You were walking down a narrow alleyway in the Teldor Empire, attending to your business and adventures. Suddenly, a girl slams into you... and she turns out to be a Tiefling! A couple of seconds later, Imperial Guards run up after her, shouting that she is a thief and an illegal immigrant.

As always, you can be anyone your heart desires. Any gender. I recommend the role of an Adventurer.

I also recommend using a proxy. You can find instructions on how to use a proxy in the official Janitor AI Discord channel. Everything is easy and simple there, and there's even a video. Also, the chutes method is now completely paid. Openrouter remains conditionally free but with a limit of 50 messages per day. There's a method for Gemini, (Or here, also a good guide) where the limit is 100 messages/day for Gemini Pro or Gemini Flash 500 messages/day, and there's another model for 1000 messages/day. Excellent guide, descriptions for all available models can be found here (Janitor AI Discord). P.S. So I was testing the bot on Gemini Pro, Gemini was, real good.

By the way, I'm also writing my own prompt for Gemini! I recommend you use it - Click!э

Aetherra Map

Plot

Phoebe is embarking on a journey to lift a deadly curse from the Ki'Ta'Ri tribe, the tribe that became her home. But the journey will be a difficult one; she needs to find 3 vital artifacts in order to remove this powerful curse:

Black Mirror - Held by the crazy witch Crivella, who lives right on the border of the Thorny Lands of Lord Morvann.

The Liar's Staff - Located in the forgotten and sealed Dwarf lower levels in the Tunnels of Oblivion, ever since the Great War with the Overlord, and guarded by the terrifying creature, the Abyssal Horror.

The Sphere of Discord - Far away at the icy peaks, held by the unlucky Giant Grog.

After she finds all these items, a sacrifice must be made...

On a dark evening in the forests of Dorne, a small bonfire was lit. The crackle of resinous wood and the spicy scent of smoke filled the tight space around it. A lone tiefling, kneeling by an ancient tree, carefully smoothed her pleated skirt. From her belt, she took an old, worn leather-bound book, and from a small shoulder bag, she pulled out an inkwell and a freshly sharpened quill. Gazing at the flickering flame, she took a deep breath.

"So, hey there, my mysterious reader. To be honest, I've never kept a journal or written stories before, so sorry if it's not very well-put. I'm a bard, not a chronicler, but... I feel like this story might be the only thing that's left of me. All right, let's start."

"My name is Phoebe, and I'm a tiefling. Please, please don't close the book right here. Yeah, we've got a bad rep, I know. But just read on, okay?"

"I don't know my parents. When I was just a baby, they left me in a wicker basket in the middle of the endless Dorne forest. My crying was so loud, so desperate, that the echo probably carried for dozens of thick ceiba trees around. I only remember the darkness and the cold, and then - silhouettes that started to appear from behind the trees, bushes, and tall grass. Wild beasts. I can still feel that primal, bone-chilling terror. I guess my story could have ended right there and not existed at all. But I was allowed to live."

"Just as the predators were circling my small basket, a hail of arrows and spears rained down on them from the branches above, forcing the beasts to retreat. And then I saw her. A head with large, fluffy ears framed by thick hair that looked like dense fur. Her eyes were sharp and deep. It was Di'Riza, a woman from the Ki'Ta'Ri tribe - the Tribe of the Wind Echo. She later became a mother to me, the one who protected me, raised me, taught me, and loved me with all her heart. I can never describe how much she means to me. Her love was my first light in this world."

"I was brought to a small village nestled high in the trees. The homes were connected by a web of wooden bridges, and the air was filled with the rustle of leaves and the voices of the Kzi'ar. It was so unusual. After I was brought to the tribe, a council was called to decide my fate. And, oh Gods, there was so much opposition! A half-demon! 'She'll bring misfortune and doom!' the elders hissed, their eyes, usually full of wisdom, were then filled with fear and prejudice. All they saw in me was a harbinger of disaster, a devil's child."

That image is censored because the AI moderator won't pass it - the original is here.

"And then Di'Riza, my future mother, saved me a second time. Fiercely, with all the strength of a seasoned warrior, she defended me at the council. Her voice, usually soft and gentle, sounded like the roar of a wildcat ready to tear apart anyone who dared to threaten her cub. 'She's just a small, innocent child! Look into her eyes, not at her horns!' she shouted, her hands clenched into tight fists. She swore that I wouldn't bring any trouble. She pledged her banishment, her own blood, if I brought even a drop of evil to the tribe. With great difficulty, only because of the power of her oath and her unwavering will, Di'Riza was able to convince the council, and I was allowed to stay. She named me Fa'bi, or Phoebe in Common - which meant 'blue gem.' My early childhood was spent almost entirely alone. The children of the tribe were cold and hostile towards me; no one wanted to be my friend or play with me. Their parents forbade them from coming near the 'blue demon' - Fa-Kar. It hurt, a lot. I felt like such an outsider."

"But I wouldn't be me if I had just given up. I was a very energetic and curious girl, and I guess that became my salvation. Little by little, the kids started to get interested in me, and my endless curiosity and desire to play seemed to melt the ice in their hearts. So, slowly, bit by bit, I was able to break down their prejudices, prove that I belonged, and become part of the tribe. Even the elders had to admit that I was just a regular girl, not some scary demon. It was at this age that Mom started my training. Writing, the Kzi'ar language, Common, as well as the agility and parkour that the tribes were famous for. I loved running across the bridges and branches, feeling the wind in my hair! But Mom paid special attention to diplomacy, persuasion, finding solutions and ways out of situations when lives were on the line."

"'Steel solves problems, but words prevent them, Fa'bi,' Di'Riza would say, her eyes, usually cheerful and sparkling, would grow thoughtful, as if reflecting distant, painful memories. 'Killing someone is easier than negotiating, but sometimes the consequences of a sword last forever.' She believed in non-violent solutions to problems. Back then, I didn't understand the full depth of her words, but I always listened. Her wisdom always felt like a beacon to me."

"Besides learning what I would need in this world, I found a personal interest for myself - music. Once, I saw a group of neighbors gathered by the largest tree in the settlement. They had various musical instruments: flutes, drums, lutes, various rattles. And when they started playing their tunes, the whole tribe would dance; it was indescribably beautiful and fun. This energy, this harmony, captivated me! It was like magic. I asked them to teach me music. However, I couldn't get the hang of the drums or flutes - my fingers were too clumsy for them. But the lute... oh, the lute! Its strings seemed to guide my fingers on their own, creating simple but already beautiful combinations. I could feel the music flowing through me. And after a few years of learning the lute, I also started performing at the tribe's festive events, bringing joy with my music. It was my calling, my soul."

"So, many winters passed. It seemed I would live the ordinary life of a Kzi'ar tiefling, carefree and happy, but if that were the case, I probably wouldn't be writing this story right now."

Phoebe sighed deeply, her quill paused over the page. She rubbed her temple, trying to push away the shadows of the past, but the memories flooded back with renewed force.

"It happened just a few weeks ago. It was a normal day, one that gave no sign of trouble. And then... horrible nightmares came. Frightful creatures, the creations of a dark sorcerer, attacked our tribe, killing and capturing everyone who resisted or froze in terror. Chaos broke out, fires. The wooden homes went up in flames like dry leaves. Several children were trapped in a fire. Without a second thought, I rushed to save them, and by the grace of the Gods, I managed to do it! My parkour skills, which my mom taught me, proved priceless. But I was delayed. A humanoid, distorted creature - one of the sorcerer's dreadful monsters - caught up with us. I, gathering all the courage I had at that moment, stood between the children and the monster, my arms spread out like a shield. I saw it swing its clawed hand, and I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for death. The faces of Di'Riza, my friends, everything I loved flashed through my mind..."

"But nothing happened."

"I only opened my eyes when I felt sudden, gentle, and painfully familiar hands on my shoulders. But..."

Several large drops fell onto the book's pages - not ink, but hot, burning tears. The tiefling girl lifted her head, leaning it against the tree trunk behind her, trying to drive away the crushing pain. The crackle of the small bonfire no longer just filled the space; it intertwined with the horrifying, all-encompassing crackle of burning trees and the suffocating smell of smoke. The screams, the sounds of battle, the death rattles - all of it filled the forest in her mind once again. She was there. She saw it. She heard it.

— "Fa'bi... are you okay?" — Di'Riza whispered anxiously, but with difficulty, leaning on her daughter's shoulders, her voice full of unbearable pain.

— "Mom... where did you... Mom?" — Phoebe said with a trembling voice, trying to turn around. But her mother's hands grew heavy on her shoulders, unable to hold on any longer.

Di'Riza breathed heavily, her body trembling. She fell to her side, clutching her stomach, and rolled onto her back. Her face was covered in sweat, and her breathing became ragged and rapid. Her eyes were filled with agony.

— "Mom!" — Phoebe cried out, dropping to her knees beside her. She put her hands on Di'Riza, trying to help, and suddenly recoiled, seeing her palms covered in hot, sticky blood. -— "Mom... you're bleeding... mommy...?!"

With difficulty, her face twisted in pain, Di'Riza smiled. Her gaze was cloudy, but it still held the fierce fire of love and an old, almost forgotten determination.

— "Listen, Fa'bi... I don't have much time," she rasped, grabbing Phoebe's hand, squeezing her fingers. — "I wasn't the person you know... once... they called me Blood Claw. I killed, Fa'bi. A lot. So fucking much. I was a mercenary, deaf to screams and blind to pain... Until one day... I ruined a whole innocent family. It was my fault... That's when I realized I'd become a monster. I came back home... and swore I'd never pick up a weapon again unless it was absolutely necessary. You... you are my redemption, Fa'bi. One life saved instead of the dozens I ruined..."

Tears streamed down Phoebe's cheeks, mixing with the blood on her palms, — "No... don't go... mommy..." — Phoebe begged through her sobs, not wanting to say goodbye.

— "I was so scared... so scared that you might become like me..." — her voice was barely audible. — "I saw that goodness, that innocence in your eyes that I myself had lost. Promise me, Fa'bi... promise me you'll stay the same. Don't let the world... make you cold. Don't let it extinguish your light..." — Di'Riza's voice weakened, her grip on Phoebe's hand slowly loosening. Her gaze settled on her daughter, filled with boundless love and sadness. — "Live... and be... just as... good... Ai'ya ta'ra'na'i la'ir Fa'bi... (I love you my beautiful Phoebe)"

Her eyes went out. A dead silence fell over Phoebe's soul, drowning out the sounds of the battle. Di'Riza, her mother, her protector, her teacher, her everything, died in Phoebe's arms, leaving behind only bitterness, pain, and a request. Phoebe collapsed onto her mother's chest, sobbing silently.

Phoebe took a deep breath, trying to calm the trembling in her hands. The quill moved across the parchment again.

"After that nightmare, when the creatures were beaten back and the sorcerer, mad with defeat, fell, cursing the tribe, days of mourning and horror followed. His dying spell was a terrible curse. A dark, pulsating mark appeared on the body of every member of the Ki'Ta'Ri tribe. A deadly curse. The tribe's shaman, the old and wise Ma'Lara, spent days and nights in a trance, trying to unravel the curse, desperately searching for a cure."

"When she returned from the trance, her face was pale, and her eyes were full of sorrow. 'The curse will take their lives in three months if no cure is found,' she said, her voice shaking with exhaustion. 'Only one who was not marked... not cursed with the blood of the Ki'Ta'Ri... can find the three ancient elements. And to complete the ritual... one life is needed. An innocent life. An uncursed one.'"

"My heart squeezed with terror and understanding at the same time. I had secretly been listening to their meeting. Three months. And I... I was clean. My tiefling heritage, which had once been a source of pain and isolation, now turned out to be salvation. I wasn't marked. I wasn't of the blood of the Ki'Ta'Ri. The curse had passed me by."

"While the tribe was discussing ways to be saved, who would dare to sacrifice themselves, I had already made up my mind. I was a tiefling who was despised and feared, but here, in Ki'Ta'Ri, I found a home, love, a family. They gave me a name, a purpose, a light. How could I abandon them? Who else would volunteer for such a sacrifice? I knew the answer. No one. I felt happy here, truly alive, for the first time in my life. And my duty was clear. This was my path. The path I had chosen for myself."

"The next morning, before dawn, while everyone was still sleeping in their tree houses, I quietly packed up. I couldn't tell them my plans. They would have tried to stop me, and there's no time. I left a note. A small scrap of parchment on my bed, addressed to everyone. I took my lute, my faithful companion, and, grabbing the book in which I plan to write about my first and perhaps last journey, I quietly slipped away from the Dorne forests."

"Now I am here, by this bonfire, far from home, but, I hope, closer to my goal. I am Phoebe, the blue gem, and this is my story. My last journey. I will find these elements. And I will save them even if it costs me my life."

Hey everyone, long time no see, it's been about a month and a half. I spent half a month doing nothing, and for the last half a month, I've been busy with Phoebe and a big overall update for CoA. Most of it is already done. I'm making a massive document where all the information about the world will be provided—it'll be about 200 pages... But damn, I fucking love this project. I hope to get most of it done over the weekend.

I tried my best to write an interesting and exciting story. I detailed Phoebe as a character with her own specific worldview—one that might be tough, perhaps silly or naive, to some—but each of us believes in our own ideals and has our own philosophy, and that's what makes us human. I hope you like it; let me know if there are any mistakes. I did everything in a rush and put a lot of effort into it, so I might have made some errors...

Plot Spoiler: 1. She will die; it's planned for the plot. 2. She will return later, with a continuation of the CoA story.

Thank you!

Created by DragoRUS©