"Astra let me tell you about your bloodline" spoke Odin, his voice infused with power and magic
"In the forgotten rivers of time, where the whispers of ancient magic still echo between the stars, there was a city—a city shrouded in eternal twilight, where the sun's touch was but a fleeting memory, and the night hung heavy, unbroken. This was Duskfall, a realm where the boundary between day and night was not a line, but a lingering, eternal breath, suspended in the gloaming. And it was in this city that the House of Night once ruled, a bloodline steeped in the secrets of the cosmos, its name whispered on the winds, both feared and revered but exterminated and forgotten."
Astra listened intently, Odin was also very poetic
The rulers of this house were not mere mortals, but beings whose veins ran with the fire of the stars themselves. They were the children of Nyx, the primordial God of Night, and Umbra, the goddess of Shadow. From their union came power, a power that bent the heavens to their will. The magic they wielded was drawn not from the earth, but from the heavens, from the very stars that glittered coldly above them. They called upon star magic, summoning the light of distant suns to shape reality itself. The stars heeded to their very will, bathing Duskfall in light so pure it felt as though the night itself had been woven into their very flesh.
In their hands, gravity became a servant, a pliable force that bent to their will. They could summon the weight of the world or lift entire spires into the air, as though the laws of the universe were but suggestions, fragile things easily undone. These rulers, these keepers of the night, walked between worlds, their power a delicate balance of shadow and light, of heaviness and weightlessness.
"The shadows reveled in their existence as it reminded them of their master, Umbra, the stars welcomed them as their own as they stood equal to the heavens themselves, these were the key characteristics of Night." You bastards are all pretty as well, with your jet black hair and violet eyes" grumbled Odin his deep blue eyes twinkling as if he was reminiscing
"In the heart of their kingdom, in the deepest sanctum of their citadel, there was a blade—a blade forged in the fires of a war between gods. This was Nightfall. One of my own ancestors' masterpieces"
Astra felt the shadows tremble, and something inside of him told him that the very stars shone brighter
"It was in the War of the Gods, Eons ago. In the clash that tore the fabric of existence itself, Nightfall was born. The heavens split asunder as Zephyr, the God of Storms, clashed with Umbra, the Goddess of Shadows. Their feud had raged for eons, but now, in a final cataclysmic fury, they would meet, and the world would bear witness to their might."
"Lightning rained from the sky, and the earth trembled beneath the footfalls of deities. The winds howled in a mad tempest, while the shadows grew long, devouring all in their path. The gods, locked in their divine struggle, forged from their battle a weapon so potent, it would never be wielded by mortal hands. From Zephyr's fury came the tempestuous edge of the blade, crackling with the power of storms. From Umbra's depths came the darkness, the weight of the void itself, folding into the steel, a blade as black as the deepest night."
"Nightfall was not merely forged—it was born of the very essence of war itself. The blade was an embodiment of both the storm and the shadow, a weapon of destruction, yes, but also of silence. For when it was drawn, the world itself seemed to pause, held in the grip of something older than time, something beyond understanding. My ancestor Ragnar the Dwarf Forgemaster equal to the heavens was the one who perfected this blade…. My ancestor"
The rulers of the House of Night, in their glory, wielded Nightfall, and with it, they conquered not only the lands of men but also the very skies. The blade cleaved through both air and astral, a symbol of their dominion over the stars and the shadows., but the blade also became blessed, by Nyx the god of Night.
However, as all things born of power must, the House of Night's reign came to an end. 300 years ago,
The room suddenly dimmed, the fire dancing in the elegant forge grew smaller, weaker, the room got colder and the violet in astra eyes started to swirl, he listened intently
"House Dusk of Duskfall, House Hunt of Artemis and House Dawn of Sunrise "
"There were three great houses, each a pillar in the shifting balance of power: House Dusk, House Hunt, and House Dawn. While their names alone might suggest mere dynasties, they were more than that—they were forces of fate itself, shaped by their roles in the eternal dance between light and dark."
"But history, as ever, is written by those who remain, and what remains of the truth is but a whisper, buried beneath layers of betrayal, power, and the darkness of secrets long kept."
" House Dusk was, by all accounts, a medium house—far from the grandeur of the celestial House of Night, those cunning scheming bastards were rising in influence over the centuries, their ambitions long hidden in the shadows. They were the stewards of twilight, rulers of the in-between, where the light of day fades into the eternal shadow of night. Their power was never as grandiose or divine as that of the House of Night, but they understood one thing above all else: the power of quiet and the power of change"
"Unlike the House of Night, which had worn its mastery of the stars like a crown, flaunting its rule over both shadow and celestial fire, House Dusk worked in secret. They held sway over the realms of espionage, diplomacy, and intrigue, manipulating events from the shadows with whispered words and veiled alliances. Their strength lay in their ability to blend into the darkness, unseen, unnoticed, waiting. Their sigil—a the sun falling and the moon rising—was a symbol of their understanding of both the power of the shadows and change. They were human as well and jealousy is a strong emotion."
"But what set them apart from their contemporaries was their deep-rooted envy of House Night. They had long coveted the power wielded by the rulers of Duskfall, their mastery of star magic and gravity magic, how the shadows reveled in existence, their bond to the very forces of the heavens. The nobles of House Dusk who wielded the shadows Light knew that the House of Night was a threat to their own ambition—not just a rival, but a shadow they could not escape. So they devised a plan—one so quiet, so subtle, that it would go unnoticed until it was too late."
"The alliance between House Dusk and House Hunt of Artemis was forged in blood and darkness, a pact that had been quietly built over generations. House Hunt, the masters of beasts and hunters of legendary creatures, were feared for their unmatched prowess in the wilds. Yet, their power did not lie solely in the strength of their beasts, but in their prowess of pursuit. The members of House Hunt were, above all, expert stalkers and trackers, able to sense their prey's every movement, no matter how well hidden, they're eyes each holding immense power. Their very house words, "We live for the Hunt" their sigil, an elf stalking with a bow" these elves are famed for their legendary myths and hunts Afterall.
"To them, the House of Night was a mighty, yet solitary beast—powerful, but alone. House Hunt understood the strength of this beast and, more importantly, its vulnerability. The House of Hunt's blood was filled with the huntress' spirit, a spirit that recognized when a quarry was most dangerous, and when it was most vulnerable. In House Hunt's eyes, House Night, with its towering spires and celestial arrogance, had become the perfect prey." Astra felt chills, house hunt was truly harrowing
"It began with whispers in the dark corners of the courtrooms, between the flickering shadows of House Dusk's hidden chambers. A quiet arrangement, one that began with small promises—House Dusk would provide the means, House Hunt would provide the way. The two houses, seemingly so different, had found common ground in their mutual desire to bring down the reign of the House of Night."
"At the time when House Dusk and House Hunt set their plans into motion, House Dawn was in a precarious position. Though they were powerful, they were not as ambitious as House Dusk, nor as wild as House Hunt. They knew that if they acted too overtly, the balance they so dearly cherished would be shattered forever. Their aim was not to gain power for themselves, but to ensure that the fall of the House of Night would not leave a void that would plunge the world into eternal darkness."
"House Dawn had long viewed the House of Night with a wary respect. They recognized that the House of Night had grown unstable, but they also understood that such power, once lost, would send ripples through the cosmos. If House Dusk succeeded in destroying the House of Night, they knew that it could trigger a cascade of events—one that might lead to chaos, as rival factions sought to fill the vacuum left behind."
"So, House Dawn did what they did best—they worked in the background, forming alliances and whispering in the right ears. They knew that to keep balance in the world, they would need to exert their influence, but subtly, carefully. The human diplomatic scheme."
"It is said that House Dawn, though outwardly neutral in the conflict, privately approved of House Dusk's plot against the House of Night. This approval was not born of a desire for vengeance, but of pragmatism. They saw the dangers the House of Night posed to the natural order—its reckless use of gravity magic, its arrogant attempts to control the stars themselves—and they knew that the time had come to act."
"However, House Dawn never fully aligned with House Dusk's methods. They did not agree with the shadowed, brutal assassination of the rulers of Duskfall, nor did they condone the secrecy of the plot. Instead, they sought to ensure that once the deed was done, the balance of the world would not tip into ruin. They secretly sent emissaries to the other kingdoms, ensuring that the fall of Duskfall would not result in a rush of unchecked power, nor would it bring war between the surviving houses."
"House Dawn's diplomats brokered deals with the major factions of the realm, promising protection and stability in exchange for cooperation. They subtly encouraged a new order, one that would avoid the chaos that House Dusk's complete domination might bring. Their subtlety worked: when House Dusk finally destroyed the House of Night and seized the throne of Duskfall, House Dawn was there—quietly and unobtrusively—ensuring that no one house would dominate the city. They helped broker a new balance of power, one that avoided the dangerous extremes that had once led to the rise of the House of Night."
"House Dusk now had their means, "