"08 - A Tapestry of Lions" - читать интересную книгу автора (Roberson Jennifer)

The Chronicles of the Cheysuli:

An Overview

THE PROPHECY OF THE FIRSTBORN:

"One day a man of all blood shall unite. In peace.
four warring realms and two magical races.

Originally a race of shapechangers known as the
Cheysuli, descendants of the Firstborn, Homana's
original race, held the Lion Throne, but increasing
unrest on the part of the Homanans, who lacked
magical powers and therefore feared the Cheysuli,
threatened to tear the realm apart. The Cheysuli
royal dynast voluntarily gave up the Lion Throne
so that Homanans could rule Homana, thereby
avoiding fullblown internecine war.

The clans withdrew altogether from Homanan
society save for one remaining and binding tradi-
tion: each Homanan king, called a Mujhar, must
have a Cheysuli liege man as bodyguard, council-
lor, companion, dedicated to serving the throne
and protecting the Mujhar, until such a time as
the prophecy is fulfilled and the Firstborn rule
again.

This tradition was adhered to without incident
for nearly four centuries, until Lindir, the only
daughter of Shaine the Mujhar, jilted her prospec-
tive bridegroom to elope with Hale, her father's
Cheysuli liege man. Because the jilted bridegroom
was the heir of a neighboring king, Bellam of So-
linde, and because the marriage was meant to seal
an alliance after years of bloody war, the elope-

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Jennifer Roberson

ment resulted in tragic consequences. Shaine con-
cocted a web of lies to salve his obsessive pride,
and in so doing laid the groundwork for the anni-
hilation of a race.

Declared sorcerers and demons dedicated to the
downfall of the Homanan throne, the Cheysuli
were summarily outlawed and sentenced to imme-
diate execution if found within Homanan borders.