The Creation of Umbra’s Veil
Part 1: Umbra’s Vision
Extended lore written by J.B. Coleman
Published 10/7/24
“My Lord?” a muffled voice cut through the air. Why did it sound like it was underwater? Who was speaking?
“My Lord, are you alright?” There it was again. Cutting through the fog of unspeakable horror that was playing out before him. War. Famine. Plague. DEATH.
Lord Umbra of Zelira was reeling. Strange clothes and weapons lay before him in the vision. Likely a time long from now, but still a horror none the less. The land of Evania was laid to waste. The streets of many kingdoms where choked with the amount of dead bodies a magical scourge produced. An evil emperor with long, flowing, silver hair.
“Umbra!” the voice was urgent this time, dropping formalities for urgency.
Lord Umbra blinked hard and shook his head, pressing his long fingers into his temples. When he opened his eyes, the elf king was back in the banquet hall of Zelira. Everyone at the feast was starring at him, including his four children at the next table over, and his wife, who had apparently been trying to rouse him from his vision.
It had struck him so suddenly. Had he been mid-sentence when it happened? Yes, he had been giving a speech in honor of his daughter Lena’s 140th birthday, a major step towards being a young adult in their culture. He remembered how he was saying it just seemed like yesterday she was born to him and his wife Zelira. His youngest, Lena’s coming of age made him feel old indeed, but that was no longer a concern to him. What concerned him now was the terrifying vision that had struck him.
In the past, only visions of great importance reached him, but it was usually during a deep meditation or sleep. And none in the past had been so vivid and terrifying as this. Dark magic had returned to the land. The chain of the Evania Dynasty that had been around for centuries was broken. Umbra was unsure if he had the vision so that he could stop the horrors that were to come, or if he was just cursed to witness what was to be.
He could feel himself sweating as his wife grasped his hand to calm him. His beautiful, perfect wife. Such radiant beauty that he had named his entire kingdom after her. “Yes, Dear. I’m back, I’m back,” he stammered.
“A vision?” Zelira asked. “You just stopped in the middle of your speech. Your skin went sea foam white. I had to help you sit back down as you were about to fall. You were gone for quite a few minutes.” She picked up his hand and gave it a kiss. “Is everything alright, My Love?”
Umbra could barely gather himself enough to speak. “I…ummm… no… not here. We have to finish the party. We will talk about this later.” He took his other hand and gave his wife’s hand a few caring taps to show he appreciated her concern, and then pulled out of her grasp, standing to address the large group before him.
He mustered the best smile he could, throwing his arms wide as if to embrace the gathering, his droopy golden sleeves following his arms’ movements. “My friends. I apologize for my… momentary departure. When I agreed to study the ways of Solana and receive visions, I didn’t think they would end up making me look like an old elf who nods off after eating too much lavender pudding!”
This elicited a roaring laughter from the audience, and Umbra was glad that he was able to dispel the tension in the air. Once the laughter died down, he was ready to keep pushing to get on with the festivities and past everyone’s focus on his lapse of consciousness. “Friends! We are here to celebrate my daughter Lena’s coming of age! As you know this means that she is to choose her vocation in helping the kingdom.” He took a dramatic pause to smile down at his daughter, who was absolutely beaming back up at him. “It is my privilege to announce that she will be joining her brother Eldryn, myself, and my lovely wife Zelira in the study of Solana’s Light!”
This was met with roaring applause from the assembled crowd. Umbra looked over and could see his other three children clapping Lena on the back in congratulations. She appeared to be blushing a little with all the attention in the large banquet hall focused on her. She looked up at Umbra and he gave her a nod of approval.
After several minutes of clapping and celebration, Umbra held up his hand for silence. It took a few more minutes for the sound to calm down, and then Umbra got a huge smile on his face. “Let my four beautiful children lead us off with the dancing!” Umbra pointed to the corner of the room where the musicians were set up, waiting for their cue. A bevy of musicians began playing their stringed instruments, and music filled the chamber.
Umbra watched as his four children laughed as they hopped up and grabbed each other’s hands, doing a quick waltz around the room as the upbeat music called for. Eldryn, his oldest son, danced with Lena, and his middle two children, Garrick and Sable, waltzed quickly behind them. They almost seemed to be racing each other around the room as the audience moved in around them and clapped, raucously laughing at the antics of the young elves.
The elf king smiled a small smile at his children’s happiness, and then sat back down next to his wife, his smile fading. Zelira placed her hands back on his, trying to comfort him, for he apparently looked as distressed as he now felt. If his vision were true, and they hadn’t been wrong yet, their happy lives here in Zelira would end in darkness somewhere in the future.
King Umbra turned to look at his wife, and saw the look of concern in her eyes. “Eminent danger?” she asked in a hushed tone.
He shook his head. “Not eminent, but if we want our way of life to continue, then we have work to do, my queen.”