The man blinked his bright brown eyes and smiled at Ariston. Coughing quietly, he sat up then stood. “Thank you, brother Forestor. I knew someone would come. Are you hurt?” Ariston was surprised at how awake and spry this man was. He had at first appeared very old but the ranger could tell that he was not old as much as ageless. His gray beard was shortly cropped and his face was kind yet wrinkled with sun, wind and age. He gave off the sense that he could be sixty or six hundred. Could he be trusted? Was this his true visage?

The man introduced himself as Allaran, Sage of the Isle of Lost Dreams and the Lake of Lost Souls and Keeper of the Secret Tree of Life. He claimed to have been trapped in the “mirror” just destroyed by Ariston. But everything is now to be set right. He must know two things: Is he accompanied by a Dwarf, a Hin and an Elf? If so, is the Elf the child of Feadiel? Ariston replied that he does not know the Elf’s lineage but yes, he is with a Dwarf, an Elf, a Halfling and several Humans. But there is bad news, the Hin is dead. At this, the man looked sad but quickly asked how long ago did he die and where is the body. Finding that the Hin was just killed a short while ago, the man demanded that Ariston not bury the body at the tree and bring it to him in the temple of Petra. Before Ariston left, he saw the man extract a quill pen from his robes, shake it twice and a full staff was in his hands.

The Forestor gathered his companions and met at the tree where Syndylys was just about to place Orin’s tiny body into the ground. Everyone felt themselves again and there was no trace of the evil that had persisted or the more recent foreboding. They looked on as the mage emerged from a shallow hole. It had been hard work for the mage (and slightly demeaning given that graves in Alphatia were either dug by magic or by hired labor – he did not mind as much given that this was his fellow adventurer but he was still glad that no one from home could see him). When the group told him that they were not going to bury the Hin after all his hard work (digging with the little camp shovel that Alexei carried was not the easiest), he looked annoyed. He said a few words under his breath and his clothes were as fresh as ever.

They carried their friend to the temple where the man was sitting on the floor, surrounded with bowls of what appeared to be water and a few branches (from whence he got them, they could not say). He asked that they go downstairs back into the dining room where they would be fed to their hearts’ desire. Ariston asked if there would be wine and the man smiled. “Yes, of course,” answered the sage with a twinkling smile. Ariston forgot all other concerns and the group left Allaran to tend to Orin.

Several hours, which seemed like minutes, passed as the group stuffed themselves full of food. There was something for everyone and even Ariston did more than imbibe wine. As soon as they could not eat or drink another thing, Allaran entered the room. He was dressed differently, a dark gray green cloak over leather outdoorsman gear. He still held his staff and leaned on it a bit. His eyes still sparkled but he seemed very weary.

"Your little friend is alive but barely. He will sleep for many days, perhaps three or four, then awaken as the hungriest Hin you have ever met. Feed him and in a fortnight, he will be as strong as he will ever be again. The Immortals always exact a price and I have snatched him from the Goddess. She will make both him and me pay, I just don't know in what way yet. However, if he and you are who I hope you are, it is worth the price."

The sage shook off questions and said that he must leave at once for there were many things to which he needed answers. He would be gone exactly two weeks then would meet them at the Tree of Life. He assured them that they would be safe upon the island and could feel free to search around and use his study. He asked only that they leave his bedroom and the room where the mirror had been alone. He needed them undisturbed for later study. Without more, he walked from the room, leaving the adventurers to their thoughts.

Over the next few days, Orin did indeed awaken. He did nothing but eat, seeming even incapable of words between bites. He went from eating to sleeping, right at the table, and right in the midst of their meals. Ariston, knowing the sage was gone for a while and that Orin was alive, took to the woods and scarcely saw the others. Chronos, Syndylys and Kyri spent most of their time in the sage's library, always worried about the clock but nothing bad ever happened. Alexei and Chae stayed with Orin, always making sure he was okay. Gradually, Orin began to speak of his dreams while he had been gone, for if not dreams, he could not explain what they were. He had trouble believing that he had truly been dead.

A fortnight from the time they had saved the sage, the group sat in silence, watching the Tree of Life. There was a crackling sound as if branches were being split and the trunk of the tree began to change. It took on the visage of the sage and he emerged from it, his skin returning from wood to flesh as he began to speak, "Good. You are all here. My questions have been answered with more questions and my heart is filled with fear. Yet I promised answers and I will share what I know or at least what I think I know." He sat at the foot of the tree and began to weave a tale.

Allaran is the thirteenth and perhaps final sage of the Lake of Lost Souls and the Isle of Lost Dreams. Ancient Traladaran history claimed that the lake here was created by the tears of the Handmaidens of Petra after she left them and took the dead King Halav. They cried for his soul and the size of their grief was what convinced the Immortals to raise him and set him upon the quest for Immortality himself.

Most do not know why the Isle is called that of Lost Dreams but it is because of him and the sages before him. This island was created by a secret member of Clan Feadiel, the only surviving clan of the exodus from the Sylvan Realms more than 400 years ago. The lone Elf, Carlwyn, under orders of the Treemaster, took a branch of the tree to hide and grow in case the clan was ever again threatened and the clan that was headed to Alfheim did not survive. Because he was the only Elf, he had to trust to a small band of Human Druids and Mages who he found near this place. He taught them to bind themselves with the new Tree of Life and learn the ways of the Treemasters. The devotees spread the rumors among the local Elves that the Isle was taboo and forbidden to Elves so that the secret did not spread. In time, their ability to trust the secret to others and to recruit members dwindled and now, there is only one Treemaster at a time. That person is the Sage. Allaran became a sage quite by accident, after he left the Forestors of Thyatis. He was raised by a Thyatian Forestor when his Traladaran parents were killed by Orcs.

The sage continued, “I am sure that you saw my notes in the study about the three rings of darkness. They are about you I believe as is the statue in the main hall. Carlwyn said that a child of Feadiel with companions of all the major races (Hin, Dwarf and Human) would one day come during the time of the last Sage. They would rescue the sage and quest for the center of the Universe. They would face three rings of darkness before finding the core of the world. From them, the Sylvan Realm would be restored and the world would be renewed. While you, young Kyri, are silent on your heritage, perhaps you do not know and I will not pry, but I believe you may be that child. I am not a seer, just a sage.”

The man shifted on the ground and began to stroke the staff he held. In the blink of an eye, it became a pipe and he stuffed it with tobacco then passed his little pouch to the Hin. He touched a finger to the dry weed and it began to emit smoke. He similarly lit Orin’s pipe. He took a few puffs then continued.

“I began my search by speaking with the Elves across the lake. I assured them that you were okay and that things were returning to normal. I asked them to return to their clan and seek out information. I then went to find a seer, my friend Shalfey of the Tower of Stars. Yes, he truly exists,” said the man smiling at Ariston. “Many of the emperors of Thyatis have consulted with the Master of the Tower of Stars. But my visit was troubling. Something seemed amiss and I could not get an audience. His assistants would only tell me that he could not be seen. I waited and could never get an audience. I tried speaking with his protectors, the Brothers of the Mountain Sun but got nowhere. I worry that something is seriously amiss but I decided to move forward.

I traveled throughout Thyatis, Darokin and Karameikos, everywhere that I had planted a tree in my youth. These are indeed troubling times. Each country seemed tense and full of apprehension. In the far west of Darokin, there is one who has arisen who calls himself The Master. No other name do I know. He has long been the ruler of lands beyond the Great Sind Desert. Legends say he has lived a thousand years but is not an Elf and he is destined to rule his Great Realm for another thousand years. Of course, no one knows exactly what he looks like. Reports range from a kindly old man to a fierce desert wizard to a warrior in shiny black plate armor. However, it is said that he now also controls the desert itself and the mountain kingdom which borders Glantri. And now, trade has stopped with Darokin from all points west. Caravans which make it back from excursions west report having to turn back because of the prevalence of bandits and foul creatures. No one has news of Sind or Hule. But it is said that the black sailed ships of Hule can be seen in the harbor of Halag or as you may know it, Fort Doom. I am not sure what all this portends yet but my soul tells me that this has something to do with the three rings of darkness. It is the darkness of a lack of knowledge that has disturbed both Darokin and its most powerful ally, Thyatis. Any threat to Darokin is an assault on all the free trading nations of our part of the world. Thyatis will not rest until it knows for sure what has happened in the far West.

“I believe I have faced and perhaps you as well have faced another of the circles of darkness: Bargle the Infamous, Court Wizard of the Black Eagle. He and his apprentices are spreading evil through all of ancient Traladara, searching for lost artifacts of the times of Halav and bending them to their will; fomenting unrest amongst the Goblinoids; supporting the Iron Ring and helping the Black Eagle in capturing the Duchy. It is this that has caused the tension in Karameikos. As far as I can tell, Bargle has three apprentices who call themselves the Hands of Death: Aurelian, Golthar and one who has seemed to have taken the name Skarda.

“Ahh. . . I see the glimmer of recognition in your eyes, Alexei. Yes, Skarda is the name of a legend, a boogieman. Even from my childhood I remember the tales of Skarda who would make entire villages (the people, the animals and all the riches of them) disappear at night. My parents told me that if you wondered too far into the forest, Skarda would follow you back home and make you and your family disappear. I imagined him as a great psychic Nosferatu, sucking the souls of all and withering their bodies into dust. You can imagine that I would be more than eager to meet him when I received a message from Skarda. Yes, he contacted me.

“I had been tracking the movement of another apprentice, Golthar. He had recently become interested in certain artifacts of a lost empire of fantasy. He is looking for items from Ancient Nithia. I smiled too, Orin. Nithia is but a small kingdom of the Emirates of Ylaruam, to the east. History says nothing of a great Nithian Empire, definitely not one which would stretch from the Isle of Dawn and beyond the lands of the Five Shires. But that is what Golthar believes and he had begun correspondence with an Alphatian, actually Thothian (whose dusty people are similar to the Nithians of the Emirates) mage. This piqued my interest as I too had had correspondence with the Alphatian, Eridalun. Well, I trusted my ability too much and invited Golthar and Skarda into my home. Skarda was hidden by some powerful changing spell so I don't really know exactly how he looks. I wanted to get a view of him with the Eye but never got the chance. They came with an Elf, tall and handsome and with a striking similarity to Carlwyn. I was distracted and soon overwhelmed. Golthar admitted to trapping Eridalun and then they trapped me, inside the mirror you destroyed.

“I do not know exactly what it is that Golthar is after. I know Skarda wanted the Eye. He said that his Master required it for study and that it might help to find what Golthar was seeking. I do not know where Eridalun is but I get the sense that Golthar was keeping him with him and that he was still alive. Eridalun is a scholar and teacher from the Isle of Dawn. With the arrival of an Alphatian mage to run the new Karameikan School of Magic, I was interested in finding out more about the Empire and I happened across Eridalun and began correspondence with him. He seems to be a decent fellow but I have never met him in person so I could not tell you what he looks like.

“I believe your destiny lies in finding out what Bargle is up to. At least most of you. Alexei, I think you must follow a different path. You are of Karameikos but have never been outside its borders. I therefore am giving you a quest which will take you outside. I ask that you find out what has happened to the Seer of the Tower of Stars. In return, I have this for you.” He removed a rolled scroll from beneath his cloak. Its slightly yellowed paper crinkled and cracked as he unrolled it. “It is a deed of land along the border of Thyatis and Karameikos, signed by the emperor himself. This land is far enough to escape the ravages of war which may soon visit this land but close enough to be considered home. Your homestead has been razed, like many others in this part of the country. Your family is scattered. Find the Seer who can help you track them down then establish a new home with them in the land described in this deed.”

Alexei was stunned. A single tear ran down his cheek and he stammered, trying to find words. “I have grown accustomed to this group. From Ariston’s and Orin’s company at the drinking table to Syndylys’ ability to always be clean. The silly songs of our now dead bard and Chae pushing me to lead the way despite us all knowing that the road ahead is trapped. Even Kyri and Greyshade whispering about me from the corner, no doubt chuckling about some human behavior I have exhibited. They are all my friends and I hate to leave them. But you must have seen inside my heart that since we have discovered the burning of the homesteads, I have been worried about my own home and family. Not many survive, having been taken or killed by the Iron Ring. I will find them and from this new home, continue to fight the Iron Ring. Thank you.”

Kyri rolled her eyes and looked away.

The Sage continued. “I think you should seek out the allies of the Hands of Death, the Goblins of the surrounding lands. They will lead you to Golthar. Golthar will lead you to Bargle and this first ring of darkness. I can tell you how to find the Wolfskull Clan, perhaps his most powerful group of Goblins. But first, I have some tools from Carlwyn which will help you in your journeys. Come.”

The Sage led them upstairs and had them wait in the shade of the trees. He went down the long hallway towards his room but returned in minutes, carrying large sacks.

“Carlwyn foresaw that his tools would one day guide the heroes of whom he spoke. These tools I bestow upon you. First, Chronos: to you I give Carlwyn’s special scroll and several magical liquids. He said the reader of the scroll will be protected against dark magic while the potions would heal, make you immune to fire and help tame natural beasts . . . “

Allaran continued to hand out gifts. To Chae, he gave a black cloak that Carlwyn called the Cloak of the Bat which would enable him to hide at night when he was fleeing the Sylvan Realm and to turn into a bat or fly as necessary. To Orin, he gave Carlwyn’s wooden amulet which it was said would protect the wearer from most harms. Greyshade received the Elf’s Long Sword, Moordenaar. The mage, Syndylys received Carlwyn’s ancient ring. It was inscribed with runes and according to Allaran, could store spell energy and allow its user to fully know the spells inside. To Ariston, the sage gave Carlwyn’s Elven Chainmail and 10 special arrows. Though they were more than 400 years old, the shafts were straight and hard and the green feathered fletching was as full and smooth as any already in the Forestor’s quiver. Finally, to Kyri, Allaran gave Carlwyn’s diary which he said contained not only a history of the Exodus but also things of magical usefulness. He also gave her Carlwyn’s fine ebony long bow. With that weapon, he felled many great and terrible beasts from Goblins to Giants.

That night, they feasted the return of the sage and celebrated the glory to be had. Orin told many stories of his true love Penny and Chae shared tales from his childhood as the son of two scouts in the service of Darokin. He stopped suddenly when describing the last time he saw his parents; the night of a humanoid raid. Not wanting to end the night on a down note, Chronos chimed in and told everyone of his days as the biggest and strongest candidate for priesthood during his early days in the Thyatian Church and his conversion to the Karameikan Church at the behest of his father, a Thyatian who had followed Duke Stefan to claim the Grand Duchy (he did not personally know the ruler but did fight beside him at one point during the Marilenev Rebellion; Chronos’ father still proudly displayed his dented shield and sword in their family home).

The next morning, the group set out together. After crossing back over the water, they found two Elves still watching their horses and ponies. On the shore of the lake, they said their final goodbye to Alexei and headed south, into the heart of the Dymrak Forest. The journey was uneventful until, right at dusk, they came to the sign of which they had been told by the Sage: a petrified forest. None of the adventurers had encountered a petrified forest but Kyri and Ariston had heard tales of them. This, however, was nothing like what they expected. First, the area of petrification seemed huge. In the fading light of dusk, the forest appeared as an eerie and silent place, with little or no color to relieve the grey stone of the stiff, blighted trees and undergrowth. The trees were transformed while in full leaf and now formed a dense, opaque canopy. From where the group stood, just outside the thick of the petrified forest, nothing could be seen in the dark gloom. No sound came from the darkness and the only living things which could be seen were patches of pale moss and lichen on the tree-trunks and limp, web-like creepers hanging like shrouds from the branches.

The group made camp at the edge of this desolate place. They did not even make a campfire for fear of attracting too much attention. Their sleep was fitful and they carefully made sure someone kept watch all night long. Throughout the night, wolves could be heard far off, howling to the dark sky.

The light of the next morning brightened the forest just barely. What had been impenetrable dark the evening before was now a twilight gloom. As they moved silently through they found stony lumps which revealed themselves to be petrified birds and animals (deer, foxes, boars, etc.). Patches of tangled, petrified undergrowth had arisen to an average height of at least eight feet and seemed unsmashable. The petrified forest was so dense, dark and tangled that visibility was very short, perhaps 100 feet but even that was limited by the twists of the many trails through the area. Although torches did not need to be used, the walk was painfully slow.

Following one promising path (what made the track promising, the Forestor did not say but he seemed to think their path was ahead and no one challenged him), they wound their way through yet more lifeless trees. Kyri felt nervous, unsure how to respond to these trees of stone. Greyshade seemed perfectly at home amidst so much rock. Ahead, they spotted several small humanoids, leading a pack of very large wolves. They were headed straight for the group but did not appear to have seen them and were arguing amongst themselves. Goblins for sure and they wore the distinctive wolf skin cloaks that the adventurers had encountered before.