Eaters of the Leaf and the Prince of Fire

“Before the Lion that Weeps swept down and conquered the nations of Ahrasune, Maharan, and Nhaga-resh, there existed a small monastery in the hills of Dharadin.”

The Talespinner throws a handful of powder into the fire, which roars to life for but a moment, sending flames of green dancing about. 

“The order that dwelled within the monastery were simply referred to as the Talamursa, or “Eaters of the Leaf”. These monks spent much of their time in silent contemplation, recording the visions that were granted to them after conducting a ceremony which focused around consuming the leaves from a sacred tree that grew at the heart of their monastery. Few records of the leaves describe them as being white as the pale moon, with veins of blue-silver. It is believed that this tree was one of a kind, and thrived nowhere else.

For hundreds of years, the princes of Maharan made a pilgrimage upon their ascension to the throne, to sit at the feet of the wise monks, and they received a scroll which bore wise words for their rule. The wise sorcerer lords of Nhaga-resh would bring bountiful harvests of grain from their lands, so that they could seek the higher truths with the aid of the Talamursa. And finally, the Queens of Ahrasune would send their suitors to the monks, who would send the scrolls sealed in wax to the Queen, so that she might judge who carried the perfect seed for the heirs to the throne.

The monastery also contained countless scrolls, upon which had been transcribed countless visions that the monks had witnessed, and many of them seemed to contain portents of things yet to come. Wise men from afar would travel to the monastery, and spend countless weeks attempting to divine the future while listening to the monks read the scrolls.”

He shifts in his chair, setting his staff aside and reaches for his old wooden cup. A single drink, and he continues.

“Upon his ascension to the throne, the Prince of Maharan, Valko Khermara, travelled to the monastery. Amidst a caravan of a thousand of his subjects which included his harem, his troop of bodyguards, and a score of his best craftsmen, to offer services to the Talamursa monks in exchange for their wisdom. However, he had other designs in mind, as he sought to unify Maharan and Uarisung under a single banner. Thus his visit were two-fold, to both receive the wisdom of the monks to aid in his rule, and to have a scroll sent to the Queen of Ahrasune, Dahavina Rashanta, telling her that he was the suitor that she should marry.

But the tree showed the monks that which the Prince did not wish to hear. His scroll called him the “Prince of Fire” and spoke of a blind man upon a broken throne. 

Prince Khermara became enraged at the monks, and demanded that they eat of the leaf again, so they might see the truth. The monks forbade such an action, saying that the tree never reveals the same truth twice. Smiling, the Prince believed that it only confirmed that if the leaves were eaten again that he could somehow change his future. The monks still refused to partake a second time. 

The Prince left, and returned to his palace at the capital of Maharan. Months later, Queen Rashanta of Ahrasune sent a messenger, informing the Prince that his gifts of silks and spices were welcome, but his proposal of marriage was refused, as the Talamursa said that the match would be one of disaster.”

At this, the Talespinner emits a dry chuckle before continuing.

“In his palace of jade and ivory, Prince Khermara became sullen and ill-tempered. He lashed out at his courtly advisors, and levied harsh punishments on his subjects for the slightest of crimes. Finally, one night he gathered his generals, and told them to prepare the armies. The generals were mystified, as the nation had been at peace. No one threatened their borders, and the army was doing little more than hunting down bandits. The Prince informed them that they were to march upon the Talamursa monastery, and then invade the nation of Ahrasune and force Queen Rashanta to marry him, or he would put her people to the sword.

The guardians of the Talamursa fell before the swords of the Maharan army. The monks were held at sword point as Prince Khermara demanded from the head of their order to see a different future. The monk, whose name has been lost to time, knelt before the Prince, and calmly said that the monks had accepted their fate, but the Prince should also accept his. The blood of the monks stained the floor of the monastery, and the Prince had the library of thousands of scrolls put to flame. He had the sacred tree stripped of leaves and cut down.”

With this, the Talespinner sits back in his chair, and sighs heavily while slowly shaking his head.

“As the army marched to Ahrasune, the Prince decided that he would eat the leaves to guide the army and force his desires upon fate. A night of madness and delirium gripped him, as he was under the grips of the sacred leaf, and he bore witness to many terrible things in his visions. He wept tears of blood, and as the sun rose the next morning,” 

The Talespinner wipes his hand across his eyes, 

“his sight was no more.”

The old man pulls a long drink from his wooden cup, draining the last of the wine within. Noticing this, one of the younger Zhani women hurries over to refill his cup. Nodding to her in thanks, he continues his tale.

“The first city they arrived upon was Dasamedia, a port city through which much of the trade of Ahrasune flowed. The gates of the city were barred, and a single rider delivered the message to the Prince that he was not welcome in these lands after he had defiled the monastery. The Prince had the messenger's head catapulted over the city walls. 

For nearly a week the army of Prince Khermara laid siege to the city, until scouts arrived bearing the news that the army of Ahrasune was bearing down upon them.”

With that, the Talespinner cracks a wry smile. 

“The two armies clashed in the valley outside of Dasamedia, and as the battle raged, reinforcements emerged from the city, many of them having arrived by ship. The army of Prince Khermara was forced to fight a battle on two sides, and was soundly defeated, but not before inflicting terrible losses upon the army of Ahrasune.

As for Prince Khermara, it was found that during the skirmishing, the royal tent caught fire, and he perished in the blaze, seated upon a throne of ivory which had cracked in the heat. 

Thus it was that the forces of  Maharan and Ahrasune were devastated, and ultimately fall before the might of the Lion that Weeps and the imperial legion.”