The Grove of Tears
The Grove of Tears
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Tucked amidst the jagged cliffs and icy crags of the Abalathian Spine lies a place shrouded in mystery. To most, it is but another stretch of inhospitable wilderness, its exact location obscured by the shifting snows. Yet, to the faithful of Menphina it is known as the Grove of Tears, a sanctuary of profound sorrow and divine solace.
A Perilous Journey
A Perilous Journey
Reaching the Grove is no simple undertaking. The mountain itself seems to conspire against intruders, its treacherous paths guarded by nature’s fury and ever-changing conditions. What was a passable route in summer becomes a perilous descent in winter, the ground beneath one’s feet betraying with hidden crevices and providing easy traps for those sudden storms that arise without warning. The journey tests not only the body but the soul, for only the truly devoted may hope to survive the unforgiving ascent.
A Grove Unlike Any Other
A Grove Unlike Any Other
The Grove is no verdant haven of leafy boughs and soft grasses. Instead, it is a stark expanse of frost-bitten stone, with ice formations that twist and curl toward the heavens like the claws of some crystalline beast. From these icy limbs hang countless crystals, droplets of frozen aether suspended in time as though caught mid-fall. These delicate formations, impossibly smooth and clear, shimmer like strange fruit clinging to branches of frozen lightning. To the faithful, they are known as Lover’s Tears—a testament to the sorrow of the goddess Menphina herself.
Guardians of the Sacred
Guardians of the Sacred
The Grove is attended by ice elementals who regard the sanctuary as their home. Their vigilance is unwavering, their hostility toward intruders unmatched. Yet, brute strength is no match for their endless numbers. To strike one is to awaken a hundred more, their forms emerging from the snow, the spires of ice, and even the very cliffs themselves. For every guardian felled, a legion rises, ensuring that no unworthy hand defiles this sacred place.
The Tears of the Lover
The Tears of the Lover
To those who hold the faith, the Grove of Tears is far more than a natural wonder. It is believed to be a place of divine mourning, where Menphina, the Lover, retreats to weep for the sorrows she cannot undo. Her tears fall not out of weakness but as an expression of her boundless love—a love that encompasses all creation, even in its imperfection. It is here that she is watched over by her heavenly companion, Halone, whose unyielding gaze ensures none disturb her vigil. It is here, too, that Oschon, grants his shelter, shielding the Grove from those who would tread where they are unwelcome.
To weep, as Menphina does, is not to despair—it is to love so deeply that grief becomes inevitable. For there can be no love without sorrow, no joy without pain. This is the truth that the Grove embodies: a sacred acknowledgment of suffering as a testament to the depth of one’s devotion. Menphina’s tears are a reminder that love endures, even when shadowed by the weight of loss.
A Trial of Devotion
A Trial of Devotion
The secrets of the Grove are guarded as fiercely by the Priesthood and Hounds of Menphina as by the elementals themselves. No map marks its location, no written record details its path. The knowledge is passed down from one Hound to the next, entrusted to those whose stated their devotion.
To claim a crystal of the Lover’s Tears is no mere task—it is a rite. Only one who has known love in its truest form, may lay their hands upon this sacred relic. For it is not the absence of grief that defines love, but the courage to embrace it. To hold the Lover’s Tears is to carry a fragment of Menphina’s heart, and to share in her eternal vigil—a reminder that love, though fragile, is the most enduring force of all.
And so, the Grove of Tears remains a hidden sanctuary, untouched by the world’s clamor. A place of solace, sorrow, and sacred truth, where even the divine find respite from the burdens of eternity.
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