Elven High Council
The alloted time passed, and those summoned by the Elven king assembled in th High Council. The council room was a cavernous, hexagonal chamber built of oak and stone with its cathedral ceiling peaked starlike. A set of huge, wooden doors opened into the room, lighted by the low hanging oil lamps suspended at the ends of iron chains. Against the wall stood a statue of the King. It was next to a great, hand carven throne flanked by a line of standards, which hung flags bearing the insignia of the houses of Elven Kings. Seats bordered the remaining walls, each sat a dozen of rows , all overlooking an area of polished stone flooring encirlced like an arena. At the exact center of the room stood a wide oval table with twenty one chairs which held members of the Elven High Council. Only six of these chairs were occupied this night. At one set Crispin.
He wore twin daggers around his waist and a broad sword hung in its scabbard from the back of his chair. He wore no insignia of office except for a silver medallion that bore the crest of the Ellesidils abd dangled from a silver chain around his neck. He was the Captain of the Home Gaurd, the elite corps of Elven hunters whose sole duty was the protection of the King. His presence to the others at the council was something of a mystery. But then why are we summoned at this hour, was swimming through everyone's head. He spoke little to the five sitting around, his eyes staring restless to the closed double doors at the far end of the chamber. Thoughts of events from the past clouded his mind. Before dawn had approached Crispin was in the Gardens of Life. The Elven people of Arborlorn lay sleeping still wrapped in a warmth and solitudes of their beds.
He passed between the sentries of the Black Watch or night guards. He passed quickly and only his sandled feet on the gravel pathway disturbed the silence of the new day, as he slipped into the shadowerd dark beyond. he came to an abrubt stop as he stood in front of the Ellcry's. The Ellcry's is a strange and wondrous tree that stood at the center of the gardens. The tree, as legends told, served as protector against a evil that almost destroyed the Elven nations centuried ago. The evil had been shut away from the earth to a place called the Forbidding. Little is known about the Forbbiding besides it being a dimensional world that hosted dangerous demons. If the Ellcrys were to die than the Forbidding would be opened and the demons let loose to wreck havoc upon the land. That is ehy their are Chosen. The Chosen are a member of Elves that took care of the Ellcrys. They were chosen by the tree, which is where they got their name. Their is a tradition handed down through generations of Elves, a tradition of service that the Elves regarded as both a coveted honor and a solemn duty.
Crispin stared in awe at the silver barked, red leaved tree. He placed his hands on the silver bark and words of greeting formed his lips but he never got to speak. A slender branch from the ancient tree dipped slightly to brush his shoulder.
~ Crispin ~
The young Elf jumped at the sound of his name. But no one had spoken. The sound had been in his head, the voice little more than a image in his own face. It was the Ellcrys. He cought his breath, twisting his head to glimpse at the silver branch. Confusion swept through him. She had never spoken to him before.
~ Crispin! Hear me. Remember what I tell you. Do not fail me. ~
A chill swept over him and the Gardens of Life were surrounded by a deep, hollow silence. images filled his head, flowing in one after the other. Their were horror contained in those images. if he had been able he would have turned and fled but the tree held him still. The images continued to come and the horror to rise until he felt he could stand no more. Then at last it was finished, the Ellcrys was silent once more, her limbs lifting from his shoulders and strecthing wide to catch the mourning rays of sun. The Elven hunter stood frozen, a silent voice of truth spoke soundlessly. The legend was no legend. The legend was real. Evil did lie behind a force called the Forbidding. Only she kept the Elven poeple and the rest of the world safe. And now she is dying!
Crispin found himself staring breathlessly at a portrait of Arborlorn back in the council room. He glanced around the room and briefly studied the King. The Elven King stared at the wall, lost in his own thoughts. He turned his head and studied the other four. His gaze shifted momentarily on their faces. Tam Ellesidil sat on his father's right, the place at the table only the crown prince sat. Tam lacked compassion ans at times showed stubborness that blocked his good senses. It was difficult to predict what might happen when it was his place to be King. The King's First Minister, Emer Chios, occupied the chair next to Tam. Being the First Minister, he was in charge of the council while the King is absent. Being an articulate and persuasive man, he can be depended on to express his feelings openly. Kael Pindanon, Commander of the Elven army, was the Kings oldest and closest friend. Even though he was ten years younger than the King, he looked atleast that much older. His face seemed like dry wood, scarred and knotted from a lifetime of combat. White hair flowed down below his shoulders, and a great drooping mustache arched around the thin line of his mouth. The old soldier was completely devoted to hos King. The last Elf was younger than himself. His name was Rand. The King's youngest son. Slim and dark haired, he set next to Pindanon, his chair drawn back slightly from the oval table, not speaking to the others but watching in silence.
Suddenly, the massive doors swung open at the far end of the chamber and six heads turned as one.Allanon the driud strode through, tall and forbidding in his black robes. He moved wordlessly to the opposite end of the oval table. There the druid seated himself and raised his dark face towards the King.
" My Lord, Alastor!" He bowed slightly.
" Allanon," the King replied. " You are welcome."
" All are assembled?"
" All, " Eventine assured him, naming them one by one. " Please, one of my Elven hunters has some vital information. I think we all need to hear this." He motioned to Crispin and went silent. Crispin stood and bowed before everyone before speaking.
" During an Elven patrol the previous day, we left to change shifts with the previous Elven hunters at the outpost. While getting closer and closer we noticed a stench in the air that made my stomach curl. We also took notice of the absence of squirrels and birds. The forest were quieter than an Elven hunter tracking animals. When we got to the outpost the Elven hunters were no where around. Upon looking, we discovered the eleven mangled forms that used to be highly trained Elven hunters. We wondered what could have done this and the answer came to un like a whirlwind. A massive Hell hound jumped out and quickly devoured Ard Patrinell. We fled and it chased us. One by one the Elven hunters fell. I tried to slow it down but I got caught up in one of our Creeper traps. I managed to get out but very badly wounded. I could barely run. After awhile I thought I lost it, only to find out it was right behind me. It played with me. Making me go anywhere it wanted. I tried to turn and run but everytime it was in front of me howling madly. It kept this up until it cornered me and the only place I had to run was a dark tunnel. I ran into the tunnel. It was very dark and damp. Their were jagged rocks all over and stagalimites hanging down. I heard water running nearby, so I kept running knowing their should be another exit where the water lead. I ran until my legs wouldnt carry me anymore. I realized I had to make my last stand. Before I had time to form a plan the demon was rushed me but i dogded it and we embraced in a dance of death. Needless to say I won! The demon is dead, but you can bet there are more out there. They are every bit ferocious asthe legends told only they can be killed. It was a struggle I almost didnt come out of. At first it was a mystery. I had no clue why Hell hounds were appearing. I recently found the answer.... The Ellcrys are dying!" He paused and waited for their cries of denial to stop before continuing. " People, it is true. She talked to me this mourning. She has never talked to me before. It was a little different than I thought, when she spoke it was in my mind and it came in images instead of words. She told me that when she died the Forbidding would be opened and the demons let loose. She showed me all kinds of demons and what will happen if we dont prepare ourselves. And believe me Hell hounds are the least of our worries compared to some of the demons she showed me. The demon hordes have an unimaginable sum of demons and they fight with suck ferocity. I really dont believe our army can even hope to cut down their ranks by half!"
Kael Pindanon stood up, outrage showing clearly on his face. " Captain! You do not know as much as you think you know about my army!" Crispin laughed.
" And Commander, you do not began to know what the demon army looks like. Trust me! We need to contact the Bordermen in the Legions Free Corps. They will know what to do. If they do not come then I hope Pindanon can back up his word about the Elven army." He bowed and took his seat going silent once more. The King stood up to speak.
" I just want everyone to know that the many challenges this city has faced, not once have we been defeated. Just look around, we are still here! Now I know I havent done anything brave or to be remembered like the great Kings of old, but I know I will not let some filthy demons take down the center of the Elven nation. Allanon, I believe you wish to speak." He sat, giving all the attention to the tall historian. Allanon stood and went through his cloak and brung forth a slim, wooden and silver staff. " Allanon," the King proclaimed! " What have you done?"
" The Ellcrys, Druid. You have cut a living branch from the tree!"
" Seize him!"
" Sling him in a dungeon!"
A wave of Allanon's hand silenced them all. " No people, it was given to me." The tall man replied. " Before coming here I spoke to the Ellcrys. She asked me why I had come. I told her that the Elves have no magic to counter that of the demons. She gave it to me, Elven King, so that I may give it to you to carry to battle against those that threaten her people and land." The Druids voice was so col that it seemed to freeze the very air in the room. " Here is magic that will give you strength to the Elven army, power to withstand the evil that lies within the demon hordes. This staff shall be our talisman, the right arm of the Ellcrys, carried forth when both armies meet to do battle!" he thrust the staff into Eventines hands, and they closed about it. The King's eyes widened in shock.
" It lives! Apart from her yet it is still filled with her life." The Druid moved back a pace and his eyes shifted about everyone.
" Does the army stand ready?" The King nodded. " Good. We march at Dawn. We must move quickly now."
" But where are we marching to?" The King asked immediately. " Have you found where the Forbidding will break?" The Druid nodded.
" I have, the Ellcrys told me. She senses the demons all centered on a single point. She feels herself weakening where they gather. The demons are summoned to that place by the one that commands them, the Dagda Mor. he has powers that rival my own. But we will be waiting for them, we will stand ready for battle while they are still disorganized." He unrolled a map and placed it sqaurely on the table." The break will come here!" his finger pointed to the Hoare Flats.
The alloted time passed, and those summoned by the Elven king assembled in th High Council. The council room was a cavernous, hexagonal chamber built of oak and stone with its cathedral ceiling peaked starlike. A set of huge, wooden doors opened into the room, lighted by the low hanging oil lamps suspended at the ends of iron chains. Against the wall stood a statue of the King. It was next to a great, hand carven throne flanked by a line of standards, which hung flags bearing the insignia of the houses of Elven Kings. Seats bordered the remaining walls, each sat a dozen of rows , all overlooking an area of polished stone flooring encirlced like an arena. At the exact center of the room stood a wide oval table with twenty one chairs which held members of the Elven High Council. Only six of these chairs were occupied this night. At one set Crispin.
He wore twin daggers around his waist and a broad sword hung in its scabbard from the back of his chair. He wore no insignia of office except for a silver medallion that bore the crest of the Ellesidils abd dangled from a silver chain around his neck. He was the Captain of the Home Gaurd, the elite corps of Elven hunters whose sole duty was the protection of the King. His presence to the others at the council was something of a mystery. But then why are we summoned at this hour, was swimming through everyone's head. He spoke little to the five sitting around, his eyes staring restless to the closed double doors at the far end of the chamber. Thoughts of events from the past clouded his mind. Before dawn had approached Crispin was in the Gardens of Life. The Elven people of Arborlorn lay sleeping still wrapped in a warmth and solitudes of their beds.
He passed between the sentries of the Black Watch or night guards. He passed quickly and only his sandled feet on the gravel pathway disturbed the silence of the new day, as he slipped into the shadowerd dark beyond. he came to an abrubt stop as he stood in front of the Ellcry's. The Ellcry's is a strange and wondrous tree that stood at the center of the gardens. The tree, as legends told, served as protector against a evil that almost destroyed the Elven nations centuried ago. The evil had been shut away from the earth to a place called the Forbidding. Little is known about the Forbbiding besides it being a dimensional world that hosted dangerous demons. If the Ellcrys were to die than the Forbidding would be opened and the demons let loose to wreck havoc upon the land. That is ehy their are Chosen. The Chosen are a member of Elves that took care of the Ellcrys. They were chosen by the tree, which is where they got their name. Their is a tradition handed down through generations of Elves, a tradition of service that the Elves regarded as both a coveted honor and a solemn duty.
Crispin stared in awe at the silver barked, red leaved tree. He placed his hands on the silver bark and words of greeting formed his lips but he never got to speak. A slender branch from the ancient tree dipped slightly to brush his shoulder.
~ Crispin ~
The young Elf jumped at the sound of his name. But no one had spoken. The sound had been in his head, the voice little more than a image in his own face. It was the Ellcrys. He cought his breath, twisting his head to glimpse at the silver branch. Confusion swept through him. She had never spoken to him before.
~ Crispin! Hear me. Remember what I tell you. Do not fail me. ~
A chill swept over him and the Gardens of Life were surrounded by a deep, hollow silence. images filled his head, flowing in one after the other. Their were horror contained in those images. if he had been able he would have turned and fled but the tree held him still. The images continued to come and the horror to rise until he felt he could stand no more. Then at last it was finished, the Ellcrys was silent once more, her limbs lifting from his shoulders and strecthing wide to catch the mourning rays of sun. The Elven hunter stood frozen, a silent voice of truth spoke soundlessly. The legend was no legend. The legend was real. Evil did lie behind a force called the Forbidding. Only she kept the Elven poeple and the rest of the world safe. And now she is dying!
Crispin found himself staring breathlessly at a portrait of Arborlorn back in the council room. He glanced around the room and briefly studied the King. The Elven King stared at the wall, lost in his own thoughts. He turned his head and studied the other four. His gaze shifted momentarily on their faces. Tam Ellesidil sat on his father's right, the place at the table only the crown prince sat. Tam lacked compassion ans at times showed stubborness that blocked his good senses. It was difficult to predict what might happen when it was his place to be King. The King's First Minister, Emer Chios, occupied the chair next to Tam. Being the First Minister, he was in charge of the council while the King is absent. Being an articulate and persuasive man, he can be depended on to express his feelings openly. Kael Pindanon, Commander of the Elven army, was the Kings oldest and closest friend. Even though he was ten years younger than the King, he looked atleast that much older. His face seemed like dry wood, scarred and knotted from a lifetime of combat. White hair flowed down below his shoulders, and a great drooping mustache arched around the thin line of his mouth. The old soldier was completely devoted to hos King. The last Elf was younger than himself. His name was Rand. The King's youngest son. Slim and dark haired, he set next to Pindanon, his chair drawn back slightly from the oval table, not speaking to the others but watching in silence.
Suddenly, the massive doors swung open at the far end of the chamber and six heads turned as one.Allanon the driud strode through, tall and forbidding in his black robes. He moved wordlessly to the opposite end of the oval table. There the druid seated himself and raised his dark face towards the King.
" My Lord, Alastor!" He bowed slightly.
" Allanon," the King replied. " You are welcome."
" All are assembled?"
" All, " Eventine assured him, naming them one by one. " Please, one of my Elven hunters has some vital information. I think we all need to hear this." He motioned to Crispin and went silent. Crispin stood and bowed before everyone before speaking.
" During an Elven patrol the previous day, we left to change shifts with the previous Elven hunters at the outpost. While getting closer and closer we noticed a stench in the air that made my stomach curl. We also took notice of the absence of squirrels and birds. The forest were quieter than an Elven hunter tracking animals. When we got to the outpost the Elven hunters were no where around. Upon looking, we discovered the eleven mangled forms that used to be highly trained Elven hunters. We wondered what could have done this and the answer came to un like a whirlwind. A massive Hell hound jumped out and quickly devoured Ard Patrinell. We fled and it chased us. One by one the Elven hunters fell. I tried to slow it down but I got caught up in one of our Creeper traps. I managed to get out but very badly wounded. I could barely run. After awhile I thought I lost it, only to find out it was right behind me. It played with me. Making me go anywhere it wanted. I tried to turn and run but everytime it was in front of me howling madly. It kept this up until it cornered me and the only place I had to run was a dark tunnel. I ran into the tunnel. It was very dark and damp. Their were jagged rocks all over and stagalimites hanging down. I heard water running nearby, so I kept running knowing their should be another exit where the water lead. I ran until my legs wouldnt carry me anymore. I realized I had to make my last stand. Before I had time to form a plan the demon was rushed me but i dogded it and we embraced in a dance of death. Needless to say I won! The demon is dead, but you can bet there are more out there. They are every bit ferocious asthe legends told only they can be killed. It was a struggle I almost didnt come out of. At first it was a mystery. I had no clue why Hell hounds were appearing. I recently found the answer.... The Ellcrys are dying!" He paused and waited for their cries of denial to stop before continuing. " People, it is true. She talked to me this mourning. She has never talked to me before. It was a little different than I thought, when she spoke it was in my mind and it came in images instead of words. She told me that when she died the Forbidding would be opened and the demons let loose. She showed me all kinds of demons and what will happen if we dont prepare ourselves. And believe me Hell hounds are the least of our worries compared to some of the demons she showed me. The demon hordes have an unimaginable sum of demons and they fight with suck ferocity. I really dont believe our army can even hope to cut down their ranks by half!"
Kael Pindanon stood up, outrage showing clearly on his face. " Captain! You do not know as much as you think you know about my army!" Crispin laughed.
" And Commander, you do not began to know what the demon army looks like. Trust me! We need to contact the Bordermen in the Legions Free Corps. They will know what to do. If they do not come then I hope Pindanon can back up his word about the Elven army." He bowed and took his seat going silent once more. The King stood up to speak.
" I just want everyone to know that the many challenges this city has faced, not once have we been defeated. Just look around, we are still here! Now I know I havent done anything brave or to be remembered like the great Kings of old, but I know I will not let some filthy demons take down the center of the Elven nation. Allanon, I believe you wish to speak." He sat, giving all the attention to the tall historian. Allanon stood and went through his cloak and brung forth a slim, wooden and silver staff. " Allanon," the King proclaimed! " What have you done?"
" The Ellcrys, Druid. You have cut a living branch from the tree!"
" Seize him!"
" Sling him in a dungeon!"
A wave of Allanon's hand silenced them all. " No people, it was given to me." The tall man replied. " Before coming here I spoke to the Ellcrys. She asked me why I had come. I told her that the Elves have no magic to counter that of the demons. She gave it to me, Elven King, so that I may give it to you to carry to battle against those that threaten her people and land." The Druids voice was so col that it seemed to freeze the very air in the room. " Here is magic that will give you strength to the Elven army, power to withstand the evil that lies within the demon hordes. This staff shall be our talisman, the right arm of the Ellcrys, carried forth when both armies meet to do battle!" he thrust the staff into Eventines hands, and they closed about it. The King's eyes widened in shock.
" It lives! Apart from her yet it is still filled with her life." The Druid moved back a pace and his eyes shifted about everyone.
" Does the army stand ready?" The King nodded. " Good. We march at Dawn. We must move quickly now."
" But where are we marching to?" The King asked immediately. " Have you found where the Forbidding will break?" The Druid nodded.
" I have, the Ellcrys told me. She senses the demons all centered on a single point. She feels herself weakening where they gather. The demons are summoned to that place by the one that commands them, the Dagda Mor. he has powers that rival my own. But we will be waiting for them, we will stand ready for battle while they are still disorganized." He unrolled a map and placed it sqaurely on the table." The break will come here!" his finger pointed to the Hoare Flats.