Forgotten knowledge

As the dark force stirred as the siege of Rivermount continued, a deep unease spread through the northern lands. The elves of Rivermount, the humans of Lutovia, and the dwarves of Mithandir’s Watch could feel it—something far more dangerous than the marauding Orcs and Trolls was on the verge of awakening. Yet no one knew anything of it.

Desperation crept into their ranks as the black mist from the lake began to creep over the battlefield like a curse. In the midst of this growing dread, whispers arose among the elves and dwarves about the ancient knowledge held by the Halflings. These peaceful folk, who had long lived close to the earth, were said to be the keepers of forgotten wisdom—secrets passed down through generations, connected to the very magic of the land itself.

The Halflings were rumored to have an understanding of forces older than the Elves’ high magic or the Dwarves’ deep craft, thus making the orcs and trolls willing to wage war on the world for the halflings knowledge. It was said that the Halflings possessed songs and rituals, sacred knowledge tied to the earth and its hidden powers. And, most notably, stories of their ancestors spoke of a time long ago, before the Age of Silence, when their people were entrusted with a sacred duty: to guard the ancient sigils that kept certain evils at bay.

Among these was the knowledge of the Sunken City, a legend that few outside of their race even knew existed. The bloodshed around Rivermount had broken one of these sigils, the Halfling elders believed, and the only way to restore it was through their ancestral magic. Urgent messages were sent to the Halfling homesteads, requesting aid. The Elders, having long foreseen such a calamity, gathered in secret council. They spoke of the old ways and of a ritual long forgotten by the larger races. This ritual, tied to the very lifeblood of Aedelore, could reseal the ancient powers and return the lake to its slumber. But there was a challenge.

The Halflings did not possess the strength alone to face such an evil. They needed the heroes of prophecy. And so, with haste, the Halflings sent scouts across the land to seek out these heroes. Word spread of sightings in East Trade, Tyralia, Lorenzia, and even the distant woods near Sarah'sville. The Halflings believed that only with these heroes at their side could they restore the ancient seals and prevent the evil from the Sunken City from fully awakening.

The fate of Aedelore now hung by a fragile thread, resting in the hands of those few who understood the true power of the land and its forgotten magic.