Legend of Saint Chelone and King Leon

The Legend Of Saint Chelone and King Leon Lockwood: The cultural variation in its interpretation and rendition

Appendix C in Death of a Guardian by Prof. Anthony Veil, Head of the School of Divinity, Cita’s University for the Inquisitive

Even though the circumstances of this historical event have not been recorded properly, (the University was in its early stages of redevelopment, having been reestablished just three years before the coronation of King Leon Lockwood) it is a dominant aspect of the current royal bloodline’s mythos. Several versions exist, all colored by the historical context and views of the people who have recorded them. We do know these events have actually taken place, unfortunately, due to Norley’s political climate, scholars have been unable to find first hand accounts by a witness present at the core of the events. This is why the events are considered a legend, despite occurring within the current Saga.

By writing this, I aim to offer insight into the various existing versions of the legend and add some personal commentary based on my own knowledge of the Divine.

V.1 The Nor Version

Despite the current divide in the nation’s feelings towards their King and his predecessor, the Nor hold the Lockwood bloodline in high regard. Hence, it is understandable that their version of the events paints Leon Lockwood a hero and the dragon’s descent a test, betrayal or mistake on behalf of the gods, rather than a punishment. The role of Chelone in the Nor version varies even within the nation. As a Palish Viride, her position is currently fragile depending to who is asked. This could be explained by the significantly horrific circumstances of Paleah’s loss of independence during the recent war.

V.1A The most common Nor version

The dragon: Is believed to have been sent as a test of King Lockwood’s strength by the gods. Some claim the gods sent Inaintet herself, and as I discussed in my work ‘The Death of a Guardian’, I do not see this possibility as completely implausible.

King Leon Lockwood: The rightful heir to the throne after the Courtemanche bloodline failed to produce an heir. A hero who put his nation before his love.

Chelone: Her surname is omitted in the Nor renditions, but all agree that she was Palish by birth. She is described as a capable warrior, relying mostly on ranged weaponry or multiple daggers. In every version she has been married to the King but not yet coronated as the Queen, the events took place shortly after the wedding. She is described as a selfless hero devoted to her husband.

The slaying of the dragon: The most common version claims that Chelone gave her life for the kingdom, telling her husband that a dying Viride’s blood is the most potent poison known to man. Lockwood, though heartbroken, put his nation ahead of their love and ran his sword through her, coating it in her blood and slaying the dragon.

Another version of just this part of the legend exists, held up by the royal family itself, yet not popular among the people (I assume due to the lack of narrative tension). This version claims that Lockwood never slew his bride, but she had been slain by the dragon and so her blood was spilled, which Lockwood then used to coat his weapons.

The after effects: For his bravery, loss and to ensure a long reign of the Lockwoods, the Gods blessed the bloodline with a divine strength.

Considering that the bloodline still remains on the throne and has empowered Norley significantly (I avoid discourse on King Tybalt’s reign and its effects) there is reason to believe why such a claim has been added to the legend. And after all, a hero has to be rewarded in every tale.

V.1B The less common and quite recent Nor version, a tale of betrayal

The dragon: Is believed to have been a conjured beast or a mislead act of the Gods sent down on Norley. This version never gives a good explanation as to why or how the dragon came to be. Some claim it was sent by the gods to kill the treacherous Chelone (V.1B.i). Others claim it was dark magic by Chelone herself (V1.B.ii). And a version exists where the Gods were mislead by Chelone and sent the dragon down on Norley (V1.B.iii). This discord in the dragon’s part, is the reason why this rendition is not considered viable. It is known a dragon truly descended on Norley.

King Leon Lockwood: The rightful heir to the throne after the Courtemanche bloodline failed to produce an heir. He was betrayed by his bride and slew her and the beast she/or her people sent down on Norley.

Chelone: The treacherous bride of King Leon Lockwood. Her marriage to him was only a ruse, a part of a plot against Norley by Paleah. She was supposed to see her husband die and then assume rule over Norley, but her plans were thwarted, resulting in her death.

The slaying of the dragon: In one version, the dragon killed Chelone but was slain by Lockwood who was blind to his bride’s betrayal (V1B.i). In another, Lockwood realised he had been betrayed and slew Chelone in a duel; then coating his weapons in her blood, he killed the dragon (V.1B.ii and V.1B.iii).

The after effects: Due to the disagreements between the dragon’s part in this version, this part also varies.

1. It is said that as an apology from the Gods for sending down a dragon after being mislead,  they gifted the Lockwood bloodline with Divine strength that would ensure its long reign. (V.1B.iii)
2. If the dragon had been conjured up using dark magic, Lockwood was rewarded by the Gods for cleansing the mortal realms of it. The same blessing as mentioned above. (V.1B.ii)
3. If Lockwood slew the dragon sent to punish Chelone, he was said to be blessed and cursed by the Gods simultaneously. Blessed for his devotion and strength to protect his nation, but cursed for interfering with divine work. This version of the legend does not detail anything about the curse or blessing, so I am lead to believe it was put in for dramatic purposes and a bittersweet ending (a popular narrative choice in the post-war era) (V.1B.i)

V.2 The Palish version

The relations between Paleah and Norley were quite unstable following the events described by the legend. Most believe that this is where the distrust began. Virides and mixed blood Virides became a rare occurrence in Norley and it remains so to this day.  However the Palish are known to be dedicated to uphold truth and justice, which explains the two significantly different version told within their culture.Two popular versions exist, the first quite an objective tale that most scholars consider the closest to truth we will get, the other shunning Lockwood and his actions.

V.2A The first...

The dragon: It is important to note that dragon sightings were as much myths back then as they are now. The Palish version does not offer an explanation for why the dragon appeared, it simply states that the dragon descended on Norley and was causing chaos and destruction.

King Leon Lockwood: The rightful heir to the throne after the Courtemanche bloodline failed to produce an heir. He is equally a hero in this tale as Chelone is. The death of Chelone is said to have made him a cold and dispassionate man, avoiding his own grief by working for his kingdom.

Chelone: As historical records claim, Chelone was born to House Atris in Paleah. The circumstances of her initial meeting and relationship with Lockwood are still debated, ranging from a political arrangement of uniting two ruling families to a secret romance between an engaged heir to the throne and a Palish noblewoman. She is described as a capable warrior, relying mostly on ranged weaponry or multiple daggers. In every version she has been married to the King but not yet coronated as the Queen, the events took place shortly after the wedding.

Slaying the dragon: In this version, Chelone is fatally injured in a long and taxing fight against the dragon, which partly poisons the dragon but also coats Lockwoods weapons because he attempts, in vain, to get her to safety and save her life. (It is common for Palish bards to add a ballad to this part of the tale, singing of the pain and final goodbyes between the lovers, I have not yet seen an audience not cry upon hearing it).  The dragon is slain by Lockwood in the end.

After effects: This version does not mention any gifts or curses. However, it does speak of King Lockwood being a changed man after the death of Chelone and losing his faith in the Gods. (The current prioritisation of Qasoi and Eldione as the primary Gods came a century after Leon Lockwood’s reign) Leon Lockwood, due to his young age and lack of an heir, married Fiya Montcroix, a Nor noblewoman and a childhood friend.

V.2B The second…

The dragon: Once again, the Palish version of the legend does not offer much of an explanation for the dragon’s appearance. It does not appear to be the main focus of the tales. Upon consultation with my colleagues at the School of Literature, this is apparently not unusual for Palish literature. Their focus in tales leans away from the extraordinary and puts importance on relationships, emotions and motivations of characters.

King Leon Lockwood: A scheming man who rose to power through subterfuge and staged accidental deaths (with the help of his House). Though the tales paint him in an almost caricature way, it is true that the Lockwoods were not next in line for the throne, a series of unrelated deaths, accidents or decisions of the four other possible successors of the previous King, the Lockwood bloodline was found to be the only viable option once the Courtemanche bloodline came to an end. There are two versions of how he rose to power:

1. Scheming done by him and his House. Some even mention Queen Fiya as having been a part of these schemes. (V.2B.i)
2. A deal with an unknown power that guaranteed his rise to power (V.2B.ii). This version is rare, mostly used to scare children. As mentioned, the Palish do not favour mentioning the supernatural.  This version however does offer two possible explanations for the dragon’s appearance: -The unknown power sent aid to Lockwood to rid himself of Chelone without suspicion. (V.2B.ii.a) -The Gods sent Inaintet to hunt down this unknown power and Lockwood got in its way (V.2B.ii.b). I discuss this option in my aforementioned work ‘The Death of a Guardian’.

Chelone: A noblewoman, heir of House Atris. She married Lockwood due to political arrangements and Lockwood’s desire to further extend his power into, then independent, Paleah. She died by his blade after she discovered the truth about his rise to power. In Palish tales, she is the hero who fought for truth and justice of the story with an unhappy ending (also not an unusual feature in Palish literature).

Slaying of the dragon: The dragon plays a secondary role in the battle between Chelone and Lockwood. It is present as a backdrop, causing destruction and posing a threat to Chelone’s life. The scheming and villainous Lockwood runs his sword through Chelone at the end of their lengthy duel and uses her blood to defeat the dragon. (V.2B.i)

In the version that mentions the dragon being sent by the unknown power to rid Lockwood of Chelone who uncovered his schemes, the dragon dies due to fatally injuring Chelone and ingesting her blood. Lockwood is passive in this version. (V.2B.ii.a)

The last version, which suggests the dragon was Inaintet, makes the same claims about Lockwood killing Chelone to silence her and coat his weapons in her blood to then slay the dragon and protect the unknown power. (V.2B.ii.b)

The after-effects: The dragon was slain and Chelone died trying to get the truth to the people. The Lockwood bloodline remains on the throne and eventually takes the freedom of Palish people in a war. (V.2B.i, V.2B.ii.a)

The version with Inaintet being slain mentions a curse put on the Lockwood bloodline by the Gods, but evil has won the day. It inspires hate towards the Lockwoods. (V.2B.ii.b)

These are the most coherent versions of the legend. Many mixtures of these versions exist, some more wild than the others. As mentioned before, scholars favor the first version by the Palish for its least biased telling of the events. It is however important to remember, that legends serve a purpose of inspiring emotions or a belief, they give meaning to events that would otherwise leave people cynical or hopeless due to the lack of explanation. We strive to give everything a meaning but more often than not, in reality, tragedies that happen rarely have a purpose or an underlying conspiracy attached to them. Divine interventions have historically been smaller scale, and usually the Gods involved in them make themselves known. The only exception being Okone.