Aryn Chernaya

The Shadow-King and Founder of a Kingdom
 

Overview:

Aryn Chernaya is now a figure of legend, remembered as the founder of the Kingdom of Chernaya and the first king to unify (some of) the northern tribes. But beneath the heroic stories told to children lies a darker and more complex figure—one shaped by tragedy, shadow, and a fateful pact with the Feyn that would forever alter his destiny and the future of his people.
 

Early Life and Pact with the Feyn:

This tale came by way of Tashi, who claimed it came from the Imari . Aryn was born to the Oblidan tribe, a small and little-respected clan that roamed the flatlands between Sevgorod and Skalliheim. From an early age, Aryn displayed an unusual fascination with the borderlands and the mysterious woods that bordered his tribe's territory. Despite warnings from his people, Aryn ventured into these woods, drawn by the laughter on the wind and the shadowy figures that seemed to flit just out of sight. These were the Feyn, ancient beings who had once guarded the gate between night and day but had since retreated into the depths of the forest.
  Tragedy struck when the Duvik, a neighboring tribe, launched a brutal raid on the Oblidan. Aryn survived by sheer luck, hiding under a pile of sticks while his family and tribe were slaughtered. Traumatized and alone, Aryn fled into the forest, where he made a desperate plea to the Feyn, offering his blood and life in exchange for their aid.
  The Feyn, moved by his plight, granted him a second chance. But this act of mercy came with a cost, for their magic was meant only for their kind. Aryn became the first human Oyun, a practitioner of the ancient and forbidden magic of the Feyn, a secret that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
 

The Twelve Ardent Knights:

As Aryn grew in power, he gathered an inner circle of loyal followers who would become known as the Twelve Ardent Knights. These knights were more than just warriors; they were Aryn’s closest confidants, bound to him by a shared understanding of the dark powers he wielded and the vision he held for uniting the north. Aryn bestowed upon each of them a Cryst-Nirithean sword, forged with the help of the Chatillians in their city of Nirithea, a weapon of great power that symbolized their commitment to the kingdom he sought to build.
  However, the true legacy of these knights was as tragic as it was glorious. The knights followed Aryn through numerous campaigns, but only two were ever buried in the grand tomb that Aryn had constructed for them. The remaining ten died in distant lands or under mysterious circumstances, their bodies lost to time. The tomb, originally a place of honor, fell into disrepair and was eventually forgotten, becoming a haunted relic of a past that few remembered.
 

Founding the Kingdom of Chernaya:

With the power of the Feyn and the loyalty of his knights, Aryn launched a guerilla campaign to unite the northern tribes under his banner. His army, composed of outsiders, vagabonds, and those who dreamed of a better life, moved like shadows, striking with precision and disappearing before their enemies could react. Aryn’s fame spread, and soon his name was whispered with both hope and fear among the common folk.
  Aryn established the Kingdom of Chernaya, with Sevgorod—a city built within the caldera of a long-dormant volcano—as its capital. From there, he ruled with the knowledge and power he had gained from the Feyn. Aryn amassed great wealth and a sizable retinue, but it was the power of his name—the legend he had become—that was his true legacy.
 

Legacy and the Forgotten Tomb:

By the time of his death, Aryn had secured his place in history as the founder of a powerful kingdom, although the Free City, and numerous lesser kingdoms still peppered much of the Midlands and Duvik, and most of Waylan by the time of his death. His sons continued his work, violently uniting the wild lowlanders of Waylan with the highlanders of Sevgorod and Rostova. Yet, as generations passed, the truth of Aryn’s life became entangled with myth, and much of his story was lost to time.
  One of the most poignant symbols of Aryn’s legacy is the forgotten tomb of his Twelve Ardent Knights. Located deep within the ruins of an ancient Chernayan structure, the tomb contains twelve sarcophagi, most of them empty or containing only bones. The site, once a place of honor, became a forgotten relic, haunted by the memory of a time when the kingdom was still being forged in blood and shadow.