Yahaida
DESERT WANDERER
The Soothsayer Yahaida came to Anahita after the assassination of the Great Shah of Vendihad. Anahita was lost and unsure of what she should do after her husband, the Great Shah had passed. Yahaida gave the young Mourning Queen guidance and advice beyond her years despite being younger than Anahita. Eventually, Yahaida was the one to inform the Mourning Queen that the Great Shah of Vendihad was murdered and pointed to the culprit being the Sultan of Masyana. The events that followed led Anahita to becoming the Empress of Gules.
Yahaida possesses the power of Clairvoyance that allows her to see visions of the future and interpret them. This was initially aided by the use of a special fruit that only grew in the desert known as the Haoma fruit. The power of Clairvoyance itself was only named years later by Simon Perish, who began the study of powers more extensively after the Empress acquired the throne of Meridian.
Yahaida was raised by her apparent grandmother, the witch Goelin Theyuwa who was known in the southern desert as the Sand Spider. Goelin Theyuwa was once part of the Desert Mothers, a tribe of priestesses but was banished because of her obsession with demonic beings and rituals. Yahaida eventually learned the truth about her parents from the witch when she discovered her true heritage. This prompted her to kill the the Sand Spider and leave her abode in search of what she had seen in one of her visions. This led her to Anahita.
THE WAR OF TWO FLAMES
Nearly 100 years before the time of Empress Anahita, a religious conflict began between the southern nations of Masyana and Vendihad. Much of the conflict was attributed to the possession of a certain portion of the desert that housed the Holy City of Estahker. Years before this conflict, the holy city of Estahker’s population fell as people began to settle throughout the desert. The city eventually became nearly abandoned except for the most devout Farsee priests. However, the secrets of what was held within the city is what fanned the flames of the war.
Holy Warriors of the Farsee and the Majai engaged in nearly a century long war that began to weigh on the people of Masyana and Vendihad. The war would last for generations, through four Sultans in Masyana and three Shahs in Vendihad. After many years of warfare that saw even kingdoms from the north become involved in the religious conflict, a pact was made that could potentially end the fighting.
The self-proclaimed Sultan of Light has become the sultan of Masyana and believed himself to be the Saoshyant or the Saviour. He desired to ascend to the Heavens by opening the Chinvat Bridge which resides in Estahker. To do this, he would require the Star of Tanu and the Circle of Urvan, the two keys held by their respective religious orders. The Star of Tanu was already held by Masyana as that is where the Farsee resided. The Sultan required the Circle of Urvan, held by the Majai in Vendihad. The Sultan would marry one of his 6 daughters to the Great Shah of Vendihad as a gesture of good faith and would thus unite the two countries in blood. In return, the Great Shah will relinquish the Circle of Urvan.
The princesses of Masyana are called the Sultana. The Great Shah considers the proposal but becomes enamored with a young female servant girl to the Sultana, a young red-haired Masyani woman by the name of Anahita. The servant girl is called the Shirazad and tends to the daughters and tells them stories. The Great Shah is taken by her beauty and steals her away to be with him instead, which the young Anahita agrees to. The Great Shah treats Anahita very well and she quickly grows to love him. They marry and Anahita the Shirazad becomes the Shahbanu, the Queen of Vendihad.
The Sultan of Light is enraged by the insult and especially about not receiving the Majai Key from the Great Shah. The Sultan consults with a witch known as the Sand Spider to find out how to defeat the Great Shah and obtain the Circle of Urvan.
THE SAND SPIDER
The Sand Spider has been a witch for many sultans before the Sultan of Light. She is an old woman that can apparently read the future as a soothsayer. The Sand Spider also has a young apprentice named Yahaida that the Spider claims is her granddaughter. Although the girl is from Masyana, her and the Sand Spider’s hair are rusty brown. The Sand Spider uses a rare fruit from the South called the Haoma fruit to see her visions. If not prepared properly, the seeds of the Haoma fruit would make one that ingested it deathly ill. The witch would make a powerful extract that allowed her to view her visions.
The Sand Spider was overly strict with the young girl, but she was not cruel. This was because the Sand Spider used her to test the ripeness of the Haoma fruit for her. Despite this, she never became ill, and would somehow always know when the fruit was ripe. It came to the point that the Spider trusted the girl’s judgement without having her test the fruit. Still, Yahaida noticed that the Spider would never let her near the Sultan when he would consult with her. One day, the girl dropped a potion and attempted to clean it while the Sultan was visiting and saw a strange familiarity in the Sultan’s eyes when he looked at her. That night, in her dreams she saw glimpses of the Sultan and a young woman but could not make out the vision.
The next night, the young girl steals a full Haoma fruit and takes a bite. Yahaida becomes catatonic but enters a vision where she learns the truth about the Sand Spider and the Sultan. Yahaida sees that there was once a beautiful young Oracle in the capital city of Masya. This had angered the aging Sand Spider who was growing older and was sought less by the Sultans.
The young Sultan of Light had consulted the Sand Spider, just like his father, the Sultan of Daybreak had done. However, after the Sultan of Daybreak passed, his son attempted to seek counsel from the young Oracle instead. The Sand Spider grew jealous of the Oracle.
The Sultan of Light had only just become the sultan but he wished for immortality after his father had died. The Oracle told him that there is a way for immortality, but he will not be able to attain it. The Oracle states that he will not be granted immortality if he sires a seventh child. The Sultan is dismayed but continues to see the Oracle. She is a beautiful woman and the Oracle eventually becomes pregnant with his child.
The Sultan becomes distraught because she will have his seventh child and deny him immortality. However, he cannot bring himself to harm her.
The Sultan did not realize that the Sand Spider had grown jealous of this Oracle. Even then, the Spider was an old woman and had become envious of the Oracle’s youth and power. This was because the Oracle did not require the Haoma fruit for visions like the Spider did. In addition to this, the Oracle’s visions were never wrong.
The Sand Spider then came to the Sultan and offered him a way to be granted immortality. He was intrigued by the offer and all she wanted in return was for him to bring her the Oracle. The Sultan knew what the Spider intended to do. Since this was also a way for the Sultan to be rid of his issue, he brought the Oracle to the Sand Spider.
The Sand Spider learned that the Oracle had legitimate powers and wished to know her secret. The Oracle did not know of how she had her visions but only knew that it cannot be taught. The Sand Spider suspected as much and intends to kill the Oracle out of jealousy. The Oracle knew that this is where she would die but she had come to terms with that. She then eats an unripe Haoma fruit and immediately goes into labor. Although the Sand Spider did intend to kill the Oracle out of jealousy, she instead helps her deliver the baby and takes it in as her own family. She claims that the child is her granddaughter. The Oracle dies soon after.
Yahaida awakens from her vision and becomes overcome with grief of never knowing the truth and never knowing her mother. That night she confronts the Sand Spider before she tells her which fruit is ripe. The girl asks the Spider why she wanted her mother dead. The Sand Spider admits to her jealousy. The Oracle was young and beautiful and more powerful in her visions. She also admits that yes, she would have killed the girls mother if the Oracle had not eaten the unripe Haoma fruit. Yahaida asks why the Spider kept her. The Spider believed that the young girl would be a great asset in her visions. That she would have the same power as her mother. She was proven to be right.
Yahaida states that she understands now and offers the Sand Spider the Haoma fruit, claiming it is ripe. The Sand Spider knows better than to trust her now and admits that perhaps their time together has ended. Yahaida is unmoved and proclaims that if the Spider is unsure, then she most likely never had powers to begin with. The Sand Spider angrily moves to kill the young girl but falls down dead as Yahaida simply poisoned her food earlier. It is true that the Sand Spider never had powers and only ever had hallucinations, brought on by the fruit.
Yahaida then takes the last two ripe Haoma fruit from the garden, along with a book of the Sand Spider’s research on her potions. She then leaves toward Vendihad, plotting the downfall of the Sultan of Light.
THE SOOTHSAYER
During her journey north towards Vendihad, the young girl learns that the ripe fruit has different properties if eaten by those with powers like her. If eaten, then their powers are amplified for a short time, depending on the amount of fruit eaten. Yahaida stops to rest at a small oasis outpost and attempts a vision with the fruit. In her vision, she sees the Great Shah and his wife the Shahbanu. The Shahbanu is a beautiful red-haired woman. Yahaida then sees that the Great Shah will dies while eating his food. It almost appears that he is poisoned. Finally, she sees the Shahbanu clad all in gold. She appears to be on a pedestal of light with Yahaida and a white knight standing next to her. The Shahbanu is also pregnant.
Yahaida wakes from her vision and commits to seeking an audience with the Vendihadi Royals. She wishes to pledge her service to the Shahbanu.
Yahaida was taught many skills by the Sand Spider including thievery and concealment. She finds a way to enter the throne room to the Great Shah’s palace and confronts the Great Shah and the Shahbanu. The guards attempt to seize her but are stopped by Anahita. Yahaida is grateful and refers to herself as the Soothsayer who has come to pledge her loyalty to the Shahbanu. The Great Shah misinterprets this to mean loyalty to him as well. He then asks what she can offer. She tells of her power of foresight. She has come to inform them that there will be an attempt on the life of the Great Shah. She tells the Shahbanu that she wishes to serve her. She believes the Shahbanu to be a rising red phoenix who came from nothing and is now a queen.
The Shahbanu is interested by the young girl and believes her claims. The Great Shah is not convinced. He asks her how his death will happen. They are told that there will be an assassin employed by the Sultan of Light. The Sultan has been consulting with a witch on how to defeat the Great Shah. The Soothsayer claims that she knows of this because she killed the witch herself.
The Great Shah is skeptical. He asks her to tell his fortune. The Soothsayer says that she has. The Great Shah picks up a small box from a table and asks the Soothsayer what is inside. The Soothsayer does not respond. The Great Shah then says that he believes that Yahaida is the assassin herself despite the Shahbanu trying to convince him otherwise.
The Shah tells his men to kill The Soothsayer. However, the Shahbanu convinces him to simply hold her captive, since she has come from Masyana, she may have valuable information. The Soothsayer is then thrown into the dungeon by the Great Shah. The Shahbanu does not protest. Guards are doubled around the Palace and part of the Black Phoenix army is called back from the battlefronts to lock down the city.
The Shahbanu visits the young Soothsayer and apologizes for the situation. The Soothsayer thanks her and already understood that the Shahbanu wished to speak with her more without the Great Shah’s presence. The Shahbanu admits that she wishes to learn more about the Soothsayer. The Shahbanu introduces herself as Anahita. The Soothsayer tells Anahita that her name is Yahaida. They are both from Masyana, though have differing hair color, and the two become closer over several days.
The Soothsayer finally reveals that she has come to Vendihad to serve Anahita who will become the Empress. Anahita is confused. The Soothsayer explains that they will need to find a white knight in Masyana. The knight is a prisoner, but he alone will turn the tides of the war. Anahita is unsure at first and does not believe that she can become an Empress. She asks why she should become an Empress if the Great Shah is ruler.
The Soothsayer states that nothing will stop the Great Shah from dying. Anahita must do this for herself, and for her child. Anahita is taken aback. She was unaware that she was pregnant. The Soothsayer confirms that she will help Anahita ascend the throne for the sake of her future.
Anahita is unsure of what to do with the information and lashes out at Yahaida. She cannot bring herself to speak to her anymore. Furthermore, she loves the Great Shah and does not wish for him to die. Especially now that Anahita has learned that she is pregnant. The Shahbanu leaves the Soothsayer, shaken by her fortune. Before she leaves, the Soothsayer tells Anahita what the Great Shah had in the box from earlier. It was a red and gold flowers that the Great Shah was going to give to Anahita.
The Shimmering Knight
Eventually, Anahita tries to convince the Great Shah to locate the prisoner but she has no name or face. Anahita realizes that currently there is nothing that can be done about it. That same evening the Great Shah apparently dies from poison. This seemed impossible as there were food tasters that tested the food beforehand. In actuality, the Great Shah simply choked on his food.
This is what the Soothsayer had foreseen but had kept from Anahita.
Anahita is left alone as the widow to the Great Shah. The various leaders and noblemen of Vendihad begin to vie for power but Anahita is convinced now of the Soothsayer’s claims. She is also now driven to defeat the Sultan of Light for murdering her beloved Great Shah. She will become the new Empress of Vendihad.
The noblemen of Vendihad fear what the Sultan of Light will do and suggest a truce by giving the Sultan the Circle of Urvan. Anahita overhears this and sends the Circle of Urvan away. She sees it as an artifact that led to the current war and gives it to her servant and Majai follower named Zamya. Zamya is to take the key to the priests in Wisperad, which is an ally of Vendihad with many Majai followers. They will protect the key and keep it from the Sultan.
Anahita releases the Soothsayer and they locate the prisoner in a dungeon away from the city. Using a small group of Black Scepter Knights that are loyal to Anahita, they take the dungeon and free the captives. His name is Victor Noble but they find that he is willingly remaining a prisoner. He believes that his power is a force of destructive evil and does not wish it on anyone. Anahita tells Victor that he is not evil, he has just lost his way. He must put his power to use for good. Anahita and the Soothsayer are able to convince the young man that he will not be evil if he himself fights evil. Victor can make amends if he fights for good. If he fights for them. Victor reluctantly agrees although states that his power severely weakens him, and he cannot use it consecutively. Anahita claims that he will only need to use it once.
Anahita returns and claims the throne of Vendihad. She is christened the Mourning Queen. A small portion of the Black Scepter army remain loyal to her. The nobles have organized a coup between them to overthrow the Mourning Queen. The remaining Black Scepter army moves against the Queen but Victor Noble stands to defend her. He then uses his power to create a burst of white light and destroys the nobles and the Black Scepter army that have moved to attack her. Anahita’s enemies are completely obliterated by the blast of light.
Anahita does not wish to see her army destroyed and offers the remaining Black Scepter the opportunity to pledge their loyalty to her. After what they had just witnessed, the remaining Black Scepter lay down their arms and pledged their loyalty to Anahita. The Black Scepter is now christened the Phoenix Scepter.
Soon after, the Phoenix Scepter attack the cities of Masyana along with Victor Noble. Victor has been clad in all white armor and is now known as the Shimmering Knight. The Soothsayer gives Victor Noble the last Haoma fruit before he leaves. The cities are destroyed thanks to the assistance of the Shimmering Knight, who turns the tide with his power. In a final battle with the Sultan of Light, Victor ingests the entire Haoma fruit and can then use his power consecutively without consequence. He lays waste to the city of Masya and The Sultan of Light is destroyed.
After the war is won Anahita finally gives birth to her son with the help of the Soothsayer. She names him Sigh, the prince or Shahzadeh of the newly christened Sanguine Empire.
After this, most Masyani people flee the region and become refugees. The holy city of Estahker, which sat for many years in disrepair has been almost completely lost. The Masyani are unwilling to settle in such a Holy place. The Farsee become less of a religion and more of a fringe order outside of Masyana. Their key, the Star of Tanu is taken by the Farsee priests but there are few that know where it was taken. The Capital city now becomes the nearly deserted Valley of Masya and sits in ruin.
Soon after, the Mourning Queen will regroup and grow her forces. She will quickly begin her conquest as an Empress. She sets her sights to the north in what is considered the Eastern Provinces. Vendihad becomes the Red Phoenix Empire and the Mourning Queen becomes the Empress of Gules. Victor, as the Shimmering Knight becomes the Fist of the Empress. The Soothsayer becomes the first Eye of the Empress.
SIMON PERISH
After several years, the Empress had successfully moved north and overtaken much of the Eastern Provinces using the might of Victor Noble and the guidance of the Soothsayer. Around this time, she began to become more accustomed to ruling and the Empress considers expanding the Empire toward the Western Nations. The first kingdom to the west is the Central Nation called Meridian.
Before she can make preparations to take Meridian, the Empress’s young son begins to develop an illness that severely weakens him. He begins to exhibit white dots around his eyes and has coughing fits that often result in blood. The Empress of Gules hears of a healer in a small monastery near her acquired seat in the Eastern Province of Omitabha. She had been searching for a way to heal a strange sickness in her son and seeks out a healer at the Soothsayer’s guidance.
Attempting to cure her son of his illness, Anahita took him to the rumored healer in a monastery which was near the border of Meridian and Omitabha. The man is a Faun Elf and claimed to not remember his own name but was able to completely heal her son in a matter of minutes. The Empress wishes to repay the man but he refuses any payment. The man was greatly entranced by the Empress’s beauty and he accepted no payment, only asking her that she come back if she or her son needed anything.
The boy becomes sick several more times and each time the man heals the boy. On every visit, the man also tells the mother and son the story of what he remembers about his past. The tragic tale reminds the young prince of a storybook Faun hero named Sir Simon of the Green. From then on the man goes by the name Simon because of the boy. Anahita begins to confide in Simon during another visit to heal her son, who mysteriously keeps getting sick. Although Simon was taken by her beauty, more and more Anahita finds herself drawn to him as well.
Eventually, it comes to the point where the boy needs Simon every few days and the Empress, invites Simon to join her court permanently. Simon accepts and is introduced to another man that possesses a power like him. The Shimmering Knight is the General and head of the Empire’s military, the Phoenix Sceptre. His title is called the Fist of the Empress. His power is the ability to create a blast of white energy that tears anything apart. It is a force of Destruction. The Shimmering Knight is used as a weapon of fear in the Empire and he had helped Anahita gain her current standing. His true name is Victor Noble. A grim and serious man, Victor is nonetheless, an honorable and brave soldier.
Anahita has used Victor as well as the Soothsayer, to display the might of the Red Phoenix Empire. Simon learns of the Soothsayer, a mysterious young girl that is capable of interpreting a vision of a person's future. She holds the title of the Eye of the Empress. Fascinated by the discovery of other power users, Simon leaves the monastery and becomes Anahita's personal Cleric and Advisor. He is named Simon Perish and is christened the second Eye of the Empress alongside the Soothsayer. Although initially hesitant about Simon, the Soothsayer becomes interested in his insight about a great many things, as it appears Simon has led an unnaturally long life.
After several years, Anahita's son continually becomes ill, and despite several attempts by Perish, the sickly boy succumbs to his illness. Even though Perish blames himself, Anahita is grateful for allowing the boy more years than the other Clerics believed were in him. Even still, Simon obsessively poured himself into studying more about what could have been done and begins to search for ways to replicate his power. Simon believed that if he could have given the young prince his own power then the boy would have lived. This will eventually lead toSimon’s research on Empowered Artifacts and binding powers to an item. Despite the loss of her child, Anahita becomes closer to Simon because of his loyalty to her family and the love he had for the boy. The Empress takes great comfort in his presence. She finds herself more and more attracted to him and it becomes clear that there is something more than friendship between the Empress and Perish.
After the young prince’s death, the Empress becomes somewhat more focused and ruthless in her desire for power. She soon sets her sights on the Central Nation of Meridian.
The Central Pillar
Meridian is the Kingdom that is closest to the Eastern Provinces but is considered part of the Western Nations. The capital of Meridian, Helena, is located at what appears to be the center of the map which is why it is referred to as the Central Pillar. Helena is the seat of The Elder King Ulster, the current ruling Monarch of Meridian. Empress Anahita sought to take the throne of Meridian, by taking the Grand Castle of Helena.
The Soothsayer would advise the Empress to leave Meridian for later and continue her expansion of the East by taking Moghasiddi and Ashobya. Simon Perish would advise the Empress to move west toward Meridian. The Central Pillar would supplement the Empire’s power and provide the Empress with the resources to then overtake both the west and the east. The Soothsayer seemed to notice an apprehension by Perish to move further east. Furthermore, Simon Perish desired certain alchemical texts located in the capital city that would expand on his notes for replicating his power. The notes were compiled into what would later be the Shakti Manuscript which were combined with notes given to him by the Soothsayer. Her notes came from the Sand Spider’s research on the Haoma fruit. The Empress decided to move toward the Central Pillar and take Meridian.
The Empress’s three confidantes each played a part in taking the throne of Meridian. The Soothsayer used her powers to foresee the coming events. With Simon Perish at their side, they could take the city with minimal bloodshed.
Simon Perish spoke on the Empress’s behalf and offered the Elder King a peaceful transition. This was rejected by the Elder King and his forces were to withdraw within the city to prepare for a siege. The Shimmering Knight led an attack on the city of Helena and The Phoenix Scepter engaged the Axis Cruciger in battle. Victor Noble now fought the former knights that his family had used to belonged to. The Shimmering Knight approached the capital and used his power to project a powerful blast onto the city itself, destroying much of the outer wall the Enceinte. This disillusioned Helena's army who had never witnessed such power. Simon Perish then entered the Grand Castle, slaying the guards of the Elder King. He then offered the Elder King another chance at surrender.
The Elder King Ulster of Meridian surrendered and Simon Perish brought him before the Empress in the field. He bowed to Anahita, who was now known as the Empress of Gules and the Red Phoenix Empire became known as the Sanguine Empire. The Grand Castle of Helena was then known as the Palace Athene. The Grand King and the Royal Family were banished from the castle but allowed to live out there days wherever they chose. The Empress now occupied great power with the throne of the Central Pillar. Soon after a rumor began that a great many people died at the hands of the Shimmering Knight in Helena. This proved to be false, although Victor did begin to struggle with the destruction he was causing, the lives that he had taken were greatly exaggerated. The Empress and her regime became well known in the west.
Resonating Artifacts
Simon begins study of his power of regeneration and dubs it the power of Panacea, which can heal any wound on himself or others by absorbing the damage onto his own body and then healing it. He also begins studying and researching the power of others, beginning with Victor Noble and the Soothsayer. He christens their powers the power of Destruct and Clairvoyance respectively. By mixing his blood with various elements, he finds that it produces strange properties when synthesized with various materials. Gold and silver in particular yield mysterious results on the materials. It is during this time that people begin to refer to Simon Perish as the Magus.
He finds a way to bind Victor's and the Soothsayer's power to a physical item with this process. These items emits a gentle glow and he begins referring to these items as Artifacts. It allows another to use the power but only once as the Artifact will shatter. He ends up making 5 Rings with the Destruct power though he continues to perfect this process by attempting to make the items last longer. Simon uses the Soothsayer's bracelet as the prototype.
This new process makes the Artifact emit a very low humming nose and very slight vibration. He refers to this as a Resonating Artifact. When the Soothsayer touches this Resonating Artifact it actually enhances her power to even greater levels allowing her to see her own future as well the future's of Victor, Simon, and Anahita, who are all in the room with her. Her nose begins to bleed and Simon is unsure of its safety. He destroys the bracelet, fearing what it could do. The Soothsayer then confides to Simon that Anahita is already pregnant with his child. He already knows and asks her not to say anything to anyone. She abides and can't bring herself to tell him what she saw in her vision. In truth she saw much more.
Selene
The Empress of Gules soon sets her sights to take over the nation of Veiland. She comes to the city of Selene to negotiate the terms to occupy Veiland as part of the expanding Empire. King Marcus, the Silver King receives her at the Crescent Keep in Selene, along with his wife Queen Theia. Her High Council consists of Simon Perish as The Magus, Victor Noble as the Shimmering Knight and the Soothsayer. There are several others in her council that serve as lords and dukes of her various political affairs. Anahita hides her pregnancy though she is fairly far along at this point. Her, Simon Perish and the Soothsayer are the only others that know.
Anahita gives Marcus time to make arrangements for Veiland's assimilation into the Empire and they return to their encampment at the Star’s Edge, a fortress that King has granted her permission to use. The Soothsayer seems to be on edge and will not leave Anahita’s side. The Empress goes into labor during the night and the Soothsayer delivers Simon's daughter. Anahita, however, continues to bleed and loses consciousness. The Clerics do what they can to stop the bleeding but to no avail. Simon, attempts to revive her but his power of Panacea cannot absorb her wounds. She dies after the birth. Distraught and angry, Simon kills one of the Clerics. After this, Simon then sends the Soothsayer to take the baby from the encampment. The baby is not safe at the Star’s Edge and was given into the care of the Soothsayer, while Simon and Victor deal with the fallout of the Empress's death.
The Empire was in disarray after Anahita's death and taking Veiland was paramount to the occupation of the west. Victor convinces Simon to create another Resonating Artifact. He believes that it would enhance his powers to easily overtake Veiland. At the time, Simon had deemed the Artifacts too dangerous to use but both of the men had become desperate. Simon was also too distraught to truly apprehend his decision and he creates the Resonating Artifact out of Victor's Sun Medallion, and item that he recently received. The disruptive and unstable nature of the Artifact would prove too powerful for Victor to control and during the battle to take Selene, Victor created an explosion that destroyed most of the battlefield. Major lives were lost with intense casualties on both sides. This area became known as the Grey Plains because of the ash that had spread over the fields in the aftermath.
Foretold End
Because of this devastating blow to the Empire and it's inevitable downfall, Simon prepared to flee, intending to take the baby with him east to the monastery on Mount Kailas. Before he could reach the Soothsayer and his child, he was captured by forces of Selene. The Soothsayer and the baby had made it safely away. He was brought back to Selene where the King intended to use his power to help the ailing Queen Theia. She had become ill recently and it was speculated that she hadn't long to live. Simon, still distraught over his own loss, refused to heal her. The queen died soon after and Simon Perish was sentenced to death. He was unable to be killed by the noose so was led to the gallows but was rescued by the Soothsayer. They were able to make their way out of Selene and intended to escape Veiland for good.
It is during this time where Simon finds that the Soothsayer knew all of this would happen. She learned of everyone’s death the one time that she used the Resonating Artifact. She saw that the Shimmering Knight would be killed by the Resonating Artifact and that Anahita would die in childbirth. Simon is furious but the Soothsayer reminds him that this was already in motion. He and Anahita brought this upon them all by loving each other. It was the only way that it could happen. Simon is devastated knowing that his child is essentially what brought about the downfall of the Sanguine Empire.
The Soothsayer also tells him that Anahita will be the death of Simon Perish, despite the fact that she is gone. Before Simon can inquire further, the Soothsayer urges him to go on without her. She must give him the opportunity to escape. In truth, this is where Yahaida saw her own death, allowing for Simon Perish the opportunity to escape. She tells Simon where to go. Yahaida then attempts to throw the Veiland forces off of Simon’s trail. She is believed to be a witch by the Knights of Veiland and Yahaida is killed.