Before I say anything else, I want you all to know I tried to do good.  This is my apology and the explanation I feel you all truly deserve.

Elric came to Audreena and me for help.  We weren’t given specifics, all we knew was that he believed he could bring back King Balin.  To accomplish this, we needed to find three wolf pendants and a special box.  As we were collecting taxes, we found 2 I took one for myself, and Elric wore the other. The third we discovered hung around Riven’s neck.

Audreena took a liking to the necklaces, so I gave her mine, and she placed the wolf pendant around her neck. If I had known what would happen, I never would have given it to her.

Elric informed me that once all three were in the presence of the Hunter, all we needed to do was open the box.  As fate would have it, we all were in town.  I grabbed the box from Elric and, expecting the King to appear or something, opened the box.  

  The second the box opened, my only love, Audreena, turned into a wolf.  This was the last thing I saw before my chest was caved in by the Hunter’s hammer. 

When I returned to the woods, I was greeted by the Hunter, who grunted an apology of sorts.  He explained that “Fenrir Wolf had taken those that wore the necklaces. They were now cursed to live as wolves.”  They were wild and killing anything they came across.  He could tame them, but to do so, he needed to defeat them.  I agreed to help, in hopes that after they were tamed, a cure could be found for my love.

Before we could tame them, they had angered the denizens of the Wood.  The people of the Wood began to arm themselves against the wolves and created hunting parties. 

Alongside Vigo, named steward of Champion’s Hall and thus Lord Elric’s second in command, we used our powers to attack all that threatened the wolf pack.All I could think to do to help Audreena was to join the wolf pack and Vigo agreed. SoI used my Druidic powers to become a wolf, and somehow Vigo was able to stand among the wolves without being attacked. The wolf pack at that time consisted of Elric, Riven, Audreena, and myself as wolves with the Hunter controlling the wolves. Vigo supporting the pack with his magic. However being a wolf didn’t make me strong enough to protect her.  

While all of this was transpiring, a plague had taken hold of the Myth Wood. It had come through some crystals that meteors brought when they crashed in to the Wood.  I was sick, as was most of the denizens of the Woods.  

Vigo told me that he had a plan that would make me strong enough to protect the wolf that Audreena had become, and possibly cure me of the plague.  I figured if Elric trusted him, so should I.  I thought also that, maybe, the cure for the plague would work on others too.  At least then, maybe I could stop everyone from hunting my love and make up for my terrible mistake…. 

Partial note found in a bottle written by Mathis we believe

…

Pain all Troll feel.  Bones break, grow, muscle rip and mend.  Troll am born as slave to one call Vigo.  

Boss say kill people, protect puppies.  Troll like puppies, people try kill puppies so troll want kill people.  

People run like bunnies.  Troll call people bunnies.  Troll is funny.

Troll find bottle.  Bottle have words on paper.  Can read some.  Words hard but troll try put words in bottle too.  Think important.  Bye Bye Bottle…

This note to was found in the bottle written by a Troll?

…

Troll can remember little from before born.  Can remember more words.  Troll remember who puppies were.  Troll remember not always slave.

Troll decide not to like be slave, but still must do what boss says.

Troll thinks one of puppies is special to him.  Troll remember magic that can protect puppy that special to him.  

Oh yea, troll must tell bottle about other troll.  Trolls are friends.  Trolls play fun game called stab.  You see, first troll stabs Troll, then Troll stabs troll. Is fun; Kinda tickles.

Troll find lots of flowers when boss was dead.  Couldn’t find puppies so went to town.  When in town get magic used on me.  For short time, troll have new boss.  Still not like being controlled, but must follow orders.  Not ordered to kill but just to stay in building.

Troll got bored. 

Troll must find a way to become free like other trolls.  Troll must think.  Thinking hurts a little, but it gets easier every day.

Well, bye bye bottle see again soon….

Another note by the Troll in the Bottle. 

…

I have learned much.  I now know of terrible mistake I make before become troll.  I also remember Vigo’s betrayal.  I believe it is the book he carries that give him control over me. He still boss, but he thinks he too smart to be taken down by troll.  I must wait till opportunity arises and not waste chance to be free.

I have gained a better grasp on my magic.  I also remember a name, Mathis.  I think it was my name before I was troll and forced into slavery.   I also remember the name Audreena.  She is one of the wolves.  In fact, I think it is the wolf that feels special to me.  I think I love her.

She believes she has learned a way to make her become her again.  I learned this when I used a spell to control her after we lost track of the Hunter.  I hate the thought of enslaving her, but it was the only way to keep her docile.  

Boss Vigo has agreed to help return her to her natural form.  I think he fears that he won’t be able to control the wolf pack when the Hunter is gone, and this would make them a threat.  Regardless of his motivation, I am happy that he will be healing Audreena of my former self’s mistakes.  

It worked!  We created an altar to some wolf god and she transformed into a beautiful human with pointy ears.  Now I needed was to gain my freedom.  I come up with plan.  The plan was simple, find a thief to steal the book from boss.  Plan seemed perfect, but couldn’t get away from boss Vigo long enough to pay for thief services.  

As luck would have it, a band of humans had different plan.  Humans’ plan was to get special weapon to kill Vigo once and for all.  Unlucky for them, they ran into us and were quickly killed, but lucky for me, I was then in position of that very weapon.

The hubris of Vigo was his downfall.  He thought it would be funny to gather all who live in the Wood together, and after that, demand they choose one of their own to be sacrificed to him.  He would in return have me give the weapon to one of the humans.  That is when I found my opportunity.

I had standing orders to kill anyone I see that threatened our group.  In ordering me to give such a weapon to our enemies, Vigo himself had become a threat to our group.  As the humans entered the town, I took the blade and ran him through. 

I was free, or so I thought.

I was still bound by his last command.  I had to kill on sight.  I was trying to help the other troll  save the gnomes, but even though I warned the humans that they needed to run, all they did was grab a torch.  I tried not to, but i killed them all.  I couldn’t help it.

Audreena couldn’t remember anything from her time as a wolf.  She had no idea that I was Mathis or that I had no choice but to kill.  She was still willing to help us trolls and as she was part of “the group” I could be around her without killing her.  She was able to collect everything that we needed to help the now free gnomes create a cure.  She was also able to somehow get all the magic users to sign away the control magic.  

The humans needed to test the cure.  After all I had done, I felt the least I could do is be one of the test subjects.  I even thought of a way to get to the test site without my need to kill to take me off track.  I pulled my hood over my eyes and let Khaos lead me, pretty smart, huh?

I hope it works.  It burns me from the inside, but if it works it will be worth it.

Hope to write more bottle…

Final note in the bottle, written by Mathis while he was a Troll.

…

Vigo was slain in town by his own thrall… Everyone was there to witness it. With Titania’s dagger, his enthralled troll stabbed him in the neck. Whatever possessed it to do so, we may never know.

After his death and everyone left the town, I went to investigate the body. A dark miasma began to rise from his corpse as I got closer to it, and eventually his clothes and flesh all completely disintegrated. Oddly enough, only his bones were left behind. I ordered my men to bring those bones to Grey Arrow. My advisors questioned me about it, and even I had no explanation as to why I made that decision.

The only explanation I could come up with was that Vigo’s influence over the Myth Wood was strong and dangerously powerful despite his evil intentions. And with the strange note we received talking about the rage of the titans of Tartarus, this power could potentially come in handy at some point and if we ever needed it again, these bones could be the answer to retrieving that power once more. My advisors give me great insight into the decisions I make, but without the insight and opinions of King Balin and Jarl Elric, my closest companions, I had to make these decisions on my own and hoped that they were the right ones.

I knew that bringing the bones of Vigo into the keep, and keeping them in the Myth Wood at all was a bad idea. I knew that making this decision without consulting the other great minds in the wood, was a terrible mistake. But one thing I knew for sure, was that the safety of the woods was my top priority and is my duty to protect. If I have to call upon a power we tried arduously to destroy in order to protect it, then so be it. I’ll take time to prepare ahead and take great precautions when dealing with such evil. That much I understand and can guarantee for the people.

Not only will I have to deal with having the bones of Vigo in my home, there are always those in the woods who are watching. Word will have spread of these remains being in Grey Arrow and I must take precautions against that as well. His followers were just as evil as he was, but they were loyal and held him in great esteem. No doubt they will try to bring their leader back from the dead.

It’s only a matter of time until the wood becomes a war torn region once more. Whether it be a civil war or war against the gods. No matter what, we will do all in our power to be ready.

As told by Fenik Blackwhistle, the Opinionated

Discovered by Ryn Hawkwind

So, I was peacefully asleep, enjoying a dream not related to those damned mines for a change, when a howl pierced that dream. I slammed awake and realized the Talls that roam this wood during the warmer months had returned. I walked out of my quaint tree home and saw troll Riddick fighting with the Talls, with much hatred and gusto. I was curious as to why the troll was so violent, he seemed so benevolent to us and where the new troll with him had come from. I then noticed that there was a man in dark purple robes, and an evil grin on his bearded face, and they both seemed to be under his sway. That made me rather uneasy, to say the least.

 I made my way to what these giants call King’s Rest, and there I saw a group discussing how to rid the woods of the werewolves, a young general, a soldier, and a thief, a rather odd grouping in my eyes. They were looking for others to join their party, as they didn’t feel competent to complete this task on their own, and went off in search of others. I soon saw them with two more in their party, another general with the legendary FairenGar, and a magic user. Those magic users all look the same to us, fancy robes, magic bag of crap, and they love to make their enemies stand in place, only this one seemed unfazed by the pure white Mythranium around his neck. They went off in search of the werewolf, and I nodded back off, hoping to return to my rudely interrupted dream. I do hope they get these werewolves taken care of……

I was again awoken, gladly this time, as the nightmares of the mine returned, by the same group of giants gathering around the tree in King’s Rest. There was talk of killing someone named “Vigo”, and how this thief wanted to see the person be removed from this land for good. The magic user with the Mythranium necklace removed Titania’s Dagger from the tree, and the thief attached it to his belt, which had many pouches, probably filled with other people’s money. Dirty thieves, stealing from those who work hard to earn their keep. Anyway, they set off in search of their quarry, and my what a band of misfits they were. Mercenaries, soldiers, magic users, generals, thieves, all working as one. It made me smile, to see those of different classes come together. I decided to follow them, as this seemed important to watch, and my nap was ruined anyway.

They went to the graveyard, and tried to lure this “Vigo” into a trap. One of the larger giants yelled something about a “Red Rover”, and asked Vigo to bring it over, or something like that, but this Vigo wasn’t falling for the trap. The thief with Titania’s Dagger and two others left, leaving those in the graveyard to presumably draw Vigo to them. I followed the small group, hoping to see the Dagger used wisely, and shortly after making their plan, the man in the purple robes, as well as some less savory fellows, appeared and killed them. They called this robed man “Vigo” and I started to understand their desire to kill him. He held sway over my Troll friend, and that angered me. The other troll killed the thief, absorbing his energy and making it some sort of magic armor, and picked up the Dagger. I had lost hope in these adventuring giants, and thought their plan had failed. I decided to go back to King’s Rest to try, yet again, to get some sleep. Working during the night to keep this place neat is no easy feat, and makes one weary, so this disturbance needed to be ended somehow.

I was awoken to Vigo yelling something about a deal to be made with the adventuring group as they walked into town. He started to say he would give Gadaren the fabled Dagger, when the unfamiliar Troll plunged it into his back. Vigo’s eyes grew wide in pain and fear, realizing that he had been betrayed, and that his being was slowly fading from these woods forever. The adventurers had no idea what to think of this, as that troll had always worked against them. Then, when they determined that this was indeed no ploy, there was much rejoicing amongst the giants, realizing that their mission had succeeded, though not how they had imagined it, no doubt. Maybe now I can go back to sleep, there will be much cleaning tonight. Blood stains don’t come out of grass very easily….

After the defeat of the skulls, a celebration was in order. It felt like an everlasting fog had been lifted and purpose had been made clear. There was so much left to do and so many things to learn.

Once things settled down, the minor lords and stewards organized a tournament and festival to celebrate victory over the skulls. Craftsmen, enchanters, and chefs came from distant lands to sell their strange and exotic wares. It was a time of merriment, which I gladly took part of.

After having to take up the mantle of leadership, I had been drowning in meetings and paperwork, always one minor issue after another and it never seemed to end. I decided to take a break from it all and try my luck in the tournaments.

Soldiers and mercenaries from all of the Myth Wood were there to participate.  When it was my turn in the ring, I fell on my arse a few too many times for my liking. I was disappointed at how terrible my swordsmanship was and decided I needed to improve it. I just… didn’t know who to ask or where to start. I didn’t feel like I could ask any of the soldiers or mercenaries. I’d be paying a pretty penny for a chance to increase my swordsmanship, but it would also offer a chance to slander my name. Bardic stories of the wrong kind could easily ruin my reputation, which I could not afford at the time. Instead I decided to go back to Grey Arrow to see if there was anything in the library on swordplay or something similar. I don’t remember how many hours I spent in that library, but what I found made every hour worth it.

Deep in the archives I came across some old scrolls tucked away in the back of the shelves. It spoke of special training for young gifted Gray Elf children to create what was called a “Vardr”. The majority of the time, many of the children failed the first trial. The Trial of Gar it was called. An incredibly technical trial of swordsmanship. It required the focusing of an inner “Selbho”or magic power that affected the physiology of the subject. Reportedly, only three in ten pass the trial. Those who didn’t pass had all magical power burned from them, but those who did gained lightning quick reflexes, their eyes changed, and other bodily enhancements were noted. It was a terrifying and disturbing read, but intriguing nonetheless.

If the young elves survived the first trial, they would then move onto another test which is known as the Trial of Weid, which involved the focusing your “Selbho” through the eyes, and allowed for better magical vision, and understanding. Unfortunately, it also resulted in partial blindness to normal sight. There was very little information on the details of the trial, but according to the name it must’ve had something to do with traversing your own dreams in attempts to find an answer to something? Or maybe to confront something to surpass one’s own abilities.

After finding these scrolls, these  “trials” have been on my mind ever since. I wanted to find where these “trials” were being conducted, I wanted to find how to use this “Selbho”, and lastly… I wanted to see if it was possible to either train, or even become one. It sounds ridiculous, and it sounds dangerous and idiotic, but I HAD to know.

It has been just about 12 years now since King Balin found me alone and lost In the Myth Wood. He was with his brother in arms Elric.  They brought me to their home and let me stay there, as long as I agreed to work for them. I was a mercenary at the time and was to take orders from them first, and from my other employers second.

At the time Balin was only the Lord of Hammers Hold. We were strong together, we could conquer the Myth Wood slaying both men and beasts alike. Yet it could not last, I had been a troublemaker and adventurous back then. I moved on to advance my skills as an assassin leaving behind the mercenary I once was, and the home of Balin and Elric. I became a shady person through those who had taken me in, and what I learned under their wing as a mercenary. Despite my change of careers I tried to keep peace with Balin for I had no quarrel with a man brave enough to become our King.

Shortly after I had been taken in by the assassins,  the dark book of magic had been discovered. Marta gained her soul back, and became a Sorceress beholden to the Book of Magic. I feared she still felt the rage of the succubus in her blood.

It was around this time, on a hot summer’s day that Elric and I, went on a stroll past Grey Arrow keep when we stumbled upon Marta. She was struggling to move a book out of the Battle Arena of Valor. I asked her, “what kind of book could this be?” she could not tell us. All she knew was she needed to take it to a sacred place to decipher its contents. Marta had asked us to help her transport this magical book of power to the Graveyard of the Fallen. For she was much too weak, and it was draining her energy.

Elric and I had agreed to help her, for she was no longer with the Daemons, she was one of us. So we made it to the graveyard, and Marta begun reading from the strange book, when a fury started to grow within me. My bones ached and twisted my head was throbbing, I felt angry, upset, hurt, my thoughts….  I could not control them, they were, controlling ME!!! A disgust I have never felt before, a hatred for all who entered the Myth Wood.  My body grew hot and fiery. My skin became like leather. I was… invincible?? this cannot be, nobody has this kind of power.

A year later I found myself lost once again in the Myth Wood. Or was I? NO?! Then where am I? I have never seen this place and who are these Ordin that have woken me?  Where have I been all this time? Am I dreaming? How did I get here and what are these stories about a troll and a werewolf?! Why am I covered in burns? Could it be true? As I lie on the ground I begin to see the Myth Wood as I once knew it.  Yet it had changed almost as if it had been ravaged by war. Like Zeus himself had slashed the Earth, and uprooted trees. Destroying the walls of Kings Rest. I had found myself in a place called Tickle Town.  Familiar faces had come to welcome me back, although I didn’t recall leaving.

They had doubts about me. They were even scared at times. My sword was covered in blood. I was covered in blood. What had I done? Was it not a dream? The thirst for blood had never felt so real. They say I had endured an ancient ritual. The soul of a troll who had once roamed this land had taken over my body. They say he had resentment for the slavery of gnomes working for our money. He kept trying to call the Myth Wood his land, and we were all trespassers in it.

What happened to our Kings Rest? Where was King Balin? When will he be back? How long must the slaughter of our people go on? Will the Mysterious hunter finally make peace with us? I must find King Balin, and help him restore order, perhaps I could get some help. He deserves to have a good crew to back him up, even if he isn’t here. Although I’ll need to make some dirks, good help is hard to find these days, and money does talk…