The nightmare you refer to is only legend. Ask any Elf, both Moraquendi, Calaquendi, or Quentari about Valerian Clearbrook and you will only hear honor describing my noble house.
I explain these events, so EVERYONE might share and learn from Brisbane's past.
The events you describe are only a memory, a series of events that did occur
during another lifetime. Originally, I was captured by the Lord of The Haunted
Wood and became one of the Ramagra (Silvermyst Elves that believe they are superior
to every race). The Lord of the Haunted Woods discovered the enormous taint
of Chaos left upon my spirit; an elemental scar that would never heal. The Chaos
Taint was the result of an elaborate ritual, one that was attempting to fix
the flow of Earth and Celestial Magics.
Prior to discovering the Silvermyst Forest, I was Knight under Baron Calipso
Sakalid. Our Queen, before the line of the Aran, had passed at the age of 350
years. A death of natural causes, so early in an Elves life alarmed the entire
nation of Quentari. Baron Sakalid made and oath that he would repair the balance
between Earth and Celestial Magic and equalize the life flows. The rituals Baron
Sakalid cast became more dangerous with each passing day. The rituals were so
difficult to control, Baron Sakalid required seven people to assist with the
casting, including myself. At first our work was noble and allowed Quentari
to discover many powerful secrets, ones that we do not mention to this day.
However, Baron Sakalid became a man possessed, he still was not pleased with
our progress. Baron Sakalid believed that Earth alone would not counter Celestial
Magic, and began to flirt with the idea of invoking Chaotic Energy. At this
point all of the Knights were loyal to Sakalid, but would had a feeling of horror
that our fates would face a black end.
When the rituals started to brush the world of Necromancy I declared my intolerance,
but Baron Sakalid would not remove my oaths. Again we were ordered to the ritual
Circle, but Baron Sakalid made promises we would not be exposed to any Necromancy.
We should not have listened... Baron Sakalid tore at the very fabric of Tyraa
and invoked the very powers of creation. For a brief moment we were able to
control the energy, a euphoria that was as delicious as it was overwhelming.
Then it ended, a ritual backlash that transformed all six knights and Baron
Sakalid into Chaotic Entities. I use the word entities, since nothing could
explain the nightmare we had become. Six moons later and with the assistance
of the Helevorn Institute of Knowledge and Learning, our spirits were repaired,
but the taint would always remain.
After this horrific event, Baron Sakalid realized the powers of Earth, Celestial,
and Elemental must create their own equilibrium. To our credit, we did reverse
the pull of Celestial magic and return the Elven lifespan to its original length.
However, the cost was too much... The line of the Aran began, the Age of Kings
in Quentari and the Age of Queens was soon forgotten. It was at this time that
the Song of Quentari had lost its beauty and a new melody, a gentle whisper
called to me from the north. I knew the Silvermyst Forest existed before I ever
gazed upon its wild beauty, the voice was a new song and I knew it was my destiny.
I put myself before the Charitable Judgment of the Aran, and he allowed me to
revoke my oaths to Sakalid and leave Quentari. I gathered close to five hundred
Quentari Elves and we made the journey to tne untamed borderlands. It was there
I would find the Silvermyst Forest, and it was there I would make my permanent
home. I thought the nighmare of Sakalid and the Chaos Taint were behind me,
but another evil crept within the Silvermyst Forest... The Lord of the Haunted
Woods.
During the early stages of the Silvermyst Forest, I was known as The Hunter,
a man who had foresaken with oaths to nobility, turned away from the scholarly
arts, and took up the simple lifestyle of a hunter. However, as the Forest expanded
and our population grew, a council of elders could not rule a nation. Our people
adopted a monarchy and I was named Ernil, or Prince of the Silvermyst. Again,
I was thrust into the role of noble leader, but the crown did not weigh against
my brow. However, as time pulled forward, the crown would become a weight I
could not bare. It was shortly after I was named Ernil that the Silvermyst Forest
met our first representative from the Kingdom of Brisbane.
We had watched for decades as the Gypsy caravans and Human settlers poured onto
the fertile plains of Brisbane. As our southern neighbors we quickly became
friendly trading partners with the Gypsy Clans and the Human settlers. Life
remained simple throughout the early years, and we watched in awe as the Brisbane
settlements evolved into enoromous cities. Soon Brisbane was called a Kingdom,
and every nation from the Borderlands took notice. The Gypsy Kings and Queens
were non-aggressive by nature and ruled over a kingdom that did not lust for
imperialism and expansion. This was a peaceful period, and again mine was not
yet a burden. That would come with the birth of Justin Brisbane...
King Justin the Terrible possessed the human lust of his mother, a desire to
build Brisbane into something much grander. Justin's Gypsy father had passed
away when Justin was just a boy, and it was probably a blessing that fate had
spared him from his son's terror. Justin was a terror, but he was also ambitious,
ruthless, cunning, intelligent to a fault, and a tremendous leader. With one
wave of his hand, Justin transformed the Kingdom of Brisbane into a vast Empire,
a domain that stretched beyond the sands of Rihad, to the highest peaks of Tarsa,
and through the underworld of Nebulonde. All nations would kneel before the
might of Emperor Justin, including the Silvermyst Forest. This is when the Crown
first begins to appear an annoyance.
Like all human rulers, one would pass and a dozen others would emerge to be
a replacement. The Line of Justin Brisbane would span centuries, and eventually
cover close to two milleniums. During the early years of the Brisbane Empire
we were able to hold off and pacify the imperical lust of the Brisbane Empire.
However, gifts and military assistance were not enough for the Emperors of Brisbane,
they required allegiance. They were wise, I could not fault their judgment,
because by binding our nations in fealty we could never break apart. I swore
allegiance to Emperor Brisbane and became a Royal Knight of the Brisbane Empire
and Prince of the Silvermyst Forest. Absolute brilliance on the part of Brisbane,
since all of the nations were soon noble houses within the Brisbane Emperical
Hierarchy. All of the Borderland Nations swore allegiance to Justin Brisbane,
with the exception of the Dwarven Warlords of Banictore.
The Dwarven Warlords could not defeat the combined might of the Brisbane Empire.
However, the Brisbane Empire would never attempt to invade the Dwarven lands
of Banictore, because the cost of resource and life would be too great. A war
against Banictore would leave the Empire stripped of protection and resource,
and possibly cause the Borderland nations to break apart. An uneasy peace settled
upon the Borderlands, where Banictore was not conquered, but subjegated by the
might of Brisbane.
I tell this lengthy tale since history is important, I have always been an adept
historian. What occured next would change the landscape of Silvermyst and Brisbane
forever...
Once I bent knee to a human ruler, in an attempt topreserve the peace and unity
of the Silvermyst Forest, many of my Elven brothers were shocked and outraged.
The "High Elves" considered themselves above all mortal races, and
could not fathom the necessity to bow before Emperical Brisbane. I argued for
decades, attempting to show the benefits of peace and prosperity, but I failed...
The "High Elves," lead by my one of my oldest friends, Baron Nastel
of Summerset, openly stated their distaste for the Empire. I quelled the anger
between the Throne of Brisbane and the "High Elves," of Summerset.
My pride lead me to believe that I could fix any barrier and make everyone share
my views; again I was wrong. I thought the High Elves were only acting like
the old aristocracy of Quentari, but their beliefs went much deeper.
The High Elves of Quentari would join with the Lord of Haunted Woods and attempt
to overtake the Silvermyst Forest. The Barony of Summerset became the epicenter
for treason, and soon branches of sedition touched every household and clan
within the forest. Although peace reigned for centuries, hatred festered within
the courts of Summerset and Goldstone. No one could be trusted, it was a darktime,
mostly because I could not see the danger coming, until a group of adventurers
made an impromtu introduction...
A group of adventurers stumbled out from a Fey Gateway, the passageway used
to move between Silvermyst and the Fey Kingdom of Sorel. I was perplexed by
the situation, since I was expecting the Embassador from Sorel with a gift of
a hundred Treants. Instead I found three Elves, each wearing the noble colors
of my household, along with the crest of the Crescent Moon and Raven. I did
not know what to make of the clumsy intruders, but their voices spoke of treason,
civil war, and murder. The claimed my best friends would betray me and bring
the Silvermyst Forest under the rule of the Lord of the Haunted Woods. The High
Elves would call themselves Moraquendi and rule the forest with the Lord of
the Haunted Woods. My false sense of security was shattered, the messengers
had done their part. I do not know if they acted with purpose or mistake, but
the wheels of motion would be shifted along with my fate. Men control their
fate, fate must not control men, and by honoring this philosophy I set out to
change my future. According to the travelers, who I would someday know as my
Court, I would change history...
The year was the decade before the great upheaval in Brisbane. The world erupted
into flames, the Silvermyst rebellion that was once a surprise, was greeted
by a well-armed force and a paranoid leader. Because of the message from the
future, I abandoned the role of the Hunter, and once again I adopted the archane
arts of dragon magic. The way of the sword and the hunter is a pure existence,
but it will not provide the raw power necessary to put down a rebellion. I was
prepared to protect my lands at all costs, and sacrifice my life.
Although I was ready for the betrayal, the treason has run too deep, and the
High Elves controlled the Baronies of Goldstone and Summerset. One of my oldest
friends, Baron Nastel of Summerset took the name, The Black Ram, and commanded
the armies of the Moraquendi and the dreaded Ramagra. The War became known as
the War of the High Lords, reflecting the High Elven philosophy for succession.
The war ground to a bloody halt, and claimed many of the noble knights and chiefs
of both sides. I had changed the fate of the Silvermyst, but I could achieve
a bloody stalemate that left the Silvermyst weakened and fractured with hate.
However, my tampering with the Time Continuum drew the attention of the Dragon
Council and the Time Knights. I was brought before the Dragon Council, and they
were not gentle... I was stripped of my powers, my rights, and branded with
a medallion for my disobedience. The Dragon Council then handed me to the Time
Knights, who made the Dragon Council seem civil in both manner and touch. I
smiled throughout my penance, sometimes weeping openly with a dry smile. The
Time Knights thought I was insane, and at many points I thought I was. However,
my sanity clung to one constant: I had cheated Fate and molded my people's fate.
The Silvermyst had survived, I was not cursed to walk the land as the murdering
Hunter, and I would not have to live with the nightmare of killing my own citizens.
I had won, and no matter what the Time Knights and Dragon Council could do,
it was a small sacrifice compared to the terror the Silvermyst would have experience.
The Emperors of Brisbane had ruled with a strength that rivaled the constancy
of the stars, but their days were at an end. The entire Empire would soon see
it's final sunset; the Borderlands would burn with war for close a century,
and leave Brisbane a fractured wasteland. Legends claim the Curse of Brisbane
initiated the decline and eventual ruin of the Empire, but I believe men shape
fate, not fate shaping men. Whatever the reason may be,the Empire had finally
failed, and like angry children the nations turned agains their father. With
Nebulonde and Silvermyst entrenched in bitter Civil Wars, Rihad, Tarsa, the
Ice Nation, and The Giant League of Maul all removed their Emperical collars
and reclaimed their independence. For Banictore, it was time for revenge. Utilizing
the anger of the Ice Nation, the Dwarves of Banictore convinced the Ice Nation
to not just revolt, but to take revenge. With all her allies in rebellion or
crippled with Civil War, The Crown of Brisbane was losing its luster. Although
the Kingdom of Brisbane and the Capitol City were tremendously powerul and controlled
enormous legions, they could not survive alone.
Centuries would move as quickly as the seasons, and Brisbane would see the first
Evendarr expedition from Lady Katherine. This expedition would fail, doomed
by the power of Karveki, the Colanta, and the Curse of Brisbane. They disappeared
more quickly than a gentle sun shower. Finally, a leader would arrive that would
understand the balance of the Borderlands and bring repair to the ruined face
of this nation. Queen Niomi, my liege lord and ruler, would be the first person
to unite Brisbane, Silvermyst, and Nebulonde in 500 years...
She is the one, she is my compass, she could only be my leader. Again I take
the role of Royal Knight and protector of the Silvermyst Forest, but this time
we face the added difficulty of unraveling the supersition of The Curse of Brisbane
and pacifying the ancient fear of Brisbane Imperialism...
In summary, I avoided the fate of the Hunter by sacrificing my own household,
and preserving half of the Silvermyst in the process. I did not murder the people
of Silvermyst, as myth suggests, but I did take every step to protect the Forest
and my people. This is my goal, and will be to my final day... Which is why
I am bound to the land and chosen by Queen Niomi to be both her knight and legal
administrator.
Safe Travels,
Valerian Clearbrook