The ‘heroes’, unsure of how the actions that led to their successful retrieval of the artifact will be looked upon by others, stealthily make their way back to the Elven camp.
As the adventurers approach, they see a few guards vigilantly patrolling about the perimeter of the community. The elves pay them no mind. The community has seemingly shrunk. Many of the tents and awnings furthest from the communal fire pit have been taken down. Supplies, trade goods and the homes themselves have been packed away in preparation for travel. Crodlu stand around, agitated by the change, knowing in their bestial way that their keepers, the elves, will soon be on the move again.
The fire in the center of the community is burning high and hot. Most of the elven community is gathered there. They are all sitting together on one side of the fire, listening to a single voice that though not loud seems to project above the loud cracks and pops from the burning fuel. You see your compatriots, Ale and Cerner, stand on the periphery of the group but close enough that they might hear the storyteller.
The storyteller is a Dwarf, like those of the Red Wastes that you have seen before, beardless and bald. He is seemingly of middle age, though it is difficult to be sure as his skin is significantly darkened, almost to the color of dirty rust from many years under the sun. His voice is clear with low and round tones that have a hypnotic quality, a talent among established bards. He has the rapt attention of the assembled elves.
‘… and so it is that we sit and think of the past before we take steps into the unknown future as our hearts and our feet are wont to do. ‘
‘In our dreams, many of us believe that the Gods of our ancestors watch over us still. We remember them in children’s rhymes…
Eight great lords and ladies upon high,
Watch the dwellers between earth and sky.
Kast, Lane, Gate and Grim,
Leaf, Kane, Avandra and Limn.
Lord of the sun and life and light.
Lady of the dark and death and fright.
Watcher of the shadows and subtle deeds.
Captain of war and all that bleeds.
Healer of all and guardian of life.
Lord of corruption, betrayal and strife.
Crafter of stone and bone and wood.
And,
Explorer of all things wise and good.
‘So, we remember times when the sun shone warm and did not burn, rains fell from the sky, and grass and trees grew everywhere between snowcapped mountains and rivers of water. It is good to remember, good to hope. But such thoughts must not blind us. We must survive and we must find a path to end the tyranny of the Dragon-Kings.’
‘The Dragon-Kings cannot easily be dethroned. They are powerful beings, invaders from beyond the portals.’
‘A thousand years ago, the great Magi led by Balfeus, the greatest amongst them, opened the Portals in the grand experiment. They were warned of the dangers. The Minotaurs, perhaps Guardians of our worlds against the outer planes, tried to stop them. Where are they now? Were they murdered? Did they desert us? You have seen the one in our midst. Perhaps they return to help us.
‘The Portals were opened and the life and magic of our world poured out like blood from an open vein. The Magi closed the Portals then, terrified of what they had done. But there were other forces at work. On the other side, dark powers stirred. The Portals were pushed ajar from that other place and our world was invaded.
‘The Dragon-Kings used much of their vast power to lock the Gods of our world away, rendering them powerless. The first attempts at resisting the Dragon-Kings by those we call Medini, led to a fierce war until all but a handful of those brave warriors were killed.
‘…and behind the scenes Balfeus, seeing that the powers of the old world were lost, made terrible bargains with the Dragon-Kings and with the demonic forces on the other side to turn his hunger for power into a dark thing. Balfeus yet lives, a corrupted Wizard possessed by the alien powers from beyond the Portals. Today, his actions can only be seen through the subtle maneuverings that occur between the Dragon-Kings and between the Wastes and the Verdant Lands to the North. He is a thorn in the Dragon-Kings’ side and also a powerful tool for their schemes.
‘One day, the Portals will be closed, the darkness that sustains Balfeus from the other side will be cut from him and he will die screaming, consumed by the evil he has wrought. One day, we will level the battlefield and we will once again be able to strike against the Dragon-Kings.’
Murmurs of approval come from this unlikely community of believers in hope. You and your fellow adventurers wonder what you have wrought in bringing the Portal artifact back to the surface, awashed in the blood of an innocent.
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