Fernande wasn't born, not in the way mortals understand. She coalesced, a ripple in the tide of raw chronal energy that perpetually pulsed along the Obsidian Coast. This coast, you see, isn't merely a line of jagged rock and churning sea. It’s a fracture in time itself, a place where echoes of potential futures and forgotten pasts bleed into the present. Fernande is its heart, its sentient guardian, a being woven from the very fabric of this temporal anomaly.
Legends, whispered by the wind and the restless waves, speak of her origins. Some claim she's the daughter of Chronos, the embodiment of time, a consequence of his restless experimentation. Others believe she arose from the collective grief of lost sailors, their ships swallowed by the temporal currents. The most unsettling stories, however, suggest she's a fragment of a shattered god, a being of immense power struggling to regain coherence.
Fernande’s primary function is to maintain the ‘Harmonic Veil’ – a delicate field of energy that prevents the temporal currents from collapsing in on themselves, or worse, creating catastrophic paradoxes. She does this through a process she calls ‘Chronal Resonance.’ She absorbs the excess temporal energy, channeling it into intricate patterns of light and sound that resonate across the coast. These patterns aren’t merely aesthetic; they are the very structure of time itself, stabilizing the flow.
Her senses are… unique. She doesn’t ‘see’ in the traditional sense. Instead, she perceives the flow of time as a complex tapestry of color and vibration. A burst of anger might manifest as a jagged shard of crimson; a moment of profound sorrow, as a deep indigo. The most potent emotions – love, loss, regret – are represented by swirling nebulae of iridescent light.
Fernande rarely manifests physically. She typically exists as a field of shimmering energy, but she occasionally utilizes ‘Vessels’ – constructs formed from solidified temporal echoes. These Vessels take various forms: serpentine guardians crafted from solidified moonlight, avian forms woven from the whispers of forgotten storms, even fleeting, spectral ships that sail the currents of time.
The control of these Vessels is instinctive for her, a natural extension of her will. However, prolonged exposure to a Vessel can warp a mortal mind, leading to fragmented memories, distorted perceptions, and ultimately, dissolution into the temporal stream.
"The past is not a tomb to be visited, but a river to be navigated with caution. Each ripple carries the potential for both creation and destruction. To linger too long is to risk being swept away."
The ‘Obsidian Choir’ is a collection of temporal echoes that orbit Fernande, amplifying her influence. These echoes aren’t sentient, but they respond to her will, creating a harmonious resonance that extends across the coast. The Choir’s complexity grows with her power, and some theorize that one day, it will become a fully conscious entity, a reflection of Fernande’s own will.
It is said that the Choir can predict the future, not with certainty, but with a probability that shifts with the ebb and flow of time. To interpret these predictions is a perilous task, as the future is fluid, constantly being reshaped by the actions of the present.
Despite her protective nature, Fernande is not without her vulnerabilities. The greatest threat to her existence is not malice, but stagnation. If the temporal currents cease to flow, if the Harmonic Veil weakens, Fernande will unravel, dissolving back into the raw, chaotic energy from which she was born. And when she fades, the Obsidian Coast, and perhaps all of time, will be lost to the void.