Solaria and the Fate of Burnhold

## Solaria

Solaria's search for her mother's killer unravels a deeper political conspiracy involving extremist groups and unscrupulous dealings in her hometown of Burnhold. This article details the story of Solaria as she struggles against crises of duty, heart, and self-sacrifice.

## The Story Today

Solaria's mother, a Solesian viscountess of Burnhold, was murdered in a political power struggle against radicalized fire genasis. Fearing that she would be the next target, her family arranged for her covert enlistment at the Verifoss Mercenary Guild where she could safely search for her mother's killer and grow stronger in the face of these looming threats.

Since then, she has uncovered a plot involving an extremist group, the Kindled Few, who played a role in her mother's death. But to thwart the Kindled Few, who continue to terrorize her home, and rise to the expectations of her station, Solaria may have to take on the perilous Awakening Ritual to unlock her full potential as a Fire Genasi—or die trying.

## The History and Lore

### Missions

#### Burned Bridges

*1276 SE*

`*Solaria, our great-grandfather is coming to Burnhold by the next moon. He's visiting Mom's grave. Please be here. -Ignis*`

Despite the danger from her mother's murder, this simple note from Solaria's half-brother, Ignis, was all it took for Solaria to summon the courage to return home. She formally resumed her duties as Viscountess and learned from her great-grandfather Oku that her mother's death was perpetrated by fire genasi extremists.

Later that day, Ignis was kidnapped by the same extremists in their pursuit of leverage against her. Ignis, though bloody and beaten, was successfully rescued by her and her co-mercenaries, and Solaria swore to protect her family and Burnhold against this new threat.

One month later, Solaria embarked on a Tigris mission with the assistance of a fire genasi named Isamu. After Solaria completed the mission, he shared that there was "more to Stellaria's death than meets the eye".

#### Sparking Ashes

*Summer, 1 Ramus 1277 SE (251/400)*

It had been one year since Solaria officially became Viscountess. Between her mercenary work and noble duties, she grew frustrated and fearful over the lack of leads on her mother's death and the extremism brewing in Burnhold. She decided to find Isamu, her only lead at this junction.

She reached out to a mutual contact in Tigris who instructed her to find him at the Palace of Embers in the Plane of Fire. However, she and her co-mercenaries were greeted with hostilities at her request to meet "the prince". She was tasked by the palace's ruler, an efreeti named Jahar, to prove her worthiness by slaying a lava drake. Defying death in the trial, she and Isamu finally met.

He shared that racial supremacy, which he vehemently disagreed with, was a prevalent ideology in the Plane of Fire. This ideology produced extremists who sought to stop anyone from bridging genasi and non-genasi societies. They would stop and have stopped people like her late mother, Stellaria. According to Isamu, they called themselves the Kindled Few, and they planned to launch an attack on Burnhold as part of their incursion into the Material Plane.

#### Only Ashes

*Autumn, 6 Umbron 1277 SE (306/400)*

After returning from the Plane of Fire, Solaria rushed back home to warn her city of the impending attack. But preparations and evacuations were limited by time, and her hometown was largely decimated by the meteoric onslaught of the Kindled Few. At the Blazegate, the portal between the Material Plane and the Plane of Fire, she and her co-mercenaries dispelled the Kindled Few's ritual that would've turned Burnhold into a beacon to other extremists for more destruction.

While her House oversaw immediate relief for the survivors, Solaria was burdened with the task of finding a long-term solution to prevent another attack or, more plausibly, the task of building alliances and amassing resources to defend against the next attack.

#### A Fire Within

*Spring, 34 Suulvir 1278 SE (134/400)*

Solaria kicked off her series of diplomatic missions by starting with the only political ally she had: Prince Isamu of the Palace of Embers. Since the attack, she had been developing and fine-tuning her case. However, unlike her last visit, she failed to bring a Primordial translator to the Plane. The palace guards misunderstood her request for an audience with him. She and her co-mercenaries were instead relegated to the selection event as potential consorts for the prince.

Of all the consorts presented, Isamu chose Solaria out of love. Though she was in love with another, she accepted his proposal out of duty, and they were betrothed. In the summer, Prince Isamu delivered his envoys to Burnhold, granting a wealth of resources necessary for rebuilding. Their families met to plan the union while Isamu professed understanding, consideration, and love to Solaria. Aware of her position, she could only thank him and ask for his partnership in her diplomatic missions.

#### Add Fuel

*Autumn, 26 Umbron 1278 SE (326/400)*

It had been a year after the attack on Burnhold. While tending to her noble responsibilities, Solaria received intel from Isamu: the Kindled Few planned to recruit the Kahi clan, an influential circle of fire genasi elders and advisers in the Material Plane. With support from her co-mercenaries, she ventured to convince the clan not to ally with the Kindled Few.

At the council room of the Kahi clan, Solaria sparred with words against Atossa, a higher operative of the Kindled Few. Solaria attested to and evidenced gradual efforts between genasis and non-genasis to create a more inclusive and just societal order; however, Atossa spoke of destroying the current order to establish a new system where fire genasi reigned instead of being exploited. In the end, Solaria successfully persuaded the Kahi leaders, and they offered her an alternate path to Awakening.

In Burnhold, Solaria investigated Atossa's alleged exploitation at the Cinderworks, refineries that heavily employ fire genasis. She found no proof of exploitation. Instead, Solaria discovered suspicious financial transactions between Burnhold aristocrats and Cinderworks owners.

## Characters and Factions

### Family Members

This family list is limited to characters known and involved in Solaria's story.

### Verifoss Mercenary Guild

Over the years that Solaria has been a mercenary, she has built strong relationships with many. However, this list is limited to recurring and integral characters in her storyline.

 Liang Vanadio
 Cadmus
 Lars Atterton

### The Kindled Few

Aside from Atossa, many members of the Kindled Few remain unknown. However, Solaria is aware that there is an affiliate of the Kindled Few within the ranks of the Verifoss Mercenary Guild.

### The Palace of Embers

In the Elemental Plane of Fire, territory is carved as monarchial domains under various efreeti. The sovereign domain in the Plane is the Palace of Embers. Due to the vast line of royalty in the Palace, this list is limited to relevant characters in Solaria's story.

 Peony