Fidantis
Hey tumblr void!! Back at it for some info dumping about my story- so strap in comrades 🙂↕️☝🏻‼️
What’s a Fidanti?
Fidantis are the magical leaders of the Nantis (Gill’s race, Latin for “Swimmer”) in my story Plalipian Princess. For each large mass of people, (a town for example), one Fidanti is “chosen” to be the protector, leader, and magical guardian for the people, with some variation- as some Fidantis govern over multiple smaller adjacent communities. There are several different kinds of Fidantis, just as there are several kinds of Nantis, freshwater and saltwater are the obvious ones to come to mind- each having their respective counterpart. However, regardless of whether their people are saltwater or freshwater, Fidantis are able to swim and breathe in either.
Marine is the current Fidanti in the present day story, and has ruled over Coralis Lake for a little over 1,000 years.
How is one chosen?
While not a complete mystery, the process of which a Fidanti is chosen very much lends itself to the mysterious. Fidantis are “chosen” out of the people they will soon govern, or in other words- an ordinary Nanti is chosen to become the resident Fidanti. Many call the power that “chooses” nature itself, while others refer to it as powers beyond, or even divine intervention. Regardless, an external force chooses the destiny of an ordinary Nanti, and once chosen, it is not a fate which can be taken away. It’s a great honor and responsibility, but irrevocably changes that Nanti’s life forever. There doesn’t seem to be a particular pattern to who is chosen, it truly could be anyone.
A new Fidanti is chosen when the previous one passes away, with their powers shifting into the new one. This process is typically referred to as “nature’s curse”, with the initial Fidanti becoming very weak and sick- as their powers leave them and are given to the next Fidanti. The completed process results in death in the previous, and leaves the successor with the full scope of their powers.
What powers do they have?
When someone becomes the resident Fidanti, they undergo a transformation, which is jarring and bit alarming for most. The Nanti loses their tail, increases in height exponentially (up to 9 feet!), and grow horns on top of their head. They are also given the ability to transform into a serpent like creature, which not only acts as a form of protection for their denizens, but also becomes in a way their “true form”- with many new Fidantis having trouble balancing the two halves at first.
This full growth and transformation (particularly height and their horns) take about 100 years to complete.
As for spells and magic, the new Fidanti has full access once the transfer of power is complete, and the previous Fidanti has passed away. They gain access to spells, particularly for protection and healing. The most important spell being the barrier that is made around them and their inhabitants, which not only hides them from humans, but also acts as a complete protection against any outside force- only fellow Nanti can enter the barrier.
As a Fidanti, the individual is also completely immune to any and all diseases- and are unable to die due to natural means. Their health and survival now completely depends on their newfound magical abilities, in other words, their magic is now what keeps them alive. This lends Fidantis to live a typical lifetime of thousands of years, but at a cost. If their magic is taken away, a Fidanti is left completely powerless, and therefore death soon follows.
“Nature’s Curse”
Nature’s curse is the process of which an old Fidanti has their powers slowly taken away, as it transfers to the next in line. The signs that a Fidanti has “nature’s curse” are immediately obvious, since it is literally impossible for them to get sick by normal means. The “curse” leaves the Fidanti very weak, vulnerable, and frail. They have coughing fits, headaches and spells of dizziness, and they find it difficult to stand for long periods of time. It gets worse over the course of it, and they begin to be unable to perform spells of any kind as they reach the end. While in the beginning stages of it, Fidantis are expected to find where their power is transferring to, and help coach and train the next in line before they go.
Marine?
Marine is the current Fidanti of Coralis Lake, one of the main settings of the story. She is very no nonsense, and governs with an iron fist. She became a Fidanti as a young adult, with the previous Fidanti being her father, Caspian. But that’s a ramble for another day :)!