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The Birth of the Children of Koar and Lumnis
as told by Iscikella Zinnonn

(This is the tale the way I have always heard it told. I make no claims to be myself an Arkati and therefore cannot be certain of the absolute truth of it.)

Now it must be understood that initially the areas of control which Koar, as the Drake in charge of these servants, set up for the Arkati revolved around a much smaller set of beings. Gosaena and Luukos alone held full sway over death, Sheru held night and the domain of sleep solely within his hands, and the sun had been left within the direct sphere of Koar himself, though he bothered little with its rule. And all the Arkati lived on Elanith in ready access to their masters, the Drakes.

Eorgina, mistress of Darkness, Tyranny and Domination, wishfully fancied herself as a rival to Koar, as many know. Perhaps this was not entirely unexpected by he who would become The Last Drake, considering the provinces over which he had given said lady governance.

In any case Eorgina did realize toppling Koar from his throne of supreme power over the Arkati would prove no easy feat, and she decided upon a two-tiered plan which first meant putting herself at the side of Koar. But to do this she must be rid of Lumnis, for it was apparent Koar's feeling for this particular servant went far beyond that of indulgent master.

This was not a simple case of turning the eyes of this Drake from The Wise. Koar's devotion to Lumnis was complete, as was hers to him. He would not abandon his lady for whimsical folly. Indeed he had borne and did bear the disparaging condescension of his own kind because of his then still-unsanctioned love for the lady. So Lumnis must be completely removed from the picture. There was no other plan worth considering in this regard.

To accomplish this feat Eorgina called upon Onar, the Assassin. And for many passing of moons this stealth fellow watched Lumnis from hiding, attempting to discover what would be the best way to complete his mission.

Onar was nothing if not thorough in his investigations and after a time he came back to Eorgina, saying, "This task cannot be done in the most direct way. Firstly Koar's anger in such case would destroy us all, for I have gazed upon them during their moments of quiet intimacy, the times of their communion, which is between them as much a joining of mind and spirit as body, and I know the depth of his regard and passion for the Lady of Wisdom. And secondly Lumnis is herself a being of great power, Dark Lady. Her understanding of all things in the world, including all the most secret magicks, makes her a force to be reckoned with. I must, therefore, recommend an indirect approach to this killing."

And Eorgina, well aware of Onar's talents in dissecting such things, nodded her agreement.

Therefore did the Dark Lady visit Fash'lo'nae, who she had pulled into the ranks of her followers amongst the Arkati by sheer weight of circumstance, in his dusty lair of scrolls and experiments.

Knowing his disconnection from all things political, Eorgina couched her question to him in terms of hypothesis.

"Old Scholar, if one needed to be rid of a being of great power who it was likely could discern the details of yer intention before the deed is done, how would ye suggest such task be successfully completed?"

Blinking, Fash'lo'nae replied, "That answer is simple, Dark Lady. Ye must use for the purpose something which the being in question would inherently trust as safe."

At this precise moment, Fash'lo'nae took to petting his familiar, a small grey owl, and a flash of insight came into the mind of Eorgina. Lumnis also had an owl as a familiar, a great snowy white owl she adored. This owl, as a trusted and loved pet, could be subtly used to dire purpose to destroy Lumnis. And she returned to Onar with this suggestion.

Onar grinned when he heard what Eorgina had to say. He heartily agreed that the owl could prove the means, but reminded her, "Dark Lady, there still must be found the method. Lumnis has much knowledge at her complete disposal. Simple ways of killing would be easy for her to avoid."

And to this Eorgina likewise nodded her agreement.

So the Dark Lady went again to Fash'lo'nae. "Old Scholar," she inquired of him, "if a being with a mind full of knowledge on all things, including the means to cure poisons, diseases, heal wounds, etc., was to be murdered, how could it be done?"

Blinking again, Fash'lo'nae responded, "To any being whose mind encompassed so broad a range of wisdom, the surest means of death would come from that mind being overcome with thoughts that could not be controlled."

And again Eorgina returned to Onar who grinned once more when he heard Eorgina's statement. "Aye, this must be so," he allowed her. "But how to control the mind of one such as Lumnis?" he forwarded. "That is the final question to be answered."

Eorgina took this last query to Fash'lo'nae as well. "Old Scholar," she pressed him, "how would another control the thoughts of one whose mind encompassed so much wisdom?"

And Fash'lo'nae, with his characteristic blinking, answered, "Why, during the time when the mind is not in conscious control, Dark Lady, during sleep and the realm of dreams."

Beaming, Eorgina went once again to Onar and, after he had heard all she had to say, together the two of them asked Sheru to come, and with him Gosaena.

"Lord of Night," Eorgina addressed Sheru, "I need a potion to make the dreams of Lumnis monstrous ones."

"Lady of Death," she then addressed Gosaena, "I need yer sway to allow these monstrous dreams to turn into deadly ones."

Both frowned.

"Lumnis has given me wise counsel on occasion, Dark Lady," mentioned Gosaena frankly. "My quarrel is with Koar and his Drakely view of governing the world, not with the very existence of his mistress."

And Sheru furthered, "Lumnis' wisdom has also been available to me whenever I have asked it of her. Why then should she suffer for her Drake lover's foolishness?"

"Because it is the only way to accomplish the end of displacing Koar," advised Eorgina confidently. "He is Drake and more powerful than we. Thus I need to edge closer to him to be able to eventually push him fully aside, and the very existence of Lumnis inhibits that."

And though they were both less than happy with the plan, Sheru and Gosaena reluctantly agreed with Eorgina. Sheru fashioned a dreaming potion filled with visions of dread and gore and most importantly madness, and Gosaena instilled the potion with the power of death. This awful infusion was then applied to the wings of Lumnis' great snowy white owl, which Onar had stealthily absconded from its owner's presence for a short time.

Therefore it came to pass that Lumnis, casually petting the soft feathers of her familiar as she was wot to do, was imbued with the concoction commissioned within the brain of Eorgina upon the unintentional advice of Fash'lo'nae. And over a period of some days, her nights became restless and filled with horrifying nightmares. So much did these dreams affect her that she became haggard and pale in appearance and much distraught even during her waking hours. And Koar, worry for his leman showing in every line of his face, approached her as to the reason for her disquiet.

"I dream such awful dreams, my dear lord," she informed him with a sigh, "and they cling to me like the miasma of death even when I am not dreaming."

As Koar furrowed his brow with deep concern, a tremendous earthquake struck the lands and new mountains rose from the earth. And many suffered in tandem with Koar's own suffering.

"Hast thou eaten or drunk anything which might have caused this to occur, my sweet lady?" he who would become The Last Drake wished to know of The Wise.

"High Lord," she reminded him, "I know the smell and taste of all poisons and such foul mixtures. I have come across none such in any food or drink of which I have partaken. This can be naught but a temporary unease of the mind. It will pass on its own, I am certain."

But as days became nights, Lumnis' condition actually worsened. Each turn of darkness and needed sleep fraught with the horrific dreams only aggravated her ill-health.

"Good lady, hast thou been around strange environs where disease might reign?" Koar therefore further questioned.

"Diseases I can diagnose and cure, beloved sire of my heart," Lumnis assured him. "None such have felled me. I must believe it but a passing thing."

But it did not pass, and it became apparent Lumnis was close unto death. And Koar's grief was monumental as the heavens opened up with the thunder of his distress and the rain of his tears devastated the lands.

Yet, it was when Koar was visiting his mistress in what had become her sickbed, that all was finally revealed. For the great snowy white owl which was her familiar flew freely into the room as it was wot to do, and Koar, in true Drakely fashion, immediately sensed something different about the bird. Putting out his arm as an indication for the owl to perch there, Koar examined the creature and found the residue of the potion upon its wings.

"Thy bird has been tampered with, my lady," Koar informed his beloved as anger mounted in him for the perpetrators of this act. And, gazing deeply into the eyes of the owl, Koar was able to see its past and thus the application of the potion and by whom it had been applied. "Those who thought to be so clever will pay dearly," he pronounced sentence.

Yet knowing the cause of the strange affliction did not heal Lumnis for the infection had already worked its evil too insistently for too long. So Koar, with the power of the Drakes within his being, took from the very air around him a scroll of purest gold inscribed with secret and intricate runes. Handing this scroll to Lumnis, he bid her, "Thou must decipher this, my lady, to cure thyself."

And Lumnis pondered, but the plague of her nightmares inhibited her reasoning and the meaning of the scroll would not come clear to her. "It is beyond me, dearest lord," she spoke in some embarrassment.

"Naught is beyond thee," Koar guaranteed her. "Decipher the meaning of the scroll, lady of my heart."

Again Lumnis tried and failed to read the scroll as her weakened mind lapsed in its usual preciseness. "It is Drake magic and I have not the ability," sighed Lumnis in defeat.

"That ability is inherent in thee, woman," Koar pledged. "I have seen it and know whence I speak."

Rallying with Koar's encouragement, Lumnis sat up and examined the scroll yet more carefully, forcing her mind to concentrate in a manner more resembling her normal mien, and the runes became meaningful to her at last. "I understand, High Lord!" she exclaimed with a beaming face.

"Then commune with me, my lady," acknowledged Koar with a delighted smile.

And they joined unto one another, man unto woman and woman unto man, as they had ever been wont to do, minds and spirits blending as their bodies melded. And from the heart of Lumnis rose a pale mist that swirled and converged and then separated itself from her.

And the mist solidified and in its place stood a young elven lass with blonde hair and grey-blue eyes. She wore two layers of robes, black over white, and a ring of keys -- an untold number of keys -- dangled at her side.

"Daughter," Koar bid the girl welcome with a nod.

"Daughter," Lumnis likewise bid the girl welcome with a nod.

And Lorminstra smiled and nodded in return and noted, "Death will not have thee now, my mother."

"Aye, truth she speaks, my lady," Koar stated to Lumnis, "but all is not yet done. We must rid thy mind of the foul nightmares to restore thee fully."

"That is an even more difficult task," sighed Lumnis.

"Commune with me, and it will be done," promised Koar.

And again they joined unto one another, man unto woman and woman unto man, as they had ever been wont to do, minds and spirits blending as their bodies melded. And from the shoulders of Lumnis rose dark mists, one from the right and one from left, that swirled and converged and then separated themselves from her.

The mists solidified and in the place of the mist from Lumnis' right shoulder stood a tall and slender, if muscular, man with flowing golden hair so bright as to almost blind, and deep amber eyes. And in place of the mist from Lumnis' left shoulder stood an almost identical man, only his hair was black as night and his eyes were black with no whites, only a faint grey swirl.

"My sons," Koar bid the men welcome with a nod.

"My sons," Lumnis likewise bid the men welcome with a nod.

And Phoen smiled and nodded in return and noted, "I bring the sun to get thee well, my mother."

And Ronan smiled and nodded in return and noted, "I bring the most pleasant of dreams and the softest of nights to keep thee well, my mother."

"Aye, truth it is they speak," declared Koar. "It is done." And from then Lumnis recovered quickly back to her former reign of good health and restful sleep.

When she was fully well, Koar summoned all the Arkati to him in his throne room and introduced those new amongst them to the rest.

"I give thee my daughter and eldest child, Lorminstra, Keeper of the Ebon gate, Mistress of death and rebirth, Lady of winter."

At this introduction, Gosaena gasped. "Ye take of my sphere, Great Lord," she said unto Koar.

"Indeed I do," announced Koar firmly. "Thou hast disappointed me, Gosaena, and I turn onto thee the blind eye of the world."

"So ye cannot do!" raved Gosaena. "I have many followers!"

"I know of thy followers, Lady of Death," acknowledged Koar coolly, "and they will forget thy name."

And so it was that Gosaena was relegated to the backwater of the Arkati for many millennium. And Luukos, knowing well how to keep his power, spoke nothing unto Koar. But from the look in his eye, Lorminstra knew him to be her rival into all eternity.

Then Koar introduced his sons to the other Arkati. "I give ye my sons, Phoen, Ruler of the sun, Deity of fatherhood, Lord of summer, and Ronan, Ruler of night, Master of dreams."

Sheru protested upon hearing this introduction, "Ye also take of my sphere, High Lord!"

And Koar looked upon Sheru and decreed, "Indeed I do. Thou too hast disappointed me, Sheru, and nightmares remain thine, since thou hast such a feel for them, but dreams thou can no longer command."

Then Koar proclaimed unto Eorgina, "Dark Lady, I bid thee and thine to dwell apart on the moon of Lornon."

Eorgina stared in disbelief upon he who would become the The Last Drake. "Am I banished?" she demanded to know.

"I spoke nothing of banishment," clarified Koar, who realized the other Drakes had wished their troublesome servants more separated from them for some time, but not so far away that those Arkati saw themselves as no longer servants. "I asked thee simply to dwell apart from me."

And so it came to pass that Eorgina and those of her persuasion toward Koar took up residence upon the moon called Lornon. While Koar himself took the other Arkati to dwell upon the moon called Liabo.

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