Snatched

‘Long ago, belief in the fey and their magic’s began to fade, and with it, the land of the Inspirisles cracked and its seas churned.

Desperate to stop this devastation, a grand meeting was held between the seven principle houses. But centuries of bad blood and feuding are not easily forgotten, and talks were left in tatters.

Convinced the races would never see eye-to-eye, Silvane, an impulsive glow prince, decided to act alone. Travelling to the forbidden and dangerous depths of the Starless, a place he had secretly visited as a child, he sought out the spriggan, Abbranor and pleaded for her help. She agreed to aid the only glow to have shown her friendship over fear.

Abbranor sent her mischievous changelings to the Earthly cities where they kidnapped and traded places with countless human babies. These abducted newborns were prisoners from the very beginning, growing to know only slavery and darkness. 

All the while, Abbranor’s changelings terrorised their human families, and through fear and superstition, belief in the fey was restored.

Thinking the land had healed naturally, the seven rulers enjoyed a period of happiness, where magic and merriment flowed like the waters surrounding their kingdoms.
But their festivities would be short-lived…

In exchange for Abbranor’s help, Silvane had promised her sole dominion over the Starless and a seat on the council of the Glowing Court.

Learning of her son’s betrayal, Queen Oona Mithdragil banished Silvane and drove the spriggan back to the depths empty-handed.

As time passed and Abbranor’s changelings returned home, the rulers felt the ground beneath their feet crack once more. Desperate, they had no choice but to honour Silvane’s pact.

And so an accord was struck. Abbranor was given the Starless and her place on the council and in exchange her minions returned to their frightful work. To seal the deal and as a gesture of goodwill, the spriggan offered infants to the rulers of the principle houses to raise as their own. These children would come to be known as Foundlings.

For many centuries, Abbranor’s influence on politics was tolerated, but after a bitter feud with the knockers over mining the mineral-rich Starless, the council turned on the spriggan. Barely escaping with her life, Abbranor took shelter with Silvane (now Vane: ruler of the exiled glimmer) and together they plotted revenge.

As vengeance turned to war, creatures previously oppressed by the rulers of the Inspirisles saw an opportunity…

Realising Abbranor’s attentions were elsewhere, the diabolical witch, Leanan stole away a dozen newborns, consuming their laughter to extend her life and wickedness.

Unopposed by the capra, whose duty it was to slay their kind, trolls moved upon civilisation, covering the land with the shadows of their colossal bridges.

With his restless legion, the sluagh, Morghast laid siege to Avalon in search of the fabled blade, Caliburn.

And discarded by the Crone of Craft eons ago, the twisted fomorians climbed from the abyss looking to extinguish all light.

As the ages passed and the war raged ever on, talk of wyrms on the horizon reached ears too filled with battle and blood to pay heed.’
Inspirisles History, Scriv the Bard