Sisters of the Swan (A to Z Challenge, S)

Sisters of the Swan

The Abbey on the Lake of White Lilies was famous for the honor and learning of its sisters and the beautiful swans that populated the lake.  They were not warriors but healers, scholars and gardeners.  When the Dragons launched their attack on the gods, all the sisters could do was pray.

When the Empress visited the Abbey after the sundering, a fragment of a heaven had lodged in the lake and the lilies had changed to gold and the sisters and the swans had been melted together.  The transformation was rough for some, wings for arms or exceeding long necks, others had been killed outright, their new bodies unsuitable for the world.  The Empress used her magic to heal and reform them, making the form of woman and swan, separate, but allowing them to switch between the two.

The Abbey on the Lake of Gold Lilies remains under Imperial jurisdiction and remains a center of learning.  It exports fine lace, goose down and illuminated manuscripts.

Physical Description: The Sisters of the Swan are willowy and graceful with long necks and usually pale skin, pale hair is common as well but their eyes are dark.  Their faces tend to be narrow with large eyes.  They have long delicate fingers and long toes on their feet, with webbing between their toes.