[Lore] XIX: Silverwood

   When the world of Telara had been created, Tavril the nature goddess, desired to have protectors and guardians of the sacred places, and to uphold her beliefs. She called the Elves of the world together in the forest of Tavra, in Silverwood. At the holy place now called the Mirror of Ages, she made with the Elves of the land a covenant. They would forever defend the untamed places of Telara in return for many gifts. Though the Elves kept to their cause through the age of prosperity, the Age of Dragons, and the chaos that came after, wandering to the far reaches of the world, they always kept Silverwood in their hearts as their home.
     Silverwood remains mostly untouched by the defilement of the cultists and dragons through the years, mostly through the dedication of the High Elves who have watched over it, retreating back to their beloved wood when the world became a dangerous and unstable place. Their numbers dwindled but they held fast in Silverwood, keeping the promise they had made to the goddess. Silverwood is a beautiful and rich forest backed on one side by high mountains and the other side by the deep waters of the sea. It is strategically sound for the Guardians, which is one of the reasons it was chosen for their base of operations. It is home to all manner of wild creatures, including wolves, vespids, squirrels, rabbits, fish, shamblers and boglings. Many different races can be seen here, but the most predominant are the High Elves and their brethren who have made Silverwood their home. The trees are towering giants, hundreds of years old, and the forest is thick with powerful magic and wisdom.

     Silverwood is home to the capital of the Guardians, Sanctum. It's the first "zone" that the Guardians are introduced to after their battle at Thedeor Field and fighting off Aedraxis and Regulos. Quicksilver College, the most prominent location for training and learning, is also located in Silverwood, and subjects such as history and culture are taught by prominent High Elves to many races. Many different types of magic are studied and taught at Quicksilver, as well as studies on nature and the Planes. Cyril Kalmar, the main leader of the Guardians, can usually be found in Sanctum. Silverwood is one of the most heavily defended of the zones on Telara for many reasons. It is the most frequented zone by players, it is always populated by those who are creating new characters, are starting over, or are new to the game, so there is always plenty of characters running around the wood. It also has a heavy Guardian presence, which means many more guards and soldiers than other zones, which are more loosely controlled and are constantly under attack from both the Planes and the Defiant. Silverwood is located directly opposite of Freemarch, the starting zone for the Defiant. It's easy to get from one zone to the other by swimming across the bay.
     Another important location of note in Silverwood is the Mirror of Ages. This is found to the northwest of Quicksilver, closer to Gloamwood. The Mirror of Ages is a sacred place for all High Elves, and probably quite a few of the other Guardian races as well. In the center of the grove is a beautiful pool of water in its purest form. Out of the water rises an ancient petrified statue of the first prophet of Tavril. The Mirror of Ages and the statue have long been a place of peace and sanctuary for pilgrims and initiates of Tavril's ways. If one is worthy, one can even hear Tavril's response as whispers among the green canopies overhead. Unfortunately, because the Mirror of Ages is such a sacred place, it has recently become a target of House Aelfwar in their bid to take over Silverwood and topple the civilizations of man.

     The main threat to Silverwood that you have to neutralize is House Aelfwar, led by the traitorous Prince Hylas Aelfwar, a High Elf who turned his back on Tavril and the Vigil and formed a pact with the dragon Greenscale. As you play through the story, you are given more information on both Hylas and his tragic love story with the High Priestess Shyla, who is one of the current leaders of the Guardians. You also gain a bit of information on why Hylas turned from the gods and how he was corrupted. Hylas would do anything to protect what he considers the last sacred bastion of nature on Telara, even going so far as to ally with the Fae and welcome them into the wood, outlawing the use of cold iron because Faeries hate it. Silverwood is also the home of a dungeon called "Realm of the Fae". This is the first dungeon that Guardian players come across in the game and is located physically in Silverwood in the North by the hedgerow mazes, inside an old well.

     Silverwood is also on the border of the notorious and doomed city of Port Scion, which was one of the main points of contention between the Guardians and the Defiants and a place of extreme loss and tragedy. Port Scion is sealed and inaccessible to an adventurer, but you can stop at the edge of Silverwood to the West and see its high walls.

     Even without the Aelfwar, Silverwood faces other threats. The goblins are pouring in by the dozens from the northern haunted forest of Gloamwood, being driven out of their native home by an unknown menace and attacking and destroying anything they can in Silverwood. Their leaders are bloodthirsty, violent and determined agents of the dragon of fire, Maelforge.

A note to Hylas from Twyl:

My dear Prince Hylas,

“Though you have called me enemy, the birds and beasts tell me of your woes. As a fellow guardian of the wild, my heart goes out to you. I too know the sting of a loved one’s betrayal. Your Priestess Shyla has always been too eager to spend her time with the Mathosians. Now she has returned from the dead and claimed this was the work of your gods, and yet… there is but one force I know that can animate the dead, and his name is Regulos.

We need not be enemies, O Prince. We share a common love of nature and the pristine wild, and a common loathing of the Guardians, who manage to blend the stink of death with the pomposity of religion. You remind me very much of the magnificent Fae— such as myself— who hail from the deepest parts of the Plane of Life. Even now, I have access to power that would save your beautiful Silverwood with ease. You need only ask.”

~~A kindred spirit, Twyl, Lord of the Fae

 

   And here is a list of artifact sets that I found that relate to Silverwood or those that live here. I love finding little snippets of lore just by doing things like collecting artifacts or listening to the NPC's chat with each other!

• Overwatch- The ancient keep was the ancestral power of the High Elves
• Ancient Granite Rock
• Satyre Beard Shavings
• Discarded Tavril Psalms
• Faerie Dust
• Faer Seed Shell Fragment
• Corrupted Fae Keystone Fragment
• Hylas and Shyla- These tear-stained sonnets and personal correspondences have been scattered by the wind.
• Shyla's letter to her father
• An account of Hylas's coming of age
• Shyla and Hylas's errant journey
• Love in Overwatch Keep
• The Shade War
• Green eyed monster
• The Arboreal War- Artifacts of a centuries-old war between goblins and elves
• Rusted elven steel
• Ancient arrowhead
• Fossilized goblin tar
• Ash-covered bones
• Defiled elf-skull
• Goblin slave harness
• Prince Hylas Aelfwar- Once the prince of the elves, now turned traitor and heretic, he leads the House Aelfwar as the depraved cult of Greenscale.
• Insignia of the First Order
• Vial of Greenscale's blood
• Wax seal of the prince
• Shyla's locket
• Concealable elven pugio
• Silverwood- The forest of Silverwood is the ancient home of the High Elves and the location of the return of the Ascended Guardians.
• Shyla's locket
• The Dragons-the Adversary
• Goblin slave harness
• Blueprints for the Vault of Heresy
• Corrupted Fae keystone fragment
• Aelfwar treaty scrolls
• Goblin heart jerky
• Cyril's holy symbol of the Vigil
• Journal of completed prophecy
• Conclusion: Gross and Evil
• Rothmann's Principia Conflagera

 

References: Just my own thoughts on Silverwood. Most of this is my own words of the description given about Silverwood in the old lore pages they used to have on the Rift site before they took them down. I'm not sure where the information went, but I recorded it in my notebook a while ago. The last bit, the letter to Hylas, is not my work, but belongs to Trion. The information on the Mirror of Ages and the first prophet can be found by talking to Cerys Amare standing in front of the Inn in outside Quicksilver. The artifact sets are easy enough to find, by simply looking for the shiny little lights all over Silverwood. Of course, the artifacts are all random but I had collected a whole bagful and was able to sift through them to find those relevant to Silverwood!

 

[Lore] XIV: The Aelfwar

 

     The High Elves were ruled by Prince Hylas for thousands of years. He and his beloved, Shyla Starhearth, looked after the wilds of Telara, forever in love. Protectors of life, balance, and nature, the High Elves revered their leaders. Those of the noble families and protectors of the Prince became known collectively as House Aelfwar, and answered solely to Prince Hylas. They were his devoted entourage, following him loyally and without question. House Aelfwar was legendary, above reproach. These elves were respectful and reverent of nature and worshiped Tavril gladly. They followed the Covenant and upheld their oaths, even when Tavril joined with the other gods to become the Vigil.

     For many, many years, House Aelfwar led the High Elves in prosperity and happiness. And than civil war broke out in the Mathosian Empire. King Aedraxis, the mad tyrant, threatened all that the Elves stood for. He brutally murdered and pillaged his way through his own kingdom, power hungry and eager for destruction. In order to fight him and bring an end to his tyranny, Prince Zareph, Aedraxis's own brother, formed an army of his own. He came to Silverwood and presented an impassioned plea before the High Elf ruling council, begging for aid from his High Elven allies. Hylas refused. He stated that he would not endanger any of the High Elves for a cause that did not concern them. Prince Hylas firmly believed that it was not the Elves' way to interfere in the doings of the other mortal races. But Shyla, his lover, argued against it. She knew that they needed to help Prince Zareph fight off Aedraxis, or a worse evil would befall the land. She believed that when one land suffered, all of Telara suffered. She led the High Elves in a vote. To go and fight alongside the Mathosians against Aedraxis, or to refuse aid and stay in Silverwood until the war was over. Most of the Elves, moved by Shyla's pleas, agreed to go with her to aid Prince Zareph, but those belonging to Prince Hylas, namely the nobles of House Aelfwar, refused. Instead, they chose to stay behind in Silverwood with their liege and watch over the forests of Telara as they'd always done. Shyla pleaded with Hylas to come with her, but he would have none of it. He said he would await their return.

     All of the Elves who went with Shyla to fight Aedraxis were slain, but were resurrected as Ascended beings, beyond mortal. They were god-touched, holding power beyond comprehension. When the survivors, after rebirth, came back to Silverwood to greet their loved ones, they found that those who had stayed behind had changed. The atmosphere of the wood itself had changed. Prince Hylas was distant, wary, and suspicious. He wanted nothing to do with Shyla, saying she was an abomination. Shyla was devastated. And then rumors started. About strange music in the wood. About the scent of Fae magic, of strange beings. Hylas and his Aelfwar grew more distant and distrustful, eventually retreating to their fortress of Overwatch Keep. Their devotion to the wilds of Telara had grown out of control. House Aelfwar were now fanatically driven to uphold the laws of nature. They no longer saw reason, believing in survival of the fittest and in the savagery of nature. Shyla tried explaining to Prince Hylas that she was Ascended, blessed by the gods. Blessed by Tavril herself, but this meant nothing to him and to the rest of the House Aelfwar. They had found a new god to worship. One who embodied everything that Hylas imagined the Elves stood for. Nature, at it's most fierce and competitive. The violent, wild heart of the world called to him.

     House Aelfwar rejected the gentle and guiding light of Tavril and the Vigil. Instead they found a new god, the bloodthirsty and terrifying Greenscale, of the Blood Storm. Falling into the allure and promise that Greenscale offered, House Aelfwar was forever tarnished, descending into madness. They now seek to tear down civilization and return the world to the wild savage nature, where only those who are strongest survive.

     With a new goal in mind, House Aelfwar seek to spread their influence over all of Telara, bringing life rifts into play and destroying any touch of rationalization and order that nature has.

     This degeneration into madness started with but a whisper. The Fae Lord Twyl planted the suggestion of a savage world in Prince Hylas's mind. Over time, Hylas's will weakened, and he was overcome by the promise of power. Twyl taught him the mastery of life magic and the commandments of Greenscale. Twyl saw the prince as a simple pawn to be used in his ambitious goal to serve Greenscale, but Prince Hylas saw Twyl only as a useless fool. So over time, Hylas became more powerful and savage, seeking to prove himself the better to Greenscale, and his loyal House Aelfwar followed in his steps, growing more powerful and influential. Soon, they eclipsed the power and hold that the Fae had, and Greenscale watched with approval as House Aelfwar became the prominent order following Greenscale, destroying what remained of the old order, who none even remember the name of any more.

     Prince Hylas is indeed a very capable and intelligent leader. With Greenscale's guidance, he has branched out from Silverwood like a ravenous tide, seeking to turn Telara into a savage fight for survival, setting monstrous creatures loose in villages and tearing down outposts where he can. He seeks to bring Telara back to the time of it's wild youth, and to ride at the head of his own savage and wild army like the horned kings of old. The ferocity and speed at which Hylas and his Aelfwar move is horrifying, as is their lack of feeling and compassion.

     Where once House Aelfwar was a noble order, the epitome of hope, balance, natural order and tranquility, now they are nothing but savage thugs, mindless in their hunger for the wild, untamed chaos of Greenscale. Their minds have been corrupted, tainted by the savagery of the dragon of the Plane of Life.



References: Most of the information I gathered for this came from http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/10/lifes-betrayal-the-lore-of-rifts-house-aelfwar/, which was quite an interesting read! I also remembered quite a few things from doing quests around Telara and what other people have said on the subject. And yes, my character Raeslyn is an Aelfwar. Former Aelfwar, actually. Obviously I bent the lore a little bit for this to happen, but I wanted her to have a bit of a different story then your average Ascended.

[Raeslyn's Story] 2.12: Visions of Shyla Danced In My Head

     I headed down the road to the west at a steady jog, able to go long distances even before Ascension without trouble. Now I had no problem. I wasn't even breathing hard when I reached the Wayward Thicket. What a wonderful gift the gods bestowed on me!
     Dalin Erst was an older elf in long green robes who blended in almost perfectly with the greens and mossy colors of the nearby foliage. He was sitting in the grasses under a green canvas with a Guardian defender standing nearby at alert. The woman's eyes immediately zeroed in on me as I approached. She tensed minutely, before relaxing as she noticed the Vigil sigil necklace I had bought in Sanctum and adorned before leaving the city. The older elf reached over and picked up a large oaken staff that had been laying beside him. Using it, he levered himself to his feet and I could just picture the creaks his bones made as he stood and stretched. I shuddered. I wonder if I'd get old, or has Ascension locked my age where it is now?

  "The forest whispered to me that you would be coming, young seeker." Dalin's voice was soft and kind, but his eyes were full of fire and wisdom. I blinked. "You knew I'd come here? The forest whispered to you? But how--" Dalin waved off my words with a hand.
     "That is not important, young elf. Many have sought my council over the years and I shall help you as I helped them, for your task is a noble and righteous one and your heart follows the Vigil." I blushed and glanced down. I never know what to say to compliments. "But be forewarned!" Dalin said, voice sharper, and I instantly jerked my head up, eyeing him questioningly. "This vision quest will be fraught with danger, as all vision quests are. It is the nature of the forest to test those who come seeking. Others have failed, finding death or injury instead of answers. Prepare yourself." I bit my lip. Okay, that didn't sound very pleasant. Death? Well...I was Ascended after all, so I should be immune to death. I wonder if that meant I'd just not die....or if I'd die, and than be resurrected....that sounds painful. Oh gods, should I do this? Dalin stood there patiently, as if he sensed my inner turmoil, while I considered my options. On the one hand, I obviously needed more information on the Aelfwar and the Fae than what I already knew. I knew they were planning something big, but I had no idea what. I could torture it out a prisoner, but that is not Tavril's way, and I felt uncomfortable with deliberately causing cold blooded harm to another being. It was different in the heat of battle and defending one's life. On the other hand, I've been pretty lucky so far in avoiding any serous injury. I reallllllly didn't want to end up dead. Or undead...or whatever it would be for Ascended...re-dead? I rolled my eyes at myself. Now you're just being silly, Rae. In the end, I didn't really see that I had much choice, so I sighed and nodded, shoulders slumped in dread. Was it wrong of me to fear death? See, I have all these questions but I'd learned at Quicksilver College long ago that no one appreciates someone who questions the gods' will and vision. So I just wonder to myself.

     Dalin turned and shambled over to a round table he had set up under the canopy without a word or change in expression, as if he knew I'd accept all along. I stuck out my bottom lip for a moment, feeling sulky. I hate being predictable.

     "For this ritual you will undergo, we'll need the unfocused eyes of a Fae-bound creature at the exact moment of death, when the eyes see in to the beyond. We'll also need lockflower sprigs and gritshell pods, to grind up and make into a special potion of insight and induced unconsciousness."
     I wrinkled my nose. "That's disgusting, no way am I drinking anything like that!" I blurted out without thinking. Dalin chuckled in amusement. "Don't worry, you only need to drink the powders and herbs. The eyes you must hold in your palms after you drink." He grinned at me as he said this. Is he serious? He is, isn't he? I scowled. The things I do for my land and people.

     "So, do you have this stuff, or do we need to go hunting for it?" I demanded, irritated. Dalin hummed to himself in response and glanced around his little area.
     "You are in luck, young elf." he finally replied, turning back to me. Somehow I didn't feel very lucky to be experiencing this..."I have everything except the lockflowers. And they should only be a matter of fetching them from my saddlebags. I left my horse at Sanctum Watch though."
    
     "Let me guess, you want me to go get them for you?" I asked sarcastically, ready to take off. Dalin shook his head. "Oh no, that's quite alright, I'll send Valiora to go get them." I blinked. "Who?" He turned and nodded at the Guardian standing at alert nearby. At the sound of her name, the Guardian woman swiveled and tilted her head, studying us. Dalin shambled over to her and had a quiet conversation. I could tell from here she didn't want to go play fetch, but apparently he was either very charismatic and convincing, or she'd been given orders to obey him, for she trudged off with a glare at me like it was my fault. Hey, if there was any other way to find my answers that didn't involve eyeballs, I'd totally be all for it. Meanwhile, Dalin started pulling jars and flasks out of a bag sitting under the tree, setting them down on the table and mumbling to himself. Feeling ignored, I plopped down on a protruding tree root and set about sharpening my daggers.

     I stopped paying attention completely to what the old elf was doing so when he suddenly exclaimed loudly I nearly sliced my finger open in surprise. Ugh, how embarrassing. I glanced over to see that Dalin's bodyguard was back.

     "Ah! Smell these lockflower sprigs? The more pungent the ingredients, the more effective the brew. This will be one of my strongest meditative potions yet! Come here young elf, I've prepared all the reagents and distilled their essence. Now that the lockflower sprigs have been added, it is ready. This tonic will open your mind to the echoing whispers of the forest. However, I can only provide the means to enter a trance. I've not the preparations required to care for your body while you are in it, or how to deal with issues that might arise. Go back to Maris for that, I don't want blame for your death, young thing." I swear, every single time he said the words 'young elf' I felt like punching him. I'm not that young. I'm of age of maturity, for Vigil's sake! But I held my tongue and simply nodded.

     "Thank you sir, for preparing this for me. I really appreciate what you've done." I said carefully, inclining my head to him. "May the Vigil watch over you." Dalin waved a hand. "You better hope the Vigil watches over you instead, young elf. This isn't some jaunt in the park." I gritted my teeth. It's like he says it on purpose! I turned around, ready to leave, when Dalin cleared his throat and duh, I didn't take the potion. I sighed, turned around again, grabbed the potion from the elf's outstretched hand, murmured a hurried thanks, and dashed out of there. I took a short cut through the woods back to Sanctum Watch, using the physical exercise of climbing over and around trees and avoiding any dangers to help clear my mind on the way.

     Maris was pleased when I handed her the tonic and explained about what it should do. "Ah yes, this tonic is potent indeed. It's certain to open your eyes to the truth of what's going on here in Silverwood. Are you ready?" She gave me a serious, searching look. I hesitated, than shrugged.
     "I guess so. I have no choice after all. I need to know." Maris rubbed the flask between her fingers thoughtfully.
    "Yes." She glanced away into the forest. "You know, for centuries, Prince Hylas led the fight against the Wanton cults. Now it seems he is consumed by the conflict. He claims to protect Silverwood, yet I'm afraid he will end up destroying it instead." Her eyes drifted down to me and she blinked, looked sad and regretful. "Prince Hylas was a great man. Now...? You must be pure of heart and powerful of spirit to withstand the trauma of a vision Raeslyn. But I have faith in you." She handed the tonic to me and I held up, grimacing.

     "Bottoms up." I joked. I uncorked the flask and drank it all before I could think about it. It actually didn't taste that bad. Kind of like flower petals actually. Than it felt like someone kicked me in the stomach and head at the same time. With a groan, I sank to my knees, clutching my head. By the Vigil, that hurts! Vaguely, I heard Maris talking in a hurried tone. I was pushed into a sitting position. Someone placed my hands on my knees, palms up. For every second that passed, I felt like I was drifting farther away from my body and reality. Oh, I am so not doing this again. No way. I fought dizziness and disorientation. Something squishy was placed in my hands, but I had not the presence of mind to understand what it was. With a flash, I was elsewhere. I was standing on a grassy hill overlooking Silverwood. I blinked and glanced around. I felt strange; light and distanced, like I was watching myself through a mirror or something. Beside me stood a beautiful red doe with large shell ears. The Spirit Guide. She turned liquid gold eyes to me, and in the vision quest I saw more than just a deer. I saw a spirit so powerful that looking at it directly would strike you blind.

     "It is time to see what is and what may be. I will guide you along this path, Raeslyn Ascended, but you must have faith and your footsteps must be sure. Protect the Vigil's chosen and you will remerge unscathed" The Spirit Guide seemed to be waiting for something, so I felt myself nodding, although I couldn't feel myself nod....definitely not liking this. The Spirit Guide reached out, and even though she was about as high as my hip, she suddenly seemed much taller. She touched her nose to my forehead, and with a white flash, I was suddenly somewhere else. I stumbled back in shock.

  "Lady Shyla? Wha-?" I was again on a hill, but things looked different. Shyla Starhearth stood before me. She looked older, more careworn. And across from her was Prince Hylas. I stared in confusion. They appeared to be arguing. I stepped closer, wanting to understand.

     "You can't do this, Hylas! All of the Telara will hunt you down!" Shyla pleaded, so much compassion in her voice I wanted to weep for her.

     "It's too late." Hylas scoffed, glaring at her." You and your Guardians have forsaken the forest! Nature is life itself. I made my choice Shyla."

     My eyes darted between the two, feeling like I was eavesdropping on a conversation I had no right to hear. But the vision quest sent me here, so it must be important.

     There were tears in Shyla's eyes. "It's never too late! Rejoin the High Elf Council in Sanctum, Hylas! Welcome the Vigil back into your heart! Please, Hylas!"

     Hylas snorted, shaking his head before she'd even finished speaking. "The gods never lifted a finger to help me or Silverwood! I will defeat my enemies on my own. I have a new ally now. The power of Greenscale, Dragon of the Wilds, has sworn to champion my cause if I prove strong enough." Shyla stumbled back, face paling, and I felt myself mirroring her. By the Vigil, he had actually done it. He'd allied the Aelfwar with Greenscale! Couldn't he see?? The Blood Storm were destruction incarnate. They cared nothing for our world.

     "I'm sorry Shyla, I won't allow you to interfere with my work. This is where you end and my reign begins!" Hylas suddenly shouted, and I focused back on the exchange. That didn't sound good.

     Prince Hylas lifted his arm in the air abruptly, holding out two fingers. Then he dropped it to his side. Two large, heavily armored Aelfwar sprang out of the foliage, heading into the clearing with weapons drawn. Hylas nodded at them, before turning his back on Shyla and walking away. Shyla gazed after him with such a desolate expression. I glanced between her and the two charging Aelfwar.

     "Lady Shyla, look out!" I called, springing forward without thinking. I didn't think I'd be able to do anything, this being a vision and all, but Shyla startled, looking at me with wide eyes. I danced through the shadows to appear in front of her, effectively blocking the first strike.

     "The Vigil has answered my prayers! Thank you!" Shyla exclaimed, wiping quickly at her eyes. I pretended not to notice. Shyla quickly cast a spell of protection and focused her attention on the left attacker, so I shifted my focus to the one on the right. He was an agile one, dodging my dagger thrusts. I'm not as effective in frontal attacks as I am at sneaking through the shadows and stabbing things in the back, but I wasn't a slouch either. I feinted high and when the man fell for it, I twisted my left hand, changing the angle of my dagger mid swing and thrusting up through his ribcage before he could retaliate. The man gave a grunt of surprise as he slid sideways. I glared at his body. "Traitor," I muttered venomously. How dare he attack the High Priestess! My attention was drawn to Shyla finishing off her opponent with a powerful spell. She may look delicate, but she can pack a good punch when threatened. She glanced at me, sorrow and gratitude and hope and despair all reflected in her eyes. I opened my mouth to say something when the world fell away. I felt weightless, and my vision faded to black. Next thing I knew, I was blinking dazedly up at Maris, who's frowning visage was way too close for comfort. I ducked away from her and scrambled to my feet, swaying a moment.

     "That was the most.....never again!" I finally blurted out after the world stopped spinning. When I felt the urge to toss up breakfast subside, I relayed all I'd seen to Maris, who looked grim by the end.

     "That is grim news indeed. To imagine Hylas using the forest in hostility against the Guardians is appalling. If this is true, Telara is indeed in great peril. I cannot believe Hylas would consort with the Plane of Life, and attack his beloved Shyla. I pray to the Vigil that this vision does not come to pass. Tristan Alecourt, a good friend of mine, has experience with visions and prophecies like this. Maybe he can help us find a way to prevent this from happening."

     I nodded. "Good, I don't want to find out what would happen if I hadn't been there to protect Shyla. You should have seen her. I don't know if she would have defended herself without my interference. Where is this Tristan?"

     Maris pointed down the road. "Last I heard, Tristan was studying the Fae up at Highglades Lookout. Just follow the road down to Argent Glade but take the fork that leads north."

     I thanked Maris and headed out immediately, even though the sun was fading. I knew that this needed to be dealt with right away. No more delays. I passed quite a few military patrols on the road to Highglades, which led me to believe that the problems in the wood were escalating. I reached the fork in the road, where the Highglades bypass met the Argent Glade road, and headed up to the Lookout.

     The Lookout was pretty heavily guarded for an out of the way outpost. In the center of the camp was a large stone statue with floating rocks. Strong magic emanated from it. Very strong indeed if even I could sense it. Maybe this one of the Wardstone anchors around Silverwood. Oh and what do you know, there was a large, arched Porticum gate there too. I wasn't too trusting toward something that used the planes for transport, but it would come in handy for getting back quickly. I glanced around at the people performing various tasks about the camp. A few Mathosians stood together, having an animated discussion about something wooden on the ground, while two bored sentries swapped war stories. The only High Elf stood in the back, sporting bright orange hair and carrying a pretty tall staff. He was staring avidly at a tree, as if it held all the secrets in the world.

     I walked over. "Tristan Alecourt?" I asked of the elf  loudly. Who knew how distracted he was.

     "The rifts and tears are getting more numerous by the day. I fear our lovely forest won't even be recognizable in the near future!" Tristan said without turning his eyes from the tree.

     "Tristan Alecourt. Listen, I need your help."

     Tristan continued as if he hadn't heard me. Or maybe he had and just wanted someone to listen to his lecture. "This used to be a tranquil grove. We made offerings to Tavril here. But than those accursed Fae came and corrupted this place with their foul rituals to Greenscale. They grew a terrible hedge maze full of abominable creatures that attack at night! We sent in rangers to investigate, but none have reported back. We must put a stop to these faeries before Greenscale gains further influence in Silverwood, if it's not too late already."

     "That's why I'm here." I said pointedly. Tristan looked at me for the first time, interest shining in his eyes. "Well, not really." I admitted after a pause. I explained my vision and what it could mean.

     "Yes, you're right, your vision quest is related to our Fae infestation. If Hylas is somehow exerting control over the Fae now, that could be why they are suddenly attacking rampantly. We need to uncover the deception that has tempted House Aelfwar and fix the shame that was brought to my bloodline." I blinked, taken aback. He was Aelfwar too? I eyed him more closely, but didn't say anything.

     "Ok, so how do we break the Fae's ties to House Aelfwar?" I asked, a bit impatiently.

     "Well, we need to figure out what hold he has over them. The Fae have always been led by a Lord Twyl. If we can draw his attention, we might be able to discover a clue. But it's too dangerous to venture into the Hedgegrow Court, especially at night. Even for an Ascended." He added the last on as I opened my mouth to object. I frowned, than turned and eyed the towering walls of green that made up this "Hedgrow Court" at the base of the northern mountains. It was a giant, obscene eyesore that seemed to pulse with Planar energy as I looked at it. The walls of green seemed to extend for miles. How had no one discovered this in time? Were we all too busy with our own little problems, with the Defiant, with Aedraxis, that we had just let Hylas have free reign back here in Silverwood? It would seem so...

  "Okay, your logic is sound. May I rest here for the night?" I asked, more calmly. It seemed I wouldn't get any more done tonight anyway. Tristan nodded, than brightened. "I have a few spare supplies; blankets and such. Why don't you get settled and I'll explain to you more about what happened here and about Highglade." I groaned inwardly. Great, a history lesson. So not my thing.

     As I settled in for the night, I couldn't keep my eyes from wandering to that tower of pulsing green foliage. Tomorrow, I would tackle that maze and see if there was some way to tear it down. It had obviously been erected magically. There was no doubt it was a malignant presence in Silverwood and needed to be destroyed.

     I fell asleep soon after and didn't dream.