Acantha Shah

Acantha Shah was an Ordis Alterer and archaeologist who specialized in studying ancient relics. She became one of the Paramours of Seki alongside Nittaya Vorona, and their tragic fate created the Tumult singularity known as The Viper-Tree.

Background

Acantha preferred the pages of libraries to lively excursions. She joined Ordis to pursue her thirst for knowledge, and her aptitude for archaeology and studying relics of the past was quickly recognized. She worked in the labyrinthine bookshelves of The Sanctum before discovering she enjoyed fieldwork at excavation sites, uncovering remains of ancient human enclaves from before The Confluence.

Alteration Abilities

Acantha possessed the ability to isolate the ideas contained within ancient relics and let them express themselves. Through this Alteration, she could glimpse fragments of the distant past and show these ghostly scenes to her peers for analysis. Despite some questioning whether these visions could be contaminated by her imagination, Ordis scholars regularly invited her to symposiums and seminars to share these glimpses of another world.

The Paramours of Seki

Acantha traveled to Seki to study ancient artifacts. At the city’s Lapidarium museum, she met Nittaya Vorona, concubine of Basilissa Annuska Valiont. Upon their first encounter, the world around them seemed to shimmer and ripple. A spark spread through the gallery, striking all the ancient relics, causing ethereal silhouettes to wander the hallways as stored artifacts expressed the ideas imbued within them.

The two women felt their souls had become intertwined. They were drawn to each other repeatedly, and their meetings caused anomalous events throughout Seki: waves standing still like marble sculptures at the port, plants blooming out of season in the buried gardens. When they united, the entire city was adorned with flowers and pink petals while cherry trees inexplicably blossomed.

Death and Transformation

When Annuska Valiont discovered the affair and confronted the lovers, Acantha stepped forward to protect Nittaya Vorona from the Basilissa’s guards, manifesting her Alteration. Akileka Gawi, the Basilissa’s personal Alterer, struck Acantha down, fearing she might harm the ruler.

Acantha’s death triggered Nittaya’s uncontrolled Ignescence. Acantha’s body transformed into a gnarled tree with sharp thorns while Nittaya became an alabaster serpent coiled around her. Together they became The Viper-Tree, a Tumult singularity that remains sealed in Seki.

Relationships

• Nittaya Vorona: Paramour and soulmate; transformed together into The Viper-Tree
• Annuska Valiont: Basilissa whose jealousy led to the confrontation
• Akileka Gawi: Basilissa’s personal Alterer who struck Acantha down
• Ordis: Faction to which Acantha belonged
• The Sanctum: Library where Acantha studied
• Seki: City where Acantha met Nittaya and where they transformed
• The Viper-Tree: Tumult singularity created from their transformation