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Two pregnant women, who were close, had their children under the sun. These two children were unnaturally beautiful, with hair bright red, skin a supple bronze, and eyes blue like a clear sky. These children worshiped the sun, and the sun loved them in return, blessing them with warm days.
The sun warned her children of the moon, jealous of her sister's beauty. She feared the beauty of her sister would entrance her children and they would leave her.
The children, curious of the moon, stayed up late into the night, and saw her. She marveled at these beautiful beings, and gave them gifts of strength and longevity.
But these gifts caused them to grow horns. And they grew afraid of the sun, as they disobeyed her and now were marked with horns jutting from their heads like demons.
The sun, when she found out that her children had accepted gifts from the moon, became angry. She demanded the two come before her. When she saw them, she became distraught at the horns, knowing her sister had influenced them.
She banned them from feeling her warmth, and declared that they would perish if they stepped into her rays again.
The children hid from the sun, hoping she would change her mind, and when they went to plead mercy and stepped into the sunlight, they began to turn to stone.
The moon, angry with her sister and scared for the children, caused an eclipse, saving the children, and turning them into what is now known as the pillarmen.
They grew strong and prospered under the moon. A man and a woman, together they rejoiced with the moon, but missed the warmth of the day.
Years passed before the couple tried to step into the rays of the sun and found they turned to stone and crumbled if they did. They mourned the sun, and cried to her for forgiveness.
The Sun, feeling remorse, makes the dawn and sunset beautiful with many colors, to let them know she still loves them, but had no power to reverse her curse.
The man and woman grew bitter, and turned their backs on the sun.
When the man and woman had their first born, the Sun and Moon gifted the child with the Red Stone of Aja, forged with their powers, to help the Pillarmen return to the sun. The new family rejoiced, but could not figure out how to make the powers their own.
As humankind came to know of the Pillarmen, they were worshiped as Gods and higher powers. But with humans came thieves, and while the family slumbered, stole away with the Red Stone of Aja, knowing the beings treasured and worshiped it.
The family was distraught, and in the night, massacred many human villages and tribes seeking the stone. They came upon a group of humans called the ‘Hamon Tribe’. A tribe of humans known for taking air and the sun and turning into their own power.
The Hamon Tribe was peaceful even in the face of their wrath, and claimed that the human who took the stone was told by the Sun to do so.
Betrayed, the family strikes a deal. They offer the Red Stone of Aja for the tribe to keep and protect, until one of their own can unlock its secrets. In return, they would overlook this offense for the price of the five small newborns, and no more human lives would be taken. The trade was dealt, and the human village was left in peace.
The family return and present the newborns to the Moon, pleading to help them grow their family. They did not tell the Moon of her sister's grave offense. The Moon, delighted at the sight, turned the children to pillarmen, and gifting them with talents, some were to be warriors, others artisans, and some bestowed with knowledge of medicine.
The family tells the Moon of their trade with the humans. She was disappointed but agreed that the stone would be safe in the Hamon tribes hands, until one of their own could unlock their power to wield the Aja stone correctly and the curse would be broken.
As decades went by, the Pillarmen grew to a proper tribe and family groups began to form. A young Seer was sent a prophecy and inscribed it in stone.
“A child will be born, the colors of the sun and moon combined in radiant hair, and eyes bright like fire. With stone and will, they shall break the curse, and the heat of the sun returns, at a heavy price.”
Fearful of the price, the Pillarmen locked away the scroll, only the elders and Seers could read its dooming words.
Generations pass, and the prophecy grows stale in the minds there to hear it announced.
Life goes on.