Vaelithar’s Birth
Summary
The myth tells that Vaelithar Kaelmyr was born not through ordinary means, but amid a cataclysmic leyline storm that engulfed Emberforge, when rivers of arcane fire split the sky and molten magic rained like tears of the gods. According to legend, his mother was caught in the heart of this storm as she labored, and when the final contraction came, a bolt of raw ley flame struck the forge roof, igniting every rune in the chamber.
It is said that Vaelithar emerged wreathed in living flame, his cries silent yet echoing through every mind nearby — the first sign of his telepathic gift. Some claim he was marked that day by Aurenos himself, destined to become a conduit of pure arcane will.
Historical Basis
There was indeed a recorded leyline surge in Emberforge on the night of Vaelithar’s birth — historical annals describe how the molten veins beneath the city glowed brighter than ever before, and minor quakes rattled the lower foundries.
However, there is no direct evidence of divine lightning or that his birth actually triggered the forge runes to light. Some skeptical historians argue that later embellishments by family chroniclers inflated what was likely a dramatic but survivable ley flux.
Spread
The myth is well-known throughout Emberforge, often recited by tutors teaching young arcanists about the dangers (and wonders) of leyline phenomena.
Variations & Mutation
- Some versions claim that a massive elemental appeared at the moment of birth, bowing before the newborn before dissolving into smoke.
- Others say that Vaelithar’s mother died from being consumed by leyfire, only for her ashes to swirl around him as protective wards. (In truth, she lived long and is still at his side.)
Cultural Reception
- Among Emberforge’s arcane elites, the myth serves as proof of Vaelithar’s inherent right to leadership within the High Circle, almost a divine endorsement.
- To devout followers of Aurenos, it’s a living parable of magic’s pure birth, untainted by spoken incantation.
- Outsiders sometimes use it derisively, calling it “the Ember Sire’s nursery fable”, implying his power is born of superstition rather than discipline.
In Literature
- The myth is recorded in the “Chronicles of the Crucible Houses,” a lavishly illuminated tome that traces major bloodlines of Emberforge.
- It also appears in Vaelithar’s own family’s commissioned saga, “The Emberline’s Dawn,” though with considerably more divine spectacle.
In Art
- Numerous stained glass windows in Emberforge depict the event: a tiefling child cradled in spirals of molten light, with molten rivers flowing beneath.
- Sculptors have rendered dramatic statues of the newborn Vaelithar standing amid shattered stone and rising flame, small hands already glowing with arcane sigils.
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