True Arcadian

You think they're bad now? You should read up on what they were like before they got here

— Isolde Tremaris

  Arcadia, as the stories go, was a world among many. This world was so incredibly steeped in magic and so were the people it gave birth to. Dozens and dozens of species came to be - sprites, nymphs, dryads, satyrs, barghests, red caps, and countless more. Each would have its own history, culture, kingdoms, and aspirations, but collectively they would come to be known as the Arcadians. A native from Tairos would have a very difficult time understanding these truly alien beings. Their ways were dominated by emotion, urges, curiosity, and most often a mercurial capriciousness. These weren't the sort of creatures to sit about designing economies, municipal infrastructure, or trade treaties. Rather, the world around them could be shaped (consciously or otherwise) by their whims. Castles were conjured into existence, farms were tilled by spells or summoned creatures, and diplomacy was a craft steeped in strange rules, customs, compulsions, and oaths. The common fae from these ancient times bent their knee to majestic and terrible Arch Fae. They prayed to gods and goddesses of their own, beings from their prehistory who transcended mortality. And, as their magic grew more refined, the Arcadians spread to other worlds and other realms. These are the True Arcadians, those born on their homeworld or descended directly from Arcadia's culture. They know nothing of assimilation like their New Arcadian kin, nor would they even be capable of trying. Proud, deeply strange, and utterly unsettling to those around them, the True Arcadians stood as masters of their own world and any realm they set their covetous eyes upon.   Yet, it would seem, the fate of all things is to fall. Magic was the lifeblood of the fae. Not only did the Leylines of their world fuel magic, but it literally ran through their veins. Without it, they would wither and die from conditions like the The Fade. Energy from the Leylines is also what fueled the fae's magical innovation. It's how they crafted or improved new spells, how they imbued or fueled their innate abilities; it was their science and their religion. As their people prospered and spread across the tapestry of reality, the need for mana from the Leylines grew. Arcadia was an everflowing wellspring of mana, but it wasn't enough for them. No world or extra-dimensional realm offered even a fraction of what Arcadia seemed to possess so instead the Arch Fae chose to mine their own world for the power they needed. Arcadia was fine, for a time. The leylines were plentiful and constantly replenishing themselves, but the fae hunger for mana was a growing thing, urgent and irresistible. Eventually, the hunger would outpace Arcadia's bounty. The fae would dig deeper, cracking open continents, shattering their own moons, and drinking deeply from the core of their world until... the inevitable. Arcadia loved its children and gave to them everything it could, including its very life. The world shook, grew still, then shattered.   Many Arch Fae and their kingdoms perished immediately, others fled off-world and into the unknown, and some stayed behind, wishing to be there for the end... to hold their world's hand and as darkness took them both. Little is known about those who fled, save for but one, the last ruler of Arcadia, The Autumn Queen. Her story is a legend all its own, one of great hope, desperation, and a madness born from scorn.   Today, what remains of the Arch Fae and other True Arcadians is largely unknown. Without the mana of their homeworld, it's believed most of them lost their way as they walked The Black Road. Other Arch Fae met their end at the hands of natives whom they abused during the heights of their dominion. Perhaps some still hide in shadowy corners of the cosmos, living out lonely and withering finales. The Autumn Queen is believed to have marched her entire kingdom across the Black Road, robbing world after world of the pittance of mana in their Leylines. The Gnomes are believed to be one such victim of the Queen's apocalytic theft. The True Arcadians that came with her to Tairos were few in numbers; most of her people had adapted over generations to live on other worlds. They forgot their heritage, they forgot Arcadia. The New Arcadians formed the bulk of the fae in Tairos even when they first arrived, but it was the True Arcadians who still ruled over them. These fae mostly filled the upper ranks of the Shadow Court or, in some cases, operated entirely on their own. Titles, ranks, and peerage are deeply ingrained in the cultures of the fae, and the True Arcadians were the ones to benefit from this the most. All of them held lofty ranks and wreathed themselves in the regal aura.   When Tairos rose up against the fae it was these True Arcadians that became the target of their hatred. Lords and Ladies of the Shadow Court were hunted, executed, and often tortured by the likes of the Dread Hunters or Locklander Pogroms. Few shed tears for their loss, even among the New Arcadians. These ancient fae were the architects of the downfall of all Arcadians, and their loss is not mourned. Only the small pocket of fae that carry on as the remnants of the Shadow Court would welcome a True Arcadian. It's possible, though unlikely, that some of the surviving High Lords of the court may be True Arcadians. More likely, if any of their number do survive, it's in deep hiding or magical slumber - waiting out the current hostile environment and hoping for better days to come.   To the average outsider in Tairos, one fae is no different from another. Yet, should True Arcadians begin to surface or find their way here, it would have devastating consequences. In the most modest of examples, a True Arcadian's power is comparable to a master in the old College of Magic. At their worst, they are every bit as glorious or terrible as Hellborn horrors, demi-gods, and the bleak sciences of the Xikhani. Some would say the emergence of True Arcadians would be even more dangerous than these other threats because of how erratic and rapid their natures can shift. The lords of Hell can be bargained with and gods appeased, but the only constant among the True Arcadians is desire.