#ziderys

... Stranger. Allow me one last story, before we part ways forever.

A tale about me, and the Monarch of Midnight... Once my friend.

The Realm of Gods had endured many celebrations and tragedies alike throughout its existence. That beautiful land, once known as the Empire of Dawn, persevered through its First Calamity: the War of Light and Dark.

But the Second Calamity left behind far more scars than the First, and it all started with a single God.

The soon-to-be Savior God of Embers, Ayriel the Alluring. Their flame shone brighter than any light, and thus many revered them as the greatest of all.

Loved and respected by every living being, having been raised by Monarch of Midnight, Elder Ziderys; raised both as a devoted apprentice and as his beloved child.

It was that enchanting light that would blind them all to a tiny spark.

An ember of arrogance, disdain, and destruction.

As Ayriel grew, so did their power and influence over Godkin and Mortals alike. Unfortunately, so did their questioning towards Godkin's ways.

Nobody knows what made them commit treason against their Realm. But one thing was right: Ayriel attacked the Elders in a blind rage, and then left their home behind.

A few deities followed them, and thus came to be the Plague Gods.

And that is how the reign of Ayriel, the Plague God of Embers, began.

The same power they had that made them a Savior, they used it to destroy instead. Ravaging through many places, but still leaving survivors behind to tell the tale.

Their alluring nature was the perfect tool to make others do their bidding, even charming them into joining their cause, like a cult.

It was their burning arrogance, their belief that they couldn't be stopped, that ultimately led to their downfall.

Ruling over Godkin and Mortals wasn't enough. So Ayriel decided to aim for the Midnight Realm, and then Heaven itself.

... When they breached past the gates of Midnight, they came face to face with their former mentor and father figure.

The fight immediately started.

Although they were fierce in battle, what was the burn of a single flame compared to the force of a vast and freezing darkness?

Before long, Ayriel was defeated and captured, taken back to the Realm of Gods to face judgement while all other Plague Gods went into hiding.

Guilty of attacking the Eight Elders, of massive destruction caused towards Mortals, and of invading other Realms with killing intent.

As a result of all their crimes, they were sentenced to death.

Elder Ziderys himself carried out the act, as only his power was strong enough to counter Ayriel's powers.

... Their light, their embers, all swallowed by the pitch black fire that surrounded them, dissolving into faded ashes…

Upon their death, all of Godkin celebrated their victory against an event akin to a Calamity once more.

All Gods celebrated, save for one.

Ziderys, proud Monarch and embodiment of Dark itself, mourned.

Although he became disappointed and betrayed by Ayriel's actions, he still cared about them.

Despite everything, he still loved them. And he forced himself to end their life.

His visits to Godkin's lair became shorter and shorter until he stopped coming. He had locked himself away in his home, the Crow's Spire back in the Midnight Realm.

... Shortly after that, a thick cloud of darkness made its way into the home of Gods, casting the whole place into shadows.

A one-month period which became known in later centuries as