Saint Eldoria, the Twilight Orchid

Saint Eldoria, known as the Twilight Orchid, is revered as a vessel for the virtues of Arcturus, God of Order, Luxira, Goddess of the Sun and Amariel, Goddess of Love combined who lived and rose do sainthood at the end of the 2nd Era. For nearly 4 millennia so far her legend has persisted across cultures over Dar Heran. Her myth recounts a moral life that transformed through courage and compassion, culminating in her ascension through act of order, light and love. She is credited with with ending the Cataclysm of Shattered Skies, a near world ending event that ended the 2nd Era, through which she became a saint venerated in temples dedicated to all three deities.
 

I - Obscure Origins.

Eldoria's life before the Cataclysm is shrouded in mystery. Myths and fragments of remaining lore tell almost nothing of her birth, her family or her early days. One fragmentary hymn suggests she was "a woman of no renown, carrying only the light she did not yet know"- Fragment of the Solar Canticle. Even the knowledge if she was human or elf is lost to history. Fairly early on in the 3th Era both humans and elves claim that she was of their respective ethnicities. Wat is clear however is that she lived as an ordinary mortal, wandering through villages and towns, helping where she could. There was nothing in her early life to suggest any divine favor. Most canticles and myths agree that she was neither prophet nor warrior, neither cleric nor knight, she was only human (or elf in their canticles) and quietly steadfast.
 

II - The Cataclysm of Shattered Skies.

The Breaking of Worlds.

The Cataclysm of Shattered Skies occurred at the end of the 2nd Era. During this Cataclysm rifts appeared in the skies, connecting the material realm and the realms of the demons. The armies of men, elves and dwarves faltered before the demonic onslaught, violet fire blazed across the lands and shadows clawed at the earth. The legends of that time tell that Arcturus' order strained to maintain balance, Luxira's solar radiance flickered and Amariel's compassion was tested against unspeakable horrors and the rising tensions between humanoids in this time of crisis. In this moment Eldoria is said to have arrived in the Spiral Vale, carrying nothing but a simple glaive made of Ashwood and iron, the pole adorned with painted orchids and cloth bindings, which would later be known as the Sepal Glave
 

The demon Lord Vargorath

Vargorath the Night Hewer, a demon lord of unimaginable cruelty erupted into the physical realm, a towering shape of shadow and hate, wielding pitch black darkness of the abyss as his weapon. The fields of the Spiral Vale, once fertile, burned with unholy fire. Armies and heroes fell, cities got destroyed and civilians fled as chaos threatened to unravel every tread of order, light and love. Canticles tell us that Eldoria, a mortal woman with no previous claim to divinity, was said to shield a wounded child. From here the myths and canticles diverge; Some say she moved with near impossible clarity, as if guided by Arcturus himself, others claim she shone with Luxira's light, illuminating her path and striking fear into the evil before her, even others claim that she took on angelic features as she sprouted colorful wings. But all agree that in that moment, Eldoria transcended mortality.

“Even in trembling, she became steadfast. Even in fear, she became luminous.”

— Canticle of the Orchid 12

 

The Battle of the Vale.

The decisive moment known as the Battle of the Vale marked the climax of the cataclysm. Here Eldoria led a last stand in the Spiral Vale, during which she faced of against the demon lord Vargorath. During this battle the hymns recount how petals erupted from the earth where Eldoria stood, that ash and blood turned soft pink and gold hues, and that in her light soldiers, exhausted and broken, regained their vitality and will. After the long and tiring battle Eldoria was finnaly able to deal a mortal blow to Vargorath. Breaking his spine with her Sepal Glaive. The demon lord's death caused the rift to shatter, mending the skies which returned to their natural course. It was this act that is interpreted as the moment Eldoria became the Twilight Orchid.

“Not by blood nor by decree, but by will and heart, she became the bridge between heaven and earth.”

— Solar Hymn of the Dawnbearer

 

III - The Mortal Saint.

Signs of Sanctity

After the Cataclysm, Eldoria is said to have roamed Dar Heran for the remaining decades of her life. Cleansing the realms of the remaining vestiges of demons that still lingered from the Cataclysm. During this time she is said to have manifested saintly and divine atributes. Among wich where that her gaze reflected unwavering clarity, which would guide the lost, Her voice was said to cary such warmth that could soothe the grieving and troubled hearts of men. And wherever she walked, the sun would seem brighter, and the very earth would steady beneath her feet. Though she lived for decades after, she never claimed the title of saint in her living years. It where later generations that canonized her for her divine intervention during the Cataclysm.
 

The Sepal Glaive

The Sepal Glaive, now a sacred relic, retains the same humble yet mysterious beginnings as the saint its accompanied. During Eldoria's life the glaive remained simple in looks, never gaining more embellishments then where already added before the cataclysm. It was only after her death that it was decorated with gilded fittings and ceremonial wrappings. It is said that its power only stems from the hand and heart of Eldoria, not from divine or arcane enchantment
 

IV - The Lost Temple

The Most Hallow of Groves

At the end of her life, Eldoria was said to be interred in a tomb in a hallowed grove which predates even our earliest written records, where according to myth Arcturus bound Luxira and Vesperan as sun and moon to their cycles. And where elves are said to have made their first settlement. The location then was already almost lost to mortal knowledge but for a few sages, their knowledge now lost time immemorial. Leaving pilgrims to wonder where the mortal turned saint rests. It is said that her resting place is concealed by Luxira and Vesperan themselves, Arcturus sealed it. And that Amariel blessed it with compassion protecting her from desecration.

“Even shadows recognize the dawn in her presence.”

— Elven Song of the Golden Bloom