No more a sun than an eclipse of the light in the Heavens, the Black Sun truly is a curse upon Peus and its citizens. Formed upon the death of Aeurius at the hands of the Pantheon, the Black Sun is presumably a raging creation of the uncontrolled Aether, an inescapable darkness which not even the Pantheon could control. The Black Sun touches all of Peus and creates on it beasts, twisted beings which seek nothing but the destruction of man and mer alike. In the early ages of the Black Sun, Peus was thrown into chaos and much of the world changed, lands shifted and fissures appeared from which dark energies flowed. Even mountains were subjected to the touch of the Black Sun whereupon the caves and citadels of dwarves were flooded with beasts from the depths. Some say even the Grand Temple of Aeurius was swallowed and the surrounding city made nothing but ruins.
The Aether is no more a blessing than a curse, a pulsing darkness from with one may pull the powers to shape the world. Such a blessing comes at a cost, however, as the beings capable of controlling such power, the Aether Touched, are often plagued by their connection to the Aether. Some say the Black Sun speaks to them in their dreams, whispers dark secrets and horrors alike and engraves misery into their being. Some go so far as to believe that the Aether’s connection to them is like that of a parasite, draining them the more they require its power. The Pantheon is one of the few remaining groups capable of controlling the Aether without any of the negative side effects from, at least on the surface level. However even they are not to be compared to a master of the Aether like Aeurius.
The Aether touched are often viewed as outsiders in their community and the early development of their connection often isolates them entirely, few are willing to allow such beings to exist for fear of drawing beasts to them. Many of the kingdoms of Peus, even those of the Pantheon, view the Aether Touched with hatred and Inquisitors are well known to roam within the lands and hunt down those who practice it. In few lands, however, the Aether Touched are gathered by Inquisitors and thrown into ‘Academies’, forced to learn control over their power and used for war. Only in Jorn are the Aether Touched free to exist as they please, protected by the Scarlet Flame and even offered by the Goddess Amari to cleanse them of their curse. Those who accept often become Acolytes to the Scarlet Flame, though less… human than what they once were.
Blessed are the Scarlet Flame, protectors of man and mer alike and servants to the great Goddess Amari. Few are recruited into the Scarlet Flame and fewer even last through their first year of service within the order. It is not out of the dangers of the first year that many quit but rather out of fear for it is within the Scarlet Flame that many will face the beasts of the Black Sun and risk their lives to protect the people of Jorn and Peus alike. The Order is very secretive about the process though it is well known that they accept Aether Touched and regular recruits alike. The Aether Touched are often trained by the Goddess Amari herself in order to form their name sake, to pull a flame from the Aether that can burn even the hardest hide. It is in its Acolytes, however, that many feel unease towards the Order for those who’ve been cleansed of their connection to the Aether often seem empty of being, nothing more than shells of what they once were.
Whatever the process to Cleanse truly is uncertain, only known by the Goddess and truly it must be a horrid process.
Some Aether Touched are driven made by their connection to Aether, the whisperings of the Black Sun sending them spiraling down the path of its control. However, those that survive and manage to rest some portion of control from the Aether are able to manifest an Anima, a physical form of their powers. Animas manifest personalized to each Aether Touched which has formed it, its powers varying depending on how much control the Aether Touched has taken from the Black Sun. The Scarlet Flame is an example of an Anima, one formed by the Goddess Amari. Her desires are what gives it the power to perform its spells. It may burn those who touch it if she wishes or heals them, its potential is near impossible.
However, none outside of the Pantheon have ever managed to maintain their Anima for more than a few hours at a time before the use of Aether takes its toll on them. Many Aether Touched overexert their bodies in an attempt to keep their control over the Aether for as long as possible, sometimes resulting in a blackout or increasing their connection to Aether. However, with proper training an Aether Touched may increase their power and the flexibility of their Anima so as to perform as even the Pantheon does. With time even the weakest Aether Touched could become like a God, though perhaps at a heavy toll if the Pantheon is to be an example.
