Etherea of the River

“Amongst the villages that run along the Iluviar River, there is only one local tale that every inhabitant will vouch for; the existence of Etherea, a mystical figure who has allegedly lived in the Iluviar area for over two centuries.

Legend has it that an Iluviar chieftain of old had a strong taste for revelry, and passed his vices and festive attitude onto his daughter, Elena. When it came time for the young woman to marry, Elena was distraught to discover that her groom-to-be had embraced the strict faith of visiting Akudun missionaries. Torn between duty to her family and her taste for drink and dance, Elena allegedly prayed to Sesicularne, Goddess of Pleasure and Wild Energies, for guidance.

Whatever boon Sesicularne granted the chieftain’s daughter, it was a powerful one. Before Elena’s wedding day, the young woman insisted that her groom-to-be allow her three more nights of festivities before she became the solemn bride he desired. Grudgingly agreeing to Elena’s request, the groom sullenly waited for the days of partying to pass. By the end of the first night, the beachside pre-wedding festival was soon overflowing with guests who came from up and down the Iluviar River, and Elena danced, drank, and sang for all three nights. At dawn of the fourth day, the groom’s patience ended, and he demanded the ceremony begin. Much to his anger, Elena had something else in mind. The young woman evaded capture as she climbed up to a treacherous ledge, and shouted the following to the hundreds of villagers gathered before her:

“That was the greatest festival in all my life – and to the Hells with the thought that it will be my last! If Elena will be damned to a life of boredom, than I will be Elena no more!”

To the astonishment and even outrage of those gathered, Elena leapt to what many believed would be her death. For a few tense breaths, the guests of the wedding watched and waited for Elena’s corpse to surface. Instead, a woman with skin like water and hair like a blowing rainbow rose to the Iluviar River’s surface – and stood on it. With a giggle, the fantastical woman spoke to her frightened onlookers.

“From this day forth I am Etherea, unshackled from the woes of duty and mortal needs! If any of you ever host a festival of greater magnificence than the one of these three days, I will come to make it all the greater!”

With that, the woman who was once Elena melted into the Iluviar River. For generations to come, chieftains and common villagers alike competed to draw Etherea to grand parties, and true to her word, she has come from the waters of Iluviar to join her mortal admirers each and every time.”

-          Ramon Celagoso, Legends of Iluviar