In the forests of the Allir Reach there remained a small trace of an altar that had once been dedicated to the goddess Astra. It had long since been forgotten by the countless of people that had once traversed these once worn paths but at the very least the altars remained with the undying candle at its heart still burning as bright as the day it had been lit. Sitting down on their knees by one of these Altars was a seemingly young woman. Blonde locks peeked out from behind a hood that covered her head, strands of hair swaying back and forth in the howling winds that seemed to mask the murmurs that parted her lips. A gold accented teal cloak with a star at its base rested upon her shoulders which covered the majority of her silhouette.
It was hard to miss the faint glow that radiated from what little skin one could see from underneath the cloak as it waved ever so gently in the wind. Rumors had passed through Arenthil about people like her, once upon a time. Some people called them sirens, creatures that led people into the forests and feasted upon the flesh. Some people called them saviors in an hour of need and beacons in the dark.
Skylar, the woman meditating by the altar, had never liked to consider herself a danger. At least not to anyone other than herself, and she was more than content to keep it that way.
“... and grant me the strength to guide those who seek my judgment with a clear mind…”
Not too long ago her congregation had received word that the time had come for a pilgrimage. The few people that had remained at the temple along the Sayve River had set off with a supposed task of the goddess for themselves. Her parents had set off in one direction, Brother Uio in another. Sisters Sarah and Isa were both headed for Elbion. That only left Skylar, and she of all people had no idea where to even begin.
“The time has come,” A vague voice had echoed that day. “Seek my temple. Prove your loyalty.”
With the chaos that ensued after Skylar had relayed these words to her people, the understanding of where to go had been all but lost to her. Though the words echoed through her head like a recent memory at this point, nobody had ever taken the time to point her towards where she needed to go. So focused were they on the upheaval of everything that they had known that at some point they never stopped to tell Skylar where she actually needed to go as if this was to be something she innately understood.
The bad news here was that for all her blessing of the goddess was worth, Skylar was still left with nothing. As such she had simply taken to wandering the forests of the Allir Reach trying to figure out what it all meant before she would take that step. Perhaps with time, it would show itself. Perhaps.
It was hard to miss the faint glow that radiated from what little skin one could see from underneath the cloak as it waved ever so gently in the wind. Rumors had passed through Arenthil about people like her, once upon a time. Some people called them sirens, creatures that led people into the forests and feasted upon the flesh. Some people called them saviors in an hour of need and beacons in the dark.
Skylar, the woman meditating by the altar, had never liked to consider herself a danger. At least not to anyone other than herself, and she was more than content to keep it that way.
“... and grant me the strength to guide those who seek my judgment with a clear mind…”
Not too long ago her congregation had received word that the time had come for a pilgrimage. The few people that had remained at the temple along the Sayve River had set off with a supposed task of the goddess for themselves. Her parents had set off in one direction, Brother Uio in another. Sisters Sarah and Isa were both headed for Elbion. That only left Skylar, and she of all people had no idea where to even begin.
“The time has come,” A vague voice had echoed that day. “Seek my temple. Prove your loyalty.”
With the chaos that ensued after Skylar had relayed these words to her people, the understanding of where to go had been all but lost to her. Though the words echoed through her head like a recent memory at this point, nobody had ever taken the time to point her towards where she needed to go. So focused were they on the upheaval of everything that they had known that at some point they never stopped to tell Skylar where she actually needed to go as if this was to be something she innately understood.
The bad news here was that for all her blessing of the goddess was worth, Skylar was still left with nothing. As such she had simply taken to wandering the forests of the Allir Reach trying to figure out what it all meant before she would take that step. Perhaps with time, it would show itself. Perhaps.