RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes

Jancis · **12-03-2014, 06:57 PM**

"And now, even though she has graced us with such a performance as a powerful heroine, Lady Xenedra shall enchant us with a story."

Xenedra laughs and takes the center of the stage. Lifting her chin, projecting loud and clear. "I personally love origin myths and I happen to have one that fits the bill here." She plays at opening an invisible book.Â

"There was once a farmer who lived amongst the stone and ice that is Coerthas. As most of us know, Coerthas wasn't always blanketed in white like it is now, but being that close to the Farreach and in the mountains, no less, it's never been known as a partic~ularly warm locale."

Xenedra mock shivers, hugging her arms around herself and making a face like a grumpy child.

"And it was once much larger..."

"However! The farmer's fields, settled between two of the rockiest outcroppings in the whole of the region and far to the east, always grew green. Or purple or orange or red if he decided to grow eggplants or pumpkins or peppers~." She grins.

"Of course those in the craggy valley around him were curious, so one night a few of them snuck onto his farm and peeked in his window as he was getting ready for bed. There on the wall-" Xenedra motions out beyond the crowd with her palm. "-was a symbol. A uniform sprout in a little pile of earth. Nophica's symbol. And below the symbol and the simple shrine around it the farmer knelt, praying to the Goddess of harvests."

Bowing her head over clasped hands, a serene image of prayer, she lifts her head suddenly, expression furious!

"The other farmers were outraged! This was Coerthas! Land of cold and rocks and HALONE! How DARE one of Halone's people pray to another Goddess simply so that he might outshine them! How dare he wish for more, for prosperity above all others!"

"Their rage firmly at heart and hand, the group of farmers waited until morning and began the perilous trip to visit The Mover of Glaciers, Halone. She was pleased to see the fires of conflict burning within them and told them that she would move against their enemy at once."

"Down from her haven Halone flew, down to the sheltered little oasis of greenery. She looked with disdain upon such thriving life in her frigid mountains and smote it with a gesture."

Xenedra tips her head up regally, aloof and flicks her wrist.

"The plants withered and died immediately as the farmer watched from his tiny house in awe. Yes his livelihood was ruined, but how often does one see a Goddess? Still, his senses returned to him and he questioned his celestial visitor."

Lifting her chin and looking earnestly up to question as the farmer, "Why? Why, most loved Halone, have you brought this pain upon me?"

"The Goddess whirled on the man, living up to her name of The Fury." Xenedra adopts the whirlwind anger of the Goddess the speak, "Why!? You call me most beloved, but you pray to another! You pray for more than what my lands give you, from *another*!"

She lets the fury go, sinking back into the role of the frightened farmer, voice wavering, "My lady, I and my family have always held you foremost in our hearts and minds, but the lands are fickle and barren. To simply live, I pray for a good harvest and Lady Nophica answers, knowing full well that we are yours only."

Xenedra looks down her nose at some invisible sniveling farmer, head held high, "I've had enough of your LIES, wayward mortal. Nothing, NOTHING will grow from your lands again as long as I hold reign here. May you whither and die as your plants have."

"With that, she turned on her heel and was gone in a glimmer of light off frozen armor."

"For a long time the farmer sat, head in hands until he heard soft footsteps approaching him. His eyes grew wide and he sucked in a gasp of surprise as Nophica, green as spring and golden as fall all at once, approached him across the fallow field. At her feet re-sprung the life that Halone had banished."

Xenedra smiles warmly to those listening to her story and speaks gently as Nophica, "You have done no wrong here, sweet Farmer. It was as you said, but my peer has never been one to listen. War is in her heart, it is simply her nature."

Xenedra, once against the farmer, hangs her head and frets, "But my Lady, how can I hope to win against Lady Halone. Surely my home is doomed."

She shakes her head reassuringly, lifting it to fill the role of Nophica once more, "Your goal and mine are one in the same. I wish to see life and bountiful harvests even in the harshest environs. I will not abandon you now. Replant your rows and trust in me."

"For three days the farmer hesitated, caught between Goddesses, but on the third day he took heart and began resewing his garden. He worked hard, doing three days work in that one day, and fell asleep amoungst the seed beds, drained. When he woke the next morning, he was surrounded once again by flowering plants."

Xenedra murmurs, "Impossible..." as the farmer and looks around in wonder.

"But no sooner had his spirits begun to lift, then did a hail of ice begin streaking from the heavens. Halone had come to ruin his miracle. The knives of ice tore through the plants, reducing the budding leaves and flowers to ribbons as the farmer fled to his house, attempting to avoid the same fate. The ice fell for days upon days, all over the region not only ruining his crops, but the crop of the other farmers, too."

"Finally, Nophica could stand no more and moved against Halone in one burst of power. The ice showers melted and fell as harmless, healing water. The farmers watched in wonder as the sky blessed them with water for their fields."

Xenedra holds her hands out to catch the invisible rain, face full of amazement.

She holds up a finger. "This-"

"-was the first rain that Eorzea had ever experienced. The rain continued, a soft weeping for a land that had too long been ravaged and the earth soaked it up hungrily."

"All around the bewildered farmers trees sprung up, but not saplings, full *trees* already baring fruit. Bushes of berries and vines of tomatoes and fields upon fields of flowers filled in the patches between the heavy laden trees and the land was all at once, no longer barren."

"Halone howled to see her land changed so at the hands of Nophica, but she had been raining ice for days and she was exhausted. It was beyond her power to do anything to stop her, though after her assault, Nophica was equally worn. The Goddesses were at a standstill and the land remained ripe."

"Out of all of this..."

Xenedra closes her invisible story book and looks out across the audience.

"-grew not only the bitter rivalry that Nophica and Halone share to this very day, but also the region that we now call the Black Shroud, home to towering trees and bountiful harvests."

Xenedra Ambreaus smiles, awarded with claps and cheers.Â

"Lovely story, very well done." "Such fascinating story-telling!" "Thank you~"

Celebration of The Matron [Open to Pilgrims! OOC comments Welcome!]

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes