Graimerin came to me earlier this day and asked me to offer my life's history for his journal. I scoffed at him at first and coldly told him that until very recently my history was the self same history of this world.
Let me formally introduce myself, I am known as Fanabb in common which will serve for this purpose. I am a night elf and priest of Elune, once immortal but now subject to death as any living being is. My race was the first to awaken and we heard the call of Elune. We venerated her at the most powerful of sites and basked in the glory of her power. We learned though that with great power comes the possibility of great danger.
The first I personally saw of battle wage on a vast scale was the first invasion of the burning legion. What many of short lived races have taken to calling the war of the ancients. Queen Azshara a great a noble member of my race was cruelly tricked by the foul demon Sargeras. He wanted a portal to be opened to allow his minions access to this pristine world. Many other wise and great members of my race discovered his plot and were able to close the portal before he was allowed access but at a cost that not only sundered the very face of the continents but changed my people forever. Those that weren't sucked under the waters of the newly formed sea and transformed into monsters managed to survive. But the cost of survival was terrible my race broke in two. Many took to boats and sailed away to one of the new continents and called themselves High Elves, the continued to practice arcane arts that almost destroyed us once. Our druids descended for centuries into the dream where they sought to protect our world with the aid of Ysera one of the great dragon aspects. Those of us that survived and choose to stay retreated to Mount Hyjal where for centuries we lived in peace within our forest and zealously protected our lands.
Being a priest of Elune after the sundering was a difficult time. Many of my race saw those of us that served as part of the problem. We allowed ourselves to believe we where above the rest of our race, that somehow we where better of a higher caste than they. I personally never had the pleasure of serving at the great temple. While I venerate Elune and know her tremendous powers I only saw her well once in my enormous lifetime. My service was out in the settlements helping to explore the forest and come to know its inhabitants. Cenarius the demigod was someone I saw more than my Queen. But I had freely given myself to a different path and didn't study at the feet of the great stag. I knew his powers and saw the great gifts he bestowed those that choose to follow him into the drudaic arts.
The war is chronicled many times over by those much more scholarly than I. I will simply add that destruction that vast should never be visited upon any living being. How the gods managed to save what we have of this world is simply a testament to their powers.
So the centuries passed as we stayed secluded in our false safety on the mountain until we came into contact with a new race. They called themselves Orcs, the were destroying our beloved forest and met with death from the sentinels who where its guardians. This was the beginning of the end for my life as it had been for centuries. Archimonde a old enemy returned again at the head of an army this time of undead and demon alike brought death and destruction to our mountain. The world tree was destroyed and our immortality taken along with it. Battle was joined by those that defiled the forest to protect what we could Orcs that we one time killed helped us save what we could of ourselves and our homeland.
It was during this time that we learned what had befallen our brethren that crossed the sea centuries before in there pursuit of the arcane. Their city in ruins and a monster raised from their sunwell our isolation had to end.
We gave up immortality in our hopes to preserve life as we know it in our forests. Many of my brothers and sisters still toil to cleanse our forest from the sickness that has enveloped it since the end of that war. I choose to leave the forest, to take the battle against this scourge army. I have tried in my own way to make a change in the way I view the short lived races of my home world. This was how I came to meet the human Graimerin and his friend and companion Falromord.
In my venture into the outside world I first choose to stay within my races area of control. I went to Silithus where the Cenarion Circle has maintained an outpost for time immortal battling the denizens of that inhospitable place. Where we imprisoned Qiraji to stop their rampart destruction of the land. The Circle decide to open the gates and to destroy them once and for all so that we could stop their spread.
I went out to help during one of the small skirmishes before we ventured into the vast prison when I saw a human and a dwarf battling the insect like inhabitants of this area and the very elements themselves. Having seen first hand the battle prowess of the races during the battle for our sacred tree I sought to offer what add I could. Calling upon the power of Elune I shielded the human who seemed to be taking the brunt of the attack and and cast upon he and his dwarven companion words of power to increase their fortitude while in battle. The skirmish was over quickly as those two seemed to be able to weave together a dance of death the likes of which I had never seen. When it was nothing but corpses left upon the desert floor the human turned to and said “thank you sir and may the light bless you. I am called Graimerin and this is my friend Falromord.” Not knowing what was proper for the ways of the people I simply said may Elune bless you in your battles against these foes.
Then I can only imagine it to be Elunes divine guidance that took hold of the human he asked if I would like to add he and his companion in their eradication of horrors of this land. Before I could decline his offer the dwarf barked that they didn't need any assistance and I should go back to hiding in the trees as my race had done for centuries. Offended by this rude comment from one of the lesser races I was turning to leave when the human quietly said to his friend that to decline aid in battle was to help was ones enemies and during these dark times enemies where plentiful but allies scarce.
Wisdom such as this human had just shown was remarkable to me in one so young, intrigued I wondered what help they might need or could offer me. I was unsure though because I had no wish to make friends with life forms destined to die; till I had to sharply remember that now even I could die. I decide to simply be as truthful as I felt comfortable with. I told them that I was a priest and could offer some healing and some other assistance if they needed it. Graimerin seemed pleased and quickly wanted to accept my offer of aid but the dwarf Falromord still seemed uncertain if not outright suspicious but apparently he trusted the humans instincts. Shortly after we met nightfall was upon us and we began the process of setting up a camp for the evening. I quickly saw that these where people used to the hard life of the road much more than I, even if they couldn't feel the land they way my people do the did respect it. A small fire was made and carefully banked and shielded as to not only protect us but also as not to give away our position to our enemies. They broke out their road food consisting of some dried meats and I assumed some dwarven spirit. I offered to share some of my food with them which consisted of cheese and fruit which they accepted with graciousness.
It was during the meal that the dwarf turned to me and bluntly stated that as far as he was concerned Grai as he called him was a overly trusting youngster destined only to see the good in people. He then furthered his point by telling me he trusted the stone of the earth and little else with the huge exception of the human Graimerin. I replied coldly that I trusted little but Elunes grace and her wisdom. He then asked why would I agree to this grouping if I distrusted so much; my reply then is as true as it is now that in Graimerin I sense a wisdom beyond the years a human could ever know. Surprisingly the dwarf chuckled and said “aye I know what you speak of, Grai seems to have ability.” Taken aback by this rather radical change I didn't respond but decide that this dwarf and human may bear watching as they seemed to be much more than the sell swords I initially took them for.
What seems to be merely a eye blink of time to me but I'm sure is much more has passed since that day. I still seem to be traveling with these two odd companions of the road and others have joined us, the wisdom I saw in Graimerin that day is still evident and always astounding. Falromord is still the gruff dwarf fierce in battle and friendship and always the defender and sword arm of his closet friend Grai. Me I still travel with them keeping them healed as the singlehandedly at times seem to need to win this war on their own. Graimerin talks of his need to atone for some stain upon his honor, Having traveled with this man I can not imagine him ever to be dishonorable but his demons he refuses to share as he purges the land of theirs.
Will I ever feel fully accepted by these people I'm still unsure as centuries of seclusion are hard to overcome. Although of one thing I am sure no one ever had more stalwart companions in such an unsettled time.
