"Shall I tell you of Elves love?"

Most elves have innate magic....My mother was strong with this gift...and, in most respects and in terms easily understood, a Forest Master....that is a Ranger in the utmost....but very strong in her.

Long ago, there was one race of Elves...the High Elves...over the millennium, groups became separated..each following their own paths...some grew more acclimated to the woods, some even went wild so to speak, and some...grew dark and evil...these were the Drow...in their quest for power, they studied ever more evil ways...when the High Elves learned of how perverse they had become, they organized all the races of surface elves against them...this was known as the Great War, or the succession wars as the drow call them. Only one race remained neutral...the Mountain elves....thereafter known as the Gray Elves. They studied many things and are widely known for their great intelligence. all of them tend to be more intelligent that the rest of the races.

Their love for nature and their love for "science", Or alchemy as it is called, led them to discover how to make glass. they traded this knowledge to humans. As humans grew more numerous, many retreated into the mountain valleys....where My mother was.....Our home, was beautiful. Druid gifts....she knew the secret of speaking with the trees and all living things.....and could ask and convince them to grow in a certain way....as a young child...of 18, she began to teach Me these ways...over the next hundred years, I learned much...and still retain the ability to speak with the animals, and some plants and trees...though that part has lessened somewhat as I rarely use it...but always, the Wolves were My favorite..so free, and proud....always there for one another... I had little of this growing up, save My mother... My skills with such are not nearly so great as was My mothers...it was her life....nature....even still, she had developed them for a thousand years before I was even born...yes, she was over a thousand years old.

W/we lived deep in the mountains, far from contact from most other cities and civilization. The elves and humans that lived there were very prosperous. There were also Dwarves. The mountains around our home were rich with gems...most notably, diamonds. Such was our wealth, for so long, and our relative isolation, we came to think that wealth and riches were the norm...diamonds were of little value to Us so common they were. Magics to make things of beauty were what were important...as it is to all of the more advanced races of Elves...the high, and even the wood and valley elves anyway...before I was born, the drow found our valley...and began small raids....hungry for our riches....My mother was raped by one of the raiders...and I was the result....the raiders were killed soon, and driven from our lands by the King....

The King's First Son married My Mother.....and by the Law of the Land, I was named next in line when He died....though not of His blood, I was Heir to the title had I stayed....Azah is the daughter of that Kings 3rd son....her Father was My Friend...one of the few that did not despise Me for My dark Elven parentage....I would have been Azah's King...Azah is not that much younger than I....only about 50 years....her father was still young when My stepfather died.....If not for the fact of the Priest Kings serums in Gor, she would of course, be long since dead.

I looked admired the Knights as I grew up, how everyone looked up to them...and some few Elves from our cities and villages aspired to the Gray Guard....the Gray guard is an elite force of nothing but gray elves....an honor guard if you will, of the High Elves..who are considered the "ruling Class" of the elves, but in fact, are the most common elves that are seen, as most others, are rather distrustful of humans...

I chose not to accept the crown, but rather, to aspire to the Gray Guard....I wanted to prove I was truly a worthy King, and so, decided to let the My Half brother, the "second son" if you will, rule in My stead. He did not have the blood of the drow, and so, the people would accept Him better....His lifespan is also much shorter, and it was My hope, that by the time His life was done, the people would have forgotten of the raids by the Drow, and would only see My Honor....such was not to be....

While I was taking a break from the training....a strange quake shook our land... The quake caused the great mountain to crack....I think it was more of sliding some stones away..but at any rate..a new cave was found....I went alone, to find what might be in the cave...also to show My bravery....the night before, Azah and I got into a fight...she said many cruel things about Me, and being drow in her anger....but, as I was accustomed to such, I ignored it...that day I went to the cave, My life of joy as I knew it...ended.

That night, when I left the cave...I held a sword of incredible power...and of incredible anger.....when I emerged from the cave that night, I first heard the voice...of Vengance....that was the last night I saw My homeland, before it was destroyed.

I only know that it made Me seek it's twin..and I left that very night....and when I was finally able to return...all was in ruins...and Vengance has showed Me time and again My home dying....a bright light...fire...screams of pain.....death....and then....what it is today...a Wasteland of death.....I can only assume it knew what was to come...or that it brought it about somehow....it has never told Me why, or who, or How My land was destroyed..but, it torments Me by telling Me that it needed it that way to keep Me.

The sword cost Me My first wife and child. I was on My way to get Justice, the twin to Vengance when she was killed, still carrying that child. You must understand...I carried Vengance for a couple hundred years before I could even have the strength to fight it....and find love....

After My wife died....another 500 years I think......that part is still hard to remember, so terrible it was....I know that I have been free of the control of Vengance for about 200 years now.....and that I have carried the blade for over a millennium.....time means little to Me however...as I haven't aged since I found Vengance...and even still...most of the Gray Elves I have met that I would say were old, were over 2400 years old...I have heard of some close to 3000 years old...though I only know personally one that is older than I...as most shun Me due to the dark elf taint in Me....and the Blades..... High Lord Ra'Na is 5000 years old...though He seems much less.....He was once a captain in there gray guard...

I found the key to escaping Vengance's control forever here in Beware. Now, only Justice rides at My side, a blade which can never strike without true cause. I still have nightmares of the time that Vengance ruled My life, and the blade still survives. It's trapped, held in the place I first found it, by the Goddess Tymorra. With her Good Fortune, I have again found love, and walk once again the path of light. As such, I am devoted to My Goddess and My faith in Her is unbreakable. Perhaps in time, I may take up some priestly pursuit on her behalf, however for now, I remain only her Knight and humble servant.

The diamond blade Justice, My dagger, and My bow, will always be My constant companions. But now, I have another, My heart, Gessa@soi. Tymorra knew when to bring U/us together, and set things in motion. By her blessings, We shall perservere and with a little more of her luck, chances are, that Beware will be the place where Our child can come to learn the ways of kindness, and love, rather than the cruelties of War. Until that time, I shall fight the Fight, and strive to make this place safe for all.