Farelsh, the Flame Ender

The legend of Farelsh is one of a girl who lost everything she had and was turned away from all she asked to help. In her loss, her despair turned to rage and she swore revenge against all those that had wronged her. This legend is told to children to teach them that revenge onless leads to more anger, that the cycle never ends.

A City Lost to Ash
In the city whose name is long lost to the ravages of time, there was a little girl. This girl was the daughter of the city's king, a princess, one who would inherit the city and all its land one day. But the girl's father, the king, was very cruel. The girl's city would wage war near constantly to increase its power, so the girl would train with the deftest fighter, learn from the cleverest scholars, and learn how to ride from the swiftest riders. Her name was Farelsh.

However, the Eternal's took note of the city whose footsteps were only destruction and waste. Its existence would only be a burden on Life, so it was decided Bastra would Cleanse the city with the Pureflame, the fires of Cleansing whose light was so bright, it was akin to looking into the Sun itself. A curtain of fire fell upon Farelsh's home, reducing all within its touch to ash. All but Farelsh, who had taken shelter in the city's stables.

The warrior princess wandered the land of Risalt, searching for a place to call home. However, all the looked upon her recognized her heritage and drove her away in revenge for what her ancestors had wrought. Farelsh after many days of endless wandering found refuge in a dark forest, its canopy blackened and its floor covered in piles of soot.

Reminded of what had befell her home, Farelsh tried to leave the forest, only to find that her way out was sealed with a wall of purple flame. Frightened by the fire, Farelsh found herself in a panic and ran deeper into the forest away from the flames. Reaching the very heart of the burned forest, she discovered a Spirit, an incarnation of an aspect of reality. She had found the Spirit of Fire.

Farelsh pleaded with the Spirit to let her free from the forest, only to be questioned as to why she would ever want to leave the safety of the light and the tranquility of the warmth it provided. Farelsh regaled the Spirit with the tale of the tragedy that had befallen onto her. Heartbroken at what it heard and angered at the misuse of its power, the Spirit struck a deal with her: it would not only give her a home, it would also give her the strength to challenge Bastra, the Eternal who had burned away her city. In return, Farelsh must become its champion, answering the call of fire in return for awesome might.

Farelsh, delighted at the idea that Bastra's power itself rebelling her, accepted, and so the Spirit of Fire offered her a blade that would absorb any flame it touched and shape it in any way she saw fit. This was the great blade Ashbringer. Farelsh asked of her new patron of a steed, a mount for her to ride into battle as she had been taught how to do so by her father. The spirit agreed and called forth a beast of purple flame, the Herakel,   telling her that while she rode it, no flame would dare harm her.

The Challenge
Armed with a fire-stealing blade and riding a beast no horse could match, Farelsh rode to Bastra's temple near the sea to challenge her. When she arrived, the priests tried to turn her away, stating no good could come from the challenge. Refusing to be denied, Farelsh continued to press for the match, but Bastra did not show. Angered, Farelsh slew the priests of the temple in an attempt to force the Eternal to come.

Arriving in a flash of fire and light, Bastra appeared. Enraged at her priests' death, Bastra threw the first strike, a column of fire descending from the sky. Farelsh, granted protection from all fire from the Herakel, laughed in the Eternal's face and threw her flames back at her. The fire was so hot, all it touched was reduced to ashes, even the very air itself.

But Bastra was not only the Eternal of Fire, she was its creator. Though enraged beyond belief of this blatant blasphemy, Bastra realized she could not harm Farelsh with her own domain betraying her.

So Bastra called upon the Vastwater.

If the Pureflame was the cleansing fire whose light matched the Sun's, the Vastwater was the cleansing water whose depths seemed to mimic the Shadows, its depths seemingly absorbing even light. While the champion of the Spirit of Fire, the Flame Ender, Farelsh was protected from fire, she had no such safety from the water.

For her insolence and defiance of the Eternals, Farelsh was dragged into the depths of the sea, her and her sword, Ashbringer, lost to this day.The Spirit of Fire did not escape unscathed. For his treachery, he was weakened. To this day, there is no purple flame to be found. There is only the dark depths of water to swallow evil monsters and bright light to guide the innocent.