Hysena
“In the depths She crawls and waits…”
Epithet: The Mystery in the Dark[edit]
Introduction[edit]
While Eschen and Vaiel fought for the surface of Rhyst, another spirit, for one reason or another, was sent into the depths of the earth. There is very little actually understood or known regarding the third child of the Dragons, but the speculations surrounding Hysena have painted a vague picture that has been studied over time. Hysena’s domain is the dark, it is the caverns that stretch on and on throughout the underground realms of the world, it is the unknown reaches where neither Eschen nor Vaiel have ever stepped. Hysena’s is the realm that most spirits of the surface don’t dare enter, yet somehow, some mortal races have found their place as the spirit's subjects.
Background[edit]
As the oceans rose at Eschen’s command and the life of Rhyst spread across the world by the direction of Vaiel, the Dragons recognized that the plane was not simply what could be seen under the light of the sun. This world they had chosen to craft and mold to their making held deeper secrets still, for it was by the death of another Eidolon that the plane was formed. A spirit made to journey into these depths was created, a daughter who would make the darkness her home, and thus Hysena was born. This spirit took a form made for mobility and speed, and she came to rule the farthest reaches of Rhyst.
On the rare occasion that she neared the surface, Hysena found the mortals that Eschen and Vaiel had brought into being, and she lured them into her domain where they became prey or subjects of her will. The spirit found purpose to shape the smarter Esche and Vaien that she allowed into the darkness into a new race, one that was better suited to her intentions. The Hysen, as they came to be called, began traveling with their patron into the underground realms of Rhyst, and within them they built vast cities that boasted security and architectural might that has yet to be rivaled by any civilization since.
For what purpose she led them into the depths of the world is still a matter of debate. Some stick to the myth that the spirit knew of the looming threats posed by the Convergence and believed she could show mortals how to protect themselves by hiding away, yet many Hysen cities fell when the planes collided. The cynics believe Hysena required her people to entertain her, to dig deeper and deeper into the world with no real goal in mind other than an expansion of her domain, though this thought is often only used to ridicule the Hysen and their descendants.
Whatever the case may be, Hysena cultivated what was hers, and few spirits have ever entered her realm, much less challenged her for dominion over it. Extraplanar threats often find pockets within the subterranean lairs of Rhyst, but due to Hysena’s presence, they do not remain there for long. She is a hunter of any and all that descend into the abyss, and it is believed the earth itself holds a healthy fear of the spirit and is always obedient to her whims.
Trivia[edit]
Hysena is often described as a spider, though she is often depicted having humanoid features as well
Hysena is notably not often a friend to mortals save for the Hysen and their descendants
Though little is known of the Earth Dragon, there is an inferred bond between them and Hysena given Eschen and Vaiel’s similar relationships with the Dragons
Hysena is a solitary spirit that does not seem to hold many connections to the rest of her kind other than the fact that many other spirits fear her and keep their distance from her territory