- Back to Part 2 of the Chronicle.
- Sildeyur, The Werewood. 11th March 1096TA - Return of the Eldren.
- The Werewood. 16th March 1096TA - Scouting for Eldren.
- The Werewood. 20th March 1096TA - The Fairy King's Bargain.
- Malham, Velwyth. 15th June 1096TA. Silas and the Eldren.
- On to Part 4 of the Chronicle.
Sildeyur, The Werewood. 11th March 1096TA - Return of the Eldren.
March the next year the party began to prepare for their long trek west. Their preparations were interrupted when elven scouts arrived at the village and summoned Lord Trameldor to a council of war. He returned a couple of days later and explained that the ‘Eldren' were once again crossing the borders from the Urthang Wetlands into the Werewood. All able bodied elves were to be mustered to counter this threat.
The party soon realised that these ‘Eldren' were the same creatures that attacked Durban and his sister three years ago. The Eldren were first encountered about forty years ago in the Urthang Wetlands. The wetlands are a swathe of territory to the south of the Werewood and separated the smaller elven lands from the goblin nations further south.
The Eldren were first encountered in one and twos, but after a few years their numbers began to increase and they seemed to be pushing the indigenous goblins further south. In 1062TA a large force of Eldren, estimated in the thousands, invaded the Werewood. The combined elven forces repulsed the attack with heavy losses on both sides. The Eldren retreated to the wetlands and had only been seen in twos and threes ever since.
The party accompanied a group of thirty elven hunters to the town of Denvyra. The party were asked to help track the extent of the Eldren's movements. Two elven rangers escorted the party to a small hunting lodge two days to the south-west of Denvyra. The party were instructed to help the rangers scout an area around a small river course for sign of the Eldren.
During the journey from Sildeyur to Denvyra and then on to the lodge, Durban experienced three ‘wolf' dreams. He had the first dream in Sildeyur, the second in Denvyra and the third at the lodge.
The Werewood. 16th March 1096TA - Scouting for Eldren.
Some of the party went out in to the woods with the elven scouts while others remained at the lodge and constructed a series of defenses around it. The scouting party discovered Eldren tracks and returned to the lodge to inform the others. Unfortunately the Elven scouts were not at the lodge and failed to return. The party decided to wait until daybreak before returning to Denvyra with their news.
Later that night the two elven scouts returned having been badly injured in an encounter with Eldren. Close on their heels were a large group of Eldren who quickly surrounded the lodge. Durban began to act strangely and tried to leave the lodge. The others wrestled him to the ground and the party discovered the amulet he found three years ago. The leader of the Eldren, Anakiri, approached the lodge asking to speak to the ‘Chosen One' within. After an argument, Durban left the lodge to talk to Anakiri. From the lodge they saw Anakiri grab Durban by the throat and lift him into the air. He then cast him aside and said that ‘He is not the one they want'. Durban realised that the Eldren were really after his sister and were confused by the amulet and his family connections. The Eldren turn tail and disappeared to hunt down ‘The Real Chosen One'. The party dashed back to Denvyra as quickly as they could. The two scouts reported the events at the lodge and the elven lords ordered the party to leave the Werewood immediately.
The Werewood. 20th March 1096TA - The Fairy King's Bargain.
They returned to Sildeyur to collect their belongings and Lord Trameldor told them to visit a local fairy mound. In the mound the fairy king Azzar may be able to help them return to the west. They set off to the mound and met with King Azzar. He asked them to retrieve his brother's body from a local gang of kobolds. In return he would return the party to the west before the Eldren got there.
The party attacked the kobold village and recovered the body. King Azzar held to his part of the bargain, but with a twist. He transported them to another fairy mound in the Allynwood, near home, but the party were placed in a magical sleep. When they awoke, they discovered that two months had passed. They realised their bargain with Azzar was flawed and that they will only just be able to get to Malham farm before the Eldren.
Velwyth. 15th June 1096TA. Silas and the Eldren.
They raced off across country and a fortnight later returned to Malham and the Tariff Farm. They found Durban's family and the farm workers huddled in the courtyard, guarded by Eldren. Meredith was talking to Anakiri and a man named Silas Blackstock outside the farmhouse. While the farmers were under guard, Meredith seemed to be in no danger.
They crept up to the farm and overheared part of the conversation between Silas and Meredith.
“I am happy to leave.” Meredith told her parents, “I have felt out of place here for many months.”
“She will be safe with us.” Silas reassured them, “Meredith is gifted and we only wish to train her in the use of those gifts. When she has mastered her abilities she will return to the west to teach others of our ways.”
“We lost your sister and Durban has been missing for months.” Durban 's mother cried, “Please Meredith, you are only child. Stay here with us!”
“Don't worry mother.” Said Meredith, “This is what I want, these people can fill the hole inside that has been there since Melissa's death. You don't know what it's like to lose a twin. It was better when Durban was here, but now he's gone as well.”
Durban spoke up, intent on keeping Meredith away from Silas. His family were eager to see him alive and well, but Silas found it hard to hide his displeasure. Durban tried to convince Meredith to stay, cataloguing the evil deeds of the Eldren. Silas invited Durban to go with them. “You, too, have the spark.” He told him.
Despite the party's arguments Meredith teleported away with Silas and Anakiri. Durban 's family were happy to see him alive, but blamed him for Meredith's departure. Patrick, too, did not find a welcome in the village. His father adamantly refused to speak him or allow his family to see him.
The party decided to head off west to find out more of the Eldren. Owen, Jason and Durban returned to Deep Hollow. Patrick travelled west in search of Aurillian and found him scouring Tanglewood for goblins. Hugo returned with Vallára to the Greenbriar Coven. After several months of fruitless research and investigation, they were unable to shed any light on the ‘Blood Moon', ‘Eldren' or the strange symbols on Durban 's amulet.
