THE AROMI UNIVERSE
⊱{ Official Lore }⊰
VERSION 1.1
created by: Aaron McLaughlin
Aromi LLC © 2024 | All Rights Reserved
- Chapter 2 -
THE MOON SAGE’S SCROLL
Prince WHITE’s Discovery
Young Prince WHITE cowered in the corner of his chambers, his small frame shaking with each sob. Fresh welts crisscrossed his back, angry red marks left by his father's strap. The king towered over him, his face contorted with rage.
"Pathetic," the king spat, his words laced with venom that burned on the boy’s face as he spoke. "A King never shows weakness. You'll learn to be strong, boy, even if I have to beat it into you."
Tears streaming down his face, the little boy fled from the king's presence. He ran blindly, heedless of direction, his legs carrying him as fast as they could. Racing out of the castle grounds, he plunged into the bustling marketplace, weaving and shoving through the crowd. Exhaustion finally overtook him, and he slowed to a walk, his small frame heaving. Dazed, he wandered the crowded streets, gradually making his way back toward the kingdom's outer walls.
In a sudden burst of rage, the boy struck the cold stone wall with all his might, expecting to feel the knuckle-breaking thrash of rock against his bare fist. But, to his surprise, his fist met with something entirely different. Upon impact, the surface that his fist met crumpled inward breaking into pieces. Confusion replaced anger as the boy realized… this wasn’t stone at all.
His fingers traced what appeared to be stone but felt distinctly different—a cleverly disguised wooden panel, weathered and rotted with age, yet painted to perfectly mimic the surrounding stonework. As he explored further, knocking gently along the wall, the hollow sounds confirmed his suspicion: hidden within the imposing castle walls lay a secret waiting to be uncovered.
Heart pounding, the young prince pushed against the peculiar section. With a soft creak, it swung open, revealing a passage that was hidden in plain sight. Glancing nervously over his shoulder to ensure he wasn't being watched, Prince WHITE slipped inside, allowing the door to close silently behind him.
As Prince WHITE explored deeper, he discovered a hidden garden of breathtaking beauty. Filled with fragrant lilies in white, pink, and purple, it was a stark contrast to the gloomy palace above. There, he encountered an old man tending to the flowers, who greeted him warmly.
A Stranger’s Kindness
Initially wary, the young prince gradually opened up to the old man's kindness. Day after day, he returned to the hidden garden, finding comfort in gentle words and understanding smiles. The old man's patience never wavered, offering a lily with each visit.
Over time, the garden became the prince's sanctuary. Laughter echoed through the rows of lilies, a stark contrast to the cold palace walls. The old man's wisdom became a balm for the boy's wounded spirit, and he soon viewed him as the father he had always yearned for. After a year, as they sat amidst the swaying lilies, the prince confided in the old man.
"Father says I'm supposed to be tough," the young prince said, his voice barely above a whisper. "My brothers, they're all so tough. But I... I'm not like them. No matter how hard I try to be."
The old man listened intently, his blue eyes filled with a compassion as deep as the ocean. After a moment of silence, he spoke softly, "My boy, you are not like your brothers, and that is not a weakness. You have your mother's blood."
The prince's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't make eye contact with the old man. Instead, he stared intently at the lily in his hands, spinning it by the stem over and over as he spoke. "My mother? How would you know anything about that?"
The old man's eyes twinkled with a blend of fondness and sorrow. "Because... I knew her."
The lily stopped spinning in the prince's hand. A silence fell between them, broken only by the distant chirp of a bird.
"Prince WHITE," the old man continued softly, "her name was Lily, and she was a beautiful soul," the old man said, his voice filled with reverence. "She led many people to find the hope of salvation, guiding countless souls to peace. She was greatly loved by so many who knew her. And even more loved by The Spirits. It's the same tender kindness I see in you, my boy."
For several minutes, Prince WHITE sat in silence, his gaze fixed on the delicate flower in his hand. Slowly, he raised the lily to his face and inhaled deeply. The sweet fragrance enveloped his senses, as his heart brimmed with questions he had never dared ask before.
"My mother…" the boy asked the old man. "Did you say she was loved by The Spirits? Who are they?"
The old man's eyes twinkled with a mysterious light as he gazed at the young prince. "My boy," he said softly, "there's something I must share with you, something I've been waiting to tell you ever since I first met you in my secret garden."
The Moon Sage's Story
The old man revealed a stunning truth to Prince WHITE: he was a Moon Sage, one of the ancient guardians of wisdom and hope. This Moon Sage had been secretly brought to the kingdom by Lily, Prince WHITE's mother, soon after her forced marriage to the king. Lily, a woman of extraordinary beauty and inner radiance, had ingeniously used the king's own resources to arrange for the Moon Sage's secret arrival, hiding him in this very garden.
As the Moon Sage unfolded the story of Lily, Prince WHITE learned of his mother's lifelong devotion to The Spirits of Aromi. Since her youth, Lily had secretly followed their ways, her heart filled with an unwavering faith. The Spirits lived within her, blessing her with visions and an overflowing wellspring of compassion and love. It was this divine radiance that had caught the eye of the king, who, captivated by her beauty, had taken her as his bride without room for refusal.
Despite this, the queen used her position as a secret platform to bring salvation to the evil kingdom. The prince was shocked to discover that the king had lied to him all these years, telling him that his mother had died in childbirth. In reality, Lily had secretly brought many people to the Moon Sage in this hidden place, helping them find the hope of salvation. Her bravery, sacrifice, and the love that emanated from her Spirit-filled heart had touched so many lives.
However, Lily's noble mission ended in tragedy. When the king discovered that she was a follower of The Spirits, his fury knew no bounds. In his rage, he had her executed, cutting short her work of ministry. The king then decreed that everyone in the kingdom should maintain the lie that Lily had died in childbirth, swearing them to secrecy to keep Prince WHITE ignorant of the truth. Unbeknownst to the king, the Moon Sage remained hidden, continuing Lily's work in secret.
Shocked and confused, Prince WHITE struggled to process these horrifying revelations. The Moon Sage gently explained that Prince WHITE was the only uncorrupted son among the king's offspring, born of Lily's pure love and devotion before her untimely death. The prince was a living testament to the power of The Spirits that had dwelled within his mother.
Overwhelmed by these truths, Prince WHITE felt a new sense of purpose awakening within him, tinged with a burning desire to continue his mother's legacy and uncover the full extent of his father's deceit. Seeing the light of understanding and the fire of determination in the boy's eyes, the Moon Sage entrusted him with a forbidden scroll—the last surviving copy of the Moon people's history and teachings.
Determined to honor his mother's memory and continue her work, Prince WHITE dedicated himself to studying the scroll in secret. He carefully guarded the knowledge of his mother's true fate, her secret devotion to The Spirits, the Moon Sage's presence, and the scroll's existence. Through its ancient wisdom, he uncovered the legend of the Moon Sages and the location of their last known refuge. The scroll became his guiding light, inspiring his growing resolve to one day reunite with the Moon Sages and restore the world's lost light, just as Lily had dreamed of doing—and perhaps, to right the wrongs committed against her and the people she had sought to save, including exposing the king's lies and the kingdom's complicity in keeping him in the dark.
Prince WHITE Escapes
Years later, as the decrepit king—now ancient and frail—prepared to pass the crown to his strongest son, Prince WHITE set a daring escape plan in motion. The tyranny of the corrupt monarch long overstayed its reign, growing more oppressive with each passing year. Prince WHITE, approaching his 30th birthday, knew the time had finally come to act.
In secret, the prince and his fiancé had assembled a small group of devoted followers—eight young men with their wives, some accompanied by children. Among them were a few mothers with newborn infants. These brave souls, committed to the prince's vision of freedom, waited hidden in cargo beside the docks of the ships. The weight of their impending escape hung heavy in the air, mingling with the salt breeze from the nearby sea.
Under cover of darkness, as the palace buzzed in celebration of his brother’s coronation, Prince WHITE and his followers executed a daring plan. They infiltrated the royal docks and commandeered the king's smallest vessel—a sleek, agile ship known for its speed. As they swiftly boarded and set sail, the prince's heart raced with both excitement and trepidation.
When the prince's absence and the theft of the royal ship were discovered, the enraged old king dispatched his naval fleet to intercept them. As they navigated treacherous waters, their stolen ship's superior agility proved crucial. However, fate intervened when a fierce storm struck, obliterating the pursuing fleet. The prince's vessel, though severely battered, remained afloat as Prince WHITE and his followers fervently prayed to The Spirits for protection. Their unwavering faith was rewarded as The Spirits guided them safely through the tempest.
After days of battling the elements, the small ship was finally cast upon the shores of their destination. Miraculously, Prince WHITE and his small band of followers had survived the perilous journey to the new world. As they stood on the beach, their clothes tattered and bodies weary, they offered heartfelt prayers of gratitude to The Spirits for their deliverance. Their faith in The Spirits, each other, and their cause remained unshaken. The stolen ship, now a symbol of their resilience and The Spirits' divine protection, lay beached nearby—a testament to the extraordinary voyage that had brought them to their new home.
Standing on the beach, surrounded by the loyal companions who had risked everything to follow him, Prince WHITE humbly dedicated their new land to The Spirits of Aromi. It was a moment of profound gratitude, not just for their survival, but for the promise of the free and just society they would build together—a stark contrast to the tyrannical rule of his dying father they had left behind.
Prince WHITE Becomes King
When Prince WHITE, his fiancé, and their followers arrived, they discovered a hidden colony of 90 Moon Sages. These wise beings had long awaited their coming, having retreated to this land during the dark ages of tyrannical kings. The Spirits had directed them to assemble here, foreseeing through prophecy that a new kingdom would be established in this land. The Moon Sages, guardians of ancient wisdom, had made their secluded home here, patiently waiting for the fulfillment of their divine mission.
Recognizing the prince's arrival as the realization of their vision, the Moon Sages emerged from hiding and warmly welcomed Prince WHITE and his people. In a ceremony steeped in tradition and reverence, they proclaimed him king, with the Moon Sages forming his sacred council. This momentous occasion marked the long-awaited reunion of fallen man with the hallowed ways of the moon people, as prophesied by The Spirits.
King WHITE Marries His Bride
On the sacred night of the Lunar Tree, King WHITE and his beloved were united in matrimony. The ceremony, as radiant as the moon itself, took place in the presence of the Moon Sages and the new King’s followers. The Moon Sage’s ethereal presence lent an air of divine blessing to the proceedings, while the loyal followers who had braved the perilous journey to this new land gathered around, their faces beaming with joy and hope for the future.
As vows were exchanged and hands were joined, King WHITE introduced a special salvation hymn inspired by The Spirits. The air thrummed with the collective energy of two worlds coming together - the celestial wisdom of the Moon Sages intertwining with the earthly devotion of King WHITE's people.
The air grew still, charged with an energy that seemed to pulse from the very earth beneath their feet. As one of the Moon Sages began their ascent to Lunar Falls, a hush fell over the gathered crowd. Hearts quickened, breaths held in anticipation. The sage's figure, silhouetted against the starlit sky, grew smaller as they climbed higher, each step carrying the weight of centuries of tradition and the hopes of an entire kingdom.