Cymoril

Heroes of Travance

Let us never forget what has happened here. Let us never forget that, through song and love and hope, we saved one who could not be saved. For those of you who do not know, I will tell the tale.

There once was a lady named Cymoril, who spent all her time practicing her song in the hopes of one day becoming one of the Lorestri. There once was a knight named Kevin, skilled with blade and magic, noble and true. They met at the midsummer's festival and fell in love. They stayed together all night, talking, singing, laughing. When Cymoril's father learned that she had told him secrets from his books, he forbade their union, fearing his youth and rashness. When Cymoril refused her father's edict, he locked her in a lighthouse.

There once was a Dark Queen who longed for revenge. She disguised herself and appeared to the captured Cymoril, claiming to be one of the Lorestri. She told Cymoril that she was there to help reunite her with Kevin. She told Cymoril that, some day, the lady would have to choose between love and becoming a Lorestri. She gave Cymoril a ring that she said could be used to call upon the Lorestri in times of great need. When Cymoril questioned this, the Queen told her that the Lorestri only choose one student every three centuries, and that she was welcome to stay in the lighthouse if she did not want that opportunity. Silenced by her fear, Cymoril went with the Queen.

Cymoril and Kevin were reunited, the their love bloomed. Soon, they wished to wed, but Cymoril still feared losing her chance to be a Lorestri. When she told Kevin of this, he was surprised. He had never heard of such a thing before. He went into a trance, contacting his father to discover if this was so. It was at that moment that the Dark Queen chose to send a demon to capture Cymoril. In fear, she used the ring the Queen had given her, and instantly vanished.

Cymoril was held captive for longer than I know in the court of Evernight. There, the Queen would torture her in front of the court, then force her to sing for their entertainment. She would do this every day for years, perhaps longer. Eventually, Cymoril lost hope. She hated Kevin for not rescuing her. She hated her father for locking her away. She hated the Lorestri for failing to save her. The pain changed her. She swore loyalty to the Queen, she swore to destroy the Lorestri, she swore to undo the Weave. The Queen set her free to fulfill her oaths.

Cymoril began capturing other Lorestri and torturing them as she herself had been tortured. Those that did not die from the experience joined her as the Athenaeum of Hollow Song.

Cymoril's story does not end in tragedy, though. Using the powers of the Earth's Blood, the Weave and its Song, and love, Cymoril was reminded of who she once was, and of her love for Kevin. She was pulled back from the boundless abyss into which she was fallen. I saw her in her last moments, cradled in the arms of Mother Angelliana, and she was not the monster who tortured the Lorestri and unsung the Weave. She was just Cymoril once more. Then she was consumed by fire. I like to think that whatever happened to her, she is now with Kevin and at peace. But for what little time she had left, she was saved. This was someone who everyone and everything told me could not be saved, and yet, she was.

Remember that, Travance.

So, if the one who turned so many other Lorestri in the past could be redeemed, and chose love, could it be possible to do the same to her former followers?

This experience has taught me that anything is possible. However, the circumstances used to save Cymoril were tailored to her. If such a thing were possible for another, the method would have to be different and specifically tailored for the recipient.