The History of the Silvermyst Forest
By Douglas Shuyler, Captain of the Shaidu Garrison
June 603ER
In 597 when Naomi Avendale's expedition traveled to the lands that would later become her Kingdom, the Silvermyst Forest was not much more than a dead forest. After a few months the elves of the group known as the Circle of Ash were visited by what appeared to all as a golden-skinned elf named Rasitin. He was in fact a being of Fairie called a Sidhe who claimed to want to help those in the forest and wished to enlist the aid of these new elves that have traveled to these lands to do so. He brought those elves to the forest of Silvermyst, and showed them what had become of the former elven Kingdom. They went though a great many tasks to aid in the resettling of the forest and the rescuing of its former Prince Valerian Clearbrook from his twisted existence as the Hunter.
Over twelve centuries ago a group of Elves from the far off Kingdom of Quentari arrived to seek new forests in which to settle. The Elves were led by General Valerian and had voluntarily departed their native land to found a new World that would serve as a True home to the Elven people. A representative of the Brisbane Empire warmly greeted General Valerian and peaceful negotiations soon ensued. Emperor Ungaro, a kindhearted ruler, generously granted the Elves could settle the then called Silver Spring Forest to the Brisbane's, named after the Silver Mist that enveloped the land prior to the Elves settling it. The Elves named their settlement Heartwood and peaceful trade between Heartwood and Brisbane soon commenced and further increased the prosperity of both. Soon thereafter, a Great Spirit Tree rose in the center of the Silvermyst proclaiming to all that a new Wold had been formed and the Elves had found a new true home. At this time the leader of the Elves was named Ernil, or Prince in the common language, and the Silver Spring Forest declared its sovereignty from the Empire only to join again in later years of its own free will.
Ernil Valerian led his people for many years until a dark time came. After his life mate suffered her permanent death, Ernil Valerian had attempted to acquire the aid of the Faerie Queen known as the Lady of the Wood in the prospering of the Kingdom. The Lord of the Haunted Wood had begun a war against the Silver Spring Forest several hundred years prior to Valerian arriving, and was still present within the forest. The Lady of the Wood rarely visited the Elves and would only provide limited assistance in their battle against the corrupted Treants, Unicorns, and other animals that the Lord of the Haunted Wood sent against the settlement to destroy the Spirit Tree. The more the Lady of the Wood aided Ernil Valerian and the Elves, the more power the Lord of the Haunted Wood was able to bring to bear to corrupt the Forest, and the people within it.
More than half a century passed and the Silver Spring grew to a larger community, once again a part of the Empire of Brisbane. Valerian was almost ready to take his final walk, when the Brisbane armies known as the regiment of Aegis turned to dust after their magic had expired. The Ice Nation Barbarian Clans began attacking not only the great cities of Brisbane, but also the Silver Spring Forest.
The Silver Spring was well protected, and at first took few casualties from the onslaught of the Barbarians. After almost a year of fighting, most of the cities of Brisbane had fallen, and the Barbarians were entering the forest in greater numbers, looking to hunt the animals of the forest for food and the elves of the forest that were once part of Brisbane for revenge. The war had taken a toll upon the Forest, with many of its magical creatures such as Treants and Unicorns being killed. Valerian turned once again to the Lady of the Forest only to be told that if she were to provide assistance the Lord of the Haunted Wood would be permitted greater access and his creatures combined with the might of the Barbarians would certainly corrupt the forest and destroy the Tree. The Lady of the Wood could offer no further help to the Elves against the Barbarians that entered the forest, killing the Elves who had settled it. She vowed to stand with the Forest dwellers until the end though she would bring no more creatures from Faerie to help.
The war with the Barbarians lasted for months, there insatiable appetite for the death of the elves unswerving. The lady of the wood had already departed the Forest, claiming that it was too dangerous, appearing only every week or two for a day at a time to lift the morale of the elven warriors. Many magical creatures had suffered death as well, and the forest seemed on the brink of defeat.
The Lord of the Haunted wood had continued his relentless attacks upon the forest and its people as well. Valerian, while visited by the Lord of the Haunted Wood one night, accepted a proposed truce offered to end hostilities between the corrupted and the living. The Lord of the Haunted Wood also granted some power to Valerian, rumors suggesting that he was given immunity to the normal blades the Barbarians used. With is new found truce and powers granted, Valerian was able to increase moral among his people but as was learned before, one person could not hold off an entire nation, almost 50 barbarian clans, by themself. So Valerian accepted a bit more power from the Lord of the Haunted Wood, and transferred that power to his most trusted Knights. Soon thereafter, the Lord of The Haunted Wood revealed his true intentions.
Through lies and deceit the Lord of the Haunted Wood turned Valerian and several of his Knights into corrupted elves. Warping the words of the truce and empowerment, the Lord of the Haunted Wood controlled Valerian and his own Knights to fight against the elven people, killing the adults but not the children. Valerian was soon called the Hunter by the remaining elves who stood against him. His Knights he called the "Ramagra".
Over the years that followed, the Lord of the Haunted Wood returned to Faerie to rule the Haunted Wood, and the Hunter continued to kill the citizens of the forest. Few citizens had escaped the Hunters wrath and those few that remained alive lived in the heart of the forest, a community named Heartwood. These young elves were met by the new elves of Avendale, and ultimately were able to defeat the Hunter, restoring Valerian to his old self, uncontrolled by the Lord of the Haunted Wood.
The Avendale Elves were aided by the Black Ram, the previous leader of the Corrupted prior to The Hunters appearance. The Black Ram ruled the Ramagra, and over the many centuries he had grown jealous of the Hunter and plotted his demise. It was the Black Ram who had led the Avendale people to the Hunter hoping they would defeat him, and he would then rule the Forest. The Black Ram was correct, the elves did defeat his rival but at the same time they released him from the control of the Dark Lord.
When Naomi Avendale returned to the lands in March of 597 to continue what her ancestor had started, it was her and her people that encountered and restored Valerian to his health. The Silvermyst had already been declared as part of the lands of Avendale. Valerian, upon his return, began to form a household with many of the Elves who had followed Niomi. This caused a division between Niomi and her Nobles and Valerian and the elves. The then Baroness Niomi watched as the appearance of Valerian tore her people in two, and over a portion of land that was still years away from inhabiting fully, just as the Dark Elf Lord Ishidu had done more than a year earlier.
After several months of discussion, and what some Evendarrians are calling a truly remarkable action, Baroness Niomi declared the Barony of Avendale to be the Kingdom of Avendale, named herself Queen of its people, and declared Valerian Clearbrook, Solomon Kane, and the Dark Elf Lord Ishidu to be Dukes of the Kingdom. Many speculate that Our Lady Baroness had traveled back to Evendarr to discuss the challenges she was facing with her old liege, Duchess Jane Monay, and that they decided on the course of Avendale.
Avendale once again blossomed, and the Silvermyst continued to receive supplies as it had been since the start of the Avendale Expedition in 597ER. Shortly thereafter, Valerian was recognized by Elemental Chaos Knights who captured and later corrupted him. Valerian had been a member on the court of Baron Calypso Sakalid of Quentari before journeying to Avendale, and had a taint of Chaos upon his spirit from a terrible Formal Magic Spell whose casting had gone awry. The adventurers of Avendale were able to rescue Valerian and banished the Elementals from Avendale for a 1 year period.
While Duke Valerian was held captive, the members of House Clearbrook traveled back in time, well over 1000 years, and encountered Valerian when he was Ernil of the Silver Spring, but before the fall of his reign. They warned him of what was to come and returned to the year 601ER where they had left. Upon there return they found that the history of the Silver Spring Forest had changed dramatically. Valerian had spent much of his time preparing and building fortifications, in an attempt to protect against what was destined to happen. The forest was saved from the Barbarians because of his preparations, but a civil war had erupted and had never been resolved. Upon hearing of the change in the Silver Spring History and recognizing his court from the past, Valerian decided that it was time to defeat the Lord of the Haunted Wood and send him back to Faerie for 12 months.
Duke Valerian gathered his court and set out after the Lord of the Haunted Wood. For months they tracked him, engaging in combat against him only to have him rift away each time to Faerie. Finally, in one last attempt, Valerian demands aid from the Lady of the Wood, and she brings his court to faerie, to take the battle to the Lord of the Haunted Wood. Many academics say that when the Lady of the Wood engages with the Lord of the Haunted Wood, they are permitted to bring only the same number of warriors. As the Lady of the Wood counted 15 with Valerians Court, so were there 14 warriors with the Lord of the Haunted Wood in the corrupted forest of Faerie, where one of many final battles between good and evil was fought. In a tremendous battle between highly skilled warriors, The Lord of the Haunted Wood stood with his Black Ram, Ramagra, and Corrupted, only to be defeated by the Silermyst Court. The Lady of the Wood had died first, in what appeared to be a suicide attack upon the Lord but was later recognized as her assuring that they would be able to defeat him when they engaged, as her attack had left him unable to cure himself of her wounds. Balynthalis, Kirath, Bretton, Darius, Konrad, Marius, T’lania, had also resurrected. All of the Ramagra were dead, but the Black Ram had escaped. Valerian then went to attend his civil war, a war which had kept the Silvermyst divided for too many years.
Valerian challenged the last remaining obstacle in the fight to resettle the forest, the leader of the Goldstones, Jason Goldstone, to a fight to the death. The winner become the leader, and the other lands would obey. And for the second time in less than a week, Valerian found himself in a fierce battle against an admirable foe. This fight, unfortunately, turned out to be the last for both leaders, as their final blows against each other rendered both unconscious, and both bled to death in font of those watching. Neither person was strong enough to resurrect, as there bodies dissipated and reformed after the healers failed to resurrect them. Valerian Clearbrook’s household whisked away his body to Quentari to be buried, with few of them returning. Jason Goldstone’s body was laid to rest under the Spirit Tree.
Niomi took the news of her Duke’s death with great sorrow, and declared that they would never be a divided people again. No longer would the Kingdom of Avendale have Dukes, and all Barons would report directly to her once again. Solomon Kane it is said, was gracious to her Majesty for his release form service, and once again began to travel the lands. Duke Ishidu was quite upset and returned to the underground, where it was said that he later died fighting against his Empress who was turned into a Vampire by Karveki.
The Silvermyst began a new civil war between the Five dominating Houses of the Silvermyst; Clearbrook, Goldstone, Sommerset, Westwind, and Blackwood. Fighting was contained to the lands of Sommerset in the Northeast of the forest, Goldstone joined forces with the two southern houses, and the Ruling house, Clearbrook, was failing due to the lack of support of those who never returned from Quentari. The civil war ended shortly thereafter, in the Summer of 602ER, when, among other negotiations, Niomi Avendale explained that they would cease their fighting or her forces would cease it for them.
In the Summer of 601, the Queen had put Baroness Kittery Anesia Hlindarn in charge of the Forest who took it upon herself to settle the problems. One year after the Lord of the Haunted Wood was defeated, as new one appeared within the Forest, with several Ramagra in powerful undead forms. The Lord’s return focused the elven houses from their own internal struggle, and caused them to make agreements until his defeat. Within three months the combined forces of the Silvermyst Forest and Baroness Kittery Ann court were able to banish the new, still weak, Lord of the Haunted Wood from the Silvemrist. The Black Ram was once again, the only corrupted to escape. What will happen with him is not known but with the another year gone by, and the possibility of the another Lord of the Haunted Wood appearing in the late spring anything can happen.