The Story
ONCE UPON A time; there were twin brothers named Phanes and Thanatos, and They were the Personifications of Life and Death. Both brothers were equal in Powers and were well balanced ensuring the Cosmic Wheel continues turning, and They never interfere in each other's domains.
Phanes was the Personification of Life; He can change His gender from male to female and back...He has warm gold eyes, pure white hair, His skin is the color of bronze, has golden wings and wrapped in snake coils. He has domain over Creation, procreation, the generation of new life, fertility and light.
Thanatos was the Personification of Death; He is known to be lean and muscular with a regal face, honey gold eyes and black hair. His skin is the color of teakwood and his wings glimmer in shades of blue, black and purple, and He wields a sword.
Thanatos' domain is over death and guiding souls to the afterlife; He will appear anywhere someone is about to die be it from old age, birthing bed, wars, etc. He doesn't discriminate and doesn't care for status in the end; Death will equalize everyone.
Yet there was once a powerful Sorceress; she summoned Phanes and Thanatos, and imprisoned Them in special chains. The Sorceress demanded the Personifications of Life and Death to create a ring with the Powers over life and death, all things spirits, the afterlife, etc.
The brothers refused to create such a talisman that would give Power over Them-selves; the Sorceress threatened to keep Phanes and Thanatos locked up until They complied with her demands. The twin brothers tried to free Them-selves but realized that the chains were made of aloe, amaranth, borage, striped carnation, cypress, black dahlia and lobelia.
Seven simple flowers made into silk chain ribbons but the meaning of the flowers were clear...
Aloe for grief...
Amaranth for immortality...
Borage for courage...
Striped Carnation for refusal...
Cypress for death, mourning, despair and sorrow...
Black Dahlia for betrayal and dishonesty...
And Lobelia for malevolence...
The chains may looked flimsy and fragile as silk but was made with Magic, and, was far stronger to hold the Personifications of Life and Death as prisoners to the Sorceress!
With Phanes prisoned Life was in a complete stand still; new life could not be born, children and babies can't grow up, and adults stop aging nor could they create life!
With Thanatos prisoned no one can die; the old and sick linger on wishing for their eternal rest, soldiers left in agony on the battlefields, etc!
The brothers had no choice but to comply with the Sorceress' demands; They forged the ring by braiding silver, gold and crystal together. The Sorceress gave a flawless pure blood-red ruby that was set upon the ring and framed by a snake biting its tail made of silver.
Phanes and Thanatos then imbued the ring, and ruby with half of Their Powers; thus making it sentient in nature and tied to four Domains. Whoever wears the now Resurrection Stone would become the Ruling Lord or Lady of Life and Death, Spirit and the Afterlife; Phanes and Thanatos would be bound to the wearer/wielder of the Stone.
The Sorceress was very pleased with the creation of the Resurrection Stone and freed the twin brothers from the chains; the Personifications of Life and Death quickly restored the Cycle of Balance. But They were bound to the Resurrection Stone and must now answer to the Sorceress; she began using the ring, and, recorded the Powers and limitations of the Stone in an enchanted book.
She became judge, jury and executioner as she used the Resurrection Stone; deciding who will live or who will die, even preventing anyone from dying and forbade them from eternal rest. The Sorceress used the Stone to conquer kingdoms, she stole anything or anyone who catches her fancy and never cared for the consequences of her action.
The Sorceress was vain of her looks, prideful of being the wearer/wielder of the Resurrection Stone and a tyrant who ruled with an iron fist. She never married but had a harem of the most handsomest and beautiful men throughout her ever growing empire; the Sorceress slept with more than one man from her harem and the men would fight for her favor but never kill each other.
Every man of the harem were trained fighters and skilled lovers; any woman caught seducing the Sorceress' men was killed by one of them for the Sorceress does not share her lovers. The Sorceress bore many sons and daughters sired from her harem men; these children were raised to be soldiers, loyal to their Sorceress Mother and obedient as drones.
But one day; the Sorceress went too far when she unlocked the Forbidden Powers of the Resurrection Stone. She opened the Gates of Heaven and Hell; unleashing the radiance of Heaven and demons of Hell, and the Sorceress could not close the Gates.
The Stone abandoned the woman and refused to obey her; a son of the Sorceress managed to save both ring and book with the knowledge of its Powers. Phanes and Thanatos saved the man as his Sorceress Mother's empire and his world was destroyed; he was brought to a new world where he settled down and began a family but he never used the Resurrection Stone.
The man did record the Stone's Forbidden Powers and limitations within the book; overtime the ring and book was passed down but neither was ever used. Until one day the book was sold, the Resurrection Stone was stolen and the Stone fell into legend!