Tares Hehrog~
Early morning brought out the castle staff at the Grand Palace of King Therdes, though in truth it was neither grand nor a palace. It had once been the military stronghold of the Camecian Kingdom, when Camecia was nothing more than a wild province of the once great Uldan Empire. Uldan had crumbled under it's own weight, leaving a power vacuum which Therdes ancestors were quick to try and fill. Over the years it had been added to, Teriphan, Therdes' father had even attempted to make the place livable, declaring the place his Grand Palace. Terriphan had been too much of a pragmatist to pay for the rebuilding necessary to convert it. So it remained a gilded fortress, albeit with a new name.
Watching from his perch at the top of the tower, he could see the castle staff scurry about their individual tasks like so many ants. Individually their tasks were unimportant, collectively, their tasks made the "Grand Palace" function.
Tares shook his head to clear it, such idle musing did not suit him well. He had been up all night working on a new way to analyze the stone he had recovered from the ruins at Elsenveihn. The analysis had worked, but hadn't told him anything he had not already known.
Elsenveihn was a site of great power that pre dated human civilization. It resided in the far north, where nothing grew. A vast wasteland of ice, nothing but snow moved on it's surface, but beneath the ice, terrible creatures lived. Underneath the great glaciers resting on the ground which may have never felt the sun or warmth was the ruins of a great city, a city named Elsenveihn.
It was now the home of a degenerate race of white skinned humanoids who called themselves the Kaulth, which, unoriginally meant The People in their language. They worshipped something that had lived there far longer than they. The Great Ice Wyrm Ishlan'tevalin.
Elsenveihn had come to his attention in his studies, among the journals of an old adventurers journal. His descriptions of the location was a clear indication of great magic.
Tares Hehrog rose to power through hard work, ferreting out secrets and learning from them, but for the past several years he had not made any head way. He knew there was more, deeper mysteries of magic, but was unable to find the key to unlocking them. If what he suspected was true, Elsenveihn could have the secrets he was looking for.
He had used his magic to circumvent the usual trouble of traveling to such a remote location and with relatively little flattery and bribery he was able to secure the assistance of Ishlan'tevelin. The Dragon had confided in him that Elsenveihn was ancient when she had come here in her youth, long before the Kaulth had come. She didn't seem concerned over the origin of the place, though she did note several places where magic worked differently in the ruins. As a parting gift she gave Tares a small stone, from one of the places where magic did not work correctly. She told him that she believed that their were other such places and the elves might know more.
For the past three months he had been experimenting with the stone. While it was very clear the stone had been effected my magics beyond his ken. He had been at a complete loss to understanding how the basic metaphysical properties had been altered. Here before him he had his proof that there were greater magic than what he knew. But he was unable to grasp it, to make even the slightest inroads on how it he might unlock it‘s secrets.
His peers, if you could call them that, would be of no use. Even those he could vaguely stomach did not have his understanding of magic. Finally this morning, he had exhausted the last test he could think of. The elves may be the last resort.
Elves kept to themselves mostly, some occasionally wandered out to see the rest of the world, but mostly the existed quietly in the Evoreal Forest and did not interfere with the affairs of Man. The Uldan Empire had tried to annex the forest in their height of arrogance, but when they tried to enforce that edict, they found their legions destroyed and the magics repulsed. The elves sanctum was inviolate as long as the First Oak stood.
One did not simply walk into the home of the elves. At best you found yourself disoriented and walking back out the way you came, at worst you didn’t come out at all. The elves were not complete recluses, however and it was not unheard of to be invited into their presence if one had need. The question was, how can he get word to the elves of his need.
Early morning brought out the castle staff at the Grand Palace of King Therdes, though in truth it was neither grand nor a palace. It had once been the military stronghold of the Camecian Kingdom, when Camecia was nothing more than a wild province of the once great Uldan Empire. Uldan had crumbled under it's own weight, leaving a power vacuum which Therdes ancestors were quick to try and fill. Over the years it had been added to, Teriphan, Therdes' father had even attempted to make the place livable, declaring the place his Grand Palace. Terriphan had been too much of a pragmatist to pay for the rebuilding necessary to convert it. So it remained a gilded fortress, albeit with a new name.
Watching from his perch at the top of the tower, he could see the castle staff scurry about their individual tasks like so many ants. Individually their tasks were unimportant, collectively, their tasks made the "Grand Palace" function.
Tares shook his head to clear it, such idle musing did not suit him well. He had been up all night working on a new way to analyze the stone he had recovered from the ruins at Elsenveihn. The analysis had worked, but hadn't told him anything he had not already known.
Elsenveihn was a site of great power that pre dated human civilization. It resided in the far north, where nothing grew. A vast wasteland of ice, nothing but snow moved on it's surface, but beneath the ice, terrible creatures lived. Underneath the great glaciers resting on the ground which may have never felt the sun or warmth was the ruins of a great city, a city named Elsenveihn.
It was now the home of a degenerate race of white skinned humanoids who called themselves the Kaulth, which, unoriginally meant The People in their language. They worshipped something that had lived there far longer than they. The Great Ice Wyrm Ishlan'tevalin.
Elsenveihn had come to his attention in his studies, among the journals of an old adventurers journal. His descriptions of the location was a clear indication of great magic.
Tares Hehrog rose to power through hard work, ferreting out secrets and learning from them, but for the past several years he had not made any head way. He knew there was more, deeper mysteries of magic, but was unable to find the key to unlocking them. If what he suspected was true, Elsenveihn could have the secrets he was looking for.
He had used his magic to circumvent the usual trouble of traveling to such a remote location and with relatively little flattery and bribery he was able to secure the assistance of Ishlan'tevelin. The Dragon had confided in him that Elsenveihn was ancient when she had come here in her youth, long before the Kaulth had come. She didn't seem concerned over the origin of the place, though she did note several places where magic worked differently in the ruins. As a parting gift she gave Tares a small stone, from one of the places where magic did not work correctly. She told him that she believed that their were other such places and the elves might know more.
For the past three months he had been experimenting with the stone. While it was very clear the stone had been effected my magics beyond his ken. He had been at a complete loss to understanding how the basic metaphysical properties had been altered. Here before him he had his proof that there were greater magic than what he knew. But he was unable to grasp it, to make even the slightest inroads on how it he might unlock it‘s secrets.
His peers, if you could call them that, would be of no use. Even those he could vaguely stomach did not have his understanding of magic. Finally this morning, he had exhausted the last test he could think of. The elves may be the last resort.
Elves kept to themselves mostly, some occasionally wandered out to see the rest of the world, but mostly the existed quietly in the Evoreal Forest and did not interfere with the affairs of Man. The Uldan Empire had tried to annex the forest in their height of arrogance, but when they tried to enforce that edict, they found their legions destroyed and the magics repulsed. The elves sanctum was inviolate as long as the First Oak stood.
One did not simply walk into the home of the elves. At best you found yourself disoriented and walking back out the way you came, at worst you didn’t come out at all. The elves were not complete recluses, however and it was not unheard of to be invited into their presence if one had need. The question was, how can he get word to the elves of his need.