Tracing the Path

Burne pushes aside the stacks of books and sheets of vellum to make room to spread out a map of the Isles. He moves his outstretched fingers over a spot on the map to orient Gavin. "Here somewhere in the black forest in the far north of Alaron at the end of the ancient elfroad sits the throne of the Erlking. No human kingdom has ever reached into those untamed lands. To the east of that in the Sea of Swords is the island nation of Mintarn; the kingdom of Berinmor, the white king of the sea. In ages past the white king was a staunch ally of the high king of the Ffolk at Caer Callidyrr and his elven ships could be seen at every port along the coast. Since the time of Oberon's departure from the throne Berinmor has focused his fleet on defense of the white isles and has long since cut off contact the human nations. Caer Callidyrr is home to the Grand Seer of the Opaline Tower, one-time advisor to the High King and of a magus of the highest order. The Grand Seer has ever kept his eye upon the waters between Mintarn and the dark north, scanning for elven traffic. In the months since midwinter night the Seer had seen faerie fires burning in the night at points along the deserted northern coasts and storms rage at sea. It was supposed that these might be the signs of melee between elven armies. It is not clear to us who was the winner of these battles but we know that shortly after the last of them a lone elven traveler was spotted at the northern crossroads. The agents of the Grand Seer followed the traveler south over many miles of wild country until the trail disappeared atop a mountain ridge which had been blasted by lightning in a sudden storm.

"The Seer notified the order of wizards of this silent intruder and a watch was set at every known location of ancient elven magic between Callidyrr and Doncastle. The traveler was spotted again at the ancient stone circle east of Halwynffen moving still southward over open ground on a parallel course to the kingsroad. We believe this emissary from Mintarn was able to to outpace us at each leg of the journey by traveling from place to place along the elfroad in and out of Faerie while our agents were slog through rough terrain. Orders were issued to the Pyromancer of Bannogallt Bluff to send his six flame adepts out to attempt to intercept the traveler here just north of Bregonshire, where the land narrows between the bluffs on the west coast and Rushdown Wood to the east.