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The Thirteen Col'amni
The following is a concise recounting of a myth told by the rural peasants of Ta'Nalfein to their children about the beginning of their nation. Historians scoff at this myth, but currently there isn't any solid evidence to throughly disprove that some sort of intervention took place. Farmers have a different twist to the tale, they feel Imaera was the heavenly vision that descended from the heavens to bless the children. This is obviously due to their profession and desire to please the one responsible for their bounty. Those who fancy the darker powers insist that it was Eorgina who gave the powers unto the children, to serve her own means and in hopes of gaining an entire nation of mortal servants. The most generally accepted version among the aristocracy is a similiar tale involving Andelas as the hero of the city. It is strongly distainful of the lower classes and highly glorifies the Col'amni. There are many myths, this is but one.
One day long, long ago in the land of our ancestors there were thirteen scattered villages instead of the great nation we know today. The land was far from fertile from lack of expertise and neglect, even the sea was more churlish than today. The villagers were petty, unrefined elves who quarreled with each other over the slightest grievance. They lacked the qualities of leadership and motivation; each village vied for power, fighting with the others over even the smallest strip of land. Orcs and raiders scourged the land, but the villagers didn't have the means to banish them, nor the unity to attempt a solution.
It was due to these things that dissent grew and fighting increased. People were murdered without cause and crops began to fail from further neglect. Thirteen plagues haunted the villages: disease, drought, windstorms, insects, feuding, starvation, childlessness, fires, orcs, bandits, heat waves, earthquakes and angry spirits. Death for all seemed to loom not far from the horizon. Their lives became violent, meaningless struggles for survival. Hope ceased to exist but for a sparse handful of these broken elves. The devout among these prayed; and, after many years, were finally answered.
One cold winter morning, a vision descended from the heavens with the dawn. If any had been awake to see it, they would have been awed by the beauty of this pure light. As if with pity, it shone into the darkest corners of the villages, into the places where the foulest elves resided and the worst atrocities had occurred. It shone even into those places haunted by the twisted souls that refused to be torn from the world to reside with Lorminstra, and every place the light touched, peace lived for a moment. As the first lights streaked the sky, the heavenly light came to rest in the doorway of one stately home. With a whisper of shifting winds, the light materialized into the vision of a Godly woman - into the form of Lumnis Herself.
She entered the house silently, making her way upward to the chambers of the sleeping family. As she entered the nursery and walked towards a swaddled babe, a piece of the shadows shifted. Emerging from the dark strode Andelas, who stroked a dark panther cub which he placed in the crib. The two deities locked eyes, and after many moments of tension, Andelas nodded and returned to the shadows. Lumnis, avoiding the cub, placed her hand onto the babe's forehead. Light shone brightly from her fingertips, leaving behind a small mark on the child's forehead when she removed her hand. With this touch, she blessed him and bestowed upon him the gifts of leadership, courage, loyalty, determination, and strength, the five traits every great leader must possess. Before leaving, she tucked the baby's blanket under his chin, embroidered on it was the name Zishra.
Before the dawn had finished illuminating the world, Lumnis graced twelve other homes in each of the other villages, bestowing on each child the same blessings she had given the first. Before returning to the heavens, she stopped at one small dilapidated well at a crossroads between four of the villages. Under the guidance of her hand, water once again sprung from the well, and lush greenery blossomed all around it. This was her sign to the villagers. From the shadows, a pair of watchful eyes remained long after Lumnis had gone.
For many years after this divine visit things continued on their bleak and dark path. Feuding and starvation continued, and many more met with an early death. However, as the thirteen children grew and matured, their presence brought about changes. As each reached adulthood, they brought about the solution to one of the thirteen plagues of their people. This caused the villagers to rally around the thirteen, showering them with respect and devotion. Over time, the families of the thirteen came to be known as the Col'amni, the great families which served as the foundation for the ruling class of Ta'Nalfein and continue in prominence to this day.
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