At the very beginning of the Age of Myth, in times long lost to dwarven memory, an ancient elven nation of Colifamime (as known as "The Tender Clearings" in common) flourished, protected by miles and miles of so-called Flayed Forests. They all praised Romimi, as he was said to be an ultimate ruler of all nature, both on ground and in water. Iyathi Dashtuft was the first known leader of the cult; under his supervision, his young apprentices were getting acquainted with spells and learning how to become one with great forces of the nature.
Among them was an elf, whose actual name is lost to time as well. The High Acolyte simply referred to him as "Onowe", or "Boy". The "Boy" did well; in three years he became one of the best students, and pushed even forward, meditating and conducting rites in order to get access to the power, which the mortal kings could only dream of. Unfortunately, his teacher was unaware of his' student's ardent will to archive that kind of power. Following a chain of blood magic experiments and other crimes against the nature, angered Romimi struck its unruly follower, turning him into a... monster.
Of course, Onowe could not continue his search among his fellow apprentices. He fled, and soon revealed himself a counselor and a personal secretary of Sethe Sworddancer, a well-known elven champion, who used to protect the royal family with his band of wandering heroes. At that time, rumors about The Boy were reaching the distant parts of The Tender Clearings, but the famed warrior either ignored or simply distrusted that talk of commoners. He asked Onowa about his time in the druid circle and laughed at the simpletons who tried to appease Rimini by their peaceful exercise.
In a matter of months, Sethe's temper started to change. His usual gruff bonhomie gave way to suspiciousness and ire. His band of warrior soon turned into a gang of brigands. What he could not obtain by intimidation, he obtained by the means of his sword, pillaging forest retreats, murdering and consuming his rivals under the pretext of ancient tradition. Uncontrollable by Queen Iru and her courtiers, he and his horrid knights were roaming the land, protecting the kingdom no more. Unfortunately, the elves were too busy by internal strife to deal with this threat, as Iyathi Dashtuft, acolyte and master diplomat, was murdered by bronze colossus in 22. After a while, Rathi Russetearths, high druid of The Tender Clearings, managed to gather an army capable of defeating the mad hero and his rogue army. Almost a year after, Sethe was finally surrounded in his estate with the leftovers of his troops and torn to pieces by war beasts. As for his secretary, Onowe managed to escape. Fearing even more losses in her battered militia, Rathi let the vampire in question and his small troop of mercenary goblins leave the Flayed Forest alive. She even managed to arrange a short meeting with an evildoer, forbidding him the entrance to The Tender Clearings forever. And so he left.
His fate remained unknown for Rathi. Onowe disappered, though the stories of "The black elf" being a hearth person of a human king came to The Tender Clearings. But Queen Iru disregarded this idle gossip, as the kingdom faced new challenge: The Torrid Lash and its steel legions.
In 32, the great showdown occurred at Leatherobeyed . It was the only major battle in what later became known as “The Incinerated war”. A company of dwarven champions, led by the general Tobul Toerope, and accompanied by infamous Queen Urist Tradeumbras herself.
The elves stood bravely against the invader, led by princess Iwethi, daughter of queen Iru. In the upcoming fight both elves and dwarves suffered heavy losses. They battled for days in the burning forest. Both Iwethi and Iru were killed, but the battle raged on.
Finally, mighty warbeasts tore through the dwarven ranks, slaying mighty Tobul and also ending the reign of dwarven vampire queen.
The dwarves retreated. “The battle of two queens”, nominally won by elves, broke their spirit, as their hopes were gone with their queen and princess. The Tender Clearings could hardly recuperate after sustained losses, and when dwarven king Atir, a valiant warrior and, unlike his mother, a faithful worshipper of Tumam, proposed a hard yet fair peace, they accepted. Little did they know, that, after king Atir’s death in battle, queen Urvad the Invicta would reduse them to miserable slavery, and that her heir would continue her work.
Some rumours mentioned that, among the attacers, they saw a slender figure clad in black armor. Unfortunately, Druid Rathi did not manage to survive the battle to tell about her horrible find.
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Topic: (34.11 Succession) Clobbermountains -- The End(?) (Read 401124 times)