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~Fifthteenth night of the fourth month, eighteenth year~
You know, I really enjoy sitting out here under the stars. The world is quiet here. Void knows after visiting the Eversea that I need it. I should’ve figured that though. Pirates aren’t exactly known for being a quiet, peaceful bunch. But no more of that. I’ll spend a few weeks camping out here in these plains (am I near Chromia? I heard that the empire is mainly plains based…) before heading back to join civilization. For now though, I’ll keep the stars for company.
… I think my favorite thing about being out here (here being the wider world) is that I get to learn the stories of all the people I meet. I’ve heard the age-old legends of the great stag brothers and the Mother Tree. I know about the Copper King and the last Great Wizard of the Crystal Cliffs. The Lost Empire, the Cod Kingdom, the Undergrove, I know them too. Being as well traveled as I am, I’ve also learned some of the more obscure tales of this place I call home.
I learned how this tiny village called Seiga came to be, the people who raised it from foundation to structure. Their most prominent tale is of one of the founders named Miyera. Perhaps one day I can tell her story too… I’ve heard folk tales about how the ruler of the Lost Empire was supposedly so in love with a demon that he set off to the End to free him. Void be good, I’ve heard enough about that god from Stratos to write several books if I wanted to (I don’t. The Guild already had plenty of material on him and I am not about to feed that god’s ego). The ruler of Chromia is apparently part, if not not fully, fae. A group of pillagers that I just managed to escape from were cast out of their clan for worshiping this god named Soaris. It surprised me to know pillagers even had stories of religion. They are a people of science and magic, religion doesn’t tend to fit cleanly there.
I’d like to tell all these stories I’ve heard. I’ve already recorded several of them in my other journals. But if I tell all of them here, I’ll be able to better remember who told them to me and the contents of the tales themselves. Besides, maybe these things I write could be vital for history later down the line. Stories shape us, reflect lessons and parts of the culture we build. Some of these grander stories like those of Santa Perla or that god of Stratos will likely remain in the collective conscience for centuries. But all these smaller ones… they deserve their place too. After all, even just one fragment of a tale can give insight to a people most would otherwise forget. If those researchers from the Guild won’t do their tales justice, I will. This first one I plan to write here won’t be a small story. The legend of Santa Perla has always been one of my favorites so I will start with hers. It is an easy one for me to recall…
—
The tale of Santa Perla begins roughly in 1567 BCE. Here is the age after the Titans had long since vanished from the world. In their place, their successors came forward and began to create civilization anew. At the time of the birth of Santa Perla, several empires had been in place for centuries. The Ocean Empire, Rivendell, Mythland, Pixandria and House Blossom were the central powers of the world she was born into. What would later become known as Gilded Helianthia was just a large city on the very edges of greater Mythland. The one thing it differed in from any other of its counterpart territories was that it was effectively independent from Mythland. A century or two prior to Santa Perla’s birth, the people of what was then called Altney revolted against the current king. Nobody is quite sure the reason for the revolt as most of this early history has been lost to the passages of time. But the only thing that matters is that they revolted.
Despite Mythland’s enormous size and army, the king was unable to bring Altney to heel. In the end, Altney and its people became independent from the greater Mythland empire. This had unforeseen effects, namely the later revolting of what we know as the Grimlands and the separation of the Crystal Cliffs. I get ahead of myself though. What matters now is the birth of Santa Perla. We do not know her real name. Santa Perla was the name given to her after her death and passing into the collective conscience over the centuries. It is also the name prevalently used within Sanctuary though it appears as though Stratos has a similar figure within its wider pantheon. But much is unknown in that regard.
Santa Perla was born in roughly 1567 BCE, though we are merely guessing. Her parents were part of the new royal family that had sprung up after Altney’s revolt against greater Mythland. This new royal family wasn’t typical. Instead of being nobles at their founding, Santa Perla’s family were farmers. Popular during the revolt for their strange ability in combat and willingness to lead during turbulent times, they were quickly established as the new rulers of Altney. At her birth, Altney was busy expanding itself into its own empire. Much of the land the people of Altney had worked was still in the hands of Mythland and the people were determined to get it back. Under the command of her great-great-great grandfather, Altney, now called Smallholding as to remove the name given to them by Mythland, began the process of taking back their land.
Santa Perla was born in the near aftermath of all that war. Smallholding had regained most of its land and was now an economic powerhouse in food, often trading the leftover harvest with places like Rivendell, Mythland and newer settlements like Mezalea and the Grimlands. Her father had made peace with Mythland’s current king and Smallholding was free to go back to their peaceful farming life. Despite this, animosity ran deep within Smallholding and neighboring Mythland. Over four generations had been involved in the fighting and it was hard to let go of the past. So her father and the king of Mythland met to discuss what might be done to heal this rift and to stop any potential raids into each other’s lands. It was here at this meeting that Santa Perla met her lifelong friend, the future king of Mythland.
Much is unknown about Santa Perla’s early life. Most everything before her accession to the throne is disputed. What we do know for sure is that early on in her life, she became close friends with the future king of Mythland and later his two younger siblings. She was trained in combat and would later prove to be exceptional at it. Her education was likely typical of that of a future ruler as she remained her parent’s only heir. It is believed that she did have a happy childhood and was doted on by her family. Her relationship with that of the future king of Mythland is one of the most focused on elements of her life.
There are some who believe that the two of them were lovers. After all, it is likely a potential match was proposed by their parents in an effort to mend old wounds. I think that is unlikely and far less fun. Most of the little contemporary sources we have state over and over that Santa Perla and the king of Mythland were incredibly good friends. They were each other's confidant and would often spar together. While close, nothing that we know of their relationship suggests anything deeper than friendship. Marriage would’ve also been deeply snubbed by the people of Smallholding who had just barely freed themselves from the domineering grip of Mythland’s empire. A marriage between the two would likely unite the two kingdoms and would just as likely cause another revolt. Many who say that they were lovers do it to undermine Santa Perla, feeling that a ruling woman cannot function without a man. Most of us agree that they were just incredibly close as friends.
Regardless of her true relationship with the king of Mythland, time moves on. Death comes for all of us, one way or another. So too did it come for the rulers of the empires. Santa Perla found herself ruling the empire of Smallholding at an early age. Her peers were that of the new king of Mythland, the Copper King, the kings of Rivendell and Mezalea, the Ocean Queen, and the lady of House Blossom. For all we know, she was a very good ruler. Being close friends with the king of Mythland allowed her to work on mending the rift between their two empires. Grain exports were at an all time high, her people often helping others less fortunate than themselves while still being able to keep enough in case of famine or a tough winter. It was a time of great peace and prosperity in Smallholding.
To celebrate this good fortune, Santa Perla was given the title “The Farmer Queen.” To thank her people for this honor, she renamed her empire. No longer was Smallholding a small and burgeoning kingdom. It was a proper empire now. So Smallholding became Gilded Helianthia, named after the plentiful sunflowers that grew within the empire. A fitting name for what was certainly a beautiful empire.
But peace is not long suited in a world full of powerful kingdoms. The fate of another of the world’s rulers was set to bring the others to their knees. A demon named Xornoth suddenly appeared, spreading corruption wherever it chose. Tendrils of sticky red shot into the sky around various kingdoms. Crops began to wither and die. Some devoted themselves to this demon, some drawn in by promises of power, others the desire for love, perhaps some for vengeance. But Santa Perla was not one of these people. Instead, she watched the king of Mythland fall to this corruption, his desire for magic outweighing consequences that came with malevolent help. Unable to draw him back from the corrupt power he hosted, Santa Perla instead focused on helping her empire. As her kingdom was responsible for most of the food economy, Gilded Helianthia fought back famine. They survived, helped by the food they’d stored for situations such as the one they found themselves in.
Once the demon’s full power was unleashed, the corruption spread further. Sickness took hold, laying low anyone without care. More tendrils encircled the empires, crops continued to fail. But Santa Perla did not panic. Her people would survive this, as they had survived before. As for the demon, the ruler of Gilded Helianthia merely entertained it. She and the king of Mythland built an arena together. In it, she fought against Xornoth. While she did not win, she certainly matched it and laughed at her own defeat. She was also one of those to fight against him with the champion of Aeor, holding off the demon’s devoted lover as the Great Wizard and the champion did their work.
After Xornoth’s sealing, life returned to blissful uneventfulness. We hear nothing in the records other than that Gilded Helianthia was prosperous and peaceful. All these things speak good in her name and her ability to lead. Given all the further turmoil that surrounded several of the other empires at the time, her ability to keep the peace speaks volumes on the nature of her rule.
But for all the strength of the Farmer Queen, she could not live. When the Rapture came in roughly 1541 BCE, she was one of the first to fall. All the stories differ on how the great queen passed. Some say she died as her kingdom went up in flames, so connected was she to her lands. Others say that she was killed by the king of Mythland in an uncharacteristic moment of weakness. This, like the tales of their supposed love, is heavily unlikely. Being as close as they were, the king would never have turned on his friend like that. Even during his supposed possession by Xornoth, he was never like that. So like the stories of their love, this one of her death was likely done to tarnish her reputation. Yet still, others will say that Santa Perla never died at all, merely ascending to godhood during the Rapture.
As the stories go for those of us that believe she has obtained godhood, whether she died or ascended, the gods offered Santa Perla a choice. She could move on to another world, separate from her friends. Or she could stay and watch over those that remained. She could become a god. Santa Perla chose to remain. She would watch over her friends as the sun. Now, she watches over the world, caring for it as she once did Gilded Helianthia. And so long as her rays touch our world, she will watch.
—
I do enjoy the stories of Santa Perla. I think that even as time moves on, as it drags my memory into fog, I will remember her story. This is something I likely did not need to record. But there will be others. Smaller ones, more obscure tales. I will tell these tales, even if only for now that they will remain on these pages. I should stop. It’s late and my fire has nearly died out by now. I’m going to need the sleep. Tomorrow's trek is a long one.