Josephine was cold when she left the keep after her Page shift, and she was still cold even after rushing all the way home. Her mother Gris Stitchwell, the Town’s tailor, was sewing while waiting up for her. Josephine took the opportunity to ask about what the fires might mean? Also, to relay that she was hearing rumours that this would soon be war in the North now. Gris got comfy, and while she sewed, she explained some of the Big Bear Town’s history.
“Many years ago, after a period of separation, the Ice Elf King Gorthaur Iceberg was invited by the High Elf High King Gilgolfin of the GreenVale Rivers to the High Elf Citadel of Írimëholme with Quenya Laiquendi, the King of the Green Elves from the WildWoods and Rhalyf Seasparkle the Prince of the Sea Elves. The High King asked for them to ally and quest together to join the war against the Dark Lord in the far South East for the sake of the entire continent of Ur.”
“Prince Rhalyf celebrated the coming together of kin and offered ships for the journey and hospitality to help think it through. Rhalyf enjoyed a couple of Bearfolk bodyguards; a thank you from Nita “BigBear” Adalbern, who he had just returned from shipping to the South. The bodyguards were Dusty, and Ginger Bigbear were both former wards of Nita. They had recently got married and took his moniker as their surname to acknowledge his sponsorship of them after their respective parents had died in previous border skirmishes with the Northern Orcs and Goblins.”
“The High Elf King then gave an announcement, which was a surprise to many present, that his daughter was to be wed Quenya. There was a lot of celebration in both their Noble Houses...” Josephine interrupted, “I don’t want to hear about any of that lovey dovey stuff”. Gris retorted, “Your Dad use to say, Grisella we should have a love like Dusty and Ginger Bigbear, but I am getting ahead of the story.” Josephine sighed.
Gris continued, “Well neither did Gorthaur. He was so angry that it wasn’t him being wed that he went back to his camp, summoned the Ice Elves and explained how he felt he’d been slighted and got all his war band to swear a blood foe Oath against the other three Elf Kingdoms. I am told that agents of the Dark Lord had long filled Gorthaur’s head with lies about the other Elven Kings, poisoning his heart to them.”
“The Oath acted as a curse upon the Ice Elves, and they became frenzied. The Ice Elves kin slaying was the vicious killing of the Sea Elves, Green Elves and High Elves alike.”
Josephine listened with a pained expression as Gris continued, “The unleashing of the Oath's curse caused such magical and spiritual shockwaves that the dormant Volcano behind us now suddenly erupted with Lava, ash and smoke. This eruption continued for a month, spreading pyroclastic flows and lava across what had been the GreenVale Rivers and the arable farmland we now enjoy to the South of Jade City."
“Ginger and Dusty got Rhalyf Seasparkle to the docks and onto his flagship and prevented it from being torched. They then continued to battle tirelessly to ensure the gangway remained clear from attackers so Gilgolfin when he reached them, could go aboard. They held the gangway long enough to enable the escape of the wounded Quenya, who would forever after be known as Quenya the one-eyed thanks to an unfortunate Ice elf arrow that struck him while they fought through the docks. The last elf saved from the docks was Thomas Longfruit. He was pressed hard by Gorthaur’s swordsmanship and only saved by Dusty and Ginger; although Ginger died from his wounds inflicted while saving Thomas, Ginger still managed to break Gorthaur’s nose and make him look like he was wearing a face mask”
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“Then came the razing of Írimëholme and the burning of 97 ships in the harbour, all except for three ships that made it to sea. One of which included the mighty flagship Breezerider.”
“Ice elves and their friends went on to sack the human lands where we are now and GabilKhazad, the great Dwarven fortress of the Ironchests, who had already won World renown for their gift with singing. Then because of Gorthaur’s spitefulness and his broken nose, he detoured to sack our beautiful ancestral home UrsidaeÆlfwine the legendary Bearkin city. The Ice Elves then returned home, and the Icekin Alliance was soon revealed to the World with werewolves, orcs and goblins.”
“Then work started on the rebuilding of Renaissance as the Elven forest Kingdom’s new Capital City and the renaming of the High Elven Kingdom as ‘Ashvale and Three Rivers’. The High Elves of Ashvale now reside beyond the third river, with Hibernation City’s location shrouded in secrecy beyond the second river. Only Elf friends and Elves may cross the first river to trade and meet with the High Elves. These strips of land act as buffers and are to help prevent the doom of Írimëholme visiting Renaissance in future.”
“Returning from the Holy war against the Dark Lord in the far South East, Theria’s great Grandfather Nita “BigBear” Adalbern performed many feats in the war in the South including saving a cut off cornered purple dragon, he slew the Lord of Werewolves and then his greatest act was slaying a balrog after a long fight that cost him the use of his right arm and his legendary battle axe which in cleaving the skull of the balrog in two was consumed by the fire within melting it away as well as his right hand up to above his elbow.”
“After the defeat of the Dark Lord at the battle of chaos sands, Nita returned home though he was grief stricken at the sight of his sacked ancestral home UrsidaeÆlfwine and the loss of so many friends and family.”
“Our human-appearing Bear shifter clan decided to settle the then ashen and desolate land south of the human Capital City, situated in the shadow of the Volcano. Near their Elven allies with an opportunity to rebuild hidden in private to disguise our growing true strength by hiding behind a much weaker appearing public facing Town in plain sight, which could be seen to be supplied by High Elves until the ground became fertile again for crops.”
“High Elf Thomas Longfruit requested an audience with Nita, then offered Nita, his lifelong service to Nita and his heirs and took the name Bigbear in tribute to Ginger’s blood sacrifice on his behalf. Nita accepted, and Thomas became an advisor and, in time, advanced in reputation to become the Seneschal for the Adalbern Clan, a position he holds to this day.”
“Relocation of the Bearkin to the Volcano lands was agreed with the Human King of Fecundity, Leonardis the Second; in return for taking what was then worthless land and included the volcano itself, they negotiated a double-sized embassy in Jade City to handle logistics. The secret migration of the hidden seed of the Bearkin was planted in secret with the aid of Gilgolfin and the Alu'Tel'Quessir elves, who bestowed gifts that, in time may help with both defence and attack against the Ice Elves and their kin. The gifts reside in the secret underground reservoir even now. This is enough for tonight. I will end if there, as we both need to sleep soon.”
Josephine yawned and wondered what it was that lived in the reservoir and if she’d ever find out, but she knew her mother was stubborn and wouldn’t tell her anything more about this tonight. She headed off to bed, pondering about underwater life forms. Shortly after, her mother also turned in for the night, and her thoughts lingered on the brief but bright love her grandparents Dusty and Ginger had displayed.