On a starry, stormy night in spring, a pair of boy-girl twins appeared on the doorstep of an aging, loving couple longing for children. The couple was overjoyed at the arrival of the babies, choosing to not question their arrival and instead cherish their presence. The twins must be the answer to their prayers, they believed.
The twins were both lovely creatures, with strikingly beautiful features and intense personalities. They were mysterious, but frighteningly attractive, and the elderly couple felt inexplicably drawn to them. The longer the twins stayed, the more attached the couple grew.
If there was any curiosity remaining in the elderly couple about the circumstances of their arrival, it was quickly squashed down. If the twins' background was investigated, perhaps they would be taken away, the couple thought.
And so, as time went on, the event that brought the twins to the couple went unquestioned. Perhaps, if the land allowed couples above the age of 40 to adopt children, the aging couple may have been more willing to investigate. As it was, an investigation was a deep fear in the couple's hearts, for the twins were their last chance at having children.
The couple raised the twins as their real children. Lisanna and Kieran were quite the pair. They were as different as fire and ice, but both, it seemed, had the ability to destroy, be it an object, a person, or an animal.
Lisanna was cold and calculating. She was described as a prodigy by many and had an intense desire to win everything, whether they were competitions or not. She snubbed those she disliked and fought her way to the top, willing to expend every effort to do so. Even in kindergarten, her teachers noted how she was always the best at everything, including sports and test taking. All day long, she would study and practice. Beautiful, mysterious, elusive, and successful, she gained the attention of many.
Kieran was quite the opposite. He was the most laid-back person most people had ever met. Too laid-back, his parents lamented, as his grades were almost always only barely passing. He seemed to be more of a "live and let live" boy. At the same time, his charisma levels were through the roof. Everyone was attracted to him, regardless of age or gender. Everyone was his friend, and no one could resist his charm.
Despite their differences, both twins were extremely attached to each other, doing everything together whenever possible (and sometimes when it wasn't). Some say that it's just the bond of twins, but others say that their bond is beyond that, more like that of timeworn comrades.
When faced with the pair of them, nothing and no one was able to resist. Together, they were unbeatable. Lisanna plowed through opponents, stopping at nothing to defeat and impress them, while Kieran would charm enemies into being friends.
To be able to work so well in tandem with personalities that fit each other so well, the pair truly did seem to be more than just siblings.
In truth, Lisanna and Kieran were a Godly Pair that descended to Earth in order to gain power in the heavens above. Godly Pairs are god-goddess pairs of fledgling, unknown gods that are allowed to try and gain power by participating in the Ranking, a fight where Godly Pairs fight against other Godly Pairs to gain power and prestige.
The Ranking is an extremely rare event that occurs once every several millennia. They last for about 300 years, a relatively small window of time. Nameless gods and goddesses scramble to be allowed to enter, hoping for the chance to gain more power.
The rules of the Ranking force the Godly Pairs to descend to Earth and live their lives there, starting from babies. Living on Earth in itself is a difficult process, as their baby hosts have minds of their own that will fight against the invading godly spirits. The Ranking participants have to dominate and control the minds of their hosts in order to function. This control is necessary for several years before the minds of their hosts are finally absorbed into their own.
In order to win the Ranking, the Godly Pairs must accumulate a total of 50 wins against other Godly Pairs before their mortal life ends. At any given time, there are only 11 Pairs on Earth, which makes it hard to secure a spot in the event. Godly Pairs are innately able to sense other Pairs nearby. The exact distance is dependent upon their support levels.
Godly Pairs fight each other with support levels. The more admirers and followers they have, the higher their support level. Their support level is also increased depending on the strength of the connections between the followers and a Pair member. The Pair with the higher support level wins the fight and gains one win. The losing Pair is effectively "killed" and removed from Earth, and their win tally is reset to zero. The losing Pair is allowed to enter again once they secure a spot, either with a new partner or the original one, but they must restart again as babies.
In order to fight effectively, gods and goddesses must find partners that suit them well. A charismatic god/goddess is a must within a Pair that hopes to succeed. However, support can't be gained with just charisma alone. Once the initial attraction is created, smarts and cunning are needed to deepen the connection.
Luck also plays a part in the Ranking. Godly Pairs are the most vulnerable as babies, a time where they have not yet been given a chance to charm the masses. To discover a baby Pair is extremely lucky; to be discovered as one is extremely unlucky.
Lisanna and Kieran were a lucky Pair that was able to avoid detection and expulsion as babies. The older they grew, the more the world around them struggled to accommodate such strong presences.
Their community would've been as normal as any other community had it not been for the havoc its Godly Pair brought to it, forcing it to twist and bend as the Pair made themselves the center of its universe.