The Tale of the Depths

At the base of the Causawood Pinnacle, bordering the vast desert of the Osilra Empire, lie the Ethereal Depths. A place of mist and magic, no one knows for sure how deep the lake is or what lives within it.   Long ago, a fey prince of The Causawood left his ancestral home. He was young and, despite the warnings of his parents, wished to see more of the world and its people. Packing only those things which he absolutely needed, the prince donned a set of simple traveler's clothes and shouldered the sack which held his belongings. The only thing of significant value he took was Mitternacht, a sword of great power which had been passed from father to son in his family for generations.   The sword itself, being of fey design, was exceptionally beautiful. Detailed filigree of tree limbs and leaves woven into the metal of its hilt, the blade silvery on one side and pitch black on the other. Mitternacht was an immensely powerful weapon, one whose magic could be both corruptible and corrupting.   The young prince left the Causawood and traveled south, eventually finding the desert that would become the Osilra Empire. As he crossed the desert, the young prince eventually ran out of food and water. Delirious, he stumbled on until he could no longer continue.   When next he opened his eyes, he found himself in a large, colorfully decorated room on a soft, plush cushion large enough to fit his entire body. He learned that he had been rescued from the desert by the daughter of the lord of Dorith, and it was in that lord's home he had woken. The lord insisted that the young prince continue to enjoy the hospitality that was offered, and the prince happily did so.   He spent much time with the lord's daughter, and over time, the two fell in love. She knew her father would never approve of them being together, and so they carried on their relationship in secret. However, the lord discovered them.   With no warning, the lord of Dorith had the young prince slain in his bed as he slept, and he took Mitternacht as a prize to remind his daughter not to cross him in such a manner again. The lord of Dorith, however, was an evil and corrupt man. The more time he spent with Mitternacht at his hip, the more corrupted the magic of the sword became. The more the sword was corrupted, the more the lord thirsted for power.   After many years, the lord of Dorith used the magic of Mitternacht to conquer the southern desert. The Osilra Empire was founded under his tyrannical rule and all people were either brought to heel beneath him or slaughtered.   The lord's daughter knew what her father had done to the young fey prince, and saw how he treated the people of the Osilra Empire. So, one night as her father slept in a drunken stupor, she snuck into his room and stole Mitternacht, the sword from which the lord's power had come. Unable, even after everything he had done, to bring herself to slay her father, the princess ran away from Dorith.   She made the long trek across the desert until she reached the base of the Causawood Pinnacle and the vast lake of the Ethereal Depths. It was there the lord's daughter was found. Her father and his men surrounded her and demanded that she return the sword.   Stepping back into the shallows of the lake, she held the sword aloft and spoke, her voice booming with the magical power of Mitternacht. "Never again shall this blade be allowed to fall into the hands of those unworthy of its power. Here in the depths it shall stay, and I shall be its protector. Mitternacht will not be brought forth until the hands of one like My Prince, the rightful wielder of the sword, touch its hilt."   There was a blinding flash of light and the lord's daughter rose off the ground. A foot above the surface of the water, she flew out into the center of the Ethereal Depths and plunged Mitternacht into her own chest.   Rather than sinking to the bottom of the lake, it is said her body can still be found floating atop the still surface, the magical blade held fast through her heart. Many have attempted the journey to claim Mitternacht, but none have returned. It is believed that one day, there will be born a person who is pure of heart and wishes to free their people from tyranny, and that person will be the rightful wielder of Mitternacht.