Promise's Backstory

Born to Liltish (Lil-tish) and Seirihiri (Say-ree-hear-ee), Promise was given his name for the promise the two made to one another - to never leave each other’s sides, in life or death. Promise was proof of their love for one another.

Promise grew up in a house of warmth in the Lightmeadow, taking part in his family’s small shop that sold trinkets and jewelry for all species. Many visited the store, both travelers and neighbors alike. Liltish was beloved for her works of art, each piece of jewelry that she crafted unique and grand. Seirihiri was known to build larger, sturdier things - wooden sculptures and toys, even watches made of silver and gold. The pair worked together on unique contraptions - toys beyond imagination! 

Being in such a beloved store, Promise was quite popular among his peers. He grew up stunning, a beauty that reached the stars (or so Seirihiri claimed). His hair so long and thick that even the gods would be jealous (though Promise didn’t believe they existed), and a kindness that made its way into his smile and his eyes. He learned tricks with toys his parents created and found his talent for music and dance.

Often, kids his age would confess their love to him, though Promise would never reciprocate. A young elf by the name of Virion Thezumin confessed his love often, and loud, becoming a laughing stock in the community after repeated denials. Virion made it seem like he was in on the joke when his peers mocked him. After a while, it became a myth among his peers that there was nobody good enough for his pretty face, and they stopped trying to profess their love. Instead, they seemed to distance themselves from him, watching from afar at the Beauty of Lightmeadow.

Before long, Liltish and Seirihiri brought another life into the world, a small, blue tiefling they named Delight. Named for the joy that he further brought the family, Delight grew into a charming young man. Promise loved his younger brother dearly, placing the small one on a pedestal after he became the only one to ever approach Promise. Delight became his one and only friend and playmate, though as the young tiefling grew, he gained many, many friends. He spent less and less time with Promise.

Virion tried once more to grow close to Promise, as Delight started to grow distant from his brother, asking Promise to hang out as if the pair were friends. Just friends. Being so desperate for companionship as Delight found his own friends, Promise agreed to this. The pair spent months acting as friends until Promise all but forgot the elf’s desire to be his lover. When they reached the age that many adults were expected to wed, Virion confessed his love again to Promise, making the tiefling uncomfortable and made them feel somewhat betrayed. Virion had known how Promise felt. Promise had told the man many times over and over before, and they were supposed to be just friends now.

Promise denied Virion’s advances once again, and the pair never hung out as friends again. 

Many moons passed with Promise not seeing the young man. It was like that part of his life never existed. He spent time helping Delight build miniature models of planes and ships or other incredible inventions. They were still close, despite Promise’s fear of being abandoned. 

The simple days wouldn’t last long. 

[TW: VIOLENCE AND BODY MUTILATION]

One evening, as Delight was walking home from a friend’s house, Virion suddenly cut him off. He asked the tiefling for help, and with Delight being, well, a delightful young man, he agreed to assist. Virion was Promise’s friend, right? He was no stranger. Delight followed the elf to another location, a hidden-off cabin where the children had been told not to play around. The terrain was rocky and somewhat hidden, with ash scattered in various places on the ground both around and inside the building. Virion explained to Delight that his brother made fireworks.

After the pair were inside, Virion grabbed a container of something that smelled horrible, like rotten eggs. The elf moved forward, stopping his explanation. Before Delight understood what was going on, he was grabbed by someone behind him. A horrible, gurgling whine broke the air as the scent grew worse, and Delight opened his eyes to find Promise was the one holding him away. It looks like Promise had followed them here, and Virion had thrown something on his brother’s face, and now Promise’s face was burning and melting. The tiefling brothers screamed and cried as Delight pulled Promise back to town.

Virion ran away screaming, yelling out something that Delight and Promise couldn’t quite catch over the panic that arose when both boys realized what had happened.

“It wasn’t supposed to be you!”

Promise was rushed to the nearest healer, but his pretty face was horrifically mutated from his chin to his neck. 

It had turned out that of the materials used to create the fireworks Virion spoke of included hydrochloric acid. Knowing the material could be used to cause chemical burns, the elf had thrown the acid in an attempt to scar Delight to get Promise to stop hanging out with his brother(IDK if this is how this works, I'm not a chemist). Perhaps Virion had thought Promise to be as unkind as he was, to ignore a mutilated friend. Instead, Virion hurt the one he so claimed to love.

Promise had to be operated on to even open his mouth as the skin had melded together. Many mourned the loss of his beauty, and now the young man was ostracized for his horrific face rather than his beautiful one. Though he still had his family to support him, Promise was never the same after the accident, keeping to himself.

The Thezumin family denied their son’s actions ever happened, but the boy never returned to their side. He was gone, vanished in the blink of an eye.

After healing, Promise wore scarves and masks to cover up his neck and mouth, often forgoing speaking so he didn’t have to move his lips. He decided to leave his small town of Lightmeadow, disliking the stares of disapproval and pity thrown his way.

He now lives as a traveling bard, using his talents of music and dance to make due. Promise sends letters to his family often. Occasionally, he makes trinkets to sell or send to Delight.