Leyla

Bleak Shooting Star

Overview

Born in Etville, she has aspired to knighthood since she was a child. The world's harsh lessons have only galvanized her resolve to uphold chivalric virtues.

Chapter One

(1324–1387, Era of Eternal Flame) Layla was born at Tempest Cape in Cantwell and spent her childhood with her father in the court of Behemoth Barton, the local monarch.
The centuries-long wars on Cantwell abruptly ended, and the seven monarchs established their territories, creating a chaotic yet somewhat structured world.
Cantwell remains a chaotic world, where the monarchs' rules conflict with stability and order.
For instance, Behemoth Barton's rule is depredation.
No matter how unreasonable, the weak must obey the rules. Often, this is shamelessly twisted to mean "the strong protect the weak, so the weak should willingly give everything to the strong."
Under these shameless and evil rules, any prosperity is false, built on oppression and violence.
In Layla's memory, she and her father always moved by the monarch's orders. Despite spiteful colleagues' mockery, her father never abandoned his box of books.
Layla's father always said that living just to survive is beastly. Noble pursuits may bring trouble or danger, but they're essential for a meaningful life in a murky world.
Under Barton's rule, the strong were capricious while the weak suffered. Yet, her father's words and a knight novel Layla found offered a different perspective.
In the novel, the brave knight faced many adventures, defeating evil, rescuing people, and returning in glory. This world wasn't one where the strong bullied the weak; instead, helping the weak and standing up for justice was natural.
This vision captivated young Layla. The distant continent of Ciaran seemed far better under the knights' protection.
Cantwell, however, had no place for knights, but Layla was determined to be the first.
She began standing up to bullies, defending weaker children.
She also asked her father for knight training, playing the noble knight while her father played the villain.
In Behemoth Barton's court, such knight games were seen as useless and a sign of weakness. Yet, Layla's father never stopped playing with her.
However, as Layla grew older, she gradually realized that being a knight wasn't easy.

Chapter Two

Behemoth Barton's lust for conquest knows no bounds, sparking incessant strife with rival monarchs.
After Barton declared war on Hawk, Layla's father, a civil officer, was drafted into the military.
Facing the officers who came to "claim" her father, Layla bravely stood before them, but her youthful defiance only made them laugh.
It was her father who gently pulled Layla into his arms, advising her to stand independently from then on, to cherish his teachings, and to cling to the wisdom of a good life.
Layla never saw her father again; she received news of his death by letter and felt numb in her workshop routine.
On a fated night shift, Layla encountered two sisters who mysteriously bypassed the factory guards to find her.
"Take it easy, I am Dark Tone, and this is my sister White Night. May we know your name?" "
"..."
"My sister acted rashly; I ask for your indulgence. "
The sisters told Layla they had arrived accidentally and sought refuge, asking her for shelter. Moved by compassion, Layla agreed and led them to her home.
The next day, an inspector arrived at the workshop, declaring Barton's hunt for "two elven women," clearly targeting Layla's newfound sisters.
At home, Layla discreetly asked about the sisters, who then trusted her enough to reveal their true story amidst the ongoing hunt.
The sisters, known as White Night and Dark Tone, were the last heirs of the Yarve dynasty. They had been exiled since the Godslayer War, safeguarding the Elven Heartwood Seeds for a millennium, their youth sustained by the seeds' ancient energies.
Initially, they traveled across Ciaran, seeking the energy needed to awaken the seeds, but the land lacked the Havoc Energy necessary for their revival.
Knowing Cantwell was sealed, the sisters still left Ciaran seeking fortune. They were delighted to find a gap in Cantwell's seal, slipping inside.
Guided by concentrated Havoc Energy, they reached Tempest Cape and successfully used it to empower the Heartwood Seeds.
When the Heartwood Seeds awakened with a powerful surge, Barton noticed. He sent his forces to surround the peaks, and the sisters narrowly escaped, seeking refuge here.
Upon learning the sisters were from Ciaran, Layla's spirit stirred. Inspired by tales of knights, she sought to aid them in escaping Cantwell's oppression, beginning her quest with valor.
Despite Barton's city-wide manhunt, Layla, though familiar with the area, couldn't guarantee the sisters' safety. She suggested they stay at her home under her protection. Dark Tone and White Night agreed, giving Layla the armor and weapons they carried.
They formed a trio from that moment. The sisters' thousand years of history swelled Layla's heart, fueling her desire to explore Ciaran. She resolved to safeguard them, inspired by her father's teachings.
Dark Tone and White Night, seeing Layla's lack of formal training, decided to personally teach her combat skills. With their guidance, Layla advanced rapidly towards her dream of becoming a knight.
In Cantwell, they couldn't wait for Barton to stop chasing them. When someone uncovered Layla's secret, she had to leave the city quickly with her sisters.
Along the journey, despite challenges like encirclement and pursuit, Layla's improved skills helped them successfully escape Cantwell. They reached the harbor and left the continent by ship.
On the ship's deck, Layla watched Cantwell disappear into the horizon, recalling her father's revelations. Overwhelmed with grief at his absence and the impending journey to Ciaran's land, she collapsed and wept bitterly.

Chapter Three

As the ship approaches the Ciaran continent, Dark Tone and White Night invite Layla to join their trip to Yarve to deal with the awakened Heartwood Seed.
But Layla is more interested in Ciaran. Respecting her choice, Dark Tone and White Night moor the ship near the Ciaran coast, loading supplies onto a small boat to allow Layla to land on the continent.
The sisters bless Layla and left, continuing their unknown journey. Layla, in the meantime, pursues her long-held dream of exploring Ciaran.
Upon arrival, Layla encounters a group of southern vagabonds and is surprised to see that even on her dream continent, so many people still live in hardship.
But Layla, having been inspired by knight stories since her childhood, knows what to do. She becomes active among the vagabonds, fighting evil and protecting the weak as a real knight.
Soon, Layla becomes famous, and the concept of knights takes root among the vagabonds in Ciaran.
To the vagabonds mired in hardship, Layla is a candle in the darkness. Inspired by her ideas and actions, many young vagabonds begin helping others in the name of knighthood.
As these "knights" become more influential, they eventually spark what becomes known as the "Knight Campaign," a reform movement among the vagabonds.
The vagabonds' activities attract the Sanctuary of Truth's attention. After investigating, they identify Layla as the instigator. While she performs her chivalrous deeds, a Nova captures her and returns her to the sacred city.
Layla, having heard tales of the sacred city from the vagabonds, yearns to visit this seemingly perfect place. However, the city's inhabitants capture her without warning, igniting fierce protests.
The Sanctuary ignores the vagabonds' protests, accusing Layla of instigation and presenting her to the Lord Inquisitor for purification. Surprisingly, Layla shows no signs of rejection; instead, her soul becomes purer.
Layla is one of the rare souls entirely pure. The Sanctuary of Truth cannot imprison her, so they banish her back to the vagabonds.
No one knows what happens to Layla afterwards. But the name of Layla the Knight remains long remembered among the vagabonds.

Historical Notes

Vagabonds:
In the early days of the new order, some from the old world, dissatisfied with the Canon Law, chose to leave cities governed by this system. As the Yagols adapted to the physiological alterations imposed by the Canon Law, those unwilling to live under the divine law became known as Vagabonds.

Cantwell:
Initially just an island-sized region at the southern tip of Mirren, separated from Ciaran by the Infinite Sea. It grew gradually and substantially after Lord Deity relocated the Abyss in Realm of Sin and some of Chaos Energy there in the Era of Eternal Flame.

Everdark:
Cantwell witnesses a significant Chaos Tide every three years when massive waves of aberrant energies flood in, all because of the original sins sealed here by Lord Deity. This period, typically lasting about a cycle of twelve years, is marked by extensive wildlife deaths and the emergence of powerful Apostles, who can better assimilate the original sins. Today, seven Apostle powerhouses govern this chaotic land of Cantwell.

Seven Monarchs:
These monarches include Behemoth Barton at Tempest Cape, Dancer Emma in Comis Gorge, Executioner Hawk of the Gorka Range, Jester Richard of Rettford, Notorious Pedroni in Lir, Lupine Tusk Chiellini of the Frozen Expanse, and Lord of Sin Bablota in the Source of Sin.

Knight Campaign:
Sparked by Layla, young vagabonds eager for change initiated the Knight Campaign, a cultural renaissance advocating life, love, and the thrill of adventure, rejecting their ancestors' decadence.