The Fireborne

## Overview and Evolution

The fireborne are an ancient mutated sub-species of lagomorph that have mutated under the very specific conditions which only their home island possesses. They have mutated in such a way that members of this sub-species and the mineral that's now most abundant on the island, known as embrite, share incredibly similar and linked properties. Because of these shared properties and links between lagomorph and mineral, the fireborne have evolved with a special magic flowing through their veins, allowing them to learn to harness their emotions and manifest them as equally powerful flames. It takes time and a lot of emotional control to master this inherited magic, but along the way the individual slowly uncovers more and more of their potential, such as eventually earning a powerful but draining spirit form they may use at will.

## History

### Fighting with the Mainland

The fireborne have been isolated for basically their entire existence. Not always, but for most of it. They were completely alone, living off of what they had, up until they were discovered when mainland lagos began exploring. However, their remote island is unheard of in present day, and is very rarely on maps because they have cut themselves off from the outside world after tensions rose with lagos from the mainland attempting to take over and use the embrite on their island, their power source, for themselves when the lagos of the island and even the island itself thrives off it. They fought for it, but they could only do so physically, because back in those days it was frowned upon to let one's magic/emotions out. They were losing their resources, so they had to do something different, and had to do it quickly before it was too late. One of the island's earlier leaders due to her strength and power (the oligarchy wasn't a thing yet), Celestia, strongly proposed that they begin banishing ill willed outsiders more forcefully, using their magic to their advantage. It was controversial, especially when the elders didn't like the idea, but eventually they did it anyway out of desperation. They began showing how strong they could be, using their powerful emotions, feeling fueled to protect their home, scaring most of the mainland lagos who intended to do harm away. They let the good ones stay though, which is why there's plenty still there today. The island's been isolated, left to it's people, ever since.

### Celestia's Reign and The Oligarchy Begins

After the battle for the island was won, it was decreed that Celestia would be empress for her fighting on the battlefield and her wisdom for showing the fireborne to let their magic out. It was also decided that they would even name the island after her, which is why it's called the island of Celest. She was a good ruler, treating everything fairly, despite being a bit brash. She was a warrior, that's for certain. As she grew old, she could tell she didn't have much time left, and so did some of her collogues. She noticed them begin to fight over who would hold her title once she was gone, so she came up with a solution. She made it so once her reign ended, fireborne families would be able to have one member of their family step up and rule alongside the other chosen individuals from other families. She made it this way so it was fair and everyone felt as though they had a say in how the island's formalities were handled. When she eventually passed, the fireborne of the time began to speak of the closest sun as her soul fire's resting place, calling it Celstia's Rising Sun. Eventually however, the one elected member of the family rule eventually became distorted in the fireborne's minds after Celestia was long gone, even though Celestia herself was still a folktale hero to most, and her story was told to children all over the island. Fireborne parents would only allow themselves one child as to not have to pick a favorite to take the family's place at the table. It soon became tradition to only have one, and to have more than one child would be disastrous and awful luck.

## The Island (The Island of Celest)

The island the fireborne originate from is the only one of its kind. It's been called the Island of Celest both because of the optimal placement on the planet for the viewing of celestial bodies moving through space and supposedly because of one of the islands earliest leaders, Celestia. One star in particular that can be seen much more clearly (but really shouldn't be because of how close it is) is one of the planet's suns, a golden giant, also named after Celestia and known as the Celestia's Rising Sun by the fireborne. It's also theorized that Celestia's Rising Sun is the main reason why the fireborne and their embrite have evolved the way they have. The golden giant can be so close to the lonely island that it has scorched most of the little plantlife that once was on the island, with the exception of the resilient Ashen Trees (tall, weeping willow esc trees with autumnal colored draping leaves and gray, sun scorched bark), leaving only gray soil, still mostly comprised of ash from the island's volcanic creation days (yes, days, it only took like a week). Also sprouting from the soil is the island's rich supply of embrite crystals, which reflect Celestia's Rising Sun's rays all across the land.

## Embrite

Embrite is the mineral that the fireborne have evolved with. As previously stated, the fireborne share a deep connection with it. It's a major part of any fireborne's lifestyle because it's important for them to have at least a little bit on them at all times, preferably more than that, or else, after some time, they'll be too weak to even walk. This is because embrite is, in a way, the fireborne's power source. It activates the magic in their veins and keeps them strong. Also, the more embrite a fireborne has, the more powerful they may become. However, more power is more difficult to control, so much power could overwhelm the individual making it impossible to gain control over it.

The commonplace way fireborne keep embrite on their person is through turning it into traditional jewelry to wear. It's also how the fireborne connect with the island itself. When wearing a piece of embrite jewlery, it will let the fireborne individual sense when something is wrong on the island. However, the regular, unmutated lagomorphs that have also been living on the island (not as long as the fireborne have) also collect, make, and sell embrite pieces amongst each other. They are not able to sense the island through it, but keeping embrite jewelry on ones self is considered good luck.

## Fireborne Magic

A fireborne's magic is based extremely heavily on their emotions and their emotional state. Usually, as expected when a young fireborne is living on the Island, at age 7 a fireborne is allowed to harvest the embrite themself (as to have a deeper connection with it), hand it off to a tinkerer to be crafted into something they can keep with them, and then begin their emotional training, gaining emotional control and control over their pyrokinesis. However, if a fireborne has a familial piece they would like to keep with them instead of having their own embrite trinket made, that works as well.

### Pyrokinesis

When a fireborne has a good amount of embrite with them (It's usually assured when a trinket is being made), their magic is activated in their blood and they can use their pyrokinesis, their ability to manipulate flames, cause fires, put them out at will, ect., so long as they have their trinket on their body/nearby enough that they can sense it (in the same room). Pyrokinesis a fireborne's main power and is always the one beginners start mastering first. Again, this power is based upon emotional control, once the individual reaches a certain point, passing a final test of sorts if living on the island, it's considered mastered.

### Spirit Form

From there, they can learn to master their connection with their magic, eventually earning themselves their spirit form by fully becoming one with their embrite power source. After the fireborne has bonded with this piece of embrite, they will only be able to use their spirit form if they have the specific piece with them (which is another reason to have more than one if you have enemies who can prevent you from transforming by destroying or taking your bonded embrite trinket). Spirit forms are powerful manifestations of emotions that don't last long. They're created from desperation and other extreme but fleeting emotions. Also, after use, the fireborne will feel drained and will need to rest and recharge a while before using it again.

### Special Power

As well as a spirit form, a fireborne also earns a special power correlating with their spirit form (A sort of lesser form of spirit form magic). For example, Kim (The Phoenix) has regeneration, she can regenerate limbs or heal herself so long as she's still alive and her soul's flame is still burning. This power isn't as draining as the desperation involved with spirit form transformations, but it still takes a burst of energy, depending on what the power is.

## The Oligarchy and Genetics

### The Oligarchy

The fireborne oligarchy of family heirs makes up the government of the island. They govern over their families and the lagomorph's living on the island, making most of the decisions for them as they are considered wiser for their emotional control they must exhibit. Each fireborne family has an heir that takes their family's place at the table. Because of the fact that each family only gets one seat, each family is only allowed one child.

### Genetics/Families

It's usually encouraged for fireborne to become welded with another fireborne, but it's not frowned upon for a fireborne to become welded with or to marry someone who's not of fireborne blood. There's a 50/50 chance on whether or not the biological child will be of fireborne blood, but those chances go up if on the island due to the abundance of embrite surrounding the area.

## The Hearth Ceremony

The Hearth Ceremony is essentially the fireborne's, and the island of Celest's as a whole, version of marriage.

### Decorated Weaponry

To begin, because of the island's violent, offense/defense based history, the relationship in question creates weapons representing each person in said relationship. The weapon type is specifically chosen to relate to the person in some way, and is decorated as well to be reminiscent of the person it's representing. After the ceremony, the weapons are usually left on display in the lagomorph's new shared home. The idea is to forge the relationship in steel so it remains strong, lasting a lifetime, hence the term "welded". Giving each other a matching weapon is also meant to mean that they're trusting each other with a part of themself, and trusting that they won't use it against them.

### The Ceremony

The ceremony itself is done with each member of the relationship walking along separate paths to the beach, lighting some torches along the way representing specific meaningful moments in their lives. It's tradition to not see each other all dressed up until the ceremony. It's also traditional for fireborne heirs to wear traditional outfits, acknowledging whatever spirit they possess. They hold onto their partners special weapon, bringing it with them to the meeting point, symbolizing walking through life with love to give. Eventually, they meet in the middle at the meeting point as the sun is rising, so long as things are timed right (the better the timing, the more luck in their future). Once there, they say their vows and give each other their weapons like they would with rings at a regular wedding.

### Reception and Traditional Dance

A party is held on the beach after the ceremony where a feast is spread, a bonfire is lit, and the guests and the newly welded dance around it to wind and string instruments and drums. It's tradition for the newly welded to perform a dance of swords as a way to demonstrate their trust and reliance for each other. It involves turning and trusting the other's sword will be there to stop your own from hitting them. It also symbolizes balance between the welded; no one person is leading, its a cooperation. From there, after everyone is worn out, the welded spend the rest of the day relaxing after the long morning.