Isle of Benacia
History
The Isle of Benacia was, from time immemorial, a county in the northwestern part of the Barony of Lakhesis. It is named after the continent of which it is a part, Benacia. Benacia was first colonized by settlers from the Khaz Modan Empire, but was inhabited by natives, called the Pennà, long before. During the age of the Khaz Modans the island was mainly used as resting place for ships heading north. This also brought the area much trade, but the main economic activity was still fishing and agriculture.
In a more recent time, the island became the home of the Line of Mortis. Pirates were also been known to have been common around Benacia Isle during the late feudal period.
The Benacian economy was formerly based on fishing and agriculture, although efforts had been made by previous governments to diversify the economy without any great measure of success. Some revenue is generated by trade. Port Benacia possessed a large harbour and trade ships would stop there on their way north and to other countries, much as they did during the times of the Khaz Modan. B'Caw was the patron god of Benacia, but a small group of Ikol worshippers was once attested on the island, mainly on account of a one-time association between a former governor and the cult.
Geography
Benacia consists of one island, approximately 46 miles long (east-west) and 28 miles wide (north-south). The island lies apart from the rest of the Benacian Archipelago, separated from them by the wide expanse of the Cosimo Sea to the west and south; it also lies closer to the mainland than any of the other islands. The smaller body of water separating Benacia from the mainland is locally known as the Bay of Tenra.
The island is shaped very much like a shoe, resting on the heel with the toes pointed up. The east of the island (the “ankle” and “heel” of the shoe) forms a blocky shape, which is of generally higher elevation; the highest point on the island, the Hill of Tuné, lies in this area, near the front of the “ankle”. The top of the “shoe”, as well as the front of the “ankle”, consist of rather rocky coasts, often tending toward sheer cliffs; further south, the terrain is only slightly hilly, and is quite flat enough for agriculture; the coast, though sometimes indented, are otherwise normal beaches. In the furthest south of this part of the island lie the grazing grounds of the kallamyn, Benacia’s most economically important animals.
The vegetation of the “ankles” and “heel” is primarily determined by the prevailing winds coming from the southwest. More rain falls on the windward side of the hills, causing the western portions to tend toward moister, thin forests, especially in the north; while on the eastward side, the vegetation tends more towards grasses and shrubs and slightly drier soil. The difference between the two vegetation zones fades toward the southern end of the island, where groves of trees become interspersed with the grasslands. In both this and the grasslands further north, conditions are fairly ideal for agriculture; the hills in this area are flat enough for farming, and little vegetation needs to be cleared.
Extending northwest from this whole eastern area is a much lower and flatter peninsula (the “toes” of the shoe). This region has few to no hills, and drainage tends to be poor; water collects easily into small pools across the area, aided by the presence of karst formations (“potholes” in the landscape caused by the weathering of subsurface limestone). Marshes tend to be common, and the vegetation that subsists in this area tends to be adapted to damp conditions. Some saltwater intrusion from the ocean makes the water here brackish, especially near the shores, and so many of the plants also have adaptations to more saline conditions. Near the centre of the peninsula, however, a few freshwater bogs exist. Throughout the peninsula, trees typical of marshes and swamps grow relatively thick.
Port Benacia
Port Benacia is a large city of the County of Benacia. It is home to many famous religious buildings such as the Great B'Caw Temple and the Tranquil Tower. Port Benacia averages a population of about 40,000. Most people that live in the city work in the docks, but construction comes a close second in industry. The original name in the local language (now mostly extinct) was Khilán Tase, the Great Port.
Although there are a number of coves and inlets around the coast of the Isle suitable for small vessels like fishing boats, Port Benacia is the only natural harbour suitable for deep-drafted vessels of the kind used on the ocean.
The origins of the city date back to pre-Khaz Modanian times, where rich fishing and trade from overseas fuelled the growth of the villages along the shores of the harbour. By the Khaz Modanian invasion, there were primitive fortifications and armoured warriors analogous to knights (and therefore probably a vaguely feudal society). There was also a bridge across the inner reaches of the harbour, which became famous in local legend as the site where the warrior Pendura single-handedly held the bridge against the Khaz Modanians, slaying hundreds, until he was overwhelmed at last.
The Khaz Modanian occupation brought more permanent architecture to the island, which hadn't progressed much beyond wood. Port Benacia, as the de facto provincial capital, was a major beneficiary, though little now remains. The collapse of the Empire brought economic devastation and depopulation that was not fully reversed even when the Isle was absorbed into Shireroth; the city only surpassed its previous grandeur when it became the headquarters of the Benacian Commonwealth. Buildings from this era tend to be the oldest still remaining, though much was destroyed after the fall of the Sky Pillar and the subsequent abandonment of the Isle. More still was reconfigured during the rule of Count William and, later, of the Griypilmar, but a few ancient landmarks still remain, such as Government House at the head of the harbour, and the Towers of Fortune and Tranquillity, twin lighthouses, near its mouth.
The area immediately around the harbour is relatively flat, but east and north of the city the terrain rises into sparsely populated hills, used mostly for pasture or for the estates of the wealthy. The Line of Mortis maintains a family compound in the area. Considerably north of the city is the ruin of the County Estate, where Shyriath Bukolos once lived, though the mansion has been almost entirely torn down by the elements.
Other Settlements & Landmarks
The second largest city is Tenra, but it covers less than half the area of the Port, and contains only a fraction of the population. The town is not a major port, but maintains itself as a favored tourist location on the island. This popularity with sightseers comes primarily from two sources; first, the city itself is very picturesque. While more civilized than surrounding viilages, Tenra maintains the charming Old Benacian architecture and lifestyle more fully than the Port; the city is quaint, but well-kept and hospitable. The second reason for its popularity, however, comes from its easy access to other popular sights in northern Benacia, including the Port, the County Estate, the rustic farming villages of Atán and Rassun, and, most importantly of all, the Sky Pillar of Tuné.
The Sky Pillar: By far, the most unique and awe-inspiring sight in all of Benacia is a magnificent construction set upon the Hill of Tuné, the highest point on the island. Rising from the crown of the Hill is a high, cylindrical tower, constructed from a mysterious silvery metal, surrounded by four narrower towers that connect to the main tower by a series of narrow flying buttresses. It has apparently existed for several thousand years, ever since local record-keeping began; its origins are unknown for certain, but local myth seems to credit its creation to the Technomaezji of the Khaz Modanian Empire. Believed by the more superstitious locals to hold up the roof that stretches over the world, it has thus become known commonly as the Sky Pillar.
The entire structure is about a mile and a half tall, but only about fifty feet wide, and is topped by a crystal dome. Although the four surrounding towers seem to play some role in supporting the structure, it is clear that even they would be incapable of the task of keeping such a tall, thin tower upright if they were made of ordinary materials. Aside from the mysterious nature of the metal that was used to make the structure (which is unusually light and strong, and has strange electromagnetic properties), examination of the support towers’ interiors reveals strange devices within that presumably help keep the main tower upright. It was originally believed that they were anti-gravity devices, similar to those that keep the famous Flying Islands of Jasonia airborne, but it is now believed that they instead produce an energy field that interacts with the strange metal and produces a strengthening “stiffening” effect.
The purpose of the main tower, however, remains a mystery. It can be entered through a doorway at the foot of the tower; a spiral stairway provides access to the upper reaches. The tower is not divided into floors, except at the top; most of the structure is hollow, except for a column in the center. This column, as well as the inner walls of the Sky Pillar, are lined with an interconnected web of strange devices; some are similar to those in the support pillars, but others remain utterly mysterious. Study is ongoing, but is mostly limited to external observations; disassembly of any of the devices has, thus far, been forbidden by order of the Count, for fear that it could interfere with the support of the Pillar and cause it to collapse.
The top of the Sky Pillar, underneath the crystal dome, is a wide, circular chamber. The central column from below pierces the floor and ends in a large, spiky golden sphere that dominates the center of the chamber. The machinery from the inner walls below creeps up the underside of the crystal dome like vines until they reach the apex, then come down and connect to the top of the sphere. Like the rest of the devices in the tower, the sphere’s function is mysterious (some believe it to be related to energy projection); but it seems to be the most important object in the entire Sky Pillar.
For obvious reasons, many visitors to the island wish to visit this magnificent and mysterious structure, and is a major draw for tourism. But for equally obvious reasons, access to the interior of the Sky Pillar must be carefully regulated, lest its ancient technology be damaged (or activated) and horrible consequences make themselves known. Casual visitors inside are thus carefully watched by guards, and are not permitted to touch anything; but they are permitted, if they so wish, to go as far as the top floor, where a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside is to be had.
Recent rumors suggest that the Count has stepped up study of the technology in the tower, and that he has managed to have some of it removed safely. It is supposed that he plans to use the devices to aid in building up the defense of the island.
The County Estate: Although the offices of the Count and his government lie in Port Benacia’s Government House, the Count does not reside there. He visits the Port often, for business and pleasure, but he dislikes the idea of actually living among the hustle and bustle of the largest city under his dominion does not please him; he generally prefers the quiet and solitude of the countryside. Thus, when he was chosen as Count by the Duke of Brookshire, he sought a location near enough to the city for easy access, yet far enough to untroubled by its busy streets, and in a scenic, rustic location.
He found the perfect spot in an old, abandoned manor house and some adjacent property just outside the village of Rassun, a few minutes north of Port Benacia. Falling in love with the property, he dubbed it the County Estate, the personal domain of the Count of Benacia. The stately old manor house has been restored to its former state (not to mention improved with some modern conveniences), and the surrounding lands kept pristine and scenic.
The core of the manor house was originally constructed some five hundred years ago in the Old Benacian style, but was added onto during the Commonwealth period. The old core consists of a keep-like square building; the four “walls” contain all the rooms and chambers, and surround a central open space containing a scenic garden and pool. The keep, which in the traditional style is constructed not of one type of stone but of bands made up of different colors (giving it the appearance of stratified rock), has a rounded tower at each corner.
The Commonwealth-era additions consist mainly of three wings added onto the north, east, and west faces of the keep, running perpendicular to the outer walls. The walls of each wing were done in the rounded-face brick typical of the period, although (in order to match the walls of the original keep) they were also done in banded colors. However, the unlike the old slate roof of the keep walls, the wings have characteristic metal-and-glass roofs. A similar roof was also added over the garden in the center of the keep, permitting the sunlight to enter while keeping out rain (water is still delivered to the garden, however, by a series of rain cisterns added on the roof). Adjacent to the west wing is another addition, in the form of a stable; although this once held horses, it currently houses the Count’s chosen steed, a young kallamen chick named Windfeather. Though only a baby, the chick is able to bear the weight of an adult human without problem, and the Count is in the same weight range, though he is more of dragonkind, rather than human.
The south face of the manor house lies only fifty feet from the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea; this reminder of the site of his former lair in Brookshire was probably one of the major reasons for the Count’s choice of this property as his residence. Most of the rest of the Estate, consisting of a few dozen acres, lies to the north of the cliff and manor house; most of it is grassland, but it is dotted with a few wooded hills. The County Estate, being the personal residence of the Count, is not freely open to the general public, but tourists may contact the Count’s secretary and make an appointment to have a guided tour of the grounds and the outside of the manor house. Entrance to the manor itself is available only to those having the express permission of the Count, and can usually only be obtained if one has official business with him (or if one is another noble, or a member of the Imperial Government of Shireroth).
The Southern Villages: Besides Port Benacia and Tenra, there are no settlements on the island larger than small villages and hamlets. Most of these are in the south of the island – in the “heel” of the shoe. Those on the coast tend to be more numerous, and are essentially fishing villages; the Cosimo Sea is known for its abundant populations of edible fish, as well as shellfish. Though hardly designed for the convenience of tourists, visitors to the island would nonetheless be encouraged to visit these traditional settlements. Even if the rustic flavor of the buildings and local speech is not attractive, the flavor of the inhabitants’ baked and seasoned samla (similar in taste to salmon) surely will be.
Further inland, the local villages are based around the herding and ranching of the kallamyn. Though less numerous than the fishing villages, these hamlets thrive due to their ties with Benacia’s most famous animal. Apart from selling their animals as riding or draft beasts, or slaughtering them for food, it is not uncommon during the spring for tourists and locals alike to come to the area in spring to watch the herds. This is the time of the First Foraging, in which the ranchers drive their herds out of their shelters after the end of winter; this is also the time when most the most young chicks can be spotted, having hatched during the winter rest. Some ranches set up small fairs where people can approach the better-trained younglings and pet them, and (occasionally) ride them.
Given the concentration of fishing and ranching villages in the same area, it is no surprise that they often cooperate in a number of ways. As the primary native sources of meat on the island, the southern villages have considerable power for their small population, and constitute an effective lobbying group; the Count treats them very well, recognizing their importance. It is the custom of these villages to jointly sponsor an annual fair in autumn, setting up a large pavilion at the Harbor Plaza in Port Benacia. The fishermen bring their best catches, and the ranchers herd their choicest kallamyn to pens near the pavilion, and the event (though smelly) is one of the major events in the island’s yearly cycle. In recent years, the farmers of the northern villages have set up their own autumn fair on the opposite side of the harbor from that of the southern villages, and dedicate it to their crops. The two sides will usually compete for spectators in a friendly (if often underhanded) fashion, and the competition is driven all the more by wagers on which side will get the most visitors and awards.
The most important of the southern villages is generally held to be Kure, due to its possession of the Shrine of Inner Flame, a religious building dedicated to B’caw. This is the site of an annual sacrifice to B’caw at the time of First Foraging (see further below).
The Western Villages: In fact, the villages of the peninsula and the northern coast aren’t very important to Benacia. The marshy ground makes construction of large settlements difficult, and the construction of roads even more so. Transport across the bogs is a slow and unpredictable process, and most often these villages avoid them by clustering near the coasts and getting their supplies by ship or by coastal roads. The land is not suitable for agriculture, the waters to the north of the peninsula aren’t as plentiful in fish, and the swamps breed diseases more easily. The marshes also house the strange and aggressive parránthu, the great wererats, who patrol the inner swamps, and which few are eager to meet. All in all, few people dwell here, and few elsewhere want to come.
Short of draining the marshes and causing outrageous environmental damage, there are few ways to change the situation. However, the Count has recently put the area to good use by declaring it a wildlife preserve, and has provided more jobs to the local villagers by employing them in maintaining the area… and guarding against its fearsome inhabitants.
Culture
Ethnicity: The Benacians have been relatively isolated from the rest of the world for much of their history, even during their major periods of occupation by imperial powers (Khaz Modan, Machiavellia, Shireroth). Although Port Benacia in particular has maintained links with lands beyond the island in the name of commerce, most average Benacians look on non-islanders as, if not inferior, than at least ignorant of the “proper” way of doing things. They are, however, never hesitant to impart their wisdom to those willing to listen (as the Count, being non-Benacian himself, has had ample opportunity to discover).
Under these conditions, therefore, it is not surprising that Benacians consider themselves to share a certain bond, and they have come to view themselves as a distinct people; indeed, they have done so for millennia. Though official written records of their early history are nonexistant, the tales they tell of their past very clearly indicate a distinct ethnic identity going back to their first encounters with the Khaz Modanians. Even today, when most islanders speak almost as everyone else in continental Shireroth does for normal discourse, they will always refer to themselves not as Benacians (a “foreigner word”), but will use the old word Pennái (singular Penná).
It is, of course, impossible to list all of the things that makes this culture unique, if indeed all such things would even be visible to outsiders. One of the most important ones, the deep connection of the people with the kallamyn, has already been explored; therefore we will examine a few of the others in the following sections.
Families and the Clan System: Although the islanders nowadays live mostly in nuclear families (i.e., mother, father, and children, without other relatives), they maintain an intense interest in genealogy and often keep track of other family lines long after they diverge. In fact, nearly every native person on the island belongs to an association of related bloodlines that is often termed a clan (in Benacian, ta; plural to).
Each person of Benacian descent receives at least two last names at birth, the first signifying the bloodline of the person, and the second signifying the clan to which they belong. Bloodline names are roughly analogous to the inherited last names found elsewhere in the world. However, in Benacia, the bloodline name one receives depends on one’s gender; a son will take the bloodline name of his father, but a daughter will take that of her mother. Another difference between a bloodline name and a conventional surname is that it does not change with marriage; one’s bloodline does not change by marrying outside it, and neither does the name associated with it.
The clan is an altogether different construct. Clan membership is, at least initially, determined by maternal descent from a single ancestor, called the renle (usually a female, but occasionally a male, especially in the case of famous heroes). Unlike a bloodline name, all children of the same mother take the same clan name; it is also customary for the husband to change his own clan name to the wife’s upon marriage, thereby being “adopted” into the clan.
The clans (of which there are at least a hundred), however, are not as much measures of genetic relation as they are social constructs. Of course, all members of a clan are related in some fashion, but a clan does not have the same sense of timeless permanence as a bloodline does. One’s bloodline can never be changed and dates from time immemorial, but one’s clan can be changed by marriage, or by adoption (in certain cases) into a new clan, or even starting an entirely new clan. What the clan does, however, is to foster a sense of society among those who belong to it; most clans provide financial stability to their members, organize social events such as parties and holiday celebrations, and allow businesses owned by clan members to provide discounts to other clan members. Most Benacian children start out making friends within their clan, and these childhood friendships are often maintained throughout their adult lives.
The clans also serve a political function as well. Although the greatest and oldest clans have renli that have nothing to do with one another, most of the smaller clans have ancestors who were formerly of other clans, but later started their own, often due to internal disputes. Thus, some clans are historically hostile to one another, and often diverse clans will form alliances in order to thwart the ambitions of other alliances. In olden days, when clans were more powerful in matters of landholding, clans would raise militias and go to war against each other. While this has not occurred for many centuries now, the political maneuverings continue, especially in the Clan Council, a sort of unofficial legislative body. In this body, which designs and passes recommendations to be sent to whomever is in direct charge of the island (formerly the representative of the Duke of Brookshire, and now currently the Count), the clan alliances have evolved into semi-political factions battling for the ear of the executive branch.
Language: Although less than half of the population now speaks it, Benacia also has a native tongue. Called Penná-kunen by its speakers, Benacian is unrelated to any other extant language; although several old inscriptions have been found on the mainland that are probably remnants of a sister tongue, Benacian is apparently the only living language of its group.
Little is available on the characteristics of the language, and more will likely be published in a future document. It is known, however, that Benacian words consist of syllables that are either open (i.e. consisting of a vowel, or a consonant followed by a vowel) or closed by a nasal consonant (i.e. ending in n, m, or ng). There is a distinction in consonant length in Benacian words. The words kala (a kind of shrub) and kalla (feather) would sound almost identical to an English-speaker, but are utterly different to a Benacian-speaker, in the same way that “cat” and “cad” are easily distinguishable by us. A doubled consonant indicates that the sound is held longer than a single consonant; the result is something like, for example, the lengthened m that occurs when we say “I’m Mary” without pausing for breath in between the words. To a Benacian-speaker, a single consonant is a different sound than a double consonant, even though the two may sound similar.
The “normal” stress in Benacian words is considered to be on the first syllable, even though a considerable number of words have it elsewhere. Stress anywhere after the first syllable is indicated by an accent mark over the main vowel of the stressed syllable.
Stress in words is very important in the formation of plurals of Benacian nouns. When the last syllable of a noun is unstressed, the singular changes to the plural through mutation of the last vowel in the word; for example, kallamen (meaning “quadricluck”) becomes plural by the changing of the e to y: kallamyn. (y is a letter denoting a short i sound, as in “it”.) Each vowel has a similar predetermined plural form.
When the last syllable is stressed, the situation becomes more complicated. Stressed vowels cannot mutate, and instead acquire an i after them, but the exact placement of the i depends on whether the syllable is open or closed. If the syllable is open, as in Penná (“Benacian”), the i simply comes in after the vowel: Pennái. But if the syllable is closed, as in khilán (“port, harbor”), the i comes after the whole syllable and starts a new one: khiláni.
(Oddly enough, one-syllable words behave as unstressed syllables for plural formation purposes. Keep in mind that in ALL plural formation situations mentioned, however, that the words used are in the nominative (subject) case; things get more complicated with other cases. There is also a plural flexion beyond plural, called “collective”.)
Although formerly spoken by the majority of the population, Benacia has declined over the past two hundred years as a result of the influx of mass communication from the mainland. However, local associations dedicated to the reflowering of the local language have managed to promote the teaching of Benacian in schools and the building up of Benacian-language local media, and the Count himself has also taken an interest in preserving this unique characteristic of his island.
Even more rarely used than the language itself, however, is the traditional Benacian writing system. A flowing, almost cursive script, the Benacian letters are considered to be quite beautiful and lend themselves well to calligraphy. Though an in-depth description cannot be made here, it can be said that the writing system is of a type sometimes called a “syllabic alphabet”, in which each basic letter represents a consonant with an inherent vowel attached to it. The vowel can then be modified through the use of diacritic marks.
Unfortunately, the Benacian script is widely ignored by those striving to save the language itself. Benacian is most often simply transliterated into English letters, as it is in this document, since that is the medium best known to the average Benacian. Most of those who still use the script are artists or highly educated persons, although out of tradition, most of the official seals and documents produced on the island still use Benacian words spelled in the traditional lettering.
Religion: If there was ever an independent Benacian religion, most traces of it have long been blown up – er, away, by the advent of B0O0O0/\/\ism and Cedrism in Khaz Modanian times. Benacians, like many others in Shireroth, gather to celebrate La Fiesta De La B0O0O0/\/\, and also have dedicated many other holidays to the Gods.
An unusual local feature of Benacian religion, however, is a particular reverence for B’caw, the God of Spicy Chicken. This is probably most easily explained by the God’s connection with the island’s most famous beasts, although the islanders certainly seem to be devout enough when His other associations are mentioned. Every spring, at the time of the First Foraging, the southern villages will often hold a sort of mini-Olympics in honor of B’caw. The winners receive commemorative coins as trophies, but also win the honor of making a sacrifice of spiced kallamen meat (but only meat; sacrificing live animals is considered unnecessarily cruel) at the Shrine of Inner Flame in the village of Kure.
B’caw has long been considered a sort of patron god by the Benacians, a fact that delights the Count to no end, being also the Head Priest of that god. It is this, perhaps more than anything else, that accounts for the easy acceptance by the islanders of their Count.
However, several non-Cedrist gods persist among the population, particularly in the more traditional south, though they have been reduced almost to the level of nature spirits and superstitions over the rest of the island. Maitun, the goddess of ships and boats, is still worshipped by the fishermen of the coastal villages; it is customary to bring along small carved idols, or painted ceramic pendants, bearing the image of the dolphin, Maitun’s avatar. The several other old gods that are still remembered usually also have animal forms in which they appear to humans, though they retain “true” human forms, as does Maitun herself.
Folklore: Two examples of folklore will follow here; the first modern, the other ancient.
The first is a tale meant to explain the origins of the Count, who, though a wise and gentle ruler, has never been known for his personal openness. It is well known that the Count came from a land called Shirlan, which also had dragons; reportedly, those dragons were very similar in overall appearance to the vysseri, though differing in many specifics. A popular rumor in Benacia is that a female vyssere, visiting her Shirlanian cousins several centuries ago, fell in love with the younger son of a human male. This man was the younger son of a Grand Duke of Shirlan, and a member of the House of Vakanan. The two beings met in the woods, and trysted there beneath the moon, and it is said that the dragoness’ magic, awakened in her dreams that night, permitted her to conceive a child.
The story also says that, discovering that she was with child, she fled back to her homeland in Benacia, where the strange child hatched in her family grotto; he grew up to be smaller than most dragons, standing more upright, less skilled at flying and abysmal at performing the dream-magic. He also learned to prefer, like humans, the wearing of clothes, and also had a certain sense of impatience and burning curiosity that distinguished him from his slow, sluggish-thinking kin. When he was old enough, his mother sent him to Shirlan to dwell in the dragon-cities of Tarakle, where he would have many sights to see; and that was where he grew to adulthood. He also met his father there, and his Vakanan heritage was explained to him.
He remained in Shirlan long after the death of his father, for several centuries in fact, up until the collapse of Shirlan during the Great Confusion. It is said that the remaining dragons there dispersed during the human conflicts that wiped out most of the country, and the child of Vakanan, now a young adult, began his wandering. After many years, he made his way into Shireroth during the reign of Wyltheow I. Settling in Brookshire, he changed his surname to its ancient form of Bukolos. When the Duke of Brookshire granted him the Isle of Benacia as a County, he set up residence on the island once more. Thus did Shyriath return to his ancient home.
It seems rather fantastic for reality; and the coincidence of gaining his own home island as his fief is unlikely in the extreme. And, as said earlier, the Count has never affirmed or denied this account of his origins. But it must be said that he appears extremely uncomfortable when asked about it.
Our second tale is one of the most ancient on the island, and one of the most compelling. The folktale is that of the Syrradan, the Phantom Knight. It is said that in mortal life he was named Sir Pendúra, a knight in the service of the legendary Clan-Lords of Benacia, who rose up against the rule of the Khaz Modanian Emperor.
The rebellion was doomed from the start; even though all the clans united in trying to establish their freedom, they were no match for the awesome might of the Imperial armies. The last stand of the rebel forces took place at the Bridge of Khilán Tase, which crossed over the harbor in what is now Port Benacia (the original bridge is long gone, but the current Harbor Bridge stands in the same place). The Imperial army was attempting to cross from the north, to gain access to the Council Halls that housed the rebellion’s leaders.
The rebel military had been all but decimated, save for a few remaining knights holding the bridge, and these were led by the most valiant of their number, Sir Pendúra. With each Khaz Modanian charge across the bridge, more and more of this last unit died, until only Sir Pendúra remained, and this lone knight continued fighting the charge by himself, unheeding of his own danger. The stories go that he fought for three days by himself, a pile of his slain enemies growing at his feet, until he himself was slain only by one great overwhelming surge. For, like his descendants in later days, he was devoted to B’caw, and had passion for his cause; and as long as he had breath, he refused to let that passion die.
So valiant was this stand, and the sacrifice made by the heroic knight, that is it said that the Emperor himself came to hear of it. Moved by the tale, he came personally to Benacia to honor his slain foe at the funeral, resting the knight’s shield (consisting of a pair of golden wings upon a dark red field) in a place of honor in a specially built tomb. Though the Emperor would brook no further rebellion, he lessened his demands upon the island, it is said that he held a special place for it in his heart forever after. And he permitted Sir Pendúra’s sons to found a small knighthood in honor of their father, in order that Benacia would always have protectors; it still exists to this day, among the members of a small clan that claims Sir Pendúra as its ancestor.
But the knight’s story does not end there. For many years afterward, in the Times of Turmoil that ensued after the end of the Empire, Sir Pendúra appeared again. When marauders from another island landed upon the shores of Benacia, seeking to take the land for their own, it is said that a deep, gray fog rolled across the land. And coming out of the mist, almost as if he were rising out of the sea itself, the specter of a knight followed the invaders onto the shore. His armor was of an ancient style, abandoned since earlier days, and upon his back were two angelic, yet ethereal-looking wings, glowing silver and occasionally with hints of gold, like the device he once bore on his shield. For it is said by the islanders that in his heroic sacrifice so long ago, he had stepped upward on the ladder of Transcendence, and that B’caw had made him an eternal avatar of the Hidden Flame.
The Phantom Knight frightened the invaders into madness, and wrapping them all in his fog, left them wandering about the shore, eventually all to return to the sea, to drown or be rescued by their ships. And from that time, he has protected the Isle of Benacia with all the passion that, even after death, lingers in his heart.
