Lorian Ain’Dal – Character

HEAVY SPOILERS

Lorian was born as a second son to Marn’sul Dal, the autumnal lord. He was always intense, maybe even too much for his family’s taste. Marn’sul was possibly most amiable of all kings of Unseelie, and so Lorian was growing up, in wild surroundings of autumnal groves, between thick branches and copper leaves, not actually fearing his father. He was free, untamed and when his shadowed powers surged, he became also proud. He still managed to be level-headed and normal through all of this, even if he had some darker tendencies and dominant personality. Had three friends among High Fae, and the four would go into the fire after each other. Lorian would go after them if they needed it, killing everyone who would want to harm them.

His brother, Lerrel, was seeing him not as a family member, but a threat for his position. His own royal powers, which should appear long ago, didn’t – and that alone was making him hate Lorian, he feared Lorian will become more worthy of the crown. Lerrel was ever angry, cruel, and disliked Lorian being more popular among the court.

They fought verbally, which turned into a vicious war, Lerrel used any means to diminish Lorian, Lorian becoming colder when the endless animosity started to overcome the whole court. The fractions showed up, High Fae, with typical excitement and whimsical joy, were supporting the ones they chose. The court separated and the king eventually had enough.

He ordered them to duel, until one surrenders, and that should stop all, no more animosity, no more court plays. He didn’t plan though one thing. During the duel, Lerrel fought to kill Lorian, in a way that won’t be obvious, which will look like accident during fight. He used forbidden magic in the white weapon duel, so Lorian didn’t have remorse to creep with his shadows into his heart and bones, his will in anger pressing though so hard, that it killed Lerrel.

This could end very wrong… for all.

Though… the forest looked at Lorian and Lorian felt beating of its heart in his veins.

The dark forest like it. It promised well.

The leaves started to fall, autumn was ending, and so did autumnal reign.

The reign of winter was about to start. Marn’sul knew what that means. When the forest was choosing, the old king was dying, that has been always since the beginning of the fae kind.

They were bound with it, as its offspring. And the forest was always a cruel father to its children, moody and unpredictable.

Lorian was not like his father. He was much darker, but also charming and much less rigid than Marn’sul. He relieved the fey kind from harsh traditions that were binding them and which his father loved so much, and the court soon became decadent. Darker, as well. The fae, nightly at heart simply… like it, even if Lorian usually punished offenders and those who deserved really harshly and even cruelly. They prefered this over stagnation. When he bound with Nymre, the raven spy, his eyes alight with new fire. He loved his life, dangerous and wild, even more than in his youth. His intensity grew and he hated as strong as he loved. Something was in the air, when the shadows started thicken around him, in a promise of the deep night.

Lorian didn’t have offspring, so he couldn’t be replaced, but the woods were silent about it, like forgiving him, like knowing he won’t stop until the Fae rule over all lands. Until the forest magic spreads. That he will send the winter one day through south and east and north and west. Sensing the change. The dark wintery forest was hungry and so were the Fae. So was Lorian. The barriers between fey land and other kingdoms was slowly breaking and no one knew why, even if that was allowing the fey to feed their curiosity and darkness on lower races – Lorian learned the reason though.

At that time, Lorian read a lot. He knew old tales, known only to a royal lineage. And he took a chance. With the gods, who were thirsty for souls and lives and in their slumber, involuntarily were breaking all barriers, their power shattering magical binds of Ain’asel.

They were sleeping under the temple in Natsel’sorl, where Changelings were guarding them, silent priests doing rites in their names. The old tales were indicating something that no non-royal fae knew – that they wake up, no matter what, every 20 000 years to drink from the Unseelie, and then fall into sleep again, sated and filled with their magic. And that time was coming fast, the gods already awaking, slowly opening their inner eyes. Lorian used every dark and vile mean and managed to trap the gods in a limbo between reality and  sleep. And he started to slowly take their power away.

He did it to save himself, most of all, but at the same time he saved the other fae too. But the god’s power became a drug for him, and he changed even more, into much darker person. But it didn’t create a new person from him – the thirst for god’s blood only intensified his traits which he kept under control most of the time, not allowing them to be seen. The power additionally was stronger than anything the fae could stand, so he suffered terrible pain.

And so he suffered and ruled for another countless years, becoming more and more corrupted, more vile and bloodthirsty. Becoming “The Shadow”. He never told anyone about the pain. Even Nymre. Even if he thought that she may suspect; but he would never harm her, even if by then, he disposed of others’ lives with light hand, enjoying their pain, feeding on their fear, killing own emptiness and suffering with screams. He felt the forest’s call, the winter in his veins, calling him by the name… luring him deeper into cruel pit of no return. And he hated it and loved it, absolutely. He loved his darkness, it became his cruel friend, shadowed bride… but longed at the same time for his youth, when all was… simple and purer.

“I want to hear the gods scream, just as I scream in my head. To hear them when I tear their souls up and replace them with void.”

Short info:

Gender: Male

Eyes: Black

Hair: Black

Skin: Pale

Personality: Sadistic, cruel, proud, unforgiving, intense, passionate towards those who he likes, cold to all the other

Love interest: Nymre

Family: Lerrel (brother – deceased),  Marn’sul (father – deceased), Iri (mother – deceased)

Power: Shadow magic