The World of Bless Unleashed: Telarion

One dark night many centuries ago, long before the fall of Lumenas, was a ship lost at sea.

It was the Jagged Hare, one among many in a fleet of traders bound for Sperios. Caught in a violent storm, the fleet had succumbed to raging waters; one by one, the ships went down, the occupants fighting to stay alive and praying that their fellow sailors, lost to them in the shroud of rain, were doing the same.

Among the occupants of this particular ship was a teenaged apprentice who saw a mighty wave crashing upon them. Surely the ship could not withstand such a blow. Cries of despair fell around her ears as she raised her gaze toward the sky and called to Teleos, the god of charity and healing.

He heard.

Touched by her indomitable spirit, the god reached into the mortal realm and touched the sea. The winds slowed; the ships glided effortlessly down the waves. Storm clouds began to retreat, and soon the fleet saw cerulean skies above them as Teleos cast a protective shield around the fleet and guided them to shore.

Shaken with exhaustion and terror, the sailors climbed down from their battered ships and looked upon the uninhabited land. What now, they asked themselves. They were lost and had nothing left. What now?

The young apprentice stepped forward then. Chin held high with stars in her eyes, she approached the mighty god who stood before them.

In the ensuing silence, she stuck out a hand. “Nice to meet you, friend.”

Chaos erupted. How dare she incur the wrath of a god! How dare she put her fellow mortals in danger by displaying such blasphemy? Terrified of his anger, the traders and sailors rushed to wrestle her to the ground and make an offering of her. They called for rope, a gag, anything to do the deed – and then, Teleos moved.

He raised a hand, glowing with light. All fell to stillness.

“And you, friend,” he smiled.  

He decreed that no one shall kneel before him on this island. Following in the footsteps of this brave apprentice, he would have them live as equals. So long as they treated each other with the same respect, he would protect them with eternal light.

“Remember this day,” he said as the mortals gathered around him. “When you find yourselves spoiling this land with cruelty and greed, and imagine yourselves gods among mortals, let my light be a reminder to treat each other the way I have treated you today.”

Or so the story goes.

To this day, Telarion is marked by its lack of a ruling class, and remains neutral from all warring factions and territories. Temperate and cultured, it teems with festivities and trade, and serves as a safe haven for refugees fleeing the cruelties of war. Guiding them is a lighthouse that stands unguarded and ever lit; every year, travelers gather from all over the world to attend a grand festival that commemorates the day that the first inhabitants erected a lighthouse and watched a holy fire burst to life inside it.

And overlooking this blessed land is the temple of Teleos, where the god himself is said to speak directly with its priests. This is by the account of an elf who took refuge in Telarion after the fall of Lumenas; a strange light – Teleos’s light from the lighthouse, no doubt – had led her from the dark sea to shore, where she sought counsel at Teleos’s temple. There she was greeted by the Founding High Priest.

“Your heart groans with grief,” the High Priest said. “You can no longer hear the voice of your god.”

“How do you know that?” the elf asked, taken aback.

At that, the High Priest smiled, her eyes brimming with stars.  

“Teleos told me.” She held out a hand. “Nice to meet you, friend.”