Serenith Velora

In the waning days of the Age of Awakening, when the world of Aethria was still basking in the glow of its golden era of magical discovery, a child was born whose name would become legend—Serenith Velora. She came into the world amidst the towering spires of an ancient human city, a daughter of scholars and arcanists who had dedicated their lives to the pursuit of knowledge.   From the moment she could speak, Serenith displayed an insatiable curiosity for the arcane. Her parents, both members of the esteemed Aetherian Order, nurtured her gift, recognizing in her an unparalleled affinity for the Aether—the mystical energy that wove through all things in existence. Under their tutelage, she quickly outpaced her peers, mastering spellcraft with a deftness that left even seasoned wizards in awe.  

The Founding of the Celestial Bastion

By the time she reached adulthood, Serenith was no longer merely a student of magic—she had become one of the most promising arcanists of her age. Yet, despite her mastery, she was troubled by the growing tensions between the elder and younger races. The elves, dwarves, and dragons, who had once been the world’s guiding hands, had become reclusive, withdrawing from the mortal races, and an undercurrent of unrest was beginning to take hold among the humans, halflings, and gnomes.   Serenith, however, saw beyond the petty squabbles of kingdoms. She envisioned a sanctuary—a floating city where scholars, artisans, and mages from all walks of life could come together in the pursuit of higher knowledge, free from the constraints of politics and war. And so, in 6472 BSE, she led the charge in constructing what would become the Celestial Bastion.   The endeavor was unprecedented. With the help of the Aetherians, Serenith harnessed the power of Aetheric Anchors—massive runic crystals that could defy gravity and protect the city from the ravages of time and nature. These anchors allowed the Celestial Bastion to rise above the clouds, forever beyond the reach of mortal conflicts. It was a marvel of arcane engineering, a beacon of enlightenment in a world teetering on the brink of turmoil.   As the Celestial Bastion flourished, so too did Serenith’s reputation. She became the guiding force of the floating city, attracting scholars and wizards from every corner of Aethria. It was said that within its halls, one could find the answer to any question, provided they had the wisdom to ask it.  

The Quest for Immortality

Yet, even amidst her greatest triumph, Serenith found herself haunted by an unshakable thought—the limits of mortality. The more she delved into the mysteries of the Aether, the more she became convinced that her work could never be completed within a single lifetime. And so, she turned her brilliant mind toward the greatest challenge of all: the conquest of death itself.   As the years passed, whispers spread among her closest disciples. It was said that Serenith was on the verge of a breakthrough—a ritual so powerful that it would allow her to merge her very essence with the Aether, transcending flesh and bone to become something greater, something eternal.   But before she could reveal the culmination of her work, disaster struck.  

The Vanishing of Serenith Velora

In 6409 BSE, on the eve of what was meant to be her final experiment, Serenith Velora vanished.   One moment, she was within her sanctum, standing before an intricate array of sigils and runes, preparing to take the final step in her journey. The next, she was gone—without a trace, without a sound. The air within the chamber shimmered with residual Aetheric energy, but there was no sign of her body, no indication of what had transpired.   Then, something unexplainable followed. With Serenith's disappearance, the Celestial Bastion—once a shining beacon of magical enlightenment—was lost. The Aetheric Anchors, which had long held the floating city aloft, flickered and failed, and the Bastion began to drift. No force could locate it, no magic could reveal its path. The city, along with its inhabitants and vast knowledge, simply faded into the mists of history.   Some say it still exists, hidden beyond the reach of mortals, drifting in the Aether itself, while others believe it vanished into a distant and unknown plane. Regardless of its fate, none have been able to find its ruins or confirm its true whereabouts.   The news of Serenith’s disappearance and the loss of the Celestial Bastion sent shockwaves throughout Aethria. Some claimed she had succeeded in her endeavor, ascending beyond the physical plane and becoming one with the Aether itself. Others believed she had failed, her body and soul lost to the vast energies she sought to control. And still, there were those who whispered that she had been betrayed—that some unseen force had conspired to undo her greatest work and erase her from history.  

Legacy and the Eternal Question

Though her body was never found, Serenith’s legacy endures. The location of the Celestial Bastion—if it still exists—remains one of Aethria’s greatest mysteries. Many have sought it, hoping to uncover the lost knowledge of the Aetherians, but none have returned with proof of its fate.   Her writings, preserved in fragments and scattered across the lands, continue to inspire generations of arcanists, each seeking to unlock the secrets she left behind. Legends persist that her essence lingers within the Aether, waiting for a time when the world is ready to receive her wisdom once more.   And so, the name Serenith Velora has become more than that of a mere mortal—it is a legend, a whisper in the dark corners of the arcane world, a question that lingers in the hearts of all who seek to understand the mysteries of existence.