The Shadowelves
Flight from Stalkbrow
The former prisoners of the Stalkbrow entity lay strewn against the hillside. Among their number were the exhausted forms of Valen and Damareen in addition to six other elves clad in the typical fur and leather dress of the Longrunner clan. Two other elves wore lighter, green-hued garb - possibly members of the Grunalf clan.
Adriana gave her younger brother a look that could kill, while clutching an open wound in her side which evidently pained her though she did not care to complain.
"Hi sis," Valen mumbled, his tone sluggish. "Looks like you found me..."
"Just wait until you get home,’ Adriana muttered through gritted teeth.
Damareen gave a gasp as she pointed to a group of elves all decked in sheening plate armour, blue cloaks billowing from their shoulders. The twenty or so individuals seemed oddly relaxed, far from drained like their fellow captives were. On closer inspection these elves exhibited clear differences compared to other elves the party had encountered during their travels in Alfheim. Their skin bore a pale and unhealthy tinge, their eyes were an icy shade of blue and their pointed ears extended farther than those of their surface cousins.
"Shadowelves!" Damareen breathed.
The party could not believe their bad luck. While the malicious entity born from Stalkbrow's magic had weakened their allies, the embittered Shadowelves had been nourished and sustained by their inborn hatred for the surface dwellers. They had barely survived the fight against the wyrds, the killer trees and the imps. Now a new difficulty presented itself...
Chanting was heard, and before the party had a chance to react a wave of magic passed through their midst. Lana and Drewen managed to shrug off the effects of the spell, though Vasily's eyes took on a slight glossy tone. In his mind he realised that he was in awe of this impressive group.
The largest of the Shadowelves made his way forward to face the party, clearing his throat before speaking. When he did it was only Lana, Betula and Damareen who could make out the words he spoke. The high-pitched whine of his voice carried on the breeze, grating on the party’s nerves, a dialect of the Elvish tongue a hundred times further removed than say the Calarii dialect spoken within Karameikos. A tongue which for centuries had not been spoken openly within the great forests of Alfheim, nor even above ground for that matter.
"Thank you for setting us free," the lead Shadowelf said, in his piercing tone.
"You are welcome," Lana responded in the Elven tongue.
"Give us the boy."
Lana’s eyes widened in complete shock. "We did you a favour releasing you from that prison! Be in no doubt, this boy is under our protection and we will not let you have him."
The lead Shadowelf's face remained devoid of any emotion. "If you do not give us the boy, we will take him from you."
"Why?" Lana demanded. "What could he possibly mean to you?"
There came no response. Only –
"What’s 'appening?" Drewen muttered by Lana’s side, bored his inability to follow the exchange which was taking place in Elvish.
"They want Valen," Lana said miserably, "and we’re in no position to resist if they try to take him, which they say they're going to. Although I have no idea why he's so significant to them..." She eyed the other group warily. As she did, one of their number strode forward - a strapping individual who unsheathed an immense two-handed sword from a scabbard on his back. Reaching the midpoint between the groups the Shadowelf stopped, and began swinging his weapon around his head as if warming up.
Lana glanced at Drewen who, unlike the rest of his companions, had survived the previous fight relatively unscathed on account of his natural resilience and magical armour. "Drewen," she whispered, "would you fight that Elf?"
The dwarf hefted his enchanted warhammer, eyeing his would-be opponent with dislike. "S’pose so," he muttered, before stepping forward.
"We challenge you to a duel of honour," Lana called to the lead Shadowelf. "You have sent forward your chosen one, now we send forth our own champion - Drewen Goldenhammer!’
"On what terms do we duel?" came the haunting reply.
"Should you lose, you relinquish all claims to the boy and leave at once. Should you win," – Lana swallowed a lump in her throat – "you may take him. In either case you will leave at once. And during the fight there will be no interference whatsoever from external sources."
Damareen clutched the sleeve of Lana's robe while the Shadowelves murmured among themselves. "You cannot strike a deal with their kind," she whispered. "They have no honour!"
"We must at least try," said Lana.
The lead Shadowelf turned to face the party. "Your terms are accepted."
Drewen closed the distance between himself and the towering Shadowelf, giving a brief nod to acknowledge his adversary. The Elf only raised his huge sword and gave an ear-splitting battle cry. A moment later the huge blade swept downward in Drewen’s direction. Drewen dodged, judging his foe momentarily off balance and swung his heavy hammer in what was bound to be a crippling blow... The Elf parried however, his blade catching the handle of Drewen's hammer and blocking the attack. With a twist the blade came free then a heartbeat later Drewen felt a pain in his side. The Elf's blade penetrated a small gap in the magical dwarven armour, blood welling out as the sword came away sharply.
Drewen roared with pain and swung his hammer, catching the Elf fully in the chest to give as good as the dwarf had received. His follow-up attack was again parried, before a further blow from Drewen took the Elf’s legs out from beneath him. Then the Elf sprang backward, taking a brief instant to extend one hand and intone words of magic. To Drewen’s surprise flickering green flames spread across his entire body, not burning but instead illuminating the battle for all present to behold.
Countless more of Drewen’s attacks were dodged or deflected, the dwarf's frustration steadily increasing until one immensely powerful blow brought the Elf to his knees. With a swift follow-up Drewen’s hammer connected with the side his foe's head, sending the Elf sprawling backward to land in a lifeless heap.
A cry of rage rose from the assembled Shadowelves a short way off. Swords were unsheathed as the group charged with loud cries toward Drewen.
"About time," came Karnus' disdainful voice. "I was expecting this." With a snap of his fingers the blue-robed mage sent a jet of flame racing toward the group of advancing Shadowelves, joined moments later by a second jet from Lana’s wand. Drewen felt the searing beams of heat shoot past his head, then two fiery explosions rocked the hillside, engulfing every one of the treacherous Shadowelves. For a moment everything seemed still - only the dancing orange flames were moving - before a single figure emerged defiantly through the blaze. The lead Shadowelf. With his companions decimated, the leader withdrew his sword and closed to do battle with the party, his hands and lips moving in spellcasting as he advanced.
Drewen closed to engage the leader in hand-to-hand contact, though he bore serious injuries from his previous battle. Stones rained from Vasily's catapult and Lana hurled daggers however the Shadowelf proved himself as proficient as his fallen comrade by effortlessly deflecting these attacks. Realising these attacks were achieving nothing, and that a single blow from the Shadowelf might prove fatal to Drewen, Lana and Vasily joined their companion in the thick of melee.
The fight continued for what seemed like an eternity, the Shadowelf managing to deflect every one of the companions' blows. At one point the Elf cast a spell to summon a single Mirror Image, though this was instantly dispatched by Drewen's hammer. Then as a naturally perfect blow followed from the dwarf the Elf howled with pain and cast a second spell, causing himself to lift into the air and out of the reach of melee weapons. Casting another spell three glowing missiles appeared in the air by the elf's shoulders, one to hurl at each of his assailants. Both Lana and Vasily were brought close to death by this onslaught, but managed to stay standing.
Lana for one had had enough of the foe's spellcasting. Remembering that the Staff of Lucinius was intended for use against magic-using foes she released a charge from the Staff to cloud her attacker's mind, robbing him of the ability to concentrate. The Elf howled from the strain of the Feeblemind, bobbing awkwardly in mid-air, but recovered. His glare fell squarely upon Lana as he intoned further words of magic, a red glow coalescing between his palms before shooting in a ray toward the group. Lana gave a defiant cry and raised the Staff of Lucinius. With a flare the ray of magic was caught by the Staff, turning from red to amber, before shooting back to strike its caster squarely in the chest. Amid a blaze of amber light the Shadowelf disappeared to be replaced by a small lizard, which dropped to the ground below. Drewen and Vasily lunged to catch the creature but it proved too fast, scarpering into one of the many burrow-holes which permeated the hillside.
"We need to catch that bastard," growled Drewen.
"I agree," nodded Vasily, "but how?"
"We'll smoke him out," Lana muttered, though she suspected that the tunnels might extend through the hillside into the surrounding landscape for miles. Foremost in her mind however was the fact the Shadowelves had wished to abduct Valen. It was of utmost importance that their leader be apprehended, to ascertain why the young lord of Karameikos mattered to them.
Fragments of wood from the fight with the killer trees were collected, to enable small fires to be lit at the mouth of every available opening. As smoke wafted through the hill, small shrieks were heard and the heads of dozens of annoyed wood imps appeared at various openings. Lana realised in horror that the hill probably housed hundreds of the tiny malicious creatures.
Flight from Stalkbrow
"Fall back!" Drewen roared as the imps began firing arrows from their many tiny bows. The party had no option but to retreat. A small group of imps which Karnus had magically Charmed turned angrily on their fellows, but many more kept coming. Arrows fell like rain as the companions tore down the hillside toward the cover of the forest beyond, where they collapsed exhausted and soon fell asleep.
The party woke the next morning feeling the ground shaking beneath them, and hearing a sound like distant thunder. One of the fur-clad Longrunner elves sat up with a look of relief playing on his features. "We will be safe," he announced, "the Southguard have found us." Sure enough a short while later a hundred or so riders approached the party, with Dmitros and the animals in tow. The party were provided with mounts and were soon speeding away to the north, happy to watch the twin slopes of Stalkbrow become little more than an unpleasant memory on the landscape behind them.
Little was said on the ride, though one of the Grunalf elves revealed that the companions were being taken to the town of Pinitel - clanseat of the Longrunner clan - where they might receive healing. This prospect cheered the companions so greatly that they happily ignored the fact they had no say at all in what was happening to them.
Guests of Clan Longrunner
Later that day the base of a gigantic tree opened to reveal a stairway up into Pinitel, a town of colourful splendours and seemingly reality-defying architecture. The companions were escorted to a wooden structure which resembled an upside-down pyramid, where they were introduced to a beautiful dusky-skinned elfmaiden who went by the name of Coolhands. Coolhands laid eyes on the party’s wounds and immediately reached for a box of ointments and salves, professing that she had dedicated her entire life to the study of the healing arts. She was the lifemate of the Clanmaster Beasthunter who was presently absent on a hunting expedition. Should Beasthunter have arrived back, the companions thought, they might not have been made so welcome since the ethos of the Longrunner clan, and of Beasthunter’s wizard friend Starwatcher in particular, called for the non-tolerance of outsiders. Appropriately enough, Coolhands exerted something of a calming influence on her mate.
The companions rested for several days in Pinitel, for the mostpart on magically enchanted beds which provided deep and dreamless sleep (in which Drewen for one took a particular interest), before departing to the northwest toward Desnae, then onward to Alfheim Town. Following the trails and river to ensure they did not become lost, the party's journey proved uneventful, until back in Alfheim Town a notice was found fixed to the door of a tavern in the Karameikan quarter of town, indicating that a Great Monster Hunt was to be held. The party lost no time in contacting Arloen Treelife in the Offices of the Seven Clans of the Government District to obtain the necessary licence.
The Great Hunt
The next morning the party rode out, feeling refreshed and keen to begin the chase. A few hours later a set of monstrous prints were uncovered, confusing the elven guides who indicated that one and a half tracks had been found. Pressing on, a clearing was uncovered where an immense moose was doing its best to evade a pack of brown-furred large-jawed hounds who appeared to fade from one location to another in the Blink of an eye. Lana's heart skipped a beat as she realised what these creatures were - blink dogs!
Any wonderment was cut short as an immense panther shot out from the undergrowth, six-footed with hideous tentacles protruding from each of its shoulders. The dogs instantly turned from their quarry to engage the displacer beast, while the onlooking elves reported excitedly that this beast had escaped from a nearby Magic Point several months before and had managed to evade capture ever since.
The great cat bounded out from the undergrowth catching one of the blink dogs unaware, its horned tentacle connecting with a crunch into the hound’s side. The blow lifted the dog off the ground, hurling it into shrubs where it whimpered audibly then lay still.
The six-footed cat turned around slowly, sunlight glinting off its twin tentacles. Arrows were loosed from the bows of half a dozen elves, though only Adriana’s shot managed to find its target. The Karameikan party knew from their previous fight with displacer beasts that some property of the cat’s fur warped light rays, giving the impression that the beast was several feet away from its actual position.
Lana cast Haste upon her comrades as Drewen waded forward to engage the cat in hand-to-hand combat, his hammer grasped in one hand. Vasily gave a curse in Traladaran as two of his sling bullets completely missed the cat. Lana too was vexed as she expelled a wide spread of amber shards, the majority of which missed the cat’s true location.
Drewen roared merrily as his hammer crunched into what appeared to be thin air, causing the cat to give a roar of its own seemingly from several feet away. With a snarl the cat leapt through the air to sink its fangs into Lana’s side. Moments later as further arrows bit into the cat’s side an immense spear sailed through the air and skewered the cat whole. It fell to the forest floor, its tentacles sagging lifelessly at its sides.
"My kill!" Adriana declared triumphantly, and the elves were happy to agree as they cheered the red-haired noblewoman’s victory. Within moments the Karameikan princess had drawn forth her hunting knife and began skinning the magical fur from the cat’s corpse.
Lana and Vasily made their way to the far side of the clearing, where the fallen blink dog lay crumpled in the undergrowth. A few hounds from the main pack were nearby and looked on warily. Growls emanating from their immense jaws as the companions approached, but then faded as Vasily reached their comrade. It was still breathing, just, causing Vasily to kneel and murmur soft words of healing. A few moments later the dog brought itself to its feet and yapped merrily. Its companions responded in kind, seemingly conducting a conversation. They permitted Vasily to administer a short pat then, having finished feasting on the felled moose, bounded off into the forest and were gone.
As the party rode on down the trail a few of the elven scouts disclosed what rumours abounded regarding these two types of creature. A pride of displacer beasts had appeared from the dark magic point known as Dragontree some months ago - indeed several of the cats had been hunted by the Karameikan party during their last exploits through Darokin to the south. One wily and troublesome beast, the last of its pride, had for a long time eluded the elven patrols. Shortly after the cats’ appearance however a small pack of blink dogs was observed emerging from the beneficial magic point at Turnclaw, as if maintaining some sort of cosmic balance. Indeed, many elven sages postulated a theory that blink dogs and displacer beasts, being natural enemies, might originate from the same faraway plane of existence, and were at war against one another throughout time and space.
The hunt continued. The next day found the forest path occupied by a hideous creature - half bird and half old hag - perched on a low branch. As the party approached the harpy began singing in hideous screeching tones, causing all present save Vasily and Lana to become glossy-eyed and lethargic. As additional voices joined in the squawking it became apparent that the creature was not alone. Moments later a trio of the winged menaces swooped down from the higher branches on mangy wings, long curving blades clutched in their claw-like hands. Lana and Vasily gave fierce battle, Vasily summoning an area of silence through which the singing could not penetrate, but then found himself struck from behind by one harpy which he had not seen, and had not been able to silence. As one of the Erendyl elfmaidens fell bleeding from her saddle Lana watched horrified as Vasily took on the same vacant expression as the remainder of the party. Slowly however her companions came around, and all save one of the harpies were slain. Lana invoked a Fly spell and took to the air to pursue the last fleeing creature which had ensorcelled Vasily, lest it escape and Vasily never be able to recover from the evil enchantment. High in the treetops battle took place before the harpy met its end, an amber-hilted dagger embedded in its scrawny breast.
It was not long after when the party reached the town of Elleromyr, clanseat of the Erendyl elves. Here the party were praised for their kills during the Hunt, being the only party to rival another group which had encountered a manticore, and Adriana made the toast of all present for having slain the fearsome displacer beast. The companions were presented with hand-carved wooden medallions bearing the insignia of the Erendyl clan - a rampant crown-bearing unicorn.
Out of Alfheim
Confusion was rife as to the source of the unusual creatures which had been fought during the Hunt and for weeks before. Many attributed these creatures' appearances to the various Magic Points within Canolbarth, but an increasing number of reports added to the popular belief that the beasts were originating outside the forest, from Darokin (of all places) which was only a day’s ride to the west. Curious to investigate, and since they would in any event need to travel through Darokin to return to Karameikos, the party set off to the west. That day the immense trees of Alfheim gave way to regular trees and smaller plantlife, until the party found themselves riding through sparser woodland and into Darokin. Camping one night they managed to obtain directions from a local homestead whose occupants spoke a little Thyatian but managed to convey a sense of local disturbances and 'strange times'.
Riding onward, the party soon reached the farming town of Favaro, which based on the party's rudimentary knowledge of Darokinian geography they believed lay to the north of Darokin City. Here an elven guard advised that she too had heard tale of strange creatures roaming the lands – not only had the local orcs grown restless, but entire villages had been levelled by tribes of hill giants, packs of hellhounds and even dragons of varying colours had been spied in the skies. Strange times indeed, the party considered. Tempted though they were to investigate the source of the mystery, the combined forces of Darokin's militia, magic-users and clergy appeared equally dumbfounded despite months of planning and reconnaissance. In any event the party were under a duty to return to Karameikos to ensure Valen’s safe return home. And so following the mighty Streel River toward the south the companions reached Darokin City only a couple of days later.
Farewell to Karnus
Thanks to Adriana's political influence (and her ability to access the coffers of the local Karameikan Embassy) it was in Darokin’s premier city that the party was treated to rest and relaxation at the most affluent and luxurious of the local inns. The companions also indulged in a spot of shopping in the great market (which included Lana replacing Karnus's set of water-repelling robes, which in the past she had rendered non-magical by experimenting with a mystery magical item acquired in the course of one of the party’s adventures).
The blue-robed mage announced that he and his dryad apprentice would be taking their leave of the main party to strike out in the direction of the Principalities of Glantri. The name of the place sent shivers along the spines of cleric and dwarf, while Lana's eyebrows rose suspiciously despite her personal curiosity about the land governed by the Wizard-Princes. Karnus would be in his element in such company, she knew, and would most likely return a very changed individual. Karnus' justification for leaving the party was that he would reconnoitre the locale by enrolling at the Great School of Magic in Glantri City, before sending word as to whether his companions should follow. After all, Vasily would soon be commanded to travel to Boldavia, within the Glantrian borders, to rescue a missing artefact for the Church of Traladara. Karnus seemed unswayable from this course of action, thus a fond (and hopefully temporary) farewell was bid to the party's male magic-user at the City docks.
The Elemental ... Vasily to the rescue!
The remaining party-members waved farewell from their ship, watching the blue and green forms of Karnus and Betula blend and disappear into the milling throng of cityfolk. Scarcely moments later a cry of alarm went up, accompanied by the sounds of splintering wood, and all present turned their heads to gaze far upstream. There, at the upper end of the river, an eight-foot tall tidal wave could be seen sweeping downstream and effortlessly obliterating any objects in its path. Without hesitation Lana decided that she would try to tackle this threat. Spreading her arms wide she summoned a vortex in the river between her craft and the oncoming menace. The waters churned and moments later an identical tidal wave formed under Lana’s control. She deduced the foe to be an uncontrolled water elemental. Could this too be one of the freakish monsters which had randomly appeared inside Darokin?
Lana mentally commanded her elemental to engage its foe, and the two waves collided violently. The bond between Lana and her summoning grew strained however as she became aware of the anger and power behind the enemy elemental. Her grasp on the spell waned, and she watched in dismay as her summoning was quickly torn to pieces, soon dissipating into a layer of foam floating on the waters of the Streel river.
Noting this failure, and realising his own clerical abilities could provide a satisfactory resolution to the threat, Vasily quickly stepped forward...
To Be Concluded!