The Misfortune of Count Sunflame

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The Misfortune of Count Sunflame is a tale of Eldar Myth.[3b] The hero of the story is Count Sunflame who seeks to awaken the King of Feathers from his deep melancholy and convince him to retake the throne he abandoned; reuniting and ruling their now-fractured kingdom. As the hero of the story, Count Sunflame seeks to the King of Feathers - who has sequestered himself in rags and regret - back to his throne; to reawaken him to the role of rulership and military command to reunite their fractured kingdom.[1a][1b]

Overview

The King of Feathers once ruled over a great kingdom. But after suffering a great defeat he chose to exile himself and robe himself in rags. Counter Sunflame, a former member of the king's court, would seek out the King of Feathers after the realm fractured and fell to ruin, wishing to return the rightful king to his throne.[1b]

Count Sunflame seeks to burn away the rags the King of Feathers now wears, drive away the ghosts and regrets that haunt him, and set him back on his throne. He would lead the ragged King of Feathers to the city.[1a] The King of Feathers was stubbornly content in ancient melancholy and false dreams.[1c] The hero, Count Sunflame, attempted to drive away the ghosts in the courts of ruin.[1b]

The King of All Feathers was caught by Shehem-shahai in the courtyards of The Weeping Citadel.[2b] Shehem-shahai's glistening coils pulled the King of Feathers deeper into destiny's embrace the more he struggled.[2a]

At some point Count Sunflame is captured by the Lord of Knives.[3a] In one story, the Lord of Knives' kingdom was suffering a plague and he sought out the King of Feathers to cure the blight. Not knowing where to find the king, the vainglorious fool set about capturing Count Sunflame and his bride on their day of marriage, as Count Sunflame could surely lead the Lord of Knives to the King of Feathers.[3d] Count Sunflame's only hope of escape is to woo the daughter of his jailer with desperate passion.[3b]

Count Sunflame does succeed in his goal of convincing the King of Feathers to return to his role as commander and ruler, but at great cost. At some point a false, foul and brightly blazing king is killed.[1b] In Sunflame's moment of victory, when the King of Feather sets aside his rags and take up the robes of a ruler, Sunflame dies at his feet. The tale tells that Count Sunflame's death was what finally galvanised the King of Feathers to finally shed his rags for good and take up his command and rightful rulership.[1c]

In some versions of the story, the King of Feathers falls and Count Sunflame takes up the king's sword in his fallen liege's name.[3c]

Sources