Persephone

Persephone had always loved games. Every since she was a hatchling, they were something she’d been practically obsessed with. Well, maybe that wasn’t entirely true. No, what Persephone truly loved, was winning. Playing games wasn’t simply a matter of spending time, or childish fun, they were a contest, a chance to prove herself. When she’d been young the prizes had been simple, barely quantifiable. Bragging rights over her ‘friends’, or a new toy to play with. But then, she grew older. The games she’d grown used to became easy- they became dull. There was no challenge to be found, nothing to hold her interest in her home clan. So, it was no surprise that she’d found her way to the lavish gambling dens nestled in the utmost branches of the Shrieking Wilds. Built from twisted wood, and giving off the thick aroma of perfume crafted from the flowers the Viridian Labyrinth was famous for, they were the perfect places to begin her career. There was a certain allure to them, a sort of intoxicating flavor that seemed to draw Persephone in, and refuse to let go. It fed her insatiable hunger- her fervent lust for victory.

She went from table to table, from foe to foe- betting anything (And everything, if it came down to it) that would ensure she won. And win she did. Soon, her name became synonymous with certain defeat on her opponents part. It became clear Persephone would go to astonishing lengths to make sure failure wasn’t even a possibility. Soon enough, she’d earned herself a rather formidable reputation, with an even more formidable hoard of treasure to boot. It didn’t strike her as odd, obviously, when she received an invitation to take a seat at one of the most illustrious gambling events of the year- Callum’s Gambit. It was simple enough, a game of poker played in the style of Gladkeeper’s Wheel, by far the most common in the Viridian Labyrinth. The prize however, was far from simple. The amount of treasure the host, the titular Callum Gallerian, a spiral with a taste for the grand and expensive, offered was almost too large for Persephone to wrap her head around- almost. It was more money than she’d made in almost a year of gambling and there was no way she was letting herself miss this.

Persephone looked down at the five cards in front of her. A flush, it was far from a bad hand, but not quite could either. She looked at the opponent to her right, Camilla Vargas. A fellow coatl hailing from the Shifting Expanse- well known for her quick wit and expertise at card games. To her right, a small, purple eyed fae known simply by her alias as ‘Thetis’. She was a prominent figure in the Shadow Flight’s underground world of gambling and, despite her size, had racked up quite a hoard of treasure herself. Then across from herself sat the dragon himself, Callum. Practically everyone who fancied themselves a gambler knew the spiral’s name. He was legendary, hosting elaborate games where he often faced off against his guests themselves. He was undefeated, the ultimate opponent. Well, maybe for anyone other than Persephone. Everyone here, from the audience, to her fellow players didn’t know the true meaning of victory, what it truly meant to be a champion of your craft, at least not as intimately as she did. Persephone had seen the honest nature of gambling, and it’d lead to her prevailing where others would fail. She was a winner, and winners had no room for failure.

lore by crystal4180