Soza al Coru – 18+ unaging – Drow
To many, Thac’zil Del Oloth (the land of darkness) has been considered the end of the world for centuries. There, embedded in the sharpened mountains of jagged rock lives only the Drow who worship Yahsra Chath (The God’s of flame). These creatures are said to have flesh as dark as the ash that clouds the skies about their volcanic lands, eyes and hair burning with the fires they worship. Their lives are measured by the coming and waning of the sun, in death they are consumed by fire. Here, in this land often mistaken as demon in nature, the day of the solstice had come; a day when all would worship and celebrate their god lingering in the skies above. A day without true darkness, as the light became pure enough to force its way through the ash. On this day, many things have been known to happen. Sacrifices are made, unions sealed and broken, and for one day, the priestesses and priests, the most beautiful and powerful of all of the Drow, came forth to choose mates. It was a great honor to be chosen, one that no one would refuse. Children from these unions often became the generations of priests to come. However, once in a century or so, a mating would go awry. Blessed or damned by the gods, each had their opinions, these anomalies created the Dalharen ssussun (Children of the Light). These children, unlike the Drow, were not of ash and flame, but swelled with light poured color. Their skin shown like pinkened silks. Their lips stained like berries. Their hair wrapped them in the most vibrant colors the rays of sun might produce, a living veil of all things foreign and feared by the Drow. It was a union such as this that Soza’s handmaiden spoke of from time to time; a birth that resulted in the sacrificial burning of her mother during the following sun in penance to the gods for having chosen poorly her mate and wombed such a child. For now, Soza was alone. The last Ssussun had been sacrificed to bring
nourishment and rain to the people. The Ssussun were kept, deep inside the earth where the mountains swelled with steam from their bellies. They were tended by the priestesses or priests of the fire, kept until it was decided that a more substantial sacrifice was necessary to sustain blessings upon their kingdom. Few made it to one hundred suns. Iire had always treated Soza well. Being less that twice Soza’s age, Iire was but a girl when she was given the task of the Ssussun. She could still recall the last, a male they called Yukin for the pigment of his eyes seemed to wash his skin as well. Iire had grown before him in the order of the priestesses, and spoke of him to Soza as a kind boy. Often Soza would think that she saw a bit of sorrow in Iire’s eyes when she spoke of the day that Yukin was sacrificed. She would tell Soza, “The sacrifice is the moment in your life where you truly honor the gods. By giving yourself to them in all things, you cleanse yourself and this world of your misdoings, and rain the blessings of your sacrifice on those whom you leave behind.” Iire had a soft hand and a gentle voice, but often it could not sate Soza’s curiosity. Soza wished to be free and see the sun from whence she was told she was created. On long hot nights in her stone chamber, Soza would pass the visions of those she’d watched burn in the sacrifice before her mind, determined to die with the dignity of the best of them when her time came.
To many, Thac’zil Del Oloth (the land of darkness) has been considered the end of the world for centuries. There, embedded in the sharpened mountains of jagged rock lives only the Drow who worship Yahsra Chath (The God’s of flame). These creatures are said to have flesh as dark as the ash that clouds the skies about their volcanic lands, eyes and hair burning with the fires they worship. Their lives are measured by the coming and waning of the sun, in death they are consumed by fire. Here, in this land often mistaken as demon in nature, the day of the solstice had come; a day when all would worship and celebrate their god lingering in the skies above. A day without true darkness, as the light became pure enough to force its way through the ash. On this day, many things have been known to happen. Sacrifices are made, unions sealed and broken, and for one day, the priestesses and priests, the most beautiful and powerful of all of the Drow, came forth to choose mates. It was a great honor to be chosen, one that no one would refuse. Children from these unions often became the generations of priests to come. However, once in a century or so, a mating would go awry. Blessed or damned by the gods, each had their opinions, these anomalies created the Dalharen ssussun (Children of the Light). These children, unlike the Drow, were not of ash and flame, but swelled with light poured color. Their skin shown like pinkened silks. Their lips stained like berries. Their hair wrapped them in the most vibrant colors the rays of sun might produce, a living veil of all things foreign and feared by the Drow. It was a union such as this that Soza’s handmaiden spoke of from time to time; a birth that resulted in the sacrificial burning of her mother during the following sun in penance to the gods for having chosen poorly her mate and wombed such a child. For now, Soza was alone. The last Ssussun had been sacrificed to bring
nourishment and rain to the people. The Ssussun were kept, deep inside the earth where the mountains swelled with steam from their bellies. They were tended by the priestesses or priests of the fire, kept until it was decided that a more substantial sacrifice was necessary to sustain blessings upon their kingdom. Few made it to one hundred suns. Iire had always treated Soza well. Being less that twice Soza’s age, Iire was but a girl when she was given the task of the Ssussun. She could still recall the last, a male they called Yukin for the pigment of his eyes seemed to wash his skin as well. Iire had grown before him in the order of the priestesses, and spoke of him to Soza as a kind boy. Often Soza would think that she saw a bit of sorrow in Iire’s eyes when she spoke of the day that Yukin was sacrificed. She would tell Soza, “The sacrifice is the moment in your life where you truly honor the gods. By giving yourself to them in all things, you cleanse yourself and this world of your misdoings, and rain the blessings of your sacrifice on those whom you leave behind.” Iire had a soft hand and a gentle voice, but often it could not sate Soza’s curiosity. Soza wished to be free and see the sun from whence she was told she was created. On long hot nights in her stone chamber, Soza would pass the visions of those she’d watched burn in the sacrifice before her mind, determined to die with the dignity of the best of them when her time came.
