WTFBT Expanded: Themis' Gardeners

Themis’ Gardeners were an elite group of Maras who protected the royal family of the Grasslands from 764 - 1148 EAE. Themis’ Gardeners were known to be so strong that one member could take down five Lower Arcs in a fight. Their strength made them targets, and dissent about their existence rose through the centuries. After the expulsion in 1148, the Gardeners became a family and created House Gardener in 1150.

History

Creation of Themis’ Gardeners

While on his deathbed, King Themis Quiver suggested a team of people to protect his only daughter, Amirah. The king’s council agreed and brought Attila, their strongest warrior, in 763 EAE. Attila explained the rigorous selection process to become one of the strongest warriors, and the council decided to go with this process to create the new group.

In 764 EAE, Queen Amirah Quiver officially created Themis’ Gardeners, naming the group after her father. At first, the Gardeners were only four members whose main goal was to defend Griffon’s Den against the Lower Arcs that opposed Queen Amirah. The four Gardeners, however, were so strong that they efficiently protected Griffon’s Den and destroyed any dissension. Impressed with the swift takedown of the Lower Arcs, the Highest Arcs allowed Queen Amirah to expand her controlled land.

In 766 EAE, Themis’ Gardeners expanded to thirteen members. The members of Themis’ Gardeners were not related by blood, but Queen Amirah constantly preached to her people that people didn't have to be related and to treat others with kindness. Themis’ Gardeners took this lesson to heart.

Selection of Gardeners

Wanting to be a strong queen, Amirah was the first to undergo the selection process at the end of 763 EAE, although she was never considered a Gardener. After she survived the selection poisoning, the council declared her Queen of Griffon’s Den. She dipped into the Seraph Pool during her coronation, and an Oracle foretold her future. Amirah then invited Attila into the Pool, where the Oracle declared that Attila would be the first commander of Amirah’s new group. Amirah excitedly named him Attila the First, starting a tradition of pool dipping after the selection poisoning.

Quiver’s Pit, the protectors that replaced Themis’ Gardners, also uses selection poisoning but prefers venomous snakes for the poison. They do not dip their members into the Pool to give them a new name, as they keep their birthnames and become one of the five snakes in Quiver’s Pit.

Expulsion of Themis’ Gardeners

King Salah Quiver expelled Themis’ Gardeners from the court in 1148 EAE, forcing them to leave Griffon’s Den or die. When Dupree the Cheetah rebelled and attempted to attack the king, he was put down easily by the king’s new forces, Quiver’s Pit. Seeing how easily the Quivers took down one of their strongest, Olivia the Strong convinced the Gardeners to leave in search of the Divine Feline.  

In 1150 EAE, Themis’ Gardeners settled in Dryton by the Long River and decided what to do next. Some in the group wanted revenge on King Salah, while others wanted to continue their journey to find the Divine Felines. Myisha the Vine suggested creating a family where everyone could do what they wanted if they didn’t go against the family. The other Gardeners agreed, creating House Gardener and making Olivia the Strong family leader.

Famed Gardeners

The Famed Gardeners were ten members of Themis’ Gardeners, who have been well-known throughout the history of the Grasslands. The Famed Gardeners are not to be confused with House Gardener as the highborn house was not created until 1150 EAE after the king expelled Themis’ Gardeners from the royal court in Griffon’s Den. Olivia the Strong and Sahasha the Kind are the only two Famed Gardeners who were also a part of House Gardener. Not all Famed Gardeners were leaders, but they accomplished much during their lifetime.  

Attila the First

Attila (719 - 801 EAE) was born into slavery, and his original name is unknown, but he was given the name Attila in 735 after being purchased by Griffon’s Den’s royal army. During King Lyes Quiver’s reign, Attila held the position of the strongest warrior in the military, being the only one to survive the selection process to be named the strongest. He completed the poisoning three more times, learning what it took to survive.  

In 763 EAE, Attila explained the rigorous selection process to become one of the strongest warriors to the king’s council, and the council decided to go with this process to create a new group. During Queen Amirah’s coronation during the Old Moon in 763, she dipped in the Pool, and an Oracle foretold her future. Amirah then invited Attila into the Pool, where the Oracle declared that Attila would be the first commander of Amirah’s new group. Amirah excitedly named him Attila the First - keeping the name he was given as an enslaved person.

After learning of the Lower Arcs descension, Amirah created Themis’ Gardeners during the New Moon in 764 SM. She immediately named Attila the First Captain of Themis’ Gardeners and gave the title a position in the council. He had his three closest friends complete the selection process and had Queen Amirah name them before becoming a part of Themis’ Gardeners. Amirah renamed the three Suzette the Quiet, Moravian the Bull, and Dupont the Stream.

When the Lower Arcs plotted a rebellion, Attila convinced Amirah not to contact the Highest Arcs and that Themis’ Gardeners would protect the city. The four defended Griffon’s Den in 765 EAE, quelling the rebellion. In 766, Amirah expanded Themis’ Gardeners to thirteen, allowing Attila to handpick each member. After learning that humans easily defended a city against Lower Arcs, Divine Queen Narissa traveled to Griffon’s Den in 767 and assessed Themis’ Gardeners. Impressed that humans could obtain that much power, she copied the selection process for her slaves and allowed Queen Amirah to expand her kingdom. The only condition was that Amirah had to marry an Arc named Marquis, to which Amirah agreed.

Throughout the years, Attila became Amirah’s closest ally and was said to be closer to Amirah than Marquis. In 770 EAE, Amirah gave birth to her only child, Amyrla. Many believe that Amirah and Attila were in love and Amyrla was their love child. After Amirah died in 785, Marquis returned to Lismure, uninterested in caring for his teenage daughter. Attila stepped in and counseled Amyrla to become a great queen like Amirah until he died in 801.

Ardiaei the Raven

Ardiaei the Raven (d. 818 EAE) became a member of Themis’ Gardeners in 785 and was the last member named by Queen Amirah Quiver. When Amyrla Quiver became queen a few moons later, Griffon’s Den’s only ally was with the Divine Queen. Ardiaei was tasked with updating the rookery and finding partners with the assistance of the Divine Queen’s people.

Ardiaei traveled to Lismure in 787 EAE and became Divine Queen Narissa’s informer Dullichi's protege. Dullichi, amused with Ardiaei’s ‘ridiculous’ name, used ravens in the rookery to give and receive information. The ravens proved helpful, and Ardiaei became known as the Raven Whisperer in Lismure.

In 795 EAE, Ardiaei returned to Griffon’s Den and requested a team for the rookery. Queen Amyrla agreed, and Ardiaei scoured the city to find people whom he could trust. He built his team slowly, and by his death in 818, House Quiver had numerous kingdoms and provinces wanting to align with them.

Iceni the Glacier

Iceni the Glacier was born as Boudicca (829 - 881 EAE) to a small tribe called the Black Ice Tribe from the Deadlands. It was forbidden to leave the tribal grounds, as the Deadlands’ environment was harsh and deadly. Being trapped, depressed Boudicca, and in 839, she fled the tribe with three friends and traveled south. By 842, she had finally reached the Grasslands. However, her friends had perished during the journey, leaving her alone.

She continued south, following the Long River until she reached the small town of Dryton. The people were surprised by her ashen skin and white-yellow hair, as no one else looked like that. She explained she was from beyond the Iron Vale in the Deadlands. A merchant convinced her to travel with them to Griffon’s Den and to meet King Brayd Quiver.

By the time she arrived in Griffon’s Den in 845 EAE, rumor had spread of an Ice Princess whom the king would marry. She heard this rumor, and when she met King Brayd, she explained that she wasn’t a princess and didn’t deserve to marry the king. Not wanting to lose her, Brayd requested that she join Themis’ Gardeners. The girl agreed, and he renamed her Iceni the Glacier in 846. Although she was not the captain, she became the personal protector of King Brayd and his lover.

In 848 EAE, Brayd had become interested in the Deadlands and wanted to see where Iceni came from. Themis’ Gardeners traveled with the king to the Deadlands, arriving at the Black Ice Tribe in 850. The tribe remembered Iceni and rejoiced, believing she had died long ago. The tribe thanked Brayd as Iceni’s savior. Iceni then convinced the tribe to become allies with the king, and he could protect them by giving them citizenship of the Grasslands while still being independent. The king’s only request was that once a year, the tribe select children who have recently turned sixteen and send them to the Grasslands to perform duties approved by the king. The Black Ice Tribe agreed, promising to serve the King of the Grasslands until the end of time.

Even in modern times, this promise is still upheld, and the tribe takes its alliance with the Grasslands seriously.  

Milaties the Lion

Milaties the Lion (b. 841 EAE) is considered the most significant member of Themis’ Gardeners because of the legends of his bloodless expansion of the Grasslands and assisting in ruling during the Grasslands' most peaceful period before the Secession of Man.

Born in a small village, he was sold into slavery by Arcs at the age of seven. He used his cunning skills to rise through the social ranks of a slave until the Grasslands military purchased him at age sixteen in 857 EAE. By 860, he had been chosen for the selection process and was named Milaties the Lion by King Brayd Quiver.

At first, the king tasked Milaties with keeping the peace within Griffon’s Den. It was a task Milaties did not want, but he accepted, and the city was considered one of the most peaceful, even during such a turbulent time. This news spread, and by 864 EAE, the city’s population had doubled.

Impressed, Brayd brought him into the upper ranks, and he studied under Iceni the Glacier. When Iceni died in 881 EAE, Milaties became the Captain of Themis’ Gardeners. Under Queen Nyala Quiver’s direction, Milaties continued the Grasslands expansion east of the Long River. His negotiating skills helped create bloodless transfers until the Grasslands reached the Blank Sea.

In 898 EAE, Shelet Quiver became King of the Grasslands. Interested in architecture, Shelet spent most of his life building the Lion’s Den Castle, leaving Milaties to rule the Grasslands. Milaties ruled behind the scenes until Shelet abdicated the throne to his daughter, Idalya. Similarly to Attila the First, Milaties taught Idalya everything he knew, setting her up to be a great queen.  

Cynane the Rose

Originally named Aigiarne Bronze (906 - 1122 EAE), Cynane the Rose was born into a wealthy Arcan family known for their skilled bronze welding. By the Empyrean Ascendancy Era, many Arcan households’ bloodlines were mixed, making their offspring, known as the Fused, more muscular and live longer. The Bronze Branch of the Weld Family was known for the cat-like reflexes of the Lion-neko, the petite frame of the Sylvan-elves, and the water-based Art of the Naiad-nymphs. Those born with the transparent tiny wings of the Seelie-fairies, as Aigiarne did, were seen in high regard.

As a child, she understood that she was different from everyone else around her since she was an Arc, but she didn’t let it bother her and happily integrated with humans. Her beauty and friendliness with humans convinced her father that she should become the next Queen of the Grasslands. He took his daughter to Griffon’s Den to meet Sultan Quiver, the heir to the Grasslands. In 931 EAE, the two met, and Sultan fell madly in love with her. Concerned that the girl was an Arc, Queen Idalya refused the marriage proposal and had Sultan marry someone else.

Feeling defeated, she returned home, but in 934 EAE, Sultan became king and reinvited her back to Griffon’s Den. He had her perform the selection process and renamed her Cynane the Rose. Although she wasn’t the captain, she mimicked Iceni the Glacier and became King Sultan’s protector, but did not become the king’s lover.

After refusing the king’s many advances, he lowered Cynane's rank to one who keeps the peace in the city. Unbothered by this demotion, she integrated with the city folk and revamped pieces of the city that she believed were boring. Knowing Mitalies the Lion was well-loved by the people and with her being related to the Lion-nekojin, Cynane commissioned lion statues throughout Griffon’s Den.

Seeing the city’s transition brought Cynane joy, and she wanted to spread that joy, so she changed the economy into one of trading and tourism. She traveled the world from 950 - 1025 EAE, using her status as an Arc to collect Arcan art since it was illegal for humans to purchase anything created by an Arc. When she returned to Griffon’s Den, she was surprised to see how much things had changed. The city had continued to grow and build upon the aesthetic she had created.

After being away for seventy-five years, the only person from Themis’ Gardeners to remember her was one of the youngest members when she left, Palyndi the Cautious, now an old man. Realizing that her lifespan would cause a determent to the Gardeners, she attempted to retire - being the first ever to do so. Queen Lucida Quiver refused, saying that Cynane’s wisdom would be essential for the Gardeners to learn after the infamous Olympi the Venomous. Cynane agreed to become an honorary member and teach the new generation of Gardeners how to be a person the people will adore.

Cynane the Rose continued to counsel members of Themis’ Gardeners for almost a hundred years until she was murdered in 1122 EAE along with King Razi Quiver by Gulliver the Spider. The people saw her death as more devastating than the king’s, and the city mourned her for ten days.

Olympi the Venomous

As a child, Olympi the Venomous (d. 978 EAE) was Princess Tuluti’s maid and had a close relationship with Komaniso Quiver, the second son. She was particularly interested in poisons and was known to have had many pet cats as a child that mysteriously disappeared. When Tuluti suddenly died in 944, Olympi broke tradition and became Komaniso’s attendant. Komaniso was spoiled and hateful, but Olympi adored him. Enjoying this admiration, Komaniso began having Olympi secretly poison people in court who spoke against him to his father, King Sultan Quiver. In 953 EAE, the king threatened to send Komaniso to Lismure to become a Savant. In 954, King Sultan mysteriously passed away, and the crown was given to his eldest son, Olufemi Quiver.

When suspicions arose that some had poisoned King Sultan, Komaniso begged Olufemi to make Olympi a member of Themis’ Gardeners. Olufemi was uninterested in the Gardeners as they had become a figurehead of dominance for House Quiver. He renamed Olympi, Olympi the Venomous, as a joke for her love of poisons.

In 956 EAE, Olufemi led a crusade against the centaurs slaughtering his people in the Red Savanna valleys. While he was away, Komaniso and Olympi held power in Griffon’s Den and got rid of any dissenters, creating fear throughout the court. When Olufemi returned in 959, he had changed, declaring that the one true god was beyond the sun and unknown to mankind. This declaration shook the Grasslands and angered the Citadel and Chapel.

The Citadel, Chapel, Komaniso, and Olympi planned a way to eliminate Olufemi. When Olufemi had a vision in 960 EAE that someone would murder him and his family, he created pyramids deep in the Southern Rainforest to be buried when the assassination occurred. In 962, Olufemi and his family were poisoned, and Komaniso immediately came into power, never finding the killer. Komaniso respected his brother’s wishes and buried him and his family in the pyramids, angering the Chapel. In 963, monks vandalized the pyramids, enraging Komaniso. He broke his alliance with the Chapel and publicly executed the monks, creating even more unease in Griffon’s Den.

In 964 EAE, Komaniso declared that he would marry Olympi, but the Citadel refused to accept the marriage, instead setting him up with a young woman named Sarra. Six days after Sarra gave birth in 965, she died. Rumors of someone poisoning the queen were squashed, and Komaniso never remarried.

Throughout his reign, Olympi happily poisoned anyone Komaniso requested. In 977 EAE, after years of growing apart from Olympi, Komaniso asked that she poison herself. After much consideration, Olympi agreed and poisoned herself during the Snow Moon of 978. Komaniso later received a letter Olympi wrote before her death, claiming she had poisoned him and would die in ten days. Ten days after Olympi the Venomous’ poisoning, King Komaniso Quiver died.

Gulliver the Spider  

Gulliver the Spider (1098 - 1122 EAE) is the most infamous of Themis’ Gardeners because of his violence and treason against the Grasslands. Gulliver was born as Nobin in a peasant village near the Southern Rainforest in 1098. By age three, he was twice the size of normal children and was often referred to as ‘The Ox,’ a nickname he hated.

In 1105 EAE, Nobin went on a rampage and murdered his entire family and twelve villagers before being stopped. Although the village wanted to execute him, the chief was unsure because of his young age. Instead of execution, Nobin was imprisoned and sent to Griffon’s Den.

Cynane the Rose, an Arc and member of Themis’ Gardeners, traveled to the city’s prison to help rehabilitate some prisoners. Known for being generous and caring, Cynane pitied Nobin and decided to test his strength. At age eleven, Nobin and Cynane dueled, and Nobin lasted longer than any other prisoner who dueled with Cynane that day. Impressed by the boy’s strength, Cynane brought Nobin to the Lion’s Den Castle to meet King Razi Quiver. Nobin’s rampage was infamous throughout the Grasslands, and King Razi was unsure about accepting him to Themis’ Gardeners. Cynane promised to look after the boy, so Razi agreed, renaming Nobin Gulliver the Spider, a name the young boy accepted.

For seven years, Gulliver stayed by Cynane’s side, learning to be a person the people respected. Gulliver adored Cynane, seeing her as a goddess for giving him a second chance. By 1116 EAE, even the people of Griffon’s Den began to respect Gulliver.

In 1120 EAE, two prostitutes approached Gulliver, but he denied them, only having love for Cynane. A few days later, the two women appeared in court, saying that Gulliver had raped them. Gulliver tried to plead his case, but King Razi refused to hear his side, and Cynane did not defend him - much to Gulliver’s despair. The king declared that Gulliver would be arrested and executed for his crimes. Not wanting to go to prison again, Gulliver disappeared.

King Razi Quiver dispatched several Gardeners to find Gulliver, but no one could locate him. In 1122 EAE, Gulliver snuck into the Lion’s Den Castle at night and began slaughtering. His most famous victims were King Razi, whom he stabbed over a hundred times, and Cynane the Rose, whose throat he slit. After killing Cynane, Gulliver sat beside her dead body and sobbed.

When Laric the Barbarian found Gulliver, he prepared for a fight but was surprised to see a blubbering man with a dead Arc in his hands. Laric approached Gulliver and watched for almost an hour as Gulliver cried. Laric realized then that killing Gulliver would be an act of mercy instead of arresting him. After deciding this, Laric pulled out his sword and stabbed Gulliver through the chest, making sure to miss Cynane, whom Gulliver still held in his hands. After realizing Laric had stabbed him, Gulliver whispered ‘thank you’ before dying.

Laric the Barbarian

Born a peasant in Griffon’s Den, Laric the Barbarian’s past is unsure. In 1111 EAE, a young prince, Salah Quiver, attempted to escape. He ran into Laric, spraining his wrist and scraping his hands and knees. Laric brought Salah to his home to tend to his wounds. The two became friendly, and when the knights found Salah, he insisted Laric come with him. Laric agreed.

Laric’s swordsmanship was lackluster, and he was known to hack away at the training dummies, giving him the nickname Barbarian. An Arc from Eeccess named Kiun arrived in Griffon’s Den in 1112 EAE to participate in trade negotiations. She took an interest in Laric and personally trained him during her stay. When she left in 1115, Laric had mastered swordsmanship, awakened his Art, and became Salah’s guard.

In 1122 EAE, Gulliver the Spider assassinated King Razi and Cynane the Rose. When Laric the Barbarian found Gulliver, he prepared for a fight but was surprised to see Gulliver crying. As Laric watched, he decided that killing Gulliver would be an act of mercy instead of arresting him. He pulled out his sword and stabbed Gulliver through the chest, making sure to miss Cynane, whom Gulliver still held in his hands. After realizing Laric had stabbed him, Gulliver whispered ‘thank you’ before dying.    

When Salah Quiver rose to power in 1122 EAE, Laric was right by his side. For over twenty years, Laric assisted Salah in making decisions for the betterment of the Grasslands. He also stopped several assassination attempts on the people in the royal court, gaining him the favor of everyone in the Lion’s Den Castle. King Salah and Laric’s friendship inspired the play To Live By Fire, and Salah became an avid patron of the theatre after watching it.  

In 1147 EAE, Laric and Salah got into a fierce argument about the future of Themis’ Gardeners. The king wanted to downsize the Gardeners, while Laric wanted to keep things the same. Laric went into the city to drink while Salah stayed in the castle. When Laric attempted to leave, he was so drunk that he fell over on a sulking man in an alleyway. The man pushed Laric off and was livid that Laric was now asleep. Noticing that Laric wore nice clothes, the man began to rob him. Laric woke up during the robbery, and the man stabbed Laric in the chest as a reaction, hitting the heart and killing him.  

Salah fell into a raging depression, executing the man and refusing to learn the killer’s name. Instead of following Laric’s wishes, he expelled Themis’ Gardeners in 1148 EAE and created Quiver’s Pit. He then banned the name Laric and the famous play written about their friendship. He made laws that if anyone mentioned Laric the Barbarian, they would be executed.

Olivia the Strong

When Laric the Barbarian died in 1147 EAE, the members of Themis’ Gardeners turned to Olivia the Strong for leadership. Knowing that the king was displeased with them, she prepared for the worst - execution. In 1148, the king called Themis’ Gardeners to court to inform them that they would be expelled. Before Olivia could respond, Dupree the Cheetah attacked, but a member of Quiver’s Pit quickly killed him before he reached the king.

Olivia the Strong convinced the Gardeners to leave Griffon’s Den after being expelled and search for the Divine Feline, or the nekos. In 1150 EAE, Themis’ Gardeners settled in Dryton by the Long River and decided what to do next. Some in the group wanted revenge on King Salah, while others wanted to continue their journey to find the Divine Felines. Myisha the Vine suggested creating a family where everyone could do what they wanted if they didn’t go against the family. The other Gardeners agreed, creating House Gardener and making Olivia the Strong family leader.

Sahasha the Kind

Most consider Sahasha the Kind (102 - 173 SM) as the last of the Famed Gardeners, although she was born years after the Gardeners' expulsion. Known amongst her “siblings” as Sahasha the Kind, the people of the Grasslands knew her as the Peasant Saint.

She was one of the ten members of House Gardener who escaped during the Dark Night. A twelve-year-old Sahasha Gardener led the nine surviving members, whom she lovingly called her “siblings,” and attempted to live together within the Southern Rainforest. Mihuyu Gardener, also known as Mihuyu the Mentalist, recognized Sahasha’s kindness and knew she should be the new Queen of the Grasslands. However, Sahasha, being a pacifist, did not want to create more violence.

By 118 SM, Sahasha had gained a following, and the people called her the Peasant Saint. Knowing that the Zaiku would catch on soon, Mihuyu had Vylliana the Snake persuade the Zaikus to defect. In 119, the Zaiku agreed to back Sahasha, and she started her campaign against King Mansur Quiver. She became the first member of House Gardener to rule the Grasslands after sacking the city of Griffon’s Den and replacing Mansur Quiver in 120.

In 122 SM, Sahasha sent four of her siblings to each central region in the Grasslands to create new cities. Knowing that Sahasha needed an heir, Mihuyu created the Highborn Lottery, where highborn marriage prospects presented themselves to be picked for betrothal. Sahasha married in 125 on the ruins of Katari before declaring that she would rebuild Katari into a tourist city named Restaway. She had seven children and ruled the Grasslands peacefully for fifty years until she died in 173.