The Rift Curse

The story of The Rift Curse

While the first major incident was in 1359, many scholars trace the beginning of the Rift Curse to the 21st Bloom, when Emperor Mam'rai used the power of other planes to "revitalize" the Vei. While none of Mam'rai's rifts ever exploded, his actions led to their use across the land. Within a year, small accidents were already rumored to be happening.

The 1359 Rift was thought to be one accident that had been covered up decades before and left to fester. It had been slowly torn larger until an otherworld archdaemon had managed to force its way through, leading to the destruction of a minor township in Min Province. Though Mam'rai quickly sent forces to try to contain the 1359 Rifts, equally large ones began opening up around the entire kingdom. After five fruitless years of battling Rift daemons, Mam'rai walked through one. He never came out.

Mamna, who had been opposed to Rift maegye and living a quiet existence at Duskglider Hall, became Interim Empress. As part of her attempts to control the crisis, Mamna commissioned a young priestess named Kaephryn, an albino Vei with a supernatural talent at controlling Maey, to discover a way to close Rifts. It took Kaephryn a 20-year journey, but in 1390KO, the first major Rift was sealed. It caused Kaephryn her life but unlocked the secrets for Rift sealing.

By that time, nearly 2/3rds of the entire population of Maeykka had been destroyed. Empress Mamna decided to dissolve the O'Sine kingdom and prevent Vei from ever using such dangerous spells again. She formalized this in the Contract for The Academy, which also carved O'sine into lands to be ruled without Vei - Snovdenoska to the Far North, Grayswallow to the East, Hemman to the South and Chekewasu to the West. Remaining Vei congregated on Tanrei Island, in part to avoid persecution.

She retired from her throne for the second time when The Contract for The Academy was signed, and became Headmaster of the Belenus Rift Task Force.

Main Characters
Kaephryn The Alabaster: A Vei Priestess from the minor house of Ka known for her uncharacteristic white skin and her one blue eye, one yellow eye. She was disowned by her house due to her unusual markings, but came under the care of the Priestess Sisters of the Nine at the Port of Nine, and developed her enormous talents under their watch. She communed with the demonic plane in order to find a way to close the Rifts.

Sunny the Saboteur: A Jittering - one of the first to be born on O'Sine lands in the palaces at Tanrei Island. She was a trusted servant of Lady Helenyansu and acted as her eyes and ears within the party. She is a crafty rogue and bard trained in the art of spycraft and investigation.

Ser Baer Grayswallow: Sunling and youngest son of Duke Ursynn Grayswallow of the Day Lands. A talented knight in swordplay and riding with a gentle and noble demeanor.

Princess Miyosuyi: A Hael of the Great Forest Chekewasu, daughter of a major Chieftan. She possesses a firey temperament. Nicknamed Mousey by Baer.

Ali & Hipo: Mertral twins that became Kaephryn The Alabaster's handservants after she rescued them from a sinking slavers ship. Ali proved to have quite the talent as a Nature-Priest, while Hipo became a great close quarters fighter.

Vali the Digger: Norfolk chieftan of a prominent Frostfolk tribe and incredibly strong, even for his peoples. Impulsive, but loyal. He surprised both his tribe and the party by vowing to join Kaephryn's quest himself.

The Demon Pan

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Lady Helenyansu: A Noble Hael in Empress Mamna's court and the leader of the Privy Council. She was a knowledgeable and intelligent scribe and diplomat who was integral for first finding Kaephryn, and then gaining audience for Kaephryn with the strongest tribes in the land in order to find her her party. She is the only person who was not an adventurer in the but granted a kingdom by Empress Mamna.