Newt

Backstory

Since the beginning of time, the ocean has been revered as the embodiment of balance: life and death, light and dark, large and minuscule, starving and satiated; all in fragile harmony. However, as the ecosystems began to evolve and species diversified, achieving balance became ever more complex. To maintain this delicate equilibrium, the mothers of the sea, Baronysis and Hura, created the sea elves. These guardians of the seas trained as druids and scholars, caring for ocean life and tirelessly working to preserve harmony above all.

Among them was a boy crafted from a lionfish spine. As he grew, his love for both land and sea became clear, earning him his name, Newt. He was cherished by his mothers—and even more so by the sea itself.

As he matured, he mastered the ways of a sea guardian with remarkable speed. He enjoyed the ocean's finest luxuries and the love of all who knew him. Yet every morning, reciting his duties felt increasingly hollow. Often, he carved driftwood shapes under the moon, abandoning them unfinished as he grappled with a yearning for more. Despite his many blessings, Newt could not escape the suffocating nature of being created for a single purpose and nothing greater. He knew he had to leave.

One day, when he was only 17 years old, he stole from the vault of the sea. (a collection of the sea's greatest treasures) He took all he could carry and swam up to shore. He sold the precious treasures he had stolen, bought himself the finest ship money could buy, hired a ragtag crew, stocked up, and set off.

They plundered great treasures and drank until the sun came up and went back down again. They courted many fine maidens and faced many a mighty beast. They celebrated their triumphs and mourned their losses. They discovered foreign lands and learned many trades. This went on for over a decade, but even after all of this, Newt found that he was still unsatisfied. He found himself stuck with the same hollow feeling his life in the sea damned him to. After much thought, he decided it was time to let go. He granted the crew one last night of drinks and laughter. They shared stories and relished in the memories they made together, and once the sun came up once again, the dream was over. This ship was sold and the crew disbanded.

No longer knowing what to do with himself, he traveled the lands alone. He lived a fool's life. No plans for the future, and no regard for the world around him. He lived in a world of grey. No matter the bounty he took on, no matter the maidens (or men for that matter) he bedded, no matter the money he earned, the drinks he consumed, the games he won, the cheers he earned; nothing was ever enough to fill his empty soul.

At times, he wondered if he had made a mistake all those years ago. He wondered if he'd only ever be fulfilled after returning to his rightful place. Maybe that was all he was ever good for. Maybe that was all he would ever be. Though these thoughts grew stronger as time crept forward, he always shook them off. You see, Newt was a proud man. For him to admit he was wrong would mean he was truly and utterly defeated. Thus, he continued his meaningless existence.

Somewhere along the way, he found himself involved with a strange collection of travelers after pining over an elf woman in a bar. That fateful encounter would lead him on a great adventure. During one particular battle on this quest, he realized he was greatly outmatched, and would likely die, leaving him with no other option. He needed help. He turned to his mothers, thinking “surely they’ll save me”, but he was denied sanctuary. His first instinct was to be angry. He wanted to feel abandoned. He wanted to call them cruel. He was one of their favorite children after all. “So what if I stole some treasures? So what if I abandoned my station? So what if I turned my back on the years of love and care the ocean had given me? How dare they leave me to die here!” he thought. Despite his proud and egocentric tendencies, though, what he really felt was shame. He knew he had brought this upon himself and that his mothers were fair beings above all else.. He knew that they loved him, but that they couldn’t support a traitor. It was at that moment that he vowed to himself, “If I make it through this battle, I’m going to fix this. I’m going to be the son I was created to be. Because the moment I felt their presence when I called, even if it was only to be denied, I felt whole again.”

Against all odds, his party defeated the beast. That same night, he walked to the ocean and stood in it. He called to his mothers and shed his ego for a moment of vulnerability.

“I’m sorry!” he cried.

“I shouldn't have left you. I shouldn’t have run. I should’ve been the son you created me to be. I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry.”

He took a deep breath and steadied his voice as he continued to speak.

“Please, if you’ll allow me, I’d like to right my wrongs. My ego blinded me, and I turned my back on your gifts. Allow me to spread your grace across the lands. Give me your blessing so that I may share it with others. I will ensure the people know of your power and kindness, and protect the sea with my life. And, when the time comes, I shall return to you and take my rightful place as a guardian of the sea.”

As he finishes, the sea begins to glow, and two voices call to him. One is of the storms and the skies, the other is of the abyss and creatures of the deep. He sits with it for a moment, until it becomes clear to him where his virtue lies.

“Baronysis! Take me as your ward, and grant me your grace, for I shall be yours to command.”

With that, he followed his soul's pull to the depths and sank to the bottom of the sea. As he descended, he felt his mother's warm embrace and bore witness to her kind eyes once again. A sense of peace washed over him, one that he hasn’t felt in ages. Thus, finally, the same boy who had thrown away everything for a life free from duty found his way back to it. He felt whole again, knowing this is where he belonged.