My Artfight Friendly Fire against @terraterracotta
A new species for Libertalia!
Ignmi/Knights of Libertalia
Spirits of living fire. Their bodies are made of a special flexible glass they make themselves to more easily interact with the world.
After Terra Lavee has rescued their kind from a wizard who kept them as slaves, they swore loyalty to her and vowed to serve the kingdom. Many built and inhabit large knight bodies, raising their sword in the name of their savior.
At night, they sleep in the street lanterns around Libertalia. Since their fires never stop glowing, they're perfect for keeping the streets lit until morning.
Because the ignmi's bodies are made of glass, they can pretty much shape them however they want. Most keep themselves small since it's easier to control and not spread around fires.
Accompanying story below:
It's truly fascinating what stories stick with you as you grow older. Even a tale that could barely fit a whole page could linger in your mind for years to come.
When I was little, that story was of the Ignmi. I was told that they were spirits of living fire, with the special ability to create a glass flexible but still strong. They mainly used it to make their bodies, but I was told that many were lucky enough to have bottles and all kinds of trinkets made from their magic. I was one of those lucky few to have seen the glassware sold for a high price in the market, so my interest stayed peaked.
During my travels, when I remembered where the story had rumored the Ignmi to dwell, I figured I should at least check and see how much truth lied in those old fables.
What I did not expect was a wizard to greet me at the road. Apparently, the land "belonged" to him, and that the Ignmi served him loyally. He was not a fan of visitors without purpose so unless I came with buisness to discuss he asked that I leave.
His words, something about them sat like pricks of needles within me. And his eyes. I had seen the shine of greed many times, and the glint within him shone no different.
I introduced myself as the queen of Libertalia, wishing to pay the finest dollar to add to my collection of treasures.
The gleam of greed twinkled brighter, and he gladly escorted me in.
There, for the first time, I saw an Ignmi...
...And I was disgusted.
These creatures, meant to be a warm fire glowing brilliantly in their glass bodies, reduced to nothing more than dying embers struggling to keep themselves lit. There was no passion behind their movements as they melded and shaped glass into beautiful creations. Only robotic motions of work done without flicker of life.
I watched one drag itself infront of us before it finally collapsed. Its fire dimmed before being extinguished, leaving nothing but a hollow body sprawled on the floor that was quickly collected by two other of its kind.
This place looked more like a prison without bars than anything one could call home.
I could not show pity for these creatures. Not yet. I had to let the wizard explain himself. I feigned fascination of his hellish practice. Fortunate for me, his pride overtook him and he explained how such horrors came to be.
How it was as simple as capturing them all and putting a binding spell on them that ensured loyalty at risk of death.
How it only took a few of their generations for them to only know of work and loyalty. Any that strayed from that mindset were extinguished as a lesson to the others.
Afterall, to him, they could always just make more.
So while they slave away from the moment they are born till their deaths, he toyed with their lives and sat on riches made from the fruits of their labor.
Mercifully, the tour had ended. Still masquerading as a frivolous royal, I offered him a gift as a sign of good will for our new "partnership".
Greed truly knows no end. He accepted.
He only needed to shake my hand.
Once he pulled away, I could see the confusion start to furrow his brow. Sweat beaded his forehead, then quickly began to streak down his face. But when he wiped it away, he looked in horror at his own melted skin smeared on his hand.
You never know the sounds one can make until they are pushed to the limit of their emotions. The scream he let out stopped all the Ignmi in their tracks. For the first time in likely a long time, a spark of life returned to many of their eyes as they watched their former master melt before them.
The wizard, trying to sound angry but being drowned by his fear, demanded to know what I had done to him. He tried to stand tall to tower above me, but his body was already too molted to the point where he barely reached my waist.
Standing above him, I gleefully explained,
"I am simply giving you the gift of empathy, friend. You use these creatures until their fires are burnt out. Like they are nothing more than candles you'd light to read on a dark night, then dispose in the morning. Now you will know what it is like to be those you have exploited. From now on, you shall be a candle.
He tried to beg. Or maybe he was trying to curse me in return. It was hard to tell as his vocal cords melted, leaving him only to pitifully gargle out gutteral moans until he could no longer form the shape of his mouth to open it.
Eventually, he was nothing more than a puddle of wax on the floor.
Slowly, one by one, the Ignmi stepped forward until they all surrounded me. The array of lights could only stare at me like lost infants as I explained that they were free from his torment. That they could now go on and live their lives however they wished.
I will spare the details of what happened after that. After so many years of torment they deserve the dignity of their raw emotions unshared.
All you need to know is that I took them back to my kingdom with me. I taught them strength and, in return, they wished to use what they learned to stand behind me.
Now, you might be wondering why I decided to tell you this story. Well, on nights like these, sitting in my quarters reading a book by candlelight, I can't help but think of that wizard. How someone who did so much harm was so quickly reduced to nothing but a puddle with my symbol traced into it. How his fortune, his legacy, all of his hard work and achievements will simply rot away in that bastardization of a factory he - no doubt- spent many years building.
And, yet, sometimes it still doesn't feel like enough.
There is much more I wish I could have done to that wizard. Sometimes I feel like his punishment was too lax compared to his crimes.
But, how does that old saying go? Success is the greatest form of revenge.
Every day, when I see my soldiers raise their swords in my name, when I see a new Ignmi born with a roaring flame that will never be tempered, when I see an older Ignmi slowly regain the sparks of joy that were stolen from them; more and more I believe the saying to be true.
