I probably could've titled this part "Introducing the Minesti" or something a bit more formal but hey I'm not Heliux, this title sounds more fun.

Anyway, hello hello, I am back right before I start up school again (tomorrow ughhh).  I unfortunately couldn't get done as much as I wanted to during the summer because work unexpectedly just threw a TON of hours at me.  It's a little bit disappointing, but that's not to say nothing was done.  While there's still a fair bit of plot for me to figure out, I filled in a lot of plot holes that I created for myself which is a relief lol.  I've also been busy with character designs.  I know they aren't integral to the story, but if I have solid character designs in place it helps me to imagine specific scenarios, which does help me plan in the long-run.  Plus making faerie designs is super fun lol.  So let me share with you some of what I've been working on throughout the past couple months!

(Quick apology that the upcoming art is only line art / outlines - I didn't have time to do the colours yet TwT)

First before the introductions, a bit of context for you guys in case you haven't seen the Tumblr posts.  

In Piliphala (the faerie world) there are 12 Elements that can be wielded by a faerie.  They are:

Craeo - Creation
Daestro - Destruction
Sindso - Time
Astro - Space
Spiro - Soul
Skio - Air
Aquo - Water
Scoro - Fire
Duzo - Earth
Guzo - Storm
Floro - Nature
Glazo - Ice

Each of these Elements has its own Colony of faeries.  And much like the old Colony from The Fairy's Cure and The Fairy's Poison, there are special roles to be had, one per Colony.  While there are multiple special roles (which you probably saw talked about in the previous part!) today we're only focusing on one: the Minesti.

All of you know the previous Heliux and Layra already, their roles and the roles of the Minesti are very similar.  Minesti are responsible for teaching magic to new faeries, and lead their Colony's Chi, which is an elite group of faeries that follow their Minesto instead of their Ledesta (their Leader).  The Chi is essentially that Colony's protection force.  A Minesto is second in command of their Colony, and their tasks reflect this, but most faeries regard them as a second Ledesta instead of a second hand.

Like the old Heliux and Layra, the Minesti are immortal, and like all faeries, are eternally young.  This is because all of the Minesti are ex-deities.  They were chosen and taken from their previous lives by the First Faerie, and after eons of godhood, they created Piliphala and the faeries in order to lead somewhat 'normal' lives.  They spread their Elements around the world, and because of this they do not have their godly powers anymore, but this didn't mean they threw away their immortality.  

Because the Minesti have been together for so long, they are a very close group of friends.  While everything around them stands at a risk of falling apart, all 12 of them will stand the test of time together, and that has only brought them closer.  

Now, enough rambling on about the Minesti.  Let's begin with the introductions now, shall we?  We'll go in order.

First, we have the Craeo Minesto, Aurelia.

Aurelia acts young despite being thousands of years old, and is fortunate to have alive family in the form of her older sister, Aella.  Her personality is bubbly and bright, always having a smile on her face.  She will dance in rain puddles or laugh as a breeze fluffs up Calicio's hair (much to his dismay).  Like all Minesti, she stands by her Colony's attribute, Imagination, and the sound of her flute helps others do just that.  But sometimes, it's not others that need to hear her song... but herself.

"To imagine is to create a dream. And I will create a reality for each and every dream to remember him."

Next up is the Daestro Minesto, Xavier.

Xavier is... very outgoing.  He also likes to laze about.  A lot.  He'd much rather prefer to stay in the Daestro Colony and have his Xintechi take care of things.  That being said, if something is actually urgent, or if something is threatening the safety of those who he loves, he will be up in an instant.  He loves to hang around the other Minesti, especially Calicio, as the two are quite close.  He may also have a certain... "thing" for the Craeo Minesto.  Xavier also has a very interesting way of enforcing his Colony's attribute, Idealism.  The Daestro Minesto seems far from "ideal", so it may be that he does not believe in it, or perhaps it's the opposite.  Maybe there's a hidden part of himself that he already destroyed eons ago.

"To become perfect, to become ideal, I must destroy everything that is not so, including myself."

Now we have Gwen, the Sindso Minesto.

Gwen is a very quiet, almost secretive person.  However, those that know her know that she is, in reality, a very kind and nurturing person.  In an argument, she is the one to help both parties resolve a solution.  Or, in an upsetting situation where it can be easy to lose focus, Gwen will be the one to stay level-headed.  Most faeries, however, don't trust her, despite being a Minesto.  She and Layra share this unfortunate quality.  This is due to the nature of Gwen's Element and its attribute, Knowledge.  Her duty is to protect knowledge and keep the flow of time in check, but to do so she will sometimes do things that seem immoral to others.  Perhaps she's even done this to herself, how would she know?  She would have no memory of it after it was done.

"I seek to learn, to gain all knowledge and guard it with my life. For knowledge shared is a blessing, but knowledge stolen is a life lost."

Moving on we have everyone's favourite grumpy boi, Heliux, the Astro Minesto.

Heliux is a man of strict formalities.  He prefers to take care of everything he can himself, because that way he knows things are done to his level of perfection; it's because of this he often pushes himself to far and rarely accepts the help of others.  A smile is also rare to see on his face, and there is only a select few that get to see it: his fellow Minesti, including his wife, Layra, his best friend, Elmore, and his daughter, Valerie.  Heliux prefers his days to be busy, but when he has free time, he often spends his time stargazing or exploring the stars himself - well, when he's not with his friends and family.  He is the one who came up with Astro's attribute, Infinity, after all.  And if he dies one day without ever finding it, he will have failed not only himself, but her.

"I am but a small speck in the vast world we live in. I will continue to map out every star in the sky, step foot on every ground. And when I finally find infinity, I will be complete."

Welcome to another familiar face in a not-so-familiar outfit, Layra, the Spiro Minesto!

Layra's personality switches depending on the situation she's in.  Most of the time, she's informal and spontaneous- she loves seeing Heliux flustered, after all, being spontaneous is one of the many ways to do that.  But around the dead, or when visiting and caring for the Spiro Lilies, she is quiet and respectful, and at times, even sad.  Even after living for so long, it is hard seeing the cycle of life and death repeat itself, even harder now because her daughter is in that cycle.  Layra is loved by her friends and family, but other faeries are wary of her, sometimes even her own Spiro faeries.  Her Element lets her hear Soulspeak, or read the minds, of other faeries after all.  But Layra does not let this falter her.  She upholds her Colony's attribute, Reincarnation, every day of her life... she's learned first-hand that to be reincarnated is not always to be born again.

"A black flower turns white with the wind. You grasp the black petals, I grasp the white... for I have been born anew, and we will never meet until our worlds align once more."

Back to new faces... meet the Skio Minest, Aella!

Aella is a very calm faerie, though she'll become a bit more excited when with the other Minesti, and especially with her younger sister.  The Skio Minesto also has a lot of motherly tendencies about her despite not having children, which is why many faeries like her.  Skio's attribute is Freedom, and she prides herself on upholding this with every breath she takes.  Throughout the years, Aella has helped many, no matter what creature they are, escape their shackles, and it brings her great joy.  That joy returns when she flies, when she feels the wind through her hair and against her heart, washing away the despair that she once felt.

"Let me be free, like a bird in the wind, let my voice echo across the world as freedom's song... and pray, let me pray that I never touch the ground."

Next up we have another very chill Minesto- the Aquo Minesto, Lazuli.

Lazuli has always loved the ocean, even from before he was a god, and will never stop loving the ocean.  He spends a lot of his time in the water, whether within the Aquo Colony's underwater portion or just simply swimming.  It should come as no surprise that he's happiest when he's with the sea.  When he's not entirely drenched, he's usually spending time with the other Minesti or with his Aquo faeries, simply letting each day come and go as it pleases.  When the days start to feel the same that's when Lazuli travels to the farthest depths of the ocean, trying to hear its call.  That's Aquo's attribute after all, Calling.  Because the ocean will always point him the direction he needs to go, and he will always follow.

"The call of the waves and the pull of the tide will whisper to you. Embrace it. Let them pull you under. For these words will carry you to a new light and I, with the sea, shall be your guide."

We did water, now for fire.  Here's the Scoro Minesto, Viola.

Viola and Heliux are very much alike in terms of personality, though she is a lot more reserved than Heliux is; she can be as fierce as him though, maybe fiercer, under the right circumstances.  She doesn't like to talk much, and when she does it's usually in a whisper.  Viola prefers to be by herself, though she is not uncomfortable around the other Minesti.  She is a completely different person when she's not around anybody else, she'll sing and dance and smile.  But when other faeries at the not-uncommon celebrations and festivals do the same, she'll find herself holding back; which seems odd, given that her Element's attribute is desire.  However, what no one knows is that Viola's desires were tainted long ago, and she can no longer follow them.

"My innermost desires lie within the flames of this heart. The glow of these flames will lead you to yours, if you are brave enough to let loose its flames upon your soul."

Next up we have the Duzo Minesto, Sylvan.

Sylvan's height and his personality make him look young, but of course in reality he is far from it.  Sylvan loves history, and he loves to see the living history that is the land he once created in another life.  Every rock, every stone, every bit of dirt tells a story, and he has eons to uncover them all.  He also takes the protection of his Colony very seriously, since Protection is his Element's attribute, and will never let it erode.  Sylvan is also very kind-hearted.  Sometimes, he'll leave for a journey and return home with a few pretty stones.  He'll give them to the children of his Colony and find joy in their smiles.  Perhaps someone once did that for him, and maybe it's not just physical things he yearns to protect.

"These mountains I rose will protect this world for eons. Not rain, nor thunder, nor erosion will tear them down. But you will never be crushed in their grip."

Three more to go!  Next we have our Guzo Minesto, Lu.

Lu is a very outgoing faerie.  They have many quirks that the other Minesti still describe as "totally Lu" to this day; for example, they might trip and fall but then use their wings to do a flip midair, or they'll go out of their way to celebrate the smallest of days to remember ("No, Lu, you don't need to get me a present for the first time we sparred against each other" ~Layra).  They'll even refer to themself as "we" instead of "I".  Lu is very fun to be around, but they have a side to themself that they choose not to share... well many sides.  Guzo's attribute is Being, and sometimes Lu feels that these sides make it hard for them to uphold this, despite it seeming so simple.  Don't try asking them though, their problem is more complex than a storm itself.

"To be, to exist, it is never peaceful. The world will never cease to be full of storms. If you can find the eye of the storm, perhaps then peace can be found. But, I cannot guide you there. I have yet to find it myself."

Now we have the Floro Minesto, Elmore.

Elmore is that kind of faerie that you can go for for anything.  Floro's attribute is Home, and to have a home you need to have a family to fill it.  He will do anything for those he loves, whether that be his faeries or his friends, all of whom he considers to be family.  Elmore, when he's not spending time with Heliux or the other Minesti, loves to spend time within the cover of Elderblanche Forest, where the Floro faeries live.  He will listen to the flora's whispers and to the birdsong, and he can pretend that feelings of dread and sadness to not prod at him.  He loves this place and his family, and he will never let any of them fall.  For if he does, he has certainly failed himself, the world, and the one who he loves the most.

"This seed chose to spread its roots here, in this barren soil. It sprouts and flourishes, never moving. For this land is its home, and with each spring blossom more seeds will join it; a family of flowers in the shelter of the wood, this is all I've ever wanted for you."

Lastly, we have our Glazo Minesto, Calicio.

Calicio has proven that it is possible to simultaneously be everybody's friend and nobody's friend at the exact same time.  He is extremely outgoing which makes him likeable, but he also tends to be a tad clingy at times.  Even the other Minesti find this about him sometimes.  But on the rare occasion where Calicio is not with others, you'll find him within the cold of his home, playing with the Blitzian birds (which look like little snowballs with faces!!  He finds them very adorable) and simply finding peace in the whiteness of the snow.  Glazo's attribute is joy, and perhaps that's why Calicio tries a little too hard at times, he is trying to cling onto it.

"Surrounded by snow, knowing nothing but the cold and ice and frost. But when winter claims you as its own, remember as have I: that each little snowflake is a joy in life... and one day, a blizzard of them will come to claim you."

Well, that should be all of the Minesti now.  Hopefully you all have a better understanding on their characters and stories, because you'll find they'll be very important for the main story to come.  

More characters will come in the future- but this time I'm being realistic, I probably won't be posting much until December when my semester is over.  But hopefully this update has been exciting to read through!  It felt great writing about the Minesti, I love the dozen of them so much :)

Anyway, it's my time to sign off now.  I wish you all the best for the next few months!  For those who are returning to school, best of luck to ya. :D