"There are tales of an ancient age, when Elves wandered the world in great numbers, when their achievements outshone even the brightness of the sun, when human and dwarven civilizations were still in their infancies. There was a time of legends and heroes, of incredible accomplishments and great deeds, a time when the world knew true grandeur. That time is long gone, however, crushed under the heel of fate and decay. The Elves are gone, now, victims to their own delusions. They failed to heed the warnings of the Harbinger, the one who came to warn them… He arrived on the night the moons and the Centaur constellation were aligned, several millennia ago, his appearance foul and nightmarish, and warned all who would listen of the impending doom that lay ahead. He issued warnings and prophecies, but the Elves had grown vain and arrogant, and heeded him not. The Harbinger left, promising to return when the time would be right again.
"Several generations later-a short time by Elven reckoning-the Harbinger returned, once more treading under an alignment of the moons and constellations. The Elves had all but forgotten his past warnings. As the Curse fell upon their race, they stood defenseless. Despite their arcane lore and magical skills, they could not resist the godly powers that crushed them. When the Harbinger left their lands, there was not a single building standing. It is said that the winds carried the stench of death even as far as the Dwarven villages in the north. The latter took this for a sign that evil was coming, and prepared to defend themselves. When the Harbinger came to their lands to warn them too that their turn would come, that great danger lay ahead, they grew fearful of the visitor's appearance, and shunned him. He left them, warning them that achievements alone were not the measure of a worthy people.
"A millennia later, the skies repeated their fateful alignment of moons and stars. The Dwarves had flourished into a society of craftsmen and artisans. They had built great cities and were dutifully worshipping their god. Prophecies from long ago warned them against a fate similar to that of the Elves, so they had taken care to properly groom themselves and prepare for the Third Coming. When the Harbinger came to them, however, they could not stand the sight and smell of him, and, mistaking him for some fiend from hell, immediately struck him down. This, historians say, was the very act that caused the downfall of the Dwarves. They also say that some humans witnessed the event, and that the Harbinger warned them as well, that he told them they too would be judged, lest their worthiness was greater than that of the Elves and the Dwarves.
"Now, it may be that none of this tale is true, that we are but a worried people living under an unusual alignment of stars, one which has not occurred in a thousand years, but maybe, just maybe, there is some truth to this tale. Maybe there really is a Harbinger that is walking the land even as we speak, walking towards us to judge us and torment us if we fail him. So, little scoundrel, before I kill you for your crimes, before I condemn your soul to everlasting fire, answer me this one question."Do you feel worthy, Punk?"
The Story of The New Lands As told by Elvylia
(Elvylia smiles softly to the traveller) "Greetings Traveller of the Winds. I am Elvylia. Before you begin your journey into the new lands, let me tell you a small tale to better prepare you for what is coming your way. Please listen carefully. After all you have learned about the Harbinger's visit to the Elves and the Dwarves... after all you have learned and done to aide Crimsonscale in stopping Olin Haad and his plans with Gluriurl... this tale begins. As you well know, Oberon (King of the Elves, better known as Makrsh P'tangh to you) had betrayed his own people by siding with Gluriurl to kill Artherk. Now you know Artherk loved his elves and adored them very much. Artherk loved us elves so much that he had created a tapestry known as the Elvenweave. Myself and just a few from our council of elders, along with a handful of our people, were imprisoned in the Elvenweave instead of being killed by the Harbinger. The Elvenweave depicted our city of Anwynn as it was before being reduced to ruins that rest below Lighthaven. What the Harbinger did not know was that at the very last second as we were placed into the Elvenweave, we cast a very powerful spell that transported us all physically to a New Land, but yet left our likenesses in the Tapestry. That is right Traveller, transported!!! Not only were we few survivors transported; but also the majority of our city... except for the temple with Lothar's Heart. It could not be moved... nor the few buildings and elves around it. They remained on Arakas and were buried by a terrible and very powerful earthquake. The Elves that were left behind are still there nowadays, below Lighthaven. We could not transport them due to powerful magic that was cast by Oberon, because he was enraged at being named a traitor by his people. His spell was so powerful and evil that it backfired, taking his soul... it turned him into the soulless, undead Lich he is now. Well, Traveller, I am not sure how much you know about us elves, but we are a race that prefers to live in the here and now, rather than in the past. I tell you this because any of us you might encounter on your way to Winya Anwynn will just gaze at you sorrowfully if you ask them about Anwynn. We can scarcely bear to hear the name even after all these years, much less speak of it. Winya Anwynn means New Anwynn in Elvish, Traveller. We felt it only fitting to rename it slightly, as it is a village on a new land. We also do not like to live in the past. We feel the presence of The Harbinger always hovering nearby, as if sensing us but not quite able to find us yet. Because of this we have had to be careful about casting spells, as it may reveal us to him at any time!"
