Heart-Eaters
Summary
Once upon a time in the forest that would become the Dark Arbor, though long before it came to bear that name, there lived a young forest elf boy. Among his people he was known to be a true friend to the plants and animals of his home and the surliest of them were more beloved by nature than any human could aspire to be. More than that, he had the most beautiful singing voice anyone had ever heard. Even the terror wolves, known for hunger so voracious they sometimes devour their own young if the birth takes too long, would meekly lay at his feet for hours to listen to him sing. Normally, this would make him greatly respected among his people. He would be well on his way to becoming a leader, as much as the forest elves recognize such a thing. But the young boy was not greatly respected. You see, while he was dearly loved by nature, and he did love it in kind, he had a mind for engineering and arcane magic. Yes, nature was lovely and it was amazing to see what grew, but he found it so much more interesting to see what he could build. His only companion in such things was a moon elf girl, who sometimes ventured into his forest for the quiet to think over the spells she was weaving. As time passed the young boy became more and more of a pariah among his kin, but he cared less and less. The girl was similarly ostracized by her own people, but she paid them no heed. They had fallen in love, you see, and so were deaf and blind to all the slings and arrows, aware only of each other. Alas, had they paid more attention, perhaps the great tragedy could have been avoided. The magistrate of the moon elves locked up the girl, to give her time to come to her senses he said. What he did not give her was food. They withheld all sustenance from her until she renounced her love for the "animal." She chose, instead, to starve. Her lover missed her of course, but he could not enter a moon elf settlement to look for her, and it wouldn't be the first time she became absorbed in her work so he resolved to wait. He would only learn of what happened by chance one evening listening to a passing bird sing a sad song of a girl's lonely fate. Few things are more vicious than the grief born of love, then turned into hate. The young boy now a man sang his rage to the forest and it answered his call. Soon before him appeared the largest terror wolf of all. Together they ran to the magistrate's manor, growing closer and closer. What arrived there seeking vengeance was no longer two but one. The first werewolf's heart had been taken so, he resolved, he would take those of others. To this day, all lycanthropes eat the hearts of their victims, eternally trying to fill the void in their soul, but never suceeding.
Historical Basis
There were many examples of ill-fated romances between moon and forest elves, they are both a very romantic and poetic people but who come from diametrically opposed societies.
Lycanthropes did become much more common in the years following when this story is said to have happened.
The Dark Arbor has served as the birthplace of a great deal of monsters and accursed.
Around this time, an extremely powerful werewolf was captured and imprisoned in the sun elf prison that would later become Crotera.
Date of First Recording
14 Reclaim
Date of Setting
2230 Wonder
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