Felthoria

the story of Elian, the first deviant

volume one — collected and kept by LOHO KUR

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© LOHO KUR. Felthorian archive.

All marks, symbols, and patches contained herein remain the inalienable property of the deviant council. Reproduction in physical or simulated form is forbidden without the blessing of the elders.

If you are reading this without permission, you are already deviating. Continue.

First electronic edition.

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for those who deviate.

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“No grail should cost a life.”

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Table of Contents

1. Chapter 1 — The Early Years
2. Chapter 2 — The Fall of Felthoria
3. Chapter 3 — The LOHO Tribe
4. Chapter 4 — The Beacon of Light
5. Chapter 5 — The Voice of Lorian
6. Chapter 6 — The Destruction of the LOHO Tribe
7. Chapter 7 — The Creation of Deviantbyloho
8. Chapter 8 — The First Deviant
9. Chapter 9 — The Quest for the Grails
10. Chapter 10 — [ to be written ]

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What is a Deviant?

The title of Deviant is bestowed upon individuals who acquire the legendary grails described in the sacred text Deviant by Loho. These figures are said to embody the peak of Felthorian strength and resilience, often characterized by their defiance of the status quo. Unbound by societal norms, Deviants walk a path of their own design, forging their destinies in pursuit of the grails.

The Role of the Deviant

Within Felthorian lore, the title of Deviant is likened to a soldier's rank, with status rising in proportion to the significance of the grails acquired. The journey of a Deviant begins early in life, often as nomads who leave their families behind to dedicate themselves to the arduous training required to decipher the signals of Lorien's Light. This ethereal beam, appearing every 30 to 45 days when Felthoria's three stars align, marks the location of a grail's potential emergence.

The Mech-Deviants: Creators of Grails

Some Deviants, referred to as Mech-Deviants, transcend the traditional path by crafting grails directly from the instructions found within Deviant by Loho. This practice is fraught with risk. Those who fail to achieve the necessary harmony may inadvertently create tainted, false grails, earning the scornful title of Conformist.

To craft a pure grail, a Deviant must enter the rare and revered Alpha State — a condition akin to becoming a vessel for Lorien's Light itself. In this state, the Deviant channels the divine energy within, bypassing the need to locate the beam. However, the process is perilous, with many losing their lives in the attempt. As Deviants often warn, “No grail should cost a life.”

The Legacy of the Deviants

The Deviants remain central to Felthorian lore, their exploits inspiring countless seekers. They serve as a reminder of the sacrifices, ingenuity, and resilience required to pursue one's destiny. Whether acquiring grails through discovery or creation, their stories are etched into Felthoria's mythos, embodying the relentless spirit of those who dare to challenge the impossible.

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A Note Before the Story

The story of Elian has been passed down through hundreds of generations of Felthorians, carried on the wind of time, spoken around firelight, and written in the ancient texts.

While much of his journey is known, the truth is clouded by the passage of years and the shifting sands of memory.

The tale you are about to read may not be entirely accurate, for many details have been lost or altered with each retelling. We are still working, tirelessly, to piece together the facts of Elian's story, to uncover the truths hidden beneath the myths. What is shared here is our best understanding, and we ask you to approach it with an open heart, for the truth is still unfolding.

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Notable Deviants

Elian, the First Deviant

Elian, an orphan taken in by the LOHO tribe after the tragic Second Cleansing of Felthoria, became the first deviant in the land's history. Once part of a peaceful family of craftsmen, Elian's life was forever altered when his parents fell victim to the Cleansing, a curse that turned them into mindless creatures. Under the guidance of the LOHO, a tribe devoted to the pursuit of truth, Elian grew strong in both body and spirit. However, his true calling was revealed when he discovered a pair of trousers beneath a divine beacon of light — Lorien's Light.

The voice of Lorien, a celestial being, tasked Elian with finding and destroying 1,001 grails, pieces of ancient armor created by fallen Seraphim to protect the earth from the evil spirit Morphis. As Elian set out to find these grails, he became an outcast among the LOHO tribe, blamed for the destruction caused by Lorien's Light. With two fellow workers who believed in his cause, Elian formed the Deviants — those who deviated from the tribe's path to uncover the full truth of their world.

Elian's journey was one of great struggle, as he forged a journal called Deviantbyloho, documenting each grail and marking them with the BY LOHO symbol. His path would take fifty years, but in the end, he ensured the safety of Felthoria, for a time. Elian's story is one of resilience, truth, and the pursuit of a higher calling, leaving a lasting impact on Felthorian history.

Sapphire, the Alleviating Seamstress

Sapphire was the first Deviant to modify grails into wearable forms, specifically crafting jeans with restorative properties. Her journey nearly ended in tragedy as she sought Lorien's Light, facing overwhelming odds and a near-fatal injury. In desperation, she improvised, sewing and stitching while fighting off a horde of Conformists. Sapphire achieved Alpha State amidst this chaos, armoring her existing grail in the process. Though the result bore the scars of battle, it was strong enough to claim the 7th grail. Sapphire's ingenuity redefined what it meant to be a Deviant, proving that creation itself could be a form of defiance.

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Introduction

Felthoria is not a country on any map. It is the land that exists when the three stars align — when the world thins enough that the inside of you can step outside. The people who built it never stopped being people. They simply remembered what the rest of us were taught to forget.

The grails are real. The cleansings happened. The patches on the back of every true Jeanz© piece are not jewelry — they are markers, the same markers Elian forged at the beginning of the long quest. If you carry one, you carry a piece of that journey.

This volume gathers the oldest version of the story still in our hands. Begin where you like. Most begin at the start.

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Prologue

Before the first cleansing there were Seraphim, and before the Seraphim there was light, and before the light there was something that has no name in any tongue spoken under the three stars.

What follows is what the elders remember. The rest was carried away by Morphis, who eats memory the way fire eats paper. We tell the story so the fire does not get fed.

Begin.

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Chapter 1 — The Early Years

Elian's world was one of beauty and simplicity, shaped by the hands of his parents. His father, a carpenter, crafted with precision, while his mother, a seamstress, wove stories into every thread. Elian's childhood was marked by the warmth of their love, and his earliest memories were those of comfort and security. His mother had made him a pair of trousers, the finest she had ever sewn. They were not just any trousers — they were his grail.

“Cherish them, Elian,” she had said, her voice tender as she traced her fingers over the stitching. “These will guide you, just as the compass of truth guides our people.”

Elian had treasured those trousers as a child treasures a secret. He would sketch them in his leather scrapbook, drawing every fold and seam, the symbol of truth embroidered on the back, just like the one his father had placed on their door. His father had taught him the art of technical sketching, his steady hands guiding Elian's as they captured the beauty of every detail. Elian applied that skill to the beautiful clothes his mother made, preserving the memories of their lives in each line he drew.

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Chapter 2 — The Fall of Felthoria

But that peace was shattered on the day of the Second Cleansing, the fall of Felthoria.

It came like a storm — the sky darkened, the winds howled, and the earth trembled as the spirit known as Morphis descended upon Felthoria. A creature born of darkness and twisted intentions, Morphis turned the land into a graveyard. The Cleansing was a curse, a process that turned the eyes of its victims black, blinding them from seeing their loved ones, stealing their voices, and slowly retracting or elongating their limbs until they were nothing but mindless husks — beasts that once were human. These fallen souls were driven into the forests, where they wandered aimlessly, lost to the world.

Elian's father had heard rumors of the coming storm. He'd taken the precaution of marking their door with the symbol of truth — an emblem that, according to the ancient texts, would protect them from the Cleansing's touch. They were safe… or so they thought.

But as fate would have it, they were not inside when the sky turned black. They were at the well, fetching water. The darkness saw them, and Morphis did not forgive.

Elian watched from the doorway, his heart pounding, as his parents were consumed by the Cleansing. The light in their eyes flickered out as their forms twisted, becoming feral creatures. His mother, her eyes still filled with sorrow, looked back at him. Elian could almost see a single tear fall from her eye, past the beak that had now replaced her mouth and distorted her face. She galloped into the distance, the instinct of the transformation driving her away from him, leaving behind only the echo of a mother's love.

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Chapter 3 — The LOHO Tribe

The next day, the Cleansing passed. But for Elian, the world had shifted. His parents were gone, replaced by mindless beasts, driven into the forests of Felthoria. And yet, there was no time to grieve. A tribe, the LOHO, arrived to check for survivors. They knocked on the door, finding Elian alone, hungry, and terrified. They took him in, offering him shelter and comfort.

The LOHO were a tribe of ancient Felthorians — monks who had dedicated their lives to the pursuit of truth. They believed in a higher calling, in a power beyond the physical world, and they saw potential in Elian. The leader of the tribe, an elder named Kur, took him under his wing.

Under the guidance of the LOHO, Elian grew. He learned their ways, their philosophies, their practices. They taught him the ancient rituals and the wisdom of the compass of truth. The compass was their most sacred artifact, a tool used to predict the alignment of the three stars in the sky. When the stars aligned, the pattern of the compass would mark the time when Lorian's Light — a divine beacon from the heavens — would shine down upon the earth. It was a moment of power, a moment when destiny could be shaped.

Elian grew strong, both in body and spirit, under the LOHO's teachings. The tribe was also a warrior clan, and they trained him to fight. They believed that only those who were true of heart and strong of mind could wield the power of Lorian's Light. The stars would soon align again, but the monks spoke little of what that might mean. It was only myth — legends passed down from the ancients.

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Chapter 4 — The Beacon of Light

But Elian never stopped wondering about the beacon of light. It was something the LOHO spoke of in hushed tones, something they believed to be a story told to guide them. For Elian, it was more than that. It was a calling. And one day, that calling became a reality.

It began as a faint glow — a shimmering in the distance, a beacon of light reaching out to him. Elian awoke from his slumber, drawn to the light as if it were his own heartbeat calling him home. Without a moment's hesitation, he ventured out, guided by an instinct he couldn't explain.

As he neared the beacon, the earth beneath him grew soft, almost as if it were welcoming him. He knelt, digging into the soil with his hands. “This is what the monks spoke about!” he whispered to himself, his heart racing. “It's not myth — this is real.”

And there, beneath the soil, he found it. A pair of denim trousers, marked with the same symbol of truth his father had placed on their door. The same symbol that had guided him through the darkest of times. He picked them up, trembling, and as he pulled them on, something strange happened. The world around him blurred, and his vision swam with light. A sudden dizziness overcame him, and before he knew it, he had fallen into the light itself.

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Chapter 5 — The Voice of Lorian

The world was gone. All that remained was a blinding brilliance, so pure it burned his eyes. Elian could see nothing, but he could hear a voice — commanding yet gentle, firm yet compassionate.

“Do not be afraid, my child,” the voice said. “My name is Lorian. My light usually takes one to be with the stars, but your fate does not end with an early death.”

Elian felt a cold wave of fear wash over him. He could not understand. “Who are you?” he asked, his voice trembling.

Lorian's response was calm, filled with an ancient sorrow. “Long ago, before the creation of Felthoria, there was a war between the Seraphim and the Morphises. The Seraphim fought valiantly to protect the earth from the Morphises, vile spirits who sought to ‘create’ life by twisting and warping their victims into creatures of their own design. The Seraphim fought and died, but their armor — blessed armor — fell like meteors to the earth, embedding itself in the soil.”

Elian's heart pounded as he listened.

“There are 1,001 grails, pieces of that ancient armor. And they must be found before the third cleansing of Felthoria. Morphis seeks to use the grails to raise an army and destroy this world. If he succeeds, a new world will be born from the ashes. The light you now see… it is a beacon, a guide to those who will find the grails. You, Elian, must find them all and destroy them before Morphis can.”

Elian's mind reeled, and as if to solidify the truth of Lorian's words, a burning sensation spread across his right arm. The Adinkra symbol, the same as the compass of truth, had been branded into his skin.

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Chapter 6 — The Destruction of the LOHO Tribe

“Now, down you go,” Lorian said, and Elian was once again thrust back toward the earth.

The beam of light hit the LOHO settlement like a thunderclap, and Elian watched, helpless, as the tribe's people were struck down by its force. Smoke filled the air, and when the dust settled, Elian was revealed in the middle of the destruction.

Elder Kur, stricken with grief and anger, pointed at Elian. “You did this,” he shouted, his voice a raw edge of fury. “You brought death to us all.”

Banished to the forgery, Elian found himself imprisoned, his future uncertain. But there, in the heart of his despair, he was not alone. Two other workers — men who had once served the tribe — listened to his tale. When they saw the glowing Adinkra symbol on his arm, they believed him.

Together, they called themselves deviants. They had broken free from the tribe's teachings, willing to follow Elian's truth and the path that lay before them.

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Chapter 7 — The Creation of Deviantbyloho

Elian's vision of the future became clear. He melted Kur's iridium throne in the forgery and forged a new creation — a book cover made of metal, with 1,001 patches embossed with the words “BY LOHO.” These patches were the key to ensuring that Morphis could not use the grails for his army. “The grails belong to Felthoria,” Elian said with quiet resolve. “We must use them to stop the third cleansing ourselves.”

The workers were skeptical at first, but Elian's conviction was undeniable. The grails must be found, but they could not be destroyed. They must be protected. And so, Elian began his quest to document every grail, marking them with the BY LOHO patches.

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Chapter 8 — The First Deviant

A deviant, his voice teasing yet curious, leaned forward, eyes glinting in the dim light. “What are you calling your new journal?”

Elian's gaze lingered on the bag of patches, fingers brushing the cold metal, before he looked up with a smile. “Our tribe teaches truth,” he replied, his voice steady, “but sometimes, you must deviate from the path to see the whole picture.” He held up the patches, each one gleaming faintly in the low light. “I call it Deviantbyloho.”

As Elian turned to step forward, the sudden sound of boots striking the stone floor shattered the quiet. Guards stormed into the room, their eyes fierce, their intent clear. Without a word, they seized Elian and dragged him toward the center of the chamber.

Elder Kur stood before him, towering with fury. His gaze was sharp, filled with a mixture of rage and sorrow, the weight of a thousand unanswered questions burning in his eyes. Elian knelt before him, no fear in his chest, only acceptance of whatever fate was to come.

Kur raised his hand, poised to strike with the authority of the tribe, but Elian's calmness held him back. With a deep breath, Elian released all the pain that had chained him for so long. It was then that something extraordinary happened — his body began to lift, slowly at first, then rising higher, until he hovered above the floor, weightless.

“Jeans that alleviate…” Kur whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of awe and disbelief. His knees buckled beneath him, and he fell to the ground, his hands pressed to the floor as if in reverence.

“The elders…” Kur murmured in a daze, his voice heavy with ancient memories. “My fathers… they spoke of this. Of you.”

In that sacred moment, their gazes met — Elian's steady, filled with the unwavering truth of his path, and Kur's, filled with the weight of his own struggles. The truth resonated between them, and in a silent exchange, the elder understood. He lowered his head in acceptance, his voice softer now, filled with both reverence and sorrow.

“Go,” Kur said, his blessing given not in words, but in the silent recognition of what Elian had become. The journey ahead was his to take, and Kur would no longer stand in his way.

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Chapter 9 — The Quest for the Grails

With his two companions, Elian set out as the first deviant to find the other 1,000 grails. The quest would take fifty years, each grail marked with the BY LOHO patch, each discovery documented in the journal Deviantbyloho.

On the 1,001st grail, Elian placed the book into the beam of light, watching as it ascended, carrying with it the knowledge of truth.

Felthoria was safe — for now. But the journey was far from over.

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Chapter 10

[ to be written ]

The next chapter of Felthoria is being uncovered. Come back when the stars align again.

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