The
Aramil grew strong and their civilization prospered. More cities
took root along the ocean shore, connected by the forking streams
of the river delta. It was time to officially declare Siyanna's
covenant with the Aramil by the gifting of the elemental treasure
of Fire. The first god metal sword was frozen in time with the
sealing of Aladoon, so she had a new sword made in the volcanic
forges of the gods. Arashii, it was called; the Blood of the Sun.
It was the goddess' promise that light would
always be renewed following a solar eclipse.
Siyanna was confident in the stability of her
nation and felt it was ready to stand on its own two feet.
She left behind Aratsu Rahishna to be her avatar in Arama’at and
herself ascended in to the sky. The Aratsu, or Living Sun, resided
in the Pyramid of the Sun, but she was not alone in the temple.
The two ranks under her were held by the Aranudra, or Daughter of
the Sun, and the Ararudra, or Son of the Sun.
The
temple was split in two in honor of Siyanna’s two faces. The
Aranudra watched over the half of the temple dedicated to the
Creative Sun, and most of the clergy living in that half of the
temple were female. The Ararudra watched over the half of the
temple dedicated to the Destructive Sun, and most of the clergy
living in that half of the temple were male. At the center of the
temple stood a tall statue of Siyanna in the likeness of a bipedal
feline with long black hair, and by either side of her stood
statues of Akireli and Kumbayeli, the Lions of Siyanna.
But
there was one part of the temple only the Aratsu could enter, and
it was dedicated to the awesome third face of Siyanna – the Dark
Sun. This was a chamber carved after the great war between the
Aramil and the Annukai, and consisted of a circle of torches
meeting at a harrowing image of a raging goddess. Each year a new
torch would be lit, until the trail of fire made it to the icon,
and when that happened, the Aratsu would know that it was time to
hold the festival of the Dark Sun.
This
festival was also known as Blood of the Sun, and celebrated their
identity as the chosen people of Siyanna. It commemorated the turn
of the tide in the war against Suknuru and the Annukai, and how
their blood was set ablaze by their goddess’ transformation,
affirming their bond with her. And to this day, every time the day
of an eclipse came, the Aramil would gather in the plaza outside
the Pyramid of the Sun and wait for the ecstasy of divine
communion. They would then proceed to mindlessly attack anyone
around them. The streets ran red on the festival of the Dark Sun,
but such a holiday was needed in their otherwise Utopian society
in order to keep the population fit and healthy.
Though
visitors made sure to stay clear of the Aramil
Coast
during the Blood of the Sun, all other times the Aramil nation was
a great center of culture and trade. People of the northern
kingdoms braved jungle trails rife with undead and desert passes
patrolled by Marauders to marvel at the craftsmanship of Aramil
workers and wonder at the harmony of Aramil society. Tourists
relaxed under palm trees in luxury seaside
resorts, garlanded with
exotic flowers as they sipped on pineapple drinks. They greeted
the dawn with the masses in the amphitheater outside the Pyramid
of the Sun, watched Aramil warriors practice in perfect synergy in
the plaza of the Eternal Flame, and stayed for the nightly light
show of torches and fireworks.
Though
the Aramil had built a civilization similar to that of the Tashari
Empire, they did not share in the Tashari’s boundless ambition.
Their nation stayed compact, centered around the delta of the
Great River
and extending along a thin coastal strip bordered by the Ring of
Death to the
east. They did not undergo an exponential population explosion,
but rather stayed stable, with the land yielding more than enough
resources to go around. In
this way they restored the south’s rightful place in the
divinely ordained cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth that
was so damaged by the Tashari Empire. They chased away famine and
the Forestside
Kingdom
bore plentiful harvests once more.