Stories of Eld: Legends that Define Us

Excerpt from a book in the Library of Raktesh entitled "Stories of Eld: the Legends that Define Us" by Brock the Lesser.
 
In a time long past, when air still quivered with ambient magic, there was a prophesy of an apocalypse that thankfully never came to pass. A rare and fascinating natural phenomenon, Blight, was seen in the visions of clairvoyants all over Glade, consuming the mortal world and all that lie within at the behest of a dark figure. The orcs of the Eastern Continent, "Ouroks" in their own tongue, named this dark figure after their creation deity who was believed to be returning at the end of all things: "Ouroboros."
 
Blight is a purple dust that forms in places where magic leaves this world and enters the land of the dead, Mobius. Its innate danger was obvious: burning the skin of any mortal it touches, transforming fey into their shadow selves, and even raising the dead. At that time, it was confined to easily avoidable regions.
 
Fey were a much more common presence in this age compared to our own, with the many various courts and their Archfey houses scattered across every continent. One of these courts was that of Caligra, one of the most renowned Archfey in the world. She is credited with the invention of the first written language many millennia ago. She was, as one would expect, a prolific writer, filling libraries the size of cities with her stories and philosophies. Her court was highly regarded and her influence touched all.
 
Her chosen people were a particular tribe of goliaths called the firbolg who stood apart from others of their kind by eschewing the more violent, individualistic culture associated with their people. It's difficult to know exactly what their relationship to Caligra was, as goliath history is infamous for boastful hyperbole, but the mage historians tend to agree that they dwelled in her court and acted as custodians in her libraries. It is this relationship that led to the development of rune scrivening - combining the goliath knowledge of primeval magical currents and the inner workings of the soul with Caligra's written word. They were, by all accounts, a beacon of civilization in a largely primitive world.
 
The rest of Caligra's court was made up of fey, as one would expect, and none were more loyal than a servant named Chlorinthus. He was an interesting fellow even by fey standards, containing within him boundless capacity for loyalty and affection. He was quick to love, enjoying relationships with men and women alike, and often at the same time. There was nobody he loved more than Caligra, however, and when the unthinkable happened it was Chlorinthus alone who dared approach the gods on her behalf.
 
Very little information remains about the woman who set the Miasma of the Three Stars in motion. She was charismatic, influential, and no doubt ambitious. She claimed to be a clairvoyant and was somehow able to convince three archfey to gather in one place. One of these archfey was Caligra, who arrived with Chlorinthus in tow. Artwork depicting what happened at this meeting often depicts Caligra dying in Chlorinthus' arms. The essences of these god-like fey were contained within three resplendent orbs that shined like stars. When combined with the soul of the mortal woman who brought them together, a sentient mass of Blight of unimaginable proportion was brought into being, triggering a war that would change the world forever.
 
While this storm of Blight (now known as the Miasma) ravaged the land and raised hordes of undead, Chlorinthus first pursued a greater concern. He cried out to the gods of chaos, Xengral the lord of beasts and Whillip the lord of verdantry, and begged them to restore Caligra, or at least permit her to reincarnate. Alas, they either would not or could not answer his prayer. He then beseeched them for a measure of their power, so that he may bestow it on an army capable of fighting back the legions of undead that stood between him and Caligra's essence. This request was granted, and Chlorinthus ascended to archfey of the druids.
 
Disparate peoples across the world found a common enemy in the Miasma. The goliaths who served Caligra were the first to accept Chlorinthus' gift, leaving behind the comforts of the society they had built for the brutality of the wilderness. They gave their all to the cause and so began to change in appearance, taking on aspects of the bull that would become more pronounced over the generations. Next, the gnome tribes, infamous for their ferocity in battle, gladly took upon themselves the mantle of druidry. Finally, the vast empire of the elves, led by their empress Lolth, joined the coalition, contributing arcane knowledge and warriors of peerless grace. There are many others who can claim ancestry leading back to Chlorinthus' druids; these are simply the most notable of the groups.
 
Chlorinthus' and Lolth grew close on the battlefield. When the war ended and the Star of Caligra was retrieved, Lolth pledged the vast magical resources at her disposal to the pursuit of restoring Caligra. Chlorinthus agreed and returned to her capital with her, Star in hand, so that he would never be too far from it. It is unknown when Lolth's motivations changed or if she had planned her betrayal from the start, but at some point she decided to consume both the Star and Chlorinthus for the purpose of ascending to godhood. As depicted in Jean-Pierre Remarke's iconic sculpture *Fête de la Veuve Noire*, Lolth was somehow able to paralyze the archfey and then consume him. Thus began the elf queen's descent into tyranny and madness.
 
This is where the tragic tale of Chlorinthus ends. Mysteriously, he has never reincarnated in the millennia since. The Star of Caligra has similarly been lost to the ages, likely changing hands countless times along with the other two Stars of the Miasma. Chlorinthus' legacy lives on in the practice of druidry.
 
However, there may be an epilogue to this tale. Carved into the face of the tallest mountain on Glade, Mount Godstongue, is a series of druidic runes that depict a legend of great interest. As previously stated, goliath history is often embellished, but Archeological Archmage Armond Armistice has at least confirmed that the runes date back to the era of the Miasma. As this story goes, on the eve of his death, Chlorinthus called his most trusted friend to his side, a goliath of the firbolg tribe named Kal'Tor'Ussul, which roughly translates to "Ambassador", and literally translates to "Friend of the Foreignborn". Chlorinthus told him that he believed his life was in danger and entrusted him with the Star of Caligra. He was instructed to take the Star far away, where Lolth could never reach it. Kal'Tor'Ussul dutifully obeyed, wildshaping into a pelican and engulfing the Star with his beak. He then took flight into the night sky, circling Glade forevermore as the constellation Pelicanus.