The rain in Veridia doesn’t fall. It *perspires*. A constant, shimmering haze hangs over the cobbled streets, a byproduct of the Lumina, the crystalline structures that pulse with a strange, melancholic energy. Veridia, you see, is not merely a city; it’s a nexus, a place where the veil between realities thins. And within Veridia, the Leonines reign.
For centuries, the Leonines have been the silent guardians of this intersection. They are not men, not quite. They are echoes of a forgotten age, beings born from solidified starlight and regret. Their skin is the color of polished obsidian, their eyes burn with a cold, internal light. They are bound to Veridia by an ancient pact, a silent oath to maintain the equilibrium, to prevent the tides of chaos from crashing upon the city.
“The first recording, etched upon a shard of Lumina, speaks of the ‘Siphoners.’ They were not Leonines, but something…older. Entities that fed upon the Lumina, amplifying the chaotic energies. The Leonines, then young and raw, were tasked with their elimination. It was a brutal, protracted war, leaving scars upon the very fabric of Veridia.”
The Leonines’ power derives from the ‘Ritual of the Stillness’. Every cycle of the moon, they gather in the Obsidian Plaza, a vast square at the city’s heart. There, they channel the Lumina, attempting to dampen the fluctuations, to maintain the ‘Quiet’. This is not a passive state; it's a constant, exhausting exertion, a battle against the inherent instability of their reality.
The Deep Archive, housed beneath the Grand Library, contains the fragmented records of the Leonines’ history. Most of it is obscured by ‘Chromatic Distortion’ – a phenomenon caused by prolonged exposure to the Lumina. However, recurring themes emerge: the ‘Siphoners’ return, the increasing frequency of ‘Echoes’ – brief manifestations of alternate realities – and the growing desperation of the Leonines.
1. ‘Chromatic Distortion’ is theorized to be a side effect of prolonged exposure to Lumina, creating localized temporal anomalies. Further research is ongoing. 2. The ‘Siphoners’ are largely considered mythological, though evidence suggests they were a genuine threat. 3. The ‘Echoes’ are believed to be bleed-throughs from parallel timelines, often manifesting as distorted versions of Veridia’s inhabitants or architecture.
At the center of the Obsidian Plaza lies the Heart – a massive, pulsating crystal of pure Lumina. It’s said to be the source of the Leonines’ power, but also their burden. The Heart is starting to…shift. The light within is no longer steady, but flickers with a dangerous, violet intensity. The Leonines believe it’s a sign – a harbinger of the Siphoners’ return, or something far worse. They are preparing for a confrontation, a final, desperate attempt to safeguard Veridia, even if it means sacrificing themselves.