Turnin
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault. Shakespeare
To me death is not a fearful thing. It's living that's cursed. Jim Jones (Cult Leader)
Aboveground the North Star and the Southern Cross are some of the heavenly bodies that sailors have used for centuries to guide their ships on the high seas. The moon waxes and wanes, the sun rises in the East and sets in the West; there are certain heavenly constants that give man a sense of control, a feeling of direction.
In the Underground the crystal moon is always full and the sun can rise from any direction. As for the land - space and boundaries change, while the area of a kingdom will remain relatively constant, the shape may shift much like the Labyrinth so that landmarks become the only stable reference points that can be used to guide travelers to and from a destination.
To find the Kingdom of White Stone one would travel South of the Forest of Illusions and look for a vast valley. While the boundaries may shift, the valley itself holds one of the largest deposits of white marble, hence the name Kingdom of White Stone. As far back as any of the neighboring territories could remember the Changlings had always lived there. Along with the Wier of the Ubian Sea and the Dwarfs of the Astire Mountains, they were one of the oldest races recorded in this section of the Underground.
Over the centuries of quarrying the precious white marble the Changlings also had learned to become great artisans of the pale hard stone. Their sculptures were so flawless and lifelike some patrons even claimed to have seen them breathe. Of course the marble they quarried had a hundred other uses, from castle columns to marble pools and everything in between. With demand for their wares fairly constant the valley dwellers were a moderately prosperous race.
Unlike other races the Changlings did not possess powers to conjure or impact their environment, but they did possess the unique ability to alter their form at will into any personage of the Underground.
During the time of the Great Harvest festivals these beings were infamous for putting on the popular "Impersonation" show. Having a devilish sense of humor they would alter into some of the Underground inhabitants that had gained notoriety during the year, such as the Alcanian cook who destroyed a party with canary eggs – they weren't supposed to hatch during dinner; or the gardener who planted itch weed instead of Tich weed….that skit had everyone rolling in the aisles.
But normally the highlight of the annual performance was a spoof on the royals, the Underground inhabitants loved to see impersonations of their rulers, especially if they were not in favor with the populace. It was the one time a year they could publicly laugh at an annoying sovereign and get away with it.
The Changlings might mischievously portray a stingy royal as generous to a fault, or a snobby one as clumsy, and these types of veiled insults kept the audience in stitches. At first, some of the more sensitive monarchs wanted the plays banned but the majority didn't see the harm in it and pointed out it was better than being burned in effigy. So the yearly skits continued to the merriment of the public, until 10 years ago...
Ten years ago, the Wizard Turnin became Chancellor of the White Kingdom and all interaction between the Changlings and other kingdoms stopped.
Looking back over time, the day of Turnin's arrival in the Changling valley started out as any other, the quarries were full with workers and the town was bustling with trade. At high noon there was an unexpected eclipse of the sun that turned day into night. As the people were watching the sky during the sun's corona a hooded figure appeared in the city square.
Underneath maroon robes a deep voice called out, "I have eclipsed the sun so that you will listen to me citizens of the White Kingdom. I am the Wizard Turnin and I bring you good news. No longer will you slave without recompense, no longer will other kingdoms disrespect you. With my power and guidance I will make you a kingdom among kingdoms."
The Changlings were in awe, mages were few and powerful wizards who could eclipse the sun were even fewer. They drew closer and listened to his words, "I have come here because you are worthy to receive my blessing. You are like the rare jewel in a king's crown and should be given proper homage. Allow me to show you your true destiny."
In one swift motion the wizard revealed himself from under his cloak to the crowd's amazement. They had expected to see an old man and instead found a handsome and vibrant figure. It was true that his hair was long and gray, but his face was that of a youth and his eyes….his eyes changed color.
Looking into the mage's eyes was almost hypnotic as they continued to change with an array of colors to match his shifting moods. One moment they were pale blue like the sky and the next they were as red as flame. The Changlings could plainly see this was indeed a being of great power.
They listened to this strange wizard and in the days that followed Turnin used his spells to indeed make their workload easier, the marble now cut like butter and the fields yielded three times as many crops. Children and the elderly were cured of ailments with a mere wave of his hand. Turnin promised them wealth, fame and glory….all they had to do was follow him. It didn't him long to become Chancellor of the Kingdom of White Stone and win the hearts and loyalty of its inhabitants. After all, what he promised them did come true.
The Changlings ignored the fact that Turnin evaded their questions of his history, why look a gift horse in the mouth? They thought up their own answers. Where he came from no one knew but the folklore started that he was sent by the Mages of High Sorcery of the West to help them reach their true potential, and that explanation was as good as any and became their truth.
Turnin also felt he should be the only ambassador – let him alone negotiate their dealings and he would see to it they got proper prices for their wares, after all, the other kingdoms would not try their tricks with a wizard as powerful as he. Whether it was the a spell he cast or the Changlings were just so willing to have a strong leader it may never be known but like sheep to the slaughter they followed him without question. Whatever he wanted they did, whatever opinion he had they shared.
As he became entrenched in their society he slowly convinced them that they were a superior race and should have nothing to do with the rabble of outsiders. Soon they no longer welcomed visitors to their valley; in effect they were cut off from any outside influence by their own free will….or what was left of it.
Like an Aboveground cult they were now isolated from any other thought than Turnin's – the Kingdom of White Stone was now a dangerous breeding ground, a mass turned into itself with growing infection. It was the perfect environment for Turnin's dark soul to malign and distort even further as he became more than a leader in his own mind – he became a god.
Once the kingdom was firmly in his hand Turnin turned his insatiable ambition outward – he wanted to control all the kingdoms in this section of the Underground. As the only person now handling all negotiations on behalf of the Changlings he was allowed into the political arena and governing body of the local kingdoms.
Once he established himself as a political force to be dealt with he quickly tried to persuade the government to change into a quasi dictatorship – with him as the head. The other kingdoms could plainly see what the Changlings could not – that he was a very powerful wizard but was not to be trusted. It was obvious Turnin was power mad so his inane proposals were voted down time and time again.
Undaunted Turnin thought to himself, "Fools, don't they know I will get what I want. I am the only one worthy to lead." Knowing he could not persuade the governing council to do things his way he set about a plan. He would not let these milk toast royals stop him – in the end he would rule them all - one way or another.