Notes

The Sword of the Sun--An ancient and powerful sword said to be able to channel the very essence of the sun itself. Supposedly it was forged deep under the earth, in the bellies of volcanoes, and the first thing it did when it reached the surface was cleave the second sun into millions of tiny stars which populate the night sky, because the Solar Sword, as it's also known, is much less powerful at night.

The Sword of the Moon--An ancient and powerful sword said to be able to channel the very essence of the moon itself. Supposedly it was forged deep under the sea, in the darkest trenches, and the first thing it did when it reached the surface was carve craters into the face of the moon. The Lunar Sword, as it's also known, is much less powerful during the day.

The Oracle-- Dwells in a dark forest filled with all manner of dangerous creatures. No one knows who the Oracle is or where they came from, but they are said to have witnessed the Forging of the Swords, which drove them crazy. Half of the things they say are insane, but the other half, for the few who successfully brave the forest to find them, are actually helpful. Is blind and has a seeing-eye dog that people suspect is actually a direwolf, which were said to have died out long ago.

Siri--The sun deity for whom the Solar Sword was forged. The Sword was created specifically with Siri's fire-based powers in mind, which she used to banish the Darkness that once ruled the universe. Siri is stereotypically hot-tempered, violent, vengeful, beautiful, and devastating. She is most often depicted as tall and muscular with pale skin, red hair, and golden eyes. She is a wrestler. People pray to her for protection, courage, success, love, and revenge, and often her shrines are decorated with her preferred colors (red and yellow), her preferred metals and stones (gold, bronze, rubies, amethysts), and her preferred foods (peppers, pomegranate, and wine), and things that are sacred to her (bird feathers, anklets, knuckle tape, blood, black flowers)

Jericho-- The moon deity for whom the Lunar Sword was forged. The Sword was created specifically with Jericho's water-based powers in mind, which he used to calm the fires Siri caused when they were battling the Darkness. He is cool, calm, collected, beautiful, and has an icy rage when angered. He is most often depicted as short and slight with dark skin, white hair, and pale eyes. He is an assassin (knife-throwing). People pray to him for answers/knowledge, wealth, protection, luck, and health/healing, and his shrines are decorated with his preferred colors (blue, white, black), his preferred metals and stones (silver, aluminum, steel, sapphires, diamonds), his preferred foods (milk, salty bread, white cheese), and things that are sacred to him (seashells, fish scales, rope, silk, books, rings)

Ravi-- The 12th prince of the kingdom of Ethikos. He has 5 older brothers and 6 older sisters (one of whom is the heir), as well as a mother and a father. He knows he's not the king and queen's biological kid but doesn't bring it up because he doesn't know that they don't know. No one knows about Ravi's prophecy, which calls him a child of Siri and calls on him to wield the Solar Sword to once again defeat the Darkness. He is tall and lithe (and black) with close-cropped black hair, green eyes, a broad nose, full lips, and high cheekbones. He is less athletic than his siblings, preferring to spend time in the library more often than not, but he's also a very good horse rider and an excellent archer and dancer. He's pretty quiet and kind of reserved, but is also very caring and compassionate, and passionate about the things he cares about. He gets quieter when he's tired or upset, and gets cranky and snappy when he's hungry or hurt. He has a pet great grey owl named Indigo.

Cynthia "Cyn"-- The 12th princess of the kingdom of Ralian. She has 11 older sisters and one younger brother as well as two fathers. No one knows she's not the kings' biological kid. Everyone knows about her prophecy and she is trained her whole life for it (it calls her a child of Jericho and calls on her to wield the Lunar Sword against the Darkness, though at first everyone thinks her prophecy is the one that calls on the kings' 12th kid to wield the solar sword. this is talking about Ravi). She is tall and muscular (and Indian) with short black hair, brown eyes, full lips, a round face, and a hooked nose. She is very strong and an excellent swordsman, but she also knows how to ride a horse, how to fight hand to hand, and how to use a staff. She's focused and aggressive and determined, but also very loving and fiercely protective. She gets more talkative when she's tired, super loud and crass when she's drunk, complains when she's hungry or hurt, but is also a great liar/actor so she can hide things like injuries if she really wants to.

The kings of Ralian took turns getting their concubines pregnant to have their kids. Their 12th kid was born outside of the kingdom because the concubine was visiting family in the kingdom of Ethikos. Just after the birth, however, there was an accident where the baby, Ravi, was switched with the child of the king and queen of Ethikos, Cynthia, who was being kidnapped by a devious midwife. Thus, Ravi stayed in Ethikos and Cynthia was given to the kings of Ralian. Cynthia and her fathers learn of the Solar prophecy (Ravi's prophecy) when she is five and she trains every day until she's 23. Then she leaves home and journeys to the Cave of the Sun with her band of heroes. They defeat the cave guardian, a girl cursed to turn into a goblin each day, and learn that Cyn can't weild the Solar Sword.

So she takes the Sword (and the guardian) back to the Oracle and learns that she's adopted, the true Solar Heir is Prince Ravi of Ethikos, and that she is the Lunar Heir. She hears the Lunar Prophecy and then returns home. She tells her fathers what she learnd. They tell her that she will always be their daughter, but that she must convince Prince Ravi to fight with her. So they correspond with Ethikos and eventually Cynthia and her band go there to meet with the prince.

Ravi already knows he's adopted but didn't know that his parents didn't know. So everyone is a little confused, especially when they learn about Ravi's Prophecy (a few of his siblings give him shit, but Cyn defends him). Ravi is reluctant, but eventually agrees in order to protect the universe. So he wields the Solar Sword and is shocked by how right it feels. The Solar guardian is basically like his underling now because of some oath she was bound by to protect the sword and its user at all costs.

so now their biggest problem is getting the lunar sword. The solar sword was hidden at the top of a volcano, in a secret shrine to siri. the lunar shrine therefore is probably near the sea somewhere, so they head to the coast. eventually they find the lunar sword (defeating the lunar guardian, who also joins their cause and who it turns out is the solar guardian's sister) and then prepare to face the Darkness.