The Legend of Ayunta

...and how she came to be a spirit.

The legend of Ayunta dates back to the pre-fudal times, and has continued, told as myth, for generations among the scribes, bards and storytellers of almost every village. No one knows whether this story is fact or fiction, as few are left alive to claim it as either. The story itself is used to scare children into obeying their parents, or 'Ayunta will possess you and you'll obey her orders'.

Ayunta was a young priestess, many generations ago. She was born with an unquenchable sense of adventure and thrill-seeking, as well as an indomitable spirit and sharp wit. She was quick to anger and slow to forgive, and it was very hard to keep her company. Many would say she was never meant to have been a preistess, with an attitude such as hers. But it was her choice, and not many were ready to argue with her on the point.

Around her eighteenth year of life, while tending to one of the shrines, a young stranger walked in, seeking shelter from the morning's harsh sunlight. This stranger introduced himseld as Caleb Talbot, a freshly-turned vampire with dreams of destroying the mortals that had hurt him so badly in his human life. Ayunta was moved by this creature and his goals, and before the night was upon them, had fallen in love with the vampire. When Caleb left, she followed, leaving the shrine and her former life abandoned.

Although the two were close, they never talked of Ayunta becoming a vampire. She insisted she could live as human, if she became better than them without becoming his fledgling. She began to study intensly in the dark magics, becoming a sorceress and Caleb's link to the human existance. But the magic that ran through Ayunta's veins soon changed her. While before she had merely had a quick temper, now she had an enragable one, often hurting others to the point of death over trivial things. Caleb noted this change, and confronted her about it. But her anger soon overpowered all her emotions, including her love for Caleb, and she was overcome with the desire to prove herself the strongest, at all costs.

Her powers were amazingly strong by this point, and the deeper her hatred became, the stronger her magic got, as black magic is fueled by anger, hate and darkness. She also knew Caleb's weaknesses, and, unknown to the vampire, plotted against him. On the day when she would exact her revenge, she called Caleb out, to show him something she had learned that would assist him on his quest against mortals. Suspecting nothing, Caleb was led deep into a canyon by his beloved. Ayunta bound him magically to the canyon cliffs, and left him there for the sun's rays to consume.

Proclaiming herself to be the strongest being in the world, the sorceress decided to make Caleb's goal her own. She began to wipe out villages and towns mercilessly with her dark powers, killing thousands and destroying everything in her path.

Finally a group of adventurers stepped up, willing to fight Ayunta. These were the first of the Gods' Chosen, special warriors picked by the gods themselves to come in the time of ultimate crisis. The Gods' Chosen fought Ayunta's black magic, and the sorceress herself. But Ayunta was now too powerful to be killed with normal weaponry, or even magic. So the Gods' Chosen sealed her spirit, condeming her forever to the very temple she abandoned years ago.

Time went on, and the Gods' Chosen were soon deceased. Ages went by realativly peacfully, and the warriors were no longer needed.

Then, generation upon generation later, Caleb mysteriously returned. He had not died in the canyons. No one but himself is actually sure how this was accomplished. He swore revenge on the mortals, sorcerers included, for both hurting him with he was mortal and for taking away his revenge on Ayunta.



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