“In the beginning, I cried. I cried for humanity, I cried for mortals. I felt their pain through the World Tree and the power it blessed with me. Darkness was all that I knew in those early years.

Now, I give life to those who otherwise would not breathe. I am the Mother, who loves and protects. Hope is what I know now. “-Angela during a Clergy Mass.

The Starfire Grove, In Memorial “Caitlin”

A long time ago, on a distant plane, a woman came to greet the one who would become the mother. She offered friendship and family towards the newly risen Avatar. Bonding and friendship blossomed eagerly. The World Tree, however, could be cruel and knew it would soon be time for the Avatar’s friend to fall.

However, before the fall came the gift. It was a single maple seed, that glowed with the furious power of the sun. A Fire Maple, the woman named Caitlin called it. What a perfect gift to give for the newly crowned Earth Avatar.

When the realm fell, Angela had managed to save a single maple seed from her friend. Just before the void had came to take everything away from them, Caitlin had died a hero. Even Immortals can fall from grace. When Angela had finally come to, in her current state, she took the fire maple in her hands.

She had more power than ever before. With the power the World Tree had given her, she took that Fire Maple and made a home for her friend. 

Starfire Grove is an area inside the spacial magic of her temple. If one were to venture into Dashuri Palace they would eventually come to a door of obsidian. A leaf from the fire maple is framed and hanging on it. The fire that flickers from the tree can be seen fanning off of it. The glass around it seems to be enchanted not to melt. 

When one enters the door, they find themselves in a realm of perpetual twilight. They stand on a platform of pure obsidian. Lava falls like waterfalls down giving tribute to her old friend. If one makes it all the up the carved stairs, they find the real treasure of this realm.

The Fire Maple. Burning brilliantly are thousands of them. They are a sea for as far as mortal eyes can see. They glow and warm the area around them, and are forever young and beautiful.

When visitors make it to the center of the sea, there is a single stump in the middle of a cleaning. It is a Fire Maple stump, but its death serves a purpose in this realm. In the center of the stump grows the Fire Lily, the first flower that Angela ever gifted her friend. This is Caitlin’s Memorial, if not the whole realm. Not many know of the Fire Avatar, but Angela remembers and cherishes the woman deeply.

“Take Iva and be happy. You don’t need me. If you go back on the deal we made, that would make you look weak. I don’t want our family in danger. No matter how strong you think you may be, please just let me die.” - Rohan, The Final Moments

The Unbroken Courtyard: In Memorial: Rohan

It’s always the mortals who teach gods the hardest lessons. Parvpora learned it and so has the Mother. When a frail brown-eyed knight came to her with a dying request, she was amused. Many had come before him and she could tell he wasn’t lying about being close to death’s doorstep. He asked for a child, her child. One that would be strong and not easily broke by illness. Of course, he was not the only one who had ever done the trek to ask for a child from her, and most often it was the sex they desired. This man though? He had no gain from it. He was so close to death she thought he would die in the middle of it.

So she made a deal. “If I grant your request, you are to live here until the day the child is born. For nine months you will be in constant pain, but you will live. The day that child is born, I shall release you as part of our deal.” The deal was sealed but the Goddess never thought she would come to regret her words.

He hadn’t come there looking for a miracle. He hadn’t come there looking to make Angela his prize. Truly the only thing that man ever wanted was the child growing in her womb. For nine months, she carried the child. Every day was something new. Rohan liked to read to her womb, which no one had ever actually done before. Tall adventures of knights and dragons. Despite how ill the man actually was, he was always by Angela’s side and never let go. Through the pain, he managed a smile even on her darkest days.

They came to love each other. The biggest mistake she had ever made with a contracted man. She never regretted it but it was what he did when their daughter finally came into the world that broke her. He demanded his death. A way to seal the deal so that Iva would be safe. It didn’t matter what happened to him, as long as Iva lived. Angela as speechless. There she was offering a deal no other mortal would have rejected, and he rejected it.

He climbed into bed with her and died holding their daughter. Angela didn’t look at Iva for a long time, perhaps the first time ever she had done so. She made the man suffer for what he wanted, and yet in the end she ended up wanting him. It took a while for her to even want to bury the body and the clergy members fought with her on what to do with it. They had never actually buried anyone in the realm before.

The Unbroken Courtyard was created as a special place for Iva to see her father. Angela spared no energy to make it. Through the temple, there are large mahogany doors, weightless as if by magic. They are carved depicting the tale of two world trees. One appears to give life and the other seems to give death. This is the tale that many are told about Parvpora and Canelux.

A long stained glass bridge that reminded her of the life force that Rohan possessed even when he was so close to death. The circular courtyard that floated high above the roaring gorge, a symbol of life’s cycle.

A tree, in the back for Iva, to play under. Rohan had always thought purple was Angela’s color, so the giant maple tree was made to grow her favorite lilies in a shade of purple no one had ever seen before. Rohan’s memorial, a statue of himself, sits in the very center. Most days it has a picnic laid out with several stuffed animals. Rohan has his own cup, or so it appears. This is all Iva has of him, and being fatherless for most of her years, she often spends time there learning and causing mayhem.

The courtyard has a small white picket fence lining it so that one does not fall off. There are benches and flowers about but nothing stands out like the statue and tree. The air even seems drawn to it. The wind barely even loops around it as if it respects the type of place this is.

The sun always seems to shine in this area, even if all other parts of the realm are dark.