Altered Lore

Aroro Niski

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Aroro Niski

Overview

Aroro Niski (277–305 AC) was a Yzmir mage who mastered all Five Spheres of The Naali. She was the first to detect the 305 AC tsunami threatening Arkaster and sacrificed herself defending the city’s southwestern ramparts. Decades later she awakened as an Oneiros and joined the Rediscovery Endeavor to investigate the tsunami’s origins.

Background

Born 277 AC during the reign of Assura ruun-Caellach, Aroro was the middle child of the Niski family. Her older sister Nanha Niski dedicated herself to architecture, while younger brother Edire Niski pursued the sciences. Aroro joined the Yzmir to explore the secrets of The Aether.

Aroro’s natural aptitude led her first to Kinemancy, where she demonstrated exceptional skill summoning sparks and conjuring whirlwinds. Rather than advancing through Faction ranks, she chose to study all five Spheres, becoming a perpetual student at The Kadigir. She eventually mastered Gephyromancy, Horomancy, Eidomancy, and Phonomancy, believing the mystical arts could only be understood by studying them in concert.

Timeline

305 AC - Tsunami Detection and Warning

At age 28, Aroro detected a disturbance in The Aether flows that she recognized as a harbinger of unprecedented catastrophe. The Yzmir Magisters dismissed her warnings, believing the archipelago had been protected from The Tumult for centuries. She sought audience with Basileus Itzamna ruun-Heeren at The Asterion but was not received. She attempted to convince The Aegis sentinels of the urgency before departing to prepare defenses herself.

305 AC - Final Stand and Death

When the tsunami struck, Aroro stood on the city’s southwestern ramparts where she had spent hours inscribing Sigils and placing Effigies. As the wave of water and Aether crashed into the Vagheria foothills and flooded Muir Concordia, she performed continuous sequences of Signs, summoning sixteen Eidolons simultaneously: Ikenga, Caellach, Ganesh, Sakarabru, Achilles, Merlin, Hecate, Heshkari, Niavhe, Bastet, Amahle, and five others.

She held back the deluge for several minutes, her Sigils shattering and Eidolons being swept away one by one. Her defense allowed other Alterers to mobilize and create pockets of stability throughout the city. Though the lakefront districts and much of The Asterion were devastated, her sacrifice drastically reduced casualties. Basileus Itzamna ruun-Heeren perished in the flood along with much of the government.

Post-305 AC - Memorial

New Basilissa Ndidi Dewitt commissioned a statue of Aroro with one hand outstretched as if holding back waves. A lighthouse was built on the small island where she made her final stand.

Decades Later - Awakening as Oneiros

The fervor of remembrance and continued storytelling about her sacrifice enabled Aroro to awaken as an Oneiros at the base of the lighthouse. She believed the tsunami was not random but possibly a coordinated attack from beyond. The Yzmir Magisters received this warning seriously. When the Rediscovery Endeavor was announced, Aroro joined to investigate the tsunami’s source and architects.

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