Long ago, a tempest Goddess fell from the womb of Nothing. As she fell, she created the Arlan teal sky, the blazing sun, and azure warm oceans. Her name was Skyra. The Goddess of the Skies, Oceans, and Healing. Mother of Light. With the Goddess Fer, together they transformed Arla into a lush paradise.
Once Arla was fully formed, Skyra marked her territory and claimed the Southern coastline of the mainland. However, that wasn’t enough for Skyra. So one day, she went to Fer and asked for a favor. For Fer to create Skyra a private little isle…directly across the Southern coastline. Fer granted her favor…in exchange for a sphere of light.
Today, Skyra’s kingdom, the Kingdom of Stars, Light, and Mists, not only encompasses the private isle and Southern coastline, but also the entire Southeastern region. A history of conquering resulted in the expansion of this bloodthirsty kingdom…which started 48 years after the Gods departure. The Incarnates of Skyra, Blood Incarnates they are called, became hungry for power and glory, and life turned for the worst for Arlans north of the Isle. The age of conquest, also known as The Great Mushrooming, began.
First fell the small kingdom once led by the Goddess of Judgement and Retribution, Reyna. An easy defeat for King Jaspar. Once the quick battle was over, Jaspar turned his attention to the Kingdom of Desire, ruled by the Ascended Incarnate of Desire. A surprising struggle, but not a failure, the war with Desire was bloody and sinister. Desire’s cruel power to get into the minds of everyone resulted in a brief period of cannibalism among the Isle’s army. But after two and a half years, with the help of another Incarnate from the West, the Incarnate of Desire was captured, and her kingdom fell. But to a surprise to all, to appease newly conquered subjects and make the transition easier, the Ascended Incarnate of Desire was initiated into the Royal Council of the Isle and given the title of Pariesa…meaning twice from command. But underneath it all, it was a ploy to keep the Incarnate close.
Unfortunately, the war with the Kingdom of Desire drained the Isle. Jaspar, reluctantly, put a pause on conquest and rested for the remainder of his reign.
Thirty one years later, the conquest resumed and the blooming Gardenia Kingdom ruled by the Ascended Incarnate of Fer named Yinne fell next. Yinne and her kingdom fought long and hard against Queen Lira, the Blood Queen. But once Lira took residence in the skies, it was over for Yinne. And to ensure total control, Lira forced Yinne to marry her second daughter, Ginna, unifying the kingdoms and installing their bloodline on that throne. This unification lasted until The Hallow War.
After the conquest of Gardenia, the Isle turned their attention towards the formidable Mountains. Quickly, they found they were no match for Queen Rho and the power of Trykar. The Isle Army led by King Meno suffered a humiliating defeat. For King Meno learned, he was not the only one who could take to the skies. The Great Mushrooming finally came to an end and the Isle had to settle for the Southeastern region of Arla.
Today, the Kingdom of Stars, Light, and Mists, also known as the Isle Kingdom, is split into three provinces: Thalassia, Araqu, and Benna.
Benna is a Southeastern coastal province, the third biggest in Arla. The coastline is dotted with rock pools and salmon colored coarse sand. In Northern Benna, the region has always been known for its cream colored houses with sapphire clay roof tiles, while Southern Benna has been known for its hypnotizing and provocative gatherings. Today, Benna is more of a closed military zone. During Queen Arra’s reign, she closed the province’s doors to outsiders from the West after The Dusting, a mystical bombing that injured several members of the Isle army, carried out by the Separationists, a rebellious political movement calling for independence from the Isle. After the Hallow War, after the Queen of the Isle Shioban made a costly mistake, the movement grew astronomically in strength and numbers. Now, most of the Isle’s military resources are used to calm the chaos in Benna.
South of Benna, there is Araqu…the biggest coastal province in Arla, the land Skyra claimed first. Araqu encompasses the entire Southern coastline in Arla. A vibrant coastal paradise where Islers reside in wooden homes and spend their nights in lagoons. Upon waking, many adults leave their brightly painted and fragrant homes and head to a lapidary workshop or spring where they work until sunset. Gem trade is the second most important trade activity in the Isle followed by the water trade.
Araqu is home to countless of vibrant decorated lapidary workshops, taverns, healing springs, and places of worship. Places of worship are easily identified by their elongated geometric stained glass windows and blue walls with white domes, while Islers homes are defined by their vibrant painted doors, thick white walls, inner courtyards, and taupe colored concrete roof tiles.
And then there’s Thalassia, the island off the Southern coast. Compared to the outside, Thalassia is a visual wonder. Fountains, waterfalls, pools, and ice sculptures could be found everywhere. And at the center was the Grand Palace of the Isle. Its exterior, dressed in a cooling, light blue, could be seen by those far in the mountains. Inside, one would find twenty two rooms, with half containing a pool. Skyra was often thirsty for water.
But it is in the Grand Natatorium where just a peek inside takes one breath away. There, the walls are a rich green, covered in blue and white flowers where slithering snakes slither around. In the center of the room, one would find a very shallow, ice cold pool. Above it, just hanging below the teal stained glass ceiling, sun shaped and star shaped lanterns levitate. The sun shaped lanterns, when simultaneously lit with the light of Skyra, produce a brightness that would blind the average Arlan, while the star shaped lanterns produce a green glow, drowning the ceiling and walls in star shaped shadows at night.
Once the home of Skyra, the palace is now the home to her Incarnate. Today, that title belongs to Sharra. In her Incarnate form, no longer one sees the jet black colored hair and amber eyes Skyra was born with, instead, one would see metallic, turquoise hair and green eyes. With the essence of Skyra, Sharra possessed the power of control over the skies, oceans, and light. But she didn’t want it.
Unlike her predecessors, Sharra did not care much for politics. She didn’t care much about being a royal at all, in fact. She didn’t want to inherit a broken kingdom, but she had no other choice. It was Sharra’s mother, Arra, who first inherited the kingdom at the end of the war. Arra had to quickly clean up Shioban’s mess. As she did, she neglected her eldest child and withdrew from her. But Arra was burdened with great responsibility. The Hallow War destroyed the standing of the Isle Kingdom. Queen Shioban’s mistake nearly annihilated them all. The West both feared and condemned the Isle, while the Northern Mountains’ hatred grew stronger.
Now here was Sharra, forced to continue to rebuild a once glorious kingdom from the darkness in which Shioban drowned it in, fend off separationists, and control the serpent abominations that lurk in the warm waters and desperate to return to the surface. But just like Mesyla and the Mountains, troubled things await for Sharra.
