Secret of the Solstice

It is said that during days in a time long past, peace was more than an empty word. A great King, mighty and fair, ruled the land of Xen with responsibility entrusted to him by the gods before they left the mortal plane. With this trust came the Solstice Sphere, an ancient and mysterious artifact possessing great power. In time the king married and the union yielded twin daughters, Adeline and Marian. They were like the sun and the moon, opposites but forever entwined with the future of Xen. Time passed and the princesses grew, reaching womanhood before the eyes of their people. Adeline became a shining beauty, like the sun with a heart of gold. The people of Xen adored her. Always at her father's side, she watched and learned as the King went about his duties. With a thirst for knowledge, she learned from the greatest teachers in the land. It was her destiny to one day inherit the throne and become the kingdom's future. While Adeline became like the sun, Marian grew to become the moon. In the shadow of her sister she became envious, and the darkness of jealousy soaked her heart. While admirers heaped endless praise on Adeline, seeds of bitterness and resentment began to grow in Marian. Hidden under the sheen of superficial happiness, they waited for the perfect moment to bloom. Years passed, and the princesses approached the age of 18. On their birthday Adeline received a special gift from her parents—the Solstice Sphere! On that day the mysterious ancient relic passed from father to daughter. But it was far from a glorious occasion. A series of horrific events would soon take place and ultimately drench the land of Xen in the suffering it knows today.