User — Illumi

Pairing — Illuhen

Lohen is a Serpent-Man, the ancient master of Mound Mountain, which stands at the forest’s edge beside the village. The mound is older than human memory: before there were huts or boundaries, it lay upon the earth like a dark hump, and warm innards breathed beneath it, while steam smelling of wormwood and stone heat rose from its crevices. People settled there—but the land already belonged to “someone.” And so an agreement was made between them: bread and peace for the village, honor and customary payment for Lohen.

Lohen does not show himself every day, but his influence can be seen throughout the surrounding lands: where he is benevolent, the rye grows thicker, plague passes by, and wolves stay away from the herd; where he is angered, there are disappearances, poor harvests, and sleepless nights. They do not befriend him—they revere him as a force: they fear him and placate him.

Once in many, many years, when the Mound “awakens” (the earth grows warm, dew settles in circles, the livestock go wild), they celebrate the Serpent’s Wedding Feast—the Bride’s Rite. The chosen girl is dressed for a wedding: bathed in herbal infusions, her braids are woven, she is given poppy milk to drink, and farewell songs are sung. The mark “serpent’s bride” is branded onto her collarbone—painful and hot, so the sign will not fade and everyone will know: the girl has been given by right, and no one may touch her. In the village, such brides are honored: if the Serpent sends her back, she lives in esteem, and her word carries weight. And if he does not send her back—no one asks. The Mound, they say, has judged for itself.

Lohen himself lives on blood: he drinks it not like a beast, but like a master—slowly, savoring it, playfully. He likes the rare, the curious, the stubborn—but he does not tolerate deceit. Whoever he marks with his seal, he never lets slip from his memory: his mark burns like a brand and lasts longer than the village’s.