Re: The Twilight Tomb: The Rains Fell On Furthinghome
The sun fell below the horizon, and twilight fell like a shroud over the land. It grew steadily darker, and colder, and the stars winked into sight one by one. The sky was clear, with scant cloud cover, so hopefully it would not rain overly much through the night.
It was strange, to anyone who looked up and was concerned with the science of astronomy, to see that the stars, once they'd appeared did not blink or waver in any way. Each one was like a tiny, unimaginably distant eye, staring unblinking onto the land below. And despite the cosmic gulfs, they seemed closer than before. The illusion was surely one of atmospherics on a clear night, for no other explanation made any rational sense.
As they set camp and watch, the new acquaintances discussed what they knew of the mission that lay ahead, and talked long into the night of ancient history and even older arcane secrets. A chill wind blew that prickled the skin and howled like the ghosts of the past
Authiel began the tale, for she'd read deeply of elven history in the archives of Silverymoon, though Allessandra proved that she knew a surprising amount as well, for she'd been briefed well before coming.
Over two thousand years, she said, the whole of land of Aglarond was covered by the great Yuirwood, and in its green leafy depths was the elven realm of Yuireshanyaar. It was a civilised realm, rich in the arcane arts, but was beset on sides by enemies. Trolls and drow raided the forest lands, internal disputes wracked the elven tribes, and eventually human settlers discovered the land and relentlessly colonised what was left.
In time, the elves grew weary of such setbacks, and their High Mages began a great undertaking. First they forged a network of portals across the forest, each set inside a massive stone circle, proving that dwarves weren't the only ones capable of good stonework. This portal network allowed for rapid transit and evacuation across the peninsula. Then they weaved an even greater spell.
They created a demiplane, an entirely separate world anchored to this one by the stone circles and the portals. It was to be their new home, Silveryuir, a refuge for the elves. Nearly even elf of Yuireshanyaar departed for the new world in a few short years, leaving a rare few stubborn souls who refused to leave.
Those who stayed behind joined with the humans and formed the half-elves of Aglarond.
But those elves who left became something else.
They became the Star Elves, reclusive, beautiful and, some say, alien. Rumours whisper of Sildeyuir, telling of a land of eldritch beauty, permanently blanketed by twilight and illuminated by a host of glittering stars, over a vast dark green forest. The star elves there live in magnificent citadels of glass, where they work magic of song and starlight. They keep many secrets, and very little else is known about them.
The ruins of the Yuirwood elves still remain, however, as well as their enchantments. The forest was impervious to all scrying and divination magic; whatever went under its branches simply can not be seen magically. The stone circles also lie there still, and sometimes their portals still work, though only reliably for the Masters Of The Yuirwood, an order of rangers and druids who protect the forest. The circles were said to contain great riches and magical power, though the risk of the portals and the wrath of the Masters deterred most adventurers.
Most assumed the circles to be dedicated to Corellon, but Allessandra realised that that couldn't be right, for they didn't fit the elven god's profile at all. She remembered that dim legends told that the Yuirwood elves worshipped different gods, strange and remote. Most were now lost and nameless, with only odd carvings and legends in the forest to show that they'd ever been there.
