Crackling of fire and howling of the winds rattle the night sky around you. Huddled with your companions for warmth before a small campfire, you rest for the night from venturing down long forgotten roads, across ancient lands since reclaimed by time. Soft voices strike up a short and subtle conversation as the party dines on what food was prepared for this night. A strike of luck saw the groups path cross with a small herd of deer and with a short detour to hunt, the travelers eat much better then they have in a while.
Once food is gone and the cleaning done, everyone settles down around the comforting warmth of the fire. You overhear an excited child’s voice speaking up, asking the most elderly of you about the lands beyond the edge of light spilling from the flickering flames. The elders’ grin widens with amusement as he turns to the gathered group seeing eager eyes. Telling the child to take a seat and all to listen as he shares his knowledge of these ancient lands.
“These lands are ancient and many myths arose here. But its most prominent one, well that would be of The Fae and their ruler, the Queen of Night and magic. Of greed and violence but of hope and bravery.”
The elder nods to himself in remembrance of the tale as he takes a swig of his mead before continuing on.
“In times long past, magic was rampant in the world as the Queen of Night and Magic ruled. She was fair but strict, helping many species live in peace and harmony. Yet humanity, with its minimal ability to use magic, grew to resent the Fae and their lands. They began to blame the Queen, saying that it was her choice that left humans without magic. So with anger in their hearts, the five ruling human Lords and Ladies mustered their armies and invaded the kingdom of the Fae….”
As you lean against a log used for support, the elder continues to tell the tale, his voice slowly grows quieter as a weight upon your eyelids becomes heavier. As your eyes close, visions of raging battles long ago march across your mind, as haunting dreams of the past magic and might live on in memory.