three suns. The people live on several islands grouped in an archipelago and have a great love and mastery of the sea. People born on this world believe that their magic and vitality is a gift given from the three suns, and view the celestial bodies as the center of their universe. All human lives tend to fall into two categories; those blessed of mind and those blessed of body. All take pride in the gift that suns has bestowed on them and live their lives to best leverage their strengths.
The suns fill its people with light and energy all but for a short period every few years where all the stars are eclipsed by the world's three moons. This period of eclipse last three days, and is viewed by most as the period where the world cleanses itself of its evil elements. Wicked storms tend rage during this period, and the restless weather causes many of the wild creatures that live in the sea to frenzy.
Those who had yet to reach adulthood all fall ill during this period where they are cut off from the the sun's light, but the wise leaders and healers have devised long ago how to treat this ‘Nightfall Fever’. By taking all those who have yet to become adults to a remote island, and performing a special ritual, the healers are able to keep all the children and adolescents safe. In living memory, there hasn’t been a single soul who has succumb to the Nightfall Fever. A great healer once said “All who were born and live in the light have nothing to fear from the darkness.
History
Kai was born to an adventurous captain of a well renown ship, and to a beloved healer of his home world. Upon their marriage many speculated on the greatness of their children, assured that a blessed child would come from their union. Yet Kai’s birth would fall to be more ominous that blessing. He was born in the middle of the Nightfall, the period of three day long total solar eclipse where no other life has ever been recorded being born. With his cold grey eyes, and inability to cry even at birth many feared that he he was an omen of dark times would soon plague the world.
Even though many residents of the world did their best to ignore and stay away from Kai, his parents loved him dearly. They sought to pass on their skills and knowledge to him as any parent would. Though he seemed receptive enough they never saw the passion for learning they believe one needed to truly master the skills they would teach him.
His father instructed Kai on traversing the seas, running and managing a ship, and fighting and hunting with a spear. The years would show him to be competent with his spear work, yet he had none of the charisma needed to even work with a crew. He seemed more interested in observing the creatures of the world than hunting them. His Mother taught him how to utilize his magic power, or at least tried to. He was able to bring out magical energy but there was nothing it seemed he could do with it. His power contained no elemental attributes, and no ability to heal like hers did. Still they did their best to pass their knowledge onto him. Their efforts to pass their skills on seem to continue in vein, until one fateful Nightfall.
During the eclipse of marking his eight year, a huge storm stirred causing massive damage to several islands on the edge of the archipelago. As always the children returned from the Nightfall safe and sound, though the same could not be said for all their parents. Many children were orphaned then, though they all were quickly taken in by couples who sympathized with their plight. His own parents chose to take in some kids as well, bringing in a young boy and younger girl into their household.
The young boy had been the son of a respected seafarer whose parents had been lost to the night. He had a solid foundation and saw Kai’s father as a hero captain, having heard his exploits growing up. The boy took quickly to Kai’s fathers teachings and quickly became the successor he was looking for. The girl had not come from famous sires, but she showed an aptitude and talent for healing magic that only came once in a lifetime. She became the apple of Kai’s mothers eye and more and more of his mothers lessons turned to focus on the girl with the great skill. One might think that Kai would have grown angry at the two usurping his place with his parents, but he was content. The lack of focus on him gave Kai freedom and time as he never had, allowing him to find his own place of peace in the world.
Still it was quite some time before these two children would grow to understand Kai. Two years later, they were still somewhat apprehensive of the young quiet boy who would always sneak off while they were at lessons and never spoke of where he went. Curiosity finally got the better of the two and they followed him in secret to learn what he did when he was away from the home. They tracked him down to a quiet groove, hidden far from prying eyes. As they stepped into the clearing they were surprised to a beautiful assortment of plants and flowers, even several different creatures roaming forth peacefully despite their looks. Kai turned from stroking the chin of a wolf like creature when he noticed the intruders. He moved to them swiftly, so swiftly that the boy thought for a moment Kai would attack them. Stopping just in front them he holds a hand out to each of them. Quiet reigns until Kai says to them. “If you're going to be here you may as well help.” He drops several seeds into each of their hands before walking back to a mound of freshly dug up soil. “Its ok, I trust them.” He says as young wolves, who sprout from nowhere growl. “You trust those wolves?!” The boy asks nervously. “I was talking about you two.” Kai replies. The girl laughs at the absurdity of it all, and walks forth to Kai’s side to help. The seeds the three planted that day would quickly bud and grow into the strongest friendship.
Within a year the three were inseparable. Morning were for their lessons, but afterwards they would always join Kai at his garden to spend the rest of their day. The girl would find a great tutor in Kai. Though he couldn't use magic properly, he always seemed able to help develop her skill. He was great at puzzling out mysteries that she was troubled with. Kai was even a match for the young boy. The skills learned from Kai’s father were polished while sparring with Kai. Never before had Kai’s father seen someone so able to learn their own weaknesses and correct them, but then few people had a friend and rival as capable as Kai. The boy and girl knew Kai must spend his hours alone training and studying just to help them, and just before the dawn of his 12th birthday they gave him the only birthday gift that they had ever scene make him smile; a pair of study black gloves and an obsidian garden knife, tools to help him tend his garden.
Kai had become more observant of the world around him. He saw things he had never noticed before, due to these two people who had become important existences to him. He still spoke little, but he became more aware of those around him, of their words, and of their deeds. He became more aware of himself as well, and of the desire that had begun to build and give strength to his heart. That year during the Nightfall he took notice that he did not suffer the effects of the Nightfall fever as the others did. When taken to the island the payed attention to the healers who handed the vital potion to all the children. None seemed to give him the same vibe his mother or even other normal healers did. Something about them was oddly… sinister.
The potion worked as it always did, guiding all who partook of it into a long slumber. Kai did his best to fight its effects, remaining conscious longer than he had ever done, and found himself hearing a chilling conversation. “We’ll have to sacrifice even more of them this year, we cannot have the same fiasco as the last.” “The heartless will have their fill. I suppose 1/10 th of those gathered should suffice.” “Gather…. lots…."
When he awoke he felt to either side, grateful to find that both his friends were still at his side. Was that all some nightmare? He wondered as they were escorted back home? No, less boats left the island carrying kids then had arrived, he was sure. But no one seemed to notice the loss of anyone, not even as the children were returned home. Kai found he could,'t remember a face or name for any of the missing children, even of one he was sure once lived nearby. It was as if all memory of them had faded from existence.For along time after he thought on the things he was sure he heard, until finally he decided he needed to find out for himself.
Over the next four years the three had grown even more. Though their lessons made them spend more time apart the three were better friends than ever. They had even taken to wearing earrings with each others names engraved in them so that they’d be together even when they weren't. A 16 year old Kai, the resplendent [boy] of the same age who was the right hand of a certain captain, and the 14 year old [girl] who had become a prodigious healer in her own right traveled together to the remote island to pass the Nightfall. It would be the last time they journeyed together.
Kai sneakily disposed of the potion he was to consume at the begging of the nightfall. While the others slipped into a coma like slumber, he only feigned to sleep. The healer’s spoke without scruple over the lot of sleeping adolescents. “ Quite the shame, it looks like this bunch had their lot called.” “Yes a shame, for those two at least. They could have grown to be quite the sight, now…” “Perhaps fate has deemed quality for quantity this time, though I may be wrong considering this one.” Kai lay motionless as he was lifted and carried to a large chamber.
When he could hear the door to the room seal shut, Kai opened his eyes. Much to his chagrin
[Boy] and [Girl] were at his side… along with two dozen others. They were all meant to be sacrifices he knew, to these creatures called ‘heartless’ as he stood his eyes followed the glow of the many runes that led to a large door on the far side of the cavern. In these last few years he had made his way here, to this forbidden place more than once. ‘This is the ritual’ he thought. All that pass through that door are forgotten by those on the other side… ‘I will not let them be taken away'
The flow of magic finally carried enough into the door and it swung open. Everyone laying on the ground shivered as the heat was sucked out the space. A darkness seemed to creep forward from the doorway, like the tentacles of a deep sea monster. The first shadow fastens around a boy closet to the door and pulls him through. Another follows in suit, until 4 have been lost beyond the threshold. Though he watched them be snatched away, Kai finds that he can no longer recall any of their faces. This had been beyond what Kai imagined, how was he to fight back against something like this? Two large tendrils of darkness reach to either side of Kai, reaching to the only two friends he had made in his lifetime. “ No! You cant have them!” He says loudly, while a pocket of his magic forms around him and his friends.
The tendrils bounce off harmlessly unable to get near the two it sought to bring into the darkness. Even more begin to shoot from the doorway in answer to the unforeseen challenge.Could this shield withstand a pounding from so many tendrils? Could he afford to find out? “You can have me, but you will not have them.” Kai steps forward, the bubble remaining to protect his friends. The tendrils wrap around him and drag him slowly to the doorway. Kai looks back to his friends, finally realizing the nature of his own magic. It exists to protect the things important to him. The black gloves he received as a gift were in his pocket, hopefully they would protect him as he went forth. The obsidian blade as well.His friends had given him these tools, wherever he was taken these mementos of them would help guide his hand.
At the ritual’s end, [Boy] and [Girl] would be found alive, along with a surprising number of other children. When they returned home they had a certain melancholy to them but neither they, nor [Mother] and [Father] could recall a memory of the boy who gave himself to the door to darkness so that they could live on.
