Garidon, the world that is home to the Three Kingdoms, has existed for well over five millennia. While all religions and races differ in their accounts on how they came into existence, all agree on a single creation story: the world itself was created when the two elder gods Order and Chaos, in an effort to come to a middle ground and break their perpetual stalemate, created the world from the dust of the cosmos. Within what is now a standard week, the world was formed and the seven moons were set in their orbits high around the planet. The mundane animals of the world were created, and for a few brief, shining moments, the world was an unspoiled paradise.

From here, everything differs.

The Elven histories are generally regarded as being the most accurate, if only because they began recording historical events some four to six centuries before anyone else. The Elven histories state that they were first into the world, created by Order to serve his causes. The Elven peoples, born with wings broad enough to reach the heavens, devoted their new lives in this paradise toward making it an even more perfect place to live, preparing it for the coming of the gods themselves.

At the same time, Chaos created minions of his own: orc-kin and trolls, aberrations of nature that served only to destroy that which the Elves-- and, likewise, Order-- held good. To further those ends, Chaos swept across the world, changing and mutating some animals into twisted versions of their former selves. Some turned their cause toward Order: the Centauri, among others, have thoroughly forsaken their original master and become the tools of Order.

From there came the Dwarves, mountain-dwelling people connected to the stone and the deep earth much in the same way that the Elves were connected to the surface. Originally the Dwarves were a mystery to the Elves; there were rumors that the other people existed, but there was no real proof. Within a few decades, that would change.

At last, there came the humans. Created from elements of both Order and Chaos, they were considered the ultimate creation by their 'parents'. For a time, both elder gods were pleased with their mortal creations, and the world was left to its own devices, a cosmic chessboard on which all of the gods' pieces were at last laid.

Chaos soon grew most displeased by the world he helped create. Order, for some reason, had held sway in the world, and this feeling of helplessness made the elder god uneasy. Angered by his counterpart's power amongst the mortals, Chaos attacked the other elder god directly, unleashing a disaster of cataclysmic proportions. Waves of chaotic energy swept across the planes, and a second round of creation began.

On the planes of the immortals, a number of new gods were born of the souls of dead mortals.

Dragons, manifestations of shining good and black evil, rose from the ashes of the Dwarven lands and spread across the world. Two in particular: the mighty red, Zhaga, and the awesome gold, Aernath, began their own ascents to glory-- one shiningly good, and one darkly evil.

Chaos, though, eventually lost his battle with Order and was slain by the elder god. Without a balance, though, the planet threatened to tear itself apart. In order that his beloved creation might be saved, Order sacrificed himself-- but not before spreading his power equally to the newest of the immortal gods. Thus there would always be gods in the world, but never again would it be torn apart by the conflicts of the two elder deities.

After decades of suspicion and rumor, the nature-loving Elves and the earth-attuned Dwarves finally came into contact with one another. The original contact was filled with more than a tinge of mistrust; each race was unsure of what to make of the other. For a few years, a tentative peace was struck between the two peoples, with each exchanging knowledge with the other.

All of this came unraveled with the intervention of one of Chaos' minions, a human by the name of Thelon Mentes. Disguised as an elf, he walked into the camp of the Dwarven emissary and, after being welcomed with open arms, single-handedly slew all but three of the unprepared Dwarves. This incident, known as the Mentes disaster, was the catalyst for what turned into open warfare between the Elves and the Dwarves.

After hundreds of years of a war that threatened to wipe out both races, a group of humans from the fairly advanced kingdom of Askandor in the south came forth and made a proposal to both races. This proposal-- a treaty-- opened up blind eyes on both sides: end the conflict, or stand idly by as their peoples destroyed by one another. It took three months to mediate, but eventually a decision was reached. To this end, a settlement was created on the very site of the agreement (which, not coincidentally, was the site of the Mentes Disaster so many centuries before): the walled city of Starglow, which began as a modest fortress and grew to a modest city. All three major races lived there in peace.

During the time of Starglow, the Elves and Dwarves (and even, to a much lesser extent, the Humans) underwent a bit of a renaissance by working with one another. Peace thrived for almost a hundred years, but stirrings on the immortal planes killed any chance for a permanent, lasting peace.

It began when Aelstra, the Goddess of the Elves, was besieged by a shard of the dead elder god Chaos. It began as a small bit of confusion amongst her priests-- anything from forgetting the rites of the church to overtly skipping the duties of the church-- and spread like wildfire. Finally, about a year after it began, a council of her highest mortal leaders determined that the goddess Aelstra had gone insane. In an effort to cleanse herself of this sickness, she split into two beings: her original self, a deity serving the Light, and a darker version, the new goddess Beth'Arora.

In the Elven lands of Sybara, the Elves underwent a radical change in response to their goddess' sundering. They split into four major factions, each evolving into a race of their own. First were the Sybariel, those who would live, wingless, in the ancient homeland forests of the Elves. Next were the gray-skinned Sithemariel, who would live, wingless, on the border islands. Third was the Avariel, who would keep their wings; these people fled to the far northern island of Tanathel; from there, they were lost from the histories for a number of centuries as the world changed. Finally came the Nurenariel, dark-skinned Elves who traded their wings for black power and skin to follow their new dark goddess. Some who found no refuge in these factions took to the oceans and became the merfolk of sailors' legends.

As the Elves had their problems, so did the Dwarves. It is not known to this day what was said that brought the diminutive rock-dwellers back to their home in Mittlerealm. What is known is that shortly thereafter, the mountains surrounding and protecting the northern border of the Dwarven homelands came crashing down, and most of the Dwarves seemingly disappeared from the face of the world. What few remained are still holed up in Starglow to this day, eagerly awaiting word that their kin have been found.

As the collective races of Garidon gathered to lick their collective wounds over the next few centuries, a remarkable age of peace reigned throughout the world. All peoples dedicated themselves to one of two major causes: the Light, that which was good and right in the world, or the Darkness, that which was evil and wrong. During the Golden Age, most peoples embraced the Light to an increasingly incredible degree. In fact, many bonds once thought torn permanently were healed. The Elves, for example, torn apart during the time of Chaos, began to come together once again: the moon-bound Sithemar and the forest-bound Sybar, people who'd grown into separate races, became one once again with the marriage of their two leaders.

Humans, though, had become a very fragmented people, something that would remained unchanged to this day. In the southeast was the kingdom of Askandor, the ancient kingdom which had survived for so long, grew stronger after the great disaster. Consequently, it also grew bolder, expanding its boundaries and almost doubling in size. One city they avoided, however, was the troublesome independent city of Wyrmspire, so named because of the terrible red dragon Zhaga. The great dragon terrorized the city twice a year, demanding sacrifices and tithes from cowardly residents who worshipped the dragon as a living god.

In the northeast was a loose affiliation of cities and towns known as the Free Cities. The Free Cities prided themselves as being open-minded and open-gated, easy places to sell and trade any number of goods. Among the more sizable cities were the trading town of Crossroads; the artists' haven of Ruriping; the megalopolis of Marnet-by-the-Sea; and the magical village of Naridale.

In the northwest, the very antithesis of both Askandor and the Free Cities was growing strong: the desert empire of Tasmil. Ruled (unofficially) by the rogue elf Calimar Llewyntraee, Tasmil rose to power first as a port city, then as a center for slave-trading along the western coast. Most popular in Tasmil is the infamous Arena, a place where combat is sold as sport, and where justice is carried out with a swift release of wild beasts hungry for flesh.

In the southwest, just to the north of the Elven forest Sybara, lies the thieves haven of Talian. Whereas Tasmil is home to blunt cruelty, Talian is home to a more subtle evil. Unofficially ruled by the Axis Guild, an 'information house' that gathers information on all people around the world to sell to the highest bidders, Talian is a haven for sin and vice so depraved that it would make even a nymph blush.

During this golden age, the Second Council of Starglow came to pass. At this council it was determined that there should be a place for learning and exchanging of ideas, a place where even the most carefully hidden secrets of magic and music could be taught to any who would learn. The first choice was Ruriping; its reputation as an artists' haven made it an ideal location. Second was Starglow itself; its reputation as a peaceful community made it also an ideal choice.

At last, after months of heated debate, it was decided that the village of Naridale would be chosen as the site for this college. Scholars had determined long ago that for some unknown reason, an incredible "fountain" of magic was flowing from the village, spreading throughout the known world; it was from here, they determined, that all magic had sprung. On a day now known as Founding Day, the first, most central tower was erected (magically, not by coincidence) of the College of Magical Arts and the College Reckoning calendar was created, using Founding Day as the first day of the calendar.

The Chaos War was the first event since the great disasters to have any great bearing on the world at large. During the Golden Age leading to the creation of the College of Magical Arts in Naridale, little petty wars and bickering broke out, but nothing so far reaching as to involve the whole of the world as it was known. The Chaos War, as it would come to be known, would set the stage for major battles for years to come.

The war began fairly innocently. Ailen Arrowshaft, an Avariel woman who had been exiled from her homeland of Tanathel and gone to live on the main continent, had years before met and fallen in love with a young human bard by the name of Darrin Trailsong. The two were briefly married before they mutually called it off, citing personal differences. The pair parted ways and hadn't seen each other for a number of decades. During that time, Ailen ran across some troubles of her own and, through a series of miracles she attributed to the goddess Patriah (Goddess of the Skies, Matron of the Avariel), survived-- but her wings, her pride and joy, had been forcibly torn from her back. As such, she began to despair, afraid that she would spend the rest of her life as a normal elf.

One night, as Ailen entered a local bar called the Brooksong, she spotted someone she'd never thought she'd see again: Darrin Trailsong, the human who'd once held her fondest affections. How he'd survived she didn't know (he survived because he secretly was, in actuality, an elf), but there he was, larger than life as usual, and flirting with the inn's owner, a gypsy woman by the name of Linin Gemsplitter. Ailen despaired even further; not only were her wings gone, but the man she cared about was down on the main floor of the bar, flirting with another woman.

It was then that the voices started in Ailen's head, telling her that she could have what she wanted-- Darrin's love-- if only she would release the power within herself. Ailen hesitated at first, not knowing what power this was. But as she watched Darrin and Linin, the anger steadily built, and when Darrin finally reached across the bar and kissed the gypsy, Ailen (whom nobody had recognized, wingless as she was) thrust her arms to the ceiling and released a power so black that even the night seemed bright by comparison.

Chaos, the elder god once thought slain, had returned.

In panic and rage, Ailen ran off to the forest; Darrin, on the other hand, bravely drew his sword and prepared to fight this monstrous apparition of a bygone age. He failed utterly. Before Chaos could slay the bard, however, he was whisked to safety by a number of people, heroes who were in the bar that very night: Ryld T'orgh, a Dark Elven fighter who had forsaken his people; Ryld's ladylove Lauri, a powerful wizardess; Aidan and Linin Gemsplitter, twin gypsies with swords of fantastic power; Bryn Pathfinder, tracker supreme; the cleric Tenbar; Kynna of Marnet, a member of the mysterious Swanmays of Swanspoint; Mercicon, the weretigress; and four of the five Rameikos siblings: Shasta, the wizard; Riana, the ranger-turned-cleric; Koril, the thief; and Drake, warrior and guardsman of Askandor. Together, along with other assorted heroes and heroines who joined their travels throughout the lands, these Heroes of Narilan set forth to find where Chaos lay recuperating and slay the Mad God once and for all.

Part of the group, including Darrin, the Gemsplitters, and the wizard Shasta, tracked an aspect of Chaos to Marnet. Shasta shortly left the group to begin researching the Mad God at his tower; this effort would pay off dividends at a later time. Darrin, flirting with Linin (much to the delight of Aidan, who'd never seen his sister so happy), traced Chaos to a warehouse in the seaside district. Just before they could enter, a new figure entered the picture: Corene, the mermaid-queen, who rose from the water...

...and asked her husband, Darrin, what help he required.

Linin went ballistic, as did Aidan. Feeling betrayed by Darrin's inexcusable seduction of his sister, Aidan drew his sword, Sunfyre, and proceeded to fight with Darrin, challenging him to a death match right there on the docks. Outmatched by the gypsy's prowess, Darrin quickly fell to his back and pleaded for his life. Although initially unwilling to grant the bard even that much, Aidan acquiesced... only to watch helplessly as Linin raised Moonfyre and, with a word, disintegrated Darrin on the spot.

Halfway across the world, things were getting even worse. Ryld and Lauri discovered Chaos' hideout in Talian, but not before meeting with opponents who were oddly familiar. In fact, they were entirely familiar: dark dopplegangers of the two themselves. It was a glorious battle, but in the end, even Ryld and Lauri succumbed to Chaos' more powerful versions of themselves. Too soon, most of the Heroes of Narilan found themselves in the afterlife, pained by the fact that their last quest had gone unfulfilled. Most, that is. The sole exception was the wizard Shasta. In a brilliant speech to the assembled pantheon of gods, Shasta persuaded them to return the heroes to life for one final quest: to destroy Chaos. (After all, if they failed, they'd just end up back here anyway, and what was the point of them staying here when they could blow it one more time, he had argued. The normally humorless gods were awestruck that any mortal would speak to them with this sort of candor, and they rewarded it.)

The final assault was planned, and the assembled heroes charged in on Chaos. Some fell to the many traps and minions that the Mad God set for them. Most notable was the demon Tarograx, reanimated in the body of Riana Rameikos. At last, the demon was taken down by the assembled Heroes of Narilan. Battered and bruised and mostly dead, they were set to make their last charge to take on Chaos. Before they could get to the Mad God, however, Shasta placed a powerful, impenetrable spell dome around himself and the elder deity and, with a few words, destroyed both the god and himself. The loss of the two Rameikos children was felt keenly by all (moreso by some than others), but it was soon at least slightly appeased; Shasta, with his dying breath, took the swirling power of Chaos and was transformed into the new god of Order.

Little known to all, though, a small shard of the Mad God remained. Aex Hellshadow, a semi-reformed thief, happened upon the nearly mortal form of Chaos and was granted the rest of Chaos power. Thus would the balance be maintained, and thus began a fight between the two original powers once again.

A decade after the Chaos War, long after the Heroes of Narilan had gone into retirement, the land was once again mostly at peace. Enter Joran duCharleroi, guildmaster of the Axis Guild, a haven for thieves, assassins, and other dregs of society dedicated to furthering their own personal goals. Joran had come by his successes easily and was known for having a knack at grasping success from even the bleakest of situations. Only one thing in his life had turned out an abject failure: his son, Garlin, who had forsaken him some years earlier and joined the causes of Light. Joran, getting along in years and wanting to turn his greatest failure into at the very least a draw, set out to either seduce his son toward the Darkness-- or let him die in the Light. To that end, he concocted a grand plan: eliminate his son's friends, and he will have nowhere to turn but to his father, and once he was there, whatever means necessary would be applied to bring Garlin into the Axis fold.

Numerous assassins were dispatched throughout the world, each sent to eliminate certain strategic targets. Each assassin was a top-of-the-list killer, but killing the Heroes of Narilan proved more difficult than Joran thought. Ryld and Lauri, retired and operating a tavern outside of Tasmil, fended off the hired killers with relative ease. The Gemsplitters as well had little trouble taking care of their targeters. In fact, the only one who had any trouble at all was the bard Trailsong.

Following the Chaos War, Darrin had returned to the undersea kingdom of Midia to return to his 'rightful' place as king at the side of the Queen Corene. For years, he'd been tutoring his daughter, Endara, to be a bit of a bard and spellcaster in her own right, and she'd made fairly good progress. At last, he'd told her of his life above the surface, a place she'd never seen, a place that held great wonder for her. Naturally, she wanted to go. Before she could go to the surface, however, Darrin began instructing her in the art of swordplay, if for no other reason than to protect her from any undesirable elements.

The two got a lesson that they'd never forget, however, when a number of assassins broke into the palace in Midia and began their assault on the semi-retired hero. Fearing for his daughter's safety, he bade her leave and took on the killers by himself. He'd had no finer day as a swordsman; before the battle was over, forty lay dead at his feet. As the last one fell, Endara entered the room and tapped her father on the shoulder from behind. Trailsong, half-cocked and working on pure instinct, suddenly turned and in one tragic moment accidentally slew his daughter. Corene saw only that last moment; branding Darrin a traitor, she ordered him arrested. He fled; Corene immediately placed a six-figure bounty on his head.

Back on the surface, Garlin finally took the hint and set out to find his father. Following the trail to Talian, Garlin himself dove into the underworld to try to get close to Joran. It took him three long months, but at last came the day when Garlin met his father face to face. Joran was wise to his son's plans, though, captured the young man, and placed him in the uppermost room of the Axis guildhouse, a place of mazes and traps that only its resident guardian, the enslaved minotaur Carcass, could traverse successfully.

Joran underestimated one woman, however: Ailen Arrowshaft, missing in action since the Chaos War, had set up her own rival guild in Talian to head off the trouble Joran was making for everyone. It was she who had upped the fees for many of the killers, paying them sometimes twice as much to not go after certain opponents. Playing to Joran's fondness for puzzles, she presented him with a challenge: She would take on the maze to get to the top of the Axis tower. If she made it there, her prize was obvious: Garlin's freedom. If she lost, she was willing to sacrifice her life (her love, Darrin, seemed lost to her). Joran accepted-- and lost. The Minotaur, in an effort to be sprung from his life of servitude, had actually helped the wingless Avariel through the mazes and traps in the tower. Joran was furious. Immediately, he grabbed his blade and swung at the Avariel, only to find his path blocked by his son, Garlin. Ten minutes later, Joran lay dead, and Garlin installed himself as the head of the Axis Guild. Immediately he raided his father's treasure chamber for a reward for Ailen-- and found a mythical Puristan Ring. Using the wish contained within, he granted Ailen her fondest wish... and returned her wings to her.

Thirty years after the Rise of Assassins, a lot had changed throughout the world. Shortly after leaving the Axis Guild in Talian, Ailen had discovered Darrin, wandering lost and alone in the lands of the Free Cities. Their love was immediately rekindled and they remarried under the signs of Amitir, Matron of Bards and Music, and Aelstra, Goddess of the Elves. Their union has produced three children: the twins Danilin and Darcilyn, and their youngest, Ayrlee; all three children share their mother's heritage by being born with wings. With the help of Shasta, who had renounced his godhood two and a half decades earlier and passed the power to his formerly deceased sister Riana, the pair bought the Whistling Swan Inn and moved it to Naridale, where it remains to this day.

To celebrate not only their thirtieth wedding anniversary but also the fortieth anniversary of the original Chaos War, Darrin and Ailen sent invitations far and wide to the remaining Heroes of Narilan to gather at the Whistling Swan. Some of the original heroes showed: the weretigress Mercicon, the tracker Bryn Pathfinder, the Swanmay Kynna, and the couple Ryld and Lauri T'orgh. Shasta Rameikos' children, Tathlyn and Madrigorn, half-siblings born to Shasta’s two ex-wives, also answered the invitation (if only to spite their father and meet some of the people he always talked about). Also come was the Minotaur Carcass, who'd become fast friends with Ailen following the Rise of Assassins. For one brief, glorious night, the Heroes of Narilan enjoyed one another's company in relaxed comfort.

By the end of the night, this was all to change.

Far to the south, in the Sybaran Forest, Queen Keryl shea Silverleaf lie dead at the hands of a silent, efficient killer. Alerted by the sudden loss of the bloodlink he shared, Shasta immediately teleported to the Swan. He pulled Darrin aside and told him of the dire news-- since, after all, Darrin was actually the 'dead' Elven king Gavril shea Silverleaf. Two options were presented to prevent Sybara from falling into absolute ruin: one, for Darrin to reveal himself Gavril and assume the throne; or two, to search for the thirteen GemBlades of the ancient Elven houses, unite them, and let their combined powers choose a new leader.

Torn between loyalty and perceived freedom, Darrin chose freedom and opted to search for the blades. With that, the bard and the wizard walked out to the bar and told all within (in an eerie scene reminiscent of the start of the Chaos War) of the dire danger and the quest to come. Some of the original heroes answered the call: Darrin and Ailen, and their twin children; Tathlyn & Madrigorn; Madrigorn's mother Mercicon; and Tathlyn's mother Felyndiira. The bar was given into the temporary custody of Ryld and Lauri. After determining that much of what they were looking for was within easy reach (a number of the GemBlades had, by fate or by design, found their way into the hands of either Shasta or Darrin), the remainder of the quest was on. The self-proclaimed Company of the Whistling Swan split up to search for the swords where they were last reported.

Danilin and Darcilyn first went to Wyrmspire to bargain with Zhaga, the ancient red dragon who had custody of the Wyrmblade, a blade rumored to grant control over dragons. In her old age, Zhaga had indeed mellowed, but by no means would she give up the blade. Darcilyn, the fighter of the two, distracted Zhaga as Danilin went in to retrieve the sword. He succeeded, but not until his sister paid a terrible price: the loss of her wings, burned to charred stumps by the dragon's fiery breath.

Darrin and Ailen teleported to Ruriping to find the Blade of Magic. The pair traced it to the dark tower of Tyrrel the Tyrant, a rogue dark elf who'd come to the surface years earlier with promises of paradise but plans of deceit and corruption. The couple made their way to the top of the tower and bargained for the blade, but not before Ailen discovered that the man traveling at her side was not her true husband, but an impostor Darrin planted with her during the teleportation spell. Tyrrel's plan to trap the Avariel went awry, however, when she blew the bottom three floors off the tower, which toppled to the ground, summarily destroying a number of city blocks and killing dozens of innocents. (Ailen has yet to forgive herself for this costly error.)

Tathlyn and Madrigorn traveled to the fortress Shiatar, home of the mysterious Puristan Order of mentalists, to find the Blade of the Mind. When they arrived, they found not a thriving place devoted to learning, but a dank, deserted fortress now home to many ghosts. Fruitlessly they searched for the sword-- until they came to the treasure chamber. They entered, noting a number of seemingly powerful blades, but, once within the chamber, the door slammed shut and the Guardian attempted to kill them for their trespass. Madrigorn eventually recognized the specter as Laren Rameikos, her direct aunt and Shasta's twin sister. With help from a spellbook in the library, Tath and Maddy were able to restore their aunt to her mortal form and accepted the Mind Blade from a grateful Laren.

Ailen, despondent over her missing husband, flew back to Naridale and collected Carcass for help in once more breaching the Axis guildhouse in search of the blade of death, Tyrinier. Through his network of informants, Garlin (now head of the guild and who had changed it into a smoother, more efficient-- and more politely sinister-- operation) learned that his friend and his father's former slave were on their way-- and, as a bonus, Carcass carried with him a Puristan Ring... which Garlin intended to steal. Garlin succeeded in capturing Carcass and laying a trap for Ailen, but the trap was foiled by the intervention of Darcilyn-- now resplendent with magical silver wings.

Felyn and Mercicon, former enemies and now fast friends (due to their common bond of being Shasta's former wives), journeyed to Tasmil to find the blade of the Body, held by Calimar Llewyntraee. In order to receive the blade, Felyn agreed to face Calimar's champion in open combat in the Arena. Arrangements were made, and Felyn met Calimar's champion: Shana, herself a weretiger and, unbeknownst to the two, a daughter of Mercicon. Just as she was about to slay the fallen tigress, Felyn thrust to the right-- cutting the slave's fur, but sparing her life. Defeated by his own words-- defeat rather than slay-- Calimar reluctantly handed over the sword. As they left the Arena, however, Calimar claimed they were thieves and the two women, devoid of magic, fought their way through the city, trying to escape. Felyn succeeded, but Mercicon was slain by members of Calimar's guard.

With all swords assembled, the Company of the Whistling Swan (minus their de facto leader, the real Darrin Trailsong and mourning the loss of Mercicon) arrived at the World Tree, the oaken 'castle' where Elven royalty resided. The ceremony of the GemBlades was performed, and not one person, but three were chosen as potential leaders of Sybara: Calimar Llewyntraee, who'd used a magical device to gain the swords' favor, it was later found; Eyrim Delithera, an Elven noble and last surviving member of his family (and creator of Aster); and Kera shea Silverleaf, Keryl's daughter and the one with the most to gain by the swords' favor. After a month's bickering, Eyrim was chosen as the true heir and installed as the new Elven king.

As an aside to the whole SwordQuest, Darrin Trailsong was discovered approximately one year later by the weretiger Garic and his wife Agalacae, mortal daughter of the goddess of Love and the god of War. During a stopover in the magical city of Swanspoint, the two noticed something wrong with the centaur witch Aspentil Silvermane, something unnoticed by her children, Brightmane, Adoralee, and the adopted Deoridhe. It was soon discovered that Aspentil was, in fact, a transformed and mindwiped Darrin Trailsong. In order to spare the three children their rightful chance at a full, uninterrupted life, the three were sent into a trance and commanded to forget Aspentil's change into Darrin. Instead, a battered and defeated Tyrrel (who was originally responsible for Darrin's state) was taken and transformed into the new Aspentil, where he remained for a number of years.

As all were returned home and to their proper places, the stage was set for what was to be the most explosive conflict since the days of the Chaos War and, perhaps, since the time of the great disasters. It began in the Sybaran wilderness, where, from the dark of night, an assault was launched on the World Tree and its inhabitants. Many elves fell to the encroaching Darkness; a couple handfuls escaped with their lives. Among their number was Kera shea Silverleaf, who managed to slip past the blockaded borders of her homeland and get word to her uncle of what was happening. Darrin, true to form, was outraged. Within two days, a call had gone out and had been responded to by a motley crew of heroes and Legends, including members of both the Heroes of Narilan and the Company of the Whistling Swan. Others new to this assemblage of greatness were the 'fake elf', Aster; the Swanmay Miriam; and a mysterious yet powerful Elven mage named Kass.

Half of the assembled company, including Darrin, Ailen, their twins, Kass, and the centaur Adoralee (who had come to live with Darrin after her mother, Aspentil, died), made their way into the heart of Sybara... only to find it completely devoid of life. Even the trees seemed dead. When they got to the World Tree, they found it devoid of all life-- except for the presence of Cedric Ashmist du Carchost, an ancient Elven vampire commanded by his goddess to destroy any who came searching for the truth. To this end, he collapsed the World Tree; only by the skin of their teeth and the revelation of Kass' true power did the assembled heroes escape. This was indeed a disaster; not only was the World Tree the Elven royal home, but it was one of the four great Nodes of the world, places of concentrated power that held the each of the four main elements together. The World Tree held the Node of Earth, and when one was destroyed, the other followed.

Meanwhile, the other half of the assembled company traveled to Tanathel to gain the aid of Byreth, current ruler of the island nation of the Avariel. No sooner did they arrive than another disaster befell: the Node of Air, which was guarded by the Avariel, was defiled and its power taken by a dark elf who looked oddly familiar. When pressed on the issue, Felyn didn't answer as to who it was... even though she knew full well it was her missing sister, the former goodly dark elf Pellanistra. Flabbergasted by his lack of security, Byreth agreed to send aid to avenge the Sybaran Nation.

Not long after, all met at the Swan to compare notes. At that moment, Shasta Rameikos arrived (to the much anticipated chorus of groans and boos as each knew that something worse than they'd possibly feared was about to happen) and informed the group of three things. One, that Aex Hellshadow had, forty and more years ago, taken a shard of the dead Mad God and resurrected Chaos in his own body. Two, that a war council was being called in Kandoria, capital city of Askandor, to avenge the Elves and that all present at the Swan were asked to attend. And three, that Aex Hellshadow was dead... but the power of Chaos had returned one final time to take its final revenge on those who'd thwarted him before. The stage was set. A few of the heroes made their way to the war council in Kandoria; the others, suspecting that the other two Nodes (Fire and Water) were in danger, rushed to protect the remaining two pieces of the puzzle.

First was the Node of Water. In a bold return to a land where he was a wanted man, Darrin led a band of heroes to the undersea kingdom of Midia. Taken in peace by the guards before the prideful Queen Corene, they explained their plight and the potential danger that lie ahead. Corene, believing in nothing but her own power and the relative safety of her undersea kingdom, politely rebuffed the heroes and allowed them to stay the night, but they were to be gone first thing in the morning. During the night, however, the Node of Water was taken from its resting place. Corene, dejected by her failure, authorized some of her own precious home guard to aid the heroes however they could and sent them by to join the council in Kandoria.

This left only the Node of Fire, deep within the bowels of Zhaga Peak, home of the ancient red dragon. As the heroes arrived, the found Zhaga eagerly guarding the Node of Fire from them, happily serving someone she constantly referred to as her 'mistress'. Each time they even came close to the entrance to the cave where the Node lay, Zhaga spat fire at them and made motion to slay them where they stood. Darrin, in frustration, teleported himself, Felyn, and Darcilyn into the heart of the mountain where the Node was, only to find that Felyn's worst fears were realized: not only was her sister indeed behind everything, but that she was now carrying the power and soul of the Mad God, Chaos. Above ground, the ancient gold dragon Aernath came from her own hiding place-- cradling two small ruby dragons in her arms. Zhaga, pleased to find her children safe, turned on her 'mistress' Pell, who, in turn, unleashed a killing bolt toward the red. Aernath, however, in an act of uncharacteristic courage, intercepted the bolt with her own body. Pell gloated triumphantly as she disappeared with the last node and Aernath, with her dying breath, commanded the heroes to go to Deepdawn village and save the world from a final cataclysm.

When they arrived, things were going poorly for the 'good guys'. Eyrim Delithera and Kera shea Silverleaf, as well as the other remaining Sybaran elves, had been enslaved and made to fight for Pellanistra. Worse was that Mercicon, who had been dead and buried, had, in fact, had her soul enslaved by Pell and was forced to fight against her friends. To make matters seem hopeless, Tyrrel had been freed from his life as Aspentil by her 'death', and he and the rogue elf Calimar were commanding the troops at Deepdawn while Pell/Chaos completed the spell that would give her domination over the world. Shasta, recognizing the spell, immediately set up the same spell shield and began reciting the same destruction spells that had worked more than forty years before. Chaos, however, was ready for him, and instead slew the wizard on the spot.

Just as things looked their bleakest, the gods themselves intervened. Kass opened himself up to the true power of the Dragon Ring, forever shaking his Elven form and assuming the form of the Emerald Dragon to fight the growing god. Ailen was infused with the power of Aelstra, soon joined by the power of Riana (Order). Beth'Arora, the Dark Elven goddess, infused Tyrrel with her own power to try to balance the scales, but it was not enough. The Kandorian armies, bolstered by the displays of immortal might, routed the fearful dark armies. Those remaining Sybarans were saved. Mercicon was freed of Chaos's evil taint. Felyn, in a final attempt to stop the madness claiming her sister, drove her own blade through Pell's chest. And in a heartbeat, a powerful, white-hot explosion rocked the peaceful countryside of Deepdawn... and then, all was quiet. Eerily quiet.

But when people could see once again, they could see that the forces of the Light had triumphed.

The world has been, for the last, year, a rather peaceful place. Shasta Rameikos was restored to life by his sister, Riana, in the body of a silver dragon. Felyn and Pell, as well as the dead of the assembled armies of Kandoria, were laid to rest in a massive tomb in Deepdawn. Aernath was granted the mantle of a goddess herself (Goddess of Dragons), yet prefers to remain on the mortal plains as the headmistress of the College of Magical Arts, where she can oversee all aspects of the proper training of new bards and magi. Mercicon has traveled to the previously unknown lands of the far north. Madrigorn and Miriam have followed in the footsteps of their famous parents. The twins Danilin and Darcilyn and their sister Ayrlee take their turns working the bar at their parents' inn when they stop to visit, although Ayrlee herself is busy with a daughter of her own: Brillayra, born to her and Shasta's son Tathlyn.

As for the most famous bard and his winged wife? Darrin Trailsong and Ailen Arrowshaft have, at long last, earned a little retirement. They operate the Whistling Swan Inn in Naridale in peaceful bliss, welcoming any traveler to their doorstep. Each still goes wandering from time to time, but they are still mostly content to turn over the reins of adventuring to the next generation of heroes. As Darrin is so fond of quoting, a tale is legal tender at the Whistling Swan... and all who enter grow richer from their travels to the master bard's home.