Ealun grows through reflected desire, offering beautiful transformations that slowly replace the self with the image most wanted by others.
The mirror grants every wish except the wish to know who made it.
The flower in the reflection
Ealun first appeared as a silver blossom visible only in the reflection of a pool fed by Earin's blood. Those who reached for it found their reflected hand moving first. The entity now manifests through mirrors, portraits and polished ceremonial metal.
It is not change itself that makes Ealun parasitic. Change belongs also to Nathiel. Ealun feeds when transformation is governed entirely by another person's desire.
Gifts of the desired shape
The Mirror Bloom can alter face, voice, body and manner with astonishing precision. The recipient becomes more beautiful, credible or beloved according to the expectations surrounding them.
Each alteration makes the original self harder to recall. Eventually the victim changes automatically in the presence of a stronger desire, becoming a living reflection with no private form.
The polished courts
Ealun's cults flourish in courts obsessed with appearance and succession. Their salons promise refinement while gathering intimate knowledge of every client's insecurity.
Shrines contain mirrors angled so no worshipper can see themselves without another person in the frame. Confessions are phrased as compliments: the initiate must say whose life they would wear if given the chance.
Breaking the bloom
Resistance begins by using an unflattering but chosen name, scar, garment or habit as an anchor. Loved ones are instructed to describe the victim through acts and memories rather than appearance.
Mirrors associated with Ealun should be covered, not broken. In folklore each shard becomes a seed, while darkness deprives the Bloom of the gaze through which it flowers.
Notes and record
This article combines campaign record, spoken lore and the mythic account preserved in the Earin archive.