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• About Me
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Lore

“Be back by sundown, Mina.”
Mother’s words rang in her head. The little foxling girl craned her neck up at the sky, peering at it through the mess of tree trunks and foliage. The sun hadn’t yet turned the rich yolk orange that signaled its return to the earth, shepherding in the night. The yellow-white sunlight that slipped through crevices of the otherwise dense, protective flora surrounding the Sunlin foxling tribe’s territory told Mina that there was still just enough time to play a little longer.
She closed her eyes and opened them back up to the memory from a few weeks prior, when a traveling theatre troupe from the big city had paid her tribe a visit to perform for all of the children. The actors, dressed in elaborate costumes and masks, performed a captivating story about a group of adventurers who take down an evil spirit threatening to destroy their home. Mina honed in the focus of her memory on her favorite performer: a wood elf woman who played the druid of the group.
Mina grinned, her small teeth peeking through. She twirled on the spot, her feet sweeping up dirt and fallen leaves, holding an imaginary staff above her head like the druid in the play. She began weaving through the trees, smacking their low-hanging branches as if engaged in sword combat, pretending they were the towering foes the adventurers in the play had faced.
"Take that, foul spirit!" she declared, jabbing the stick she had picked up earlier into the air. The dappled sunlight danced in her hair, and her bushy tail flicked back and forth with every nimble step. Mina’s heart swelled with joy as she imagined herself as one of the adventurers, like the ones in the play—a brave foxling adventurer battling evil alongside the noble heroes. Mina, the fearless adventurer, saving the day with her quick wit and the power of her elemental magic.
But a rustling sound yanked her back to reality.
It wasn’t the ordinary rustle of leaves in the wind or the small movements of forest creatures. This sound was heavy, deliberate, and far too close to the tribe’s boundaries. Mina froze, her long drooping ears twitching as she strained to listen. Voices—deep, gruff, and unfamiliar—cut through the usual calm of the forest. Instinctively, she crouched low, making her way toward the sound. Quietly, she crept forward, weaving between roots and ferns until she reached a small rise that overlooked her village.
Her eyes widened and her heart leapt from her—her voice nearly followed suit. But she clamped a hand over her mouth to silence a cry of fear. Strangers were in the village—humans, dressed in dark hunting gear, armed with nets, cages, and cruel-looking hooks. Members of her tribe, her family, were being rounded up like livestock and herded by the human men towards a dingy wagon.
Mina bit back a gasp, her claws digging into the soft earth beneath her. She spotted her parents. Her mother’s arms wrapped protectively around Mina’s younger siblings. Her father stood between the poachers and their kin, lavender eyes glowing as he bared his teeth at the poachers. Mina had never seen her father look so angry.
One of the hunters raised a gleaming, rune-carved rod. A bolt of magic erupted from its tip, striking the ground near her father. The shockwave knocked him down, leaving her mother’s terrified cry echoing through the clearing.
Mina wanted to scream, to charge down the hill and claw at the intruders, but her legs wouldn’t move. All she could do was watch, trembling, as the poachers bound her family and dragged them toward a large cage on the back of a waiting wagon.
“Mina!” her father roared. From where she hid, her ears perked at the sound of her name. “Go, Mina!” His voice grew fainter and fainter, until her father’s last words disappeared into the trees. The clanking of chains and the cries of her people lingered long after they were gone.
And then there was silence.For fifteen years, Mina survived alone in Huli Forest, driven by the memory of her family and the stories of adventurers who fought for the vulnerable. She taught herself to hunt, forage, and craft rudimentary tools, but the forest was no longer the safe haven it had once been. Instead, the very environment that her tribe had protected, that had protected them in return, was compromised. Every broken branch or distant howl reminded her of the poachers who had taken her tribe. Though she searched relentlessly, she never found a single trace of her family.
One day, while wandering near the edge of the forest, Mina stumbled upon a discarded flyer pinned to a tree, its corners curling with age. The ink was faded, but she could still make out the bold words: "XinJie Academy of the Arcane—Where Magic is Molded and Heroes are Made." Beneath the title, a drawing depicted a diverse group of adventurers wielding magic and weapons, shielding a village from shadowy creatures. Her fingers traced the edges of the flyer as she read the smaller text: "Located in Lotus Valley, XinJie Academy is dedicated to training the bright minds of magic users to preserve balance and protect the vulnerable."
Mina’s heart thudded in her chest. For years, she had survived in isolation, haunted by the memory of her tribe’s capture. The faces of the poachers—their cruel sneers and their greed-filled eyes—were burned into her mind. She’d often wondered if there was anything she could have done to stop them, any power she might wield to stand against such evil.
And now, in her hands, was the answer. The Academy could teach her how to harness the magic within her—magic she had barely begun to understand, that she would have trained under her parents’ guidance. It wasn’t just a chance to grow stronger; it was an opportunity to learn how to protect others, to prevent the horrors she faced from befalling another helpless child.
Mina steeled herself with resolve. If she could make it to Lotus Valley, she could study at the Academy and gain the tools to fight back against the poachers. Maybe she could even uncover information about her family’s whereabouts. The idea filled her with equal parts hope and determination. With that, she packed the few belongings she had: a makeshift bag filled with rations, a simple hunting knife, and a small pouch of forest herbs. Mina left Huli behind, its once-familiar paths now a painful reminder of all she had lost. For the first time in years, she stepped beyond the forest’s boundaries, her eyes fixed on the horizon and the promise of a brighter future in Lotus Valley.
The bustling village was unlike anything Mina had imagined. The wooden walkways over the water, buildings on stilts with their swooping rooftops, and the dizzying new sights and smells seemed a world apart from her quiet life in Huli. At first, she was overwhelmed by the noise and the sheer number of people, but her spirit refused to let her retreat.
Mina managed to enroll at the Academy of the Arcane, her natural affinity for elemental magic earning her a spot despite her lack of formal education. She poured herself into her studies, mastering spells that connected her to the natural elements she had lived among her entire life. Professors were often astounded by her raw talent and her relentless drive to improve.
Yet, even as she immersed herself in the Academy’s world, Mina couldn’t ignore the plight of other magical beings. She heard rumors of poachers targeting naiads in nearby rivers, griffons in the highlands, and even rare drakes. Each story stoked the fire in her heart, reminding her of her tribe's fate. She knew she had to act.
Mina began small. She used her free time to research poaching networks, gathering information on their methods, motivations, and the black market for magical creatures. Realizing she couldn’t do it alone, Mina began rallying like-minded students and townsfolk to her cause. Together, they formed a coalition dedicated to raising awareness, protecting magical creatures, and disrupting poaching activities. Together, they would go off on expeditions, exploring and following leads on poaching groups in the areas surrounding the Valley and beyond.
One of Mina’s most innovative ideas was to broadcast their mission through sending stones—magical devices that allowed long-distance communication. Her messages started as simple stories about her own experiences and her family’s fate. Over time, these broadcasts grew into larger productions, with Mina taking them on her explorations to document her journey and connect with those she sought to protect. Her fiery passion and earnest demeanor captured the attention of people across the region.Her efforts drew both allies and enemies. Poachers viewed her as a threat, and some even tried to silence her. But Mina’s resolve only hardened. She was no longer the frightened child who had hidden in the trees while her family was taken—she was a force to be reckoned with, a voice for the voiceless, and a protector of the wild.
Despite her accomplishments, Mina remained humble. She never lost sight of her ultimate goal: to ensure that no one else suffered the same loss she had. She dreamed of creating lasting change, advocating for stronger magical creature protection laws and developing spells to shield vulnerable areas from poachers. Through her broadcasts and growing network, Mina began to forge alliances with other activists, druids, and even sympathetic adventurers. She still clung to the stories of heroes from her childhood, but now she realized that she didn’t have to wait for someone else to save the day—she could be the hero herself.

lore written by: xinfaerin

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