Username: Jantzi01
Hyena name: Zářivý
Hyena gender: Female
Pride: The Ushirikiano PridePride status: Old Goddess of Light
Prompt:In the beginning, Zářivý was adored.
She brought the mindless citizens light, something concrete to understand other than rocks and dust. She was warm, loving, and kind. Everyone always looked forward to falling asleep, where she would show up in their dreams. They were her beloved children. They adored her, and she adored them. In return for their worship, she gave their lives meaning.
But then a worm came, and ruined everything for her.
Creatures like him, they exist only to bring others into their grasp. To create kingdoms they know will eventually fall, ensnaring people into their servitude. While she gave them light, he gave them sentience.
And just like that, she was erased. All of her children abandoned her in the blink of an eye.
They turned to worship the new light that appeared in their lives, almost completely removing her from their memories.
His kingdom flourished, for a time, but then tragedy struck.
A horrible illness flooded the kingdom, infecting the minds of the citizens and driving them mad. It started on the outskirts, and slowly worked its way towards the capital city. The city gates were closed permanently, in order to keep the plague away. The key was left with one of the King's most loyal knights.
As it turned out, she wasn't completely gone. The descendants of her worshipers still kept her in their memories, and atop a lonely cliff side they built a monument to honor her.
That was their worst mistake
She was furious at the king, furious at her children. Her powers lashed out violently, corrupting minds and forcing citizens to return to the old ways. Mindless and unchanging. She didn't mean to cause it, but she wasn't objecting to it either. She would have her children back, even if it meant forcing them into her servitude.
Horrified, the king looked below his palace for a solution. He found what he was looking for, but the cost was grim. The only way he found to stop her was to trap her in the mind of one of his citizens. But there was a catch. They had to be completely empty. No soul, no emotions, just hollow void. If they had thoughts, or feelings, she could corrupt them and eventually break free. Both him and his queen felt that it was the best option they had at saving their home. So, they created the perfect vessel to contain her. A hollow shell.
She was forced into the Vessel's head, shutting her off from the world. The vessel was protected by three seals, made by placing three powerful beings into an eternal slumber. The three beings, given the titles The Watcher, The Teacher, and The Beast all lay sleeping in their homes, protected by various guards.
The kingdom was flourishing once more. The city gates opened, and statues were built in honor of the Vessel and the Protectors.
After some time, Zářivý started to make a reappearance. As it turns out, the Vessel wasn't as hollow as they thought. They were tarnished by an idea. By love for their father. The king, now out of ideas, hid himself and his palace. No one knows where they went. It seemed as if they had simply vanished. The queen took up safety in her gardens, protected by one of the king's knights. The others vanished with the king, all going into hiding.
Most of the few sentient lions and hyenas left in the kingdom live in fear, hiding themselves in hopes that she won't come after them. There's one civilization that remains untouched, however. The warrior tribe that lives in Mantar Atıkları, a place covered in various mushrooms and fungi, appear to have been largely unaffected by the plague. The only known members of the tribe to have been infected are one of the Lords who ruled it, and his followers. They were exiled from the group and took up residence in the Karalienes Dārzi, the formal name for the queen's garden.
Of course, Zářivý thinks she was in the right. After all, her people were stolen from her. She simply wanted them back. She just wanted to not be forgotten anymore.
(685 Words)
