Thousand Suns Twilight

Chapter 1: The Song of Erendlure

"Underneath the willow tree,

I finally can rest.

Tickled by the stranded leaves

As wind blows from the west.

The ripples in the boundless seas

Which countless saints did vest

Reminds of a need to breathe

The wind doth merely test."

The small village of Erendlure is situated on the eastern side of the vast Cheren Bay. It serves as a humble resting place for the caretakers of the grand forest surrounding it, which is aptly named Verdance. To the south of this forest stretches a great plain that reaches all the way to the South Sea; further to the east, the forest extends to the Shard River; to the north would be the great city of Alamond, inhabited by a peaceful yet progressive folk; and to the west, floating on an Earthmote above the Bay, is one of the five Wizard Towers which surround the great continent of Cyreet. Each tower belongs to a faction of magic users, who inhabit these towers in seclusion as they study the magic arts, not to be disturbed by the citizens of Cyreet that go about their mortal lives without concerning themselves with what lies beyond the realm. The towers form an invisible barrier, exchanging protection of the lands for a terrestrial gathering place for those that wish to experiment with the fabric of the Cosmos. The people of Cyreet are not unfamiliar with the arcane arts, and it's not uncommon for a budding apprentice to seek an audience among the leaders of the Wizard Factions in hopes of expanding their magical capabilities. The tower hovering above the Cheren Bay belonged to the Red Sky Assembly.

"Who shall tell the sun to rise

When morning comes?

And who shall tell it when to set

When Time is done?

Will there be a final glow

If this star shall succumb?

A thoughtful saint finds no rest."

Ariane Setenna continued to play her Zawlin, the heavenly anthem of Erendlure's Caretakers not ceasing to resound from its seven strings. There were no more words for her to sing, as the song was never finished. The author, an ancestral Caretaker, once sat under the same willow tree under which Ariane meditated as she played the tune. As the story goes, this Caretaker stood up, and without saying a word, bolted into Verdance Forest, abandoning his own Zawlin and the parchment on which was written his unfinished song. He wasn't seen again since, and search parties sent out over a period of one hundred years following that day turned up not even a clue to his whereabouts. Over a thousand years later, underneath that same willow tree, sat Ariane, playing her Zawlin as she contemplated the meaning of this song.

A gentle breeze made its way from the bay, rustling the sorrowful branches of the willow. Ariane reminisced upon the day that her father passed down his Zawlin to her eight years ago, as both an inheritance and a gift to remember him by before he left the village. This Zawlin had a long neck made of a thick, straight piece of oak, extending to about a meter long. The body was egg-shaped, but unlike most Zawlins, which are made of willow, this one was made of teak, about the size of a dinner serving platter. The seven strings were made of steel, and were plucked one at a time, resounding with a twang that would make both the player and the listener melt. A Zawlin could be held, with a sling wrapping around the player's neck, allowing them to play in a higher octave. Or, the base could be placed on the floor in a simple three-legged stand, allowing the player to play the thicker strings with an otherworldly yet beautiful baritone. Ariane took great care of the one given to her by her father, polishing it to a degree that it almost glowed, its golden gleam enchanting even those most ignorant to its beauty.