Luna & Freia

A Forest Occupied

Mun did not have the happiest of childhoods. Her portion of the forest was occupied by Garleans just after she was born, and as such grew up in a culture of repressed viera. And though she had wanted to take up the position of becoming a forest guardian, the empire did everything it could to prevent Veena culture from remaining. As such, she was instead drafted into the Garlemald Guard for her part of the forest and taught the basics of using a gunblade.Not wanting to settle for being just another soldier, Mun quickly began to try more and more to experiment with the gunblade, using it for far more than the basic rifle sword combo the guard was taught as. Her finesse was eventually recognized, even as one of the forest’s “savages”, and she was transferred to the capital to serve as an elite guard.However, even with the esteem and prestige of being considered a high-ranking guard, the people of Garlemald treated her quite poorly because of her race. This caused her to become more and more hardened. At least, until she met the reapers.The Lemures approached her with kindness and understanding. And though she did not wish to forsake her gunblade, she did start looking at the powers of the reaper as a way to express herself. Agreeing to teach her, the Lemure’s leader gave her access to a soul crystal and instructed her how to go about the bonding ceremony.Taking one of her rare days off to go exploring on the ice fields, Mun pulled out the soul crystal she was so kindly gifted. It emanated a feeling of cold, far more than the ice she was surrounded by. It seemed drawn to the surface of the lake, to which she obliged. As soon as the crystal touched the ice, it shattered, taking her into the depths of the lake.

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A Pact Forged

There was a creak, then a snap, and then nothing but the sound of frigid water around her. Mun tried to flail her way back to the surface, but the surface refroze as quickly as it broke. Was the stone a trap? An attempt to get her out of the way? She wouldn’t put it past Kathia to rig the ice to break under her larger stature. But she wouldn’t have the connections to fake the offer she had gained.Pounding on the ice was going to get her nowhere, she went to an isolated part of the ice fields as instructed, and it was impossible to generate the force to break it from this side. Instead, she took to diving deeper, searching for something, anything that might give her the opportunity to escape from this predicament. But her vision quickly grew dim, the icy cold and her lack of breath quickly spelling her end.

Everything was cold, but that’s what they liked about this place in the source. There was so little aether here though, and no way to get out. Starving, they wandered the depths for anything. Then, it heard a crack resonate through the water above. They dashed towards the surface, seeing a large biped flailing about in desperation. They were full of aether, and would be oh so delectable.Before it could go after its prey, they saw a glint in the water. Something that resonated with powerful aether. They pursued that first, finding a gemstone of unknown origin. It had a curious and familiar image upon it. Perhaps it was the loss of memories they had sacrificed to cross the veil, or it could just be pure instinct guiding them. But they consumed it all the same, feeling a small rush of power finally having the chance at even a half-decent meal. Now invigorated, they pursued their original prey.

The black had taken over her vision, and her body had grown still. THough the water around her could flow, the blood inside of her was freezing. Puncturing veins as it crystallized, her heart came to a stop. But, before she could disappear into the lifestream, she felt a presence around her, something colder than even the surroundings she had fallen into.Though she could not see nor feel it, a thick layer of ice formed around her body, preserving it as she slipped further and further into the watery prison she thought to be her grave. And as that prison formed, she retreated into her own mind, seeking solace in her last moments. The only thought drifting through the wish to have been strong enough to establish her own place in the world.But Mun would not have the solitude she believed would be her fate. Another presence creeped into her mind’s eye. It was silent, but had made itself known. There were no words forming, but there was an understanding. Something that was desperately desired. Something that resonated with her own.
And yet, as she felt that familiarity, she felt herself draining. What vestige of her lifeblood remained being sapped away through some unknown means. She dismissed it as just the cold grip of death finally embracing her, but there was nothing. No feeling of release, no return to the lifestream. This was not oblivion and yet she was not dead. Whatever had wished to consume her had instead formed a shell around her, letting her live in suspension.

It took some time to safely encase their prey, but the aether siphoned off of them was enough to create a preserving shell of ice to ensure both of their survival. The creature’s mind was difficult to breach through, and they had to dance around for some time. But, after an unknown amount of time had passed, it felt as though it could speak words.“You, me, life, strength, together,” it repeated it like a broken mantra, desperately hoping they would glean a response from the creature. There was something stronger than the aether inside of her, something they desperately wanted to take a hold of.The response was muddy, the creature clearly not used to speaking without a voice, but it was clear as day to them. She wanted that power, she wanted to live. It suited them perfectly.

She heard the mantra, and tried to respond with her mouth frozen shut. Mun did not know what this voice was, but if it promised life she would take the offer no matter how lopsided. Expecting a sudden burst of energy, she realized there was none to be had. Whatever mercy had been granted to her was not a free ticket out of her predicament.But, there was something, some connection that had not been there before. Something now resided inside of her, using her aether as a shell it could gnaw from the inside out. It threatened to break out of that shell and devour her whole, but she couldn’t let it happen. Instead of offering her body as a shell, she chose to share her very being.It seemed happy with the prospect of sharing. One familiar with the body and the other with the ability to direct her body’s power into more concentrated areas. It would benefit them both, neither the loser. But, there would be no separation without death. Destinies intertwined for all eternity. They were both hesitant, but eventually agreed. Neither could escape this situation on their own. It would take both to escape, and from now on it would take both to make it anywhere.The pact was forged, though how long it took was impossible to tell. They were oblivious to the concept of time, and she could not track time while in such a stupor. And though they had decided to take up that pact, it could not be carried through. There wasn’t enough aether left for them to separate body and mind to become co-pilots without losing the body and leaving them both adrift in this sea.
Years passed? She was incapable of telling, but it felt like it was such a long time that she was unsure if this wasn’t secretly what death felt like. But she then felt a surge of aether, as though something was crashing into them. As if the world was suddenly surging with life once more. It knew what to do, and used the surge of aether to complete the pact they had forged with her. Instead of flowing into the body, the new aether created a bridge, allowing it to utilize the body alongside her.Now secured, the two could work together, breaking that shell of ice surrounding their own body and shifting back towards the surface. A tremor rolled across the source as the seventh umbral calamity struck. And with that tremor did they both emerge from the ice fields of their combined power. Looking up to see one less moon in the sky, they realized just what had given them the ability to do what they needed to accomplish.The two smirked in tandem, body following suit. Their life was now behind them, but that life mattered little. What was left now was two minds, but of one goal. They would carve a piece of this world as their own. And any who crossed them would come to regret knowing their name. For Luna, the dark side of the moon, would not be so easily killed.

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Adventure Awaits

She did not die in that lake, only trapped for years as she forged a pact with a voidsent. However, when she returned to her post after the impact of Dalamud, she learned she had been declared dead for the many years she was encased in ice. Her body had aged somewhat, but being Viera, it was not readily apparent. As such, she was cast out for desertion and witchcraft. She no longer had a place to call home. Her forest was completely taken over by the garleans by now, and she wouldn’t even be recognized as one of her tribe for leaving the forest. So instead, she sought passage to wherever she could go.She ended up on a ship bound for Thavnair, along with some Bozjan refugees sometime after leaving the capital. Arriving in the port town of Yedlihmad, she asked for further instruction with the gunblade, noting what the Hrothgar wore. They were hesitant from her cold aura, but obliged to teach her regardless.The Bozjans taught her the proper form of the gunbreaker, and made her a fighting force with the gunblade. And while she was there, she met someone who became a close friend by the name of Igna Ascentrix. Realizing she had yet to take a surname, she chose Ascentrix out of respect for her friend turned blood sister.Eventually, the time came where there was little the two of them could do in Thavnair, both having learned what they could from their mentors. And so they chose to take the next ship bound for Eorzea, both leaving their own continents behind. The journey was long, but they eventually landed in La Noscea, deciding to part ways and seek their own fortunes for a time while maintaining contact through mail.

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