The Paramours of Seki

When it comes to tragic love, the story that most easily comes to the minds of the Asgarthans is that of Nittaya Vorona and Acantha Shah, also known as the Paramours of Seki. They are the ones who popularized the legend of the Paramours among the Lyra Clans, a fable that many Alterers of the Faction still firmly believe in. Nittaya was the concubine of Annuska Valiont, the Basilissa of Asgartha; Acantha, an Alterer of the Ordis, specialized in the study of ancient relics. Nothing seemed to predestine them to a romance that would endure through the ages. Nothing seemed to tie them to such a poignant and heartbreaking love story. And yet…

Nittaya was a daughter of the desert. Born into the Ventauri Clan, she lived with her family among the hollow scales of Meander, the Serpent Leviathan. As a child, she charmed her audience whenever she took a few dancing steps. As a young adult, she captivated anyone who watched her move. Her natural beauty and grace led many to consider her the little princess of their Clan, fit to become Matriarch when the current one was ready to step down. Her movements were languid and mesmerizing, like those of a coiled serpent. Her path seemed set. But like the wind erasing footprints in the sand, fate decided otherwise.

During a stopover in Caecaster, the Ventauri Clan was invited to perform before Annuska Valiont. The Basilissa was visiting the province’s capital to negotiate the export conditions of Arcolano Milk, and this unexpected performance was a welcome breath of fresh air amid thorny negotiations... But Annuska never got a chance to catch her breath. Instead, she was left breathless throughout the entire ballet. From Nittaya’s first steps, the Basilissa was entranced. Her eyes were fixed on her alone; fascinated, enchanted, captivated by such grace and evocative power…

The next day, Annuska summoned the young dancer to her quarters. Nittaya was intimidated in the presence of Asgartha’s ruler, all the more so given Valiont’s already well-known fiery reputation. That afternoon, they strolled through Caecaster’s buried gardens eating oranges, and talked for hours in the corridors of the troglodyte city... Little by little, Nittaya opened up, and Annuska did the same before the young Lyra’s candor. By nightfall, the two women had grown close. Annuska spoke of the burden of her responsibilities, and Nittaya of the immense expectations of her Clan... A week later, as her stay came to an end, the Basilissa offered to take her to Arkaster to experience the grandeur of the capital, the vibrancy of its artistic scene... and the young woman accepted, driven by the love that was growing within her.

The first few months were intense and full of new experiences for Nittaya. Every evening was a new delight: trips to the Opera, the Asterion’s balls, exploring the capital’s districts, clandestine excursions to the Ruzzante... and especially, the passionate embraces of her lover. But all these pleasures couldn’t fill the void of not dancing. Exclusive performances were organized to help her fend off boredom, held before select groups of distinguished guests. But these shows did not satisfy Nittaya, and gradually, it seemed her life with Annuska was nothing more than living in a gilded cage. She felt like a bird trapped within. The Basilissa was perpetually busy, with only a few hours per week to spare for her.

The echoes of their arguments began to resonate louder than their sighs of pleasure. Nittaya wanted to leave, and Annuska begged her to stay, to give her another chance. At other times, it was Annuska who unleashed her anger on the young Lyra, while the latter regretted her selfish behavior. Tired of these endless quarrels, the Basilissa agreed to give the dancer an escape to Seki, at her summer palace, for the city’s Arts Festival. Nittaya accepted, so they could both take a break and gain the distance needed to reflect on their situation.

As for Acantha Shah, she had always preferred the dusty pages of libraries to lively excursions. She joined the Ordis ranks to quench her thirst for knowledge, and her aptitude for archaeology and studying relics of the past was quickly recognized. She forced herself to leave the labyrinthine bookshelves of the Sanctum, and was surprised to find she enjoyed life outdoors at excavation sites. Uncovering remains of ancient human enclaves, imagining what life must have been like before the coming of the Confluence... She found fulfillment in liberating from their prison of stone and earth the memories and traces of those who had come before.

The Alterer had traveled to Seki to study ancient artifacts. She used her talents to isolate the ideas contained within these relics and let them express themselves. In this way, she could glimpse fragments of that distant past, images of lives stolen by the cataclysm. Through Alteration, she could show these ghostly scenes to her peers, so they could analyze them together. And though some questioned these visions—arguing they could be contaminated by her own imagination—the Ordis scholars had grown accustomed to inviting her to symposiums and seminars, so she could share these glimpses of another world.

It was in the ivory halls of Seki’s Lapidarium that Acantha and Nittaya met. The young dancer had come to relieve her idleness by wandering the museum’s galleries, roaming among the stone ruins and remnants of history. The archaeologist was finishing a meeting with the chief curator, during which she had presented a promising piece. She had just faced her patron’s clear disinterest when she came face-to-face with the Basilissa’s protégée. At that first encounter, the world around them seemed to shimmer and ripple. A spark spread through the gallery, striking all the ancient relics.

To everyone’s astonishment, ethereal silhouettes began to wander the hallways. All the stored artifacts expressed the ideas imbued within them, some dating back centuries, others only hours... A thousand slices of life played out like theatrical scenes, where specters took on the role of actors... The young women watched this miracle unfold with surprise and wonder. Their hearts raced, feeling they were witnessing something exceptional. Gradually, the figures vanished, leaving everyone to wonder what had just happened…

To the young women, it felt as if their souls had become intertwined. Their very being resonated near each other. They didn’t know each other, yet they felt they always had. This meeting felt more like a reunion—not tender or calm, but as violent as a collision, a head-on crash. They seemed to sense each other magically, instinctively knowing what emotions were running through the other’s mind. They could have conversed without speaking a single word.

Thus, they crossed paths several times. Once, at the port, where the waves stood still like marble sculptures; another time in the city’s buried gardens, where the plants suddenly bloomed out of season... They were drawn to each other like two magnets, always seeking to come together, to complete one another. Thus, they succumbed to the passion that had been immediate, which they tried to resist but proved stronger. It was so natural, so undeniable... When they united, the entire city was adorned with flowers and pink petals, while cherry trees inexplicably blossomed. The city shone brilliantly, making night seem like day…

The Muna claim that their ancestors felt a surge at that moment, perhaps akin to the union that had bonded Niavhe and Kaibara nearly two centuries prior. The Skein had lit up, carrying the echo of their love to the far reaches of Asgartha... But the rumors traveled just as quickly. Annuska heard about this romance, this insulting affair, and her jealousy flared terribly. How dare she betray her trust like this? She summoned her personal guard into action. She would go to Seki immediately, to put an end to this charade and demand answers from her beloved.

After days of travel, the Basilissa stormed into her companion’s chambers, flanked by armed guards. She found the two lovers entwined and demanded an explanation from Nittaya, insisting that she end this dalliance... But the dancer simply refused. She was not one to accept living in a gilded cage, no matter how splendid. Annuska was stunned. Few dared defy her in this manner. She ordered her guards to seize Nittaya. Acantha stepped forward to confront the soldiers, pushing them back by manifesting her Alteration. Akileka Gawi, the Basilissa’s personal Alterer, feared the young Ordis might attempt to harm the ruler and struck in return…

Acantha’s body fell before Nittaya’s horrified eyes. An explosion shook the entire city of Seki as Nittaya’s Ignescence surged unfiltered. Her anger, despair, and all the raw disbelief and confusion... all those emotions erupted in a catastrophic blast... All that pain unleashed in powerful waves. The young dancer, unable to control herself, was covered in scales and chitin. She took on a serpentine form, entwined around Acantha’s body, which was transforming into a thorny thicket. The Basilissa watched in terror as the scene unfolded before her. Gawi had no choice but to remove her from the chambers for safety.

Nittaya had transformed into an alabaster serpent. She coiled around Acantha, who had turned into a gnarled tree with sharp thorns... Annuska wept bitterly at the singularity that would later be known as the Viper-Tree. Her jealousy, her desire, and her bitterness had cost her her beloved. And through her own actions, she had perished, transformed into a Tumult anomaly. The Basilissa ordered the chambers to be sealed, ensuring that no one would ever disturb the final resting place of the two lovers. The quarters became a sort of temple, watched over by Alterers to ensure that the singularity would not evolve further. In the silence of this stone tomb, in the darkness of this mausoleum, they would remain entwined forever—victims of the queen's intoxication and greed.