Cendra The Elder was the adoptive mother of God Emperor Dominax I and the biological mother of his concubine, Lady Briza. After the execution of her close friend, who would later be known only as The Drowned Woman, she protected the infant Dominax by concealing his connection to his deceased mother from The Elders of Nitri. Vowing to raise the boy as her own in honor of her friend, she would later perish during the fall of Nitri.

Biography

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Early Life In Nitri

Born in the small southern human settlement of Nitri in the year 43 BVE, Cendra was raised to be an avid hunter and a fierce warrior. She met Dominax‘s future mother, The Drowned Woman, at an early age, forming a lifelong friendship that would, unbeknownst to her, effect the future of Ayphieal.

Loyalty

In the year 28 BVE, Cendra’s close friend vanished from Nitri without warning. Though she received little support from the settlement’s Elders, she searched for her friend alone, refusing to believe that she was dead. The search was fruitless, yet the next year, The Drowned Woman returned to Nitri on her own. In her possession was an infant boy she had named Dominax, bringing claims that she had not only met the creator of the world, but conceived his child aboard The Chimira.

Though Cendra did her best to dissuade her friend, The Drowned Woman spoke openly to the settlement about all she had learned aboard The Chimira. Seeing the danger of such an act, Cendra managed to convince her to temporarily leave the boy in her possession until she was able to convince the population of the truth she spoke. Neither doubting nor believing her friend’s claims, Cendra withdrew from public to tend to the child for the following days.

Unfortunately, confirming Cendra’s warnings, The Elders of Nitri imprisoned Dominax’s mother, rejecting her claims as baseless heresy. She was swiftly condemned to death, and as the population watched, she was dragged to the shores of the great river near Nitri and executed by drowning.

Devastated by her friend’s death, Cendra vowed to raise the boy as her own, concealing his connection to his true mother from The Elders to protect his safety.

Motherhood

Mourning the loss of her childhood friend, Cendra allowed life to gradually return to normal, reinvigorated by the surprising joy she discovered in her new motherhood.

The following year saw the birth of a second child, a daughter of her own blood. Caring little for the assistance of a mate, she instead selected multiple men from Nitri, choosing warriors she had grown to respect. She spent several nights with each of them, rotating to ensure the potential father was unknown. When her child was born, she granted her the name of Briza, and raised her alongside Dominax.

Cendra spent the next two decades raising her children, training them to fight and hunt. Oftentimes stern, she sought to ensure they grew into capable warriors, well aware of the brutal nature of their world.

As Dominax grew, his strange nature began to emerge, displaying odd abilities. Terrified that he would endure the same fate as his true mother, Cendra forbade her son from revealing his blossoming powers to anyone outside their tiny family.

Years later, when her children were reaching maturity, signs began to emerge that Dominax and Briza had grown into lovers. With no blood between them, Cendra chose to ignore such signs, believing their sibling bond would only assist in their survival. As they grew more blatant in their mutual lust, Cendra often feigning ignorance whenever they snuck away to share a private moment.

The Fall Of Nitri

“If that’s true, we must push them back! We’re not going to let those pathetic excuses for men conquer us!””

– Cendra, Upon Returning To Nitri, 5 BVE.

In the year 5 BVE, Cendra led her children on a hunting expedition to gather meat for the settlement. One of many expeditions they had completed together in recent years, they journeyed to return to Nitri after several successful hunts. Mere miles from the settlement, she awoke in the morning of the final day before their return to witness billowing smoke coming from the direction of Nitri.

Upon waking her children, they ran the remaining miles in time to see an army from the nearby Chiefdom of Zilrin besieging the walls. Cendra, Dominax, and Briza rushed to join the battle, though Nitri was quickly overrun and burned to the ground.

During the battle, Cendra ordered Briza to assist a group of warriors attempting to defend children and the elderly as she and Dominax resisted Zilrin’s main forces. Fighting beside her son and several remaining Nitri defenders, they were outnumbered and swarmed by enemies. In the chaos of the battle, a stray arrow from across the settlement struck Cendra through the side of her neck. The wound itself would have proven fatal, yet her surprise allowed an enemy to drive their sword through her abdomen, killing her instantly.

Traits

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Personality

Both loyal and self-reliant, Cendra The Elder enjoyed few friends, yet commanded the respect of any that encountered her.

In contrast to her adopted son, she held no interest in politics nor spiritual matters, caring only for her children and the good of her settlement. When Dominax’s true mother was executed, she felt distain for Nitri’s leadership, yet continued to contribute to and protect the overall wellbeing of the population.

She felt a deep love for her children, doing all she could to ensure their survival. Her affections were never gentle, however, as she was frequently stern during their training.

Skills

Cendra The Elder was a fearsome warrior and expert swordswoman, passing her skill to her children. She was also an exceptional huntress, often contributing to her settlement by participating in hunting expeditions.

Legacy

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Though she never lived to see The Vaid Empire’s formation, her decision to protect and raise the future God Emperor Dominax I as her own son directly led to his rise. Had she allowed him to perish in infancy, there would be no Vaid Empire, no House Vaid, no Eternal Peace. This single decision led to the births and deaths of countless beings, changing the future of the world itself.

Her death was a catalyst for Dominax’s relentless drive to see chaos wiped from the world, directly inspiring his goal of an Eternal Peace for all beings of Magnius. However, it remains uncertain if she would have supported his bloodshed in seeing his aims fulfilled.

At the moment of her death, she was unaware that her daughter had not only escape The Fall of Nitri, but was pregnant with Dominax’s child. Briza would later give birth to a daughter of her own, naming her after Cendra. Both Dominax and future historians of The Empire would honor Cendra with the title of Cendra The Elder to distinguish her from her granddaughter.

Cendra The Younger would go on to have a son of her own, subsequently continuing Cendra The Elder’s bloodline into the royal Vaid Dynasty.

Appearances

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• Vaid Empire: Conquest (First Appearance)
  • Chapter 1

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