Blackened Sun, Won’t You Come, and Burn the World in Flame?
After an amusing transmission sent by Perriwinkle Sweetpease, the communes of the Basin of Life reconvened the next month, in late Avechary. Butter’s husband ready: the Song of Ail’Fae Runia was to be sung. And thus, the ingredients were sought – not, of course, after worries were abated that the Rite of hai’Gloh Zemordia would be accidentally performed. It was not, and in the end, a little fae girl stood as the Rosebearer – hoping to banish the Solar Queen once and for all.
But things did not go as expected.
Once more, the Solar Queen sang the Song of First Morning; however, it was clear that some other, some male presence controlled her. With a dissonant voice, the Queen shouted, among other things: F’ai slawqwi! F’ai basla’orenzal! Meah narizal! Ail’an narizal! Alaine narizal! Maen narizal! (For those not fluent in fae: I am not sleeping! I am awake! Sky will burn! Trees will burn! Rivers will burn! All will burn!). The Queen’s song disrupted the Song of Ail’Fae Runia, and she sought to punish the world that dared undermine her. Drawing the Sun itself to her, the once golden sphere turned infernally black, lashing the Prime Material Plane with solar flares and sun fae. It was then that the Queen called upon her attendants – and lo, the Dawnburst Druids arrived to bond with the elder sunpride trees grown upon Avechna’s Peak. Unsurprising to many within the Basin, it would seem that the druids were false allies who sought to bring about this Solar Queen and blackened Sun.
The people of the Basin of Life took to arms, doing their best to fight against the bonded Dawnbursts – Turiki, Sidwesh and Mraxin – as well as a number of other Dawnburst druids who came to protect these sacred trees. However, for every strike against the three leaders seemed to never find purchase, deflected by some strange aura of golden sunlight. Another solution would have to be found, it would seem; it would, by roar in the distant Southern Mountains.
Led by Jyoath and Anaara of the Goldenclaw Coven, Sakhmis, the Denmother, arrived to the Basin of Life. Only the other month did one of the two younger wiccans spoke to spread word of her arrival; making his way to Gaudiguch – who he had promised to give an audience to the Denmother – Jyoath assisted in defending the Elemental Plane of Fire against the sun fae alongside Rolan Vessandril, Talan Ysav’rai, Enadonella De’Validus and Eritheyl Ryseni. It would seem too that Anaara contacted Tremula Nitraedes, for long ago, Hallifax struck a similar deal with a nameless wiccan. In the end, it was not just Gaudiguch or Hallifax, but the Basin of Life entire who came to visit the Denmother. Old, but still spry, Sakhmis explained that to kill the Dawnbursts, one must strike at the root of their power: the sunpride trees. But how to bring these down, which some of the Basin had hoped to do since their original planting? With axes, of course. The Denmother gifted Talan, Gero, and Veyils thick-bladed obsidian axes to do the deed; however, she explained that they must be empowered first. And since the Basin of Life lacked the sacred chocolate necessary for such a procedure, holy blood would suffice. The blood spilt by Dawnburst fledglings.
One by one, Turiki, Sidwesh and Mraxin fell – their invincibility severed by the hacking of the sunpride elders. But it was not enough. The Solar Queen still rampaged through Faethorn and the Sun still remained infernal and seething. As the Basin of Life returned to Faethorn, with Sakhmis in tow, they discussed a plan with the Thornroot on how to tackle the Queen. It was suggested, perhaps, the Elemental Planes be used to temporarily weaken or destabilize the Queen’s power, thus allowing the Ail’Fae Runia to work. However, the communes were fearful of such a production – knowing full and well how the machinations of the higher planes are upon Faethorn; indeed, those of Glomdoring, especially Eliron Shee-Slaugh, suggested perhaps a different working: one of the Great Voices of the forests to destabilize the Queen, or perhaps to have Mother Night take greater influence of the Maeve. Thus began the age-old debate between city and commune. Taking authority as Thornroot leader, Perriwinkle opted to use the Elemental Planes, for, while they may be dangerous, he worried about the increasing pressure of Great Spirit influence upon the Maeve.
Thus, the cities once again took to their Planes, imbuing their archways with essence from not only creatures in their planes, but the residue of sun fae that roamed the Prime Material Plane. Soon enough, each archway pulsed with power: harmonizing with each other to deliver a vibrational hum that could destabilize the Solar Queen.
Once again, the Song of Ail’Fae Runia was to be undertaken. The ingredients were gathered, and the little fae girl was taken to the Great Old One – the Tree of Trees. However, unlike before, the girl became not the Rosebearer, but instead, a new figure: the Once and Future Queen. Possessing regal authority, the girl was guided back to Faethorn, where she sang the song of Ail’Fae Runia.
And it worked. The voices of the fae cried out to break through the Song of the First Morning, pulling the influence of the Sun Spirit from the Maeve. However, all was not over. Indeed, the war for Faethorn had just begun.
