“My name is NelySetesh and I am a nymph of Loreroot. For you to understand my story first you will need to know about my people.” The beautiful Nymph looked toward her loyal bard and said, “BlackThorn. Will you play your lute while I tell my tale?” She smiled and all those that had gathered to hear her fell deeply under her spell. “It would be a great pleasure, my Lady.” The bard began to play as Nelya began her story.

Chapter I : Nymphs

Nymphs are the female deities of nature and posses rare beauty. They are generally considered to be the daughters of Lorian Deus and of the Master of the inside sea. My people live throughout Loreroot’s woodlands and rivers, but can also be found in mountains and caves. We live one with nature caring for all living things by helping them grow. Some have been known to protect and even love men who serve the Root. From our union with mortal men, we have birthed heroes or demigods into the world. We are able healers curing humans and even spirits who are in need. We live for thousands of years and when we are together, we sing ancient songs to the trees and waters of our home. There exist many different kinds of nymphs. We are known according to the natural environment where we live. Ther are the Epigys, or earth Nymphs who love the deep places within the earth. Orodemniades love stones, moutains, and caves. The valley Nymphs are called Napys and the Ephydryades live in rivers and lakes. I am Alseydes, a wood nymph for I love and serve my forest home. Beware when you enter it, for we will allow no harm to any of it. There is another kind of nymph that you will no longer find here in Loreroot; the Lampades are fire Nymphs. Long ago they lived here one with nature, but no more. In the beginning all the nymphs lived in peace. We were carefree, enjoying our beautiful home. We ruled with harmony all the creatures of the wildwood. Nymphs cared little for their differences and shared their gifts with each other.

Chapter II : Lampade Society

Only the Lampades lived apart from the rest of us. They did not like other nymphs for they felt superior. They formed a closed society, isolating themselves in a remote part of the forest. However harmony remained among us for nearly a millennium. But during this time, we grew apart. In secret the Lampade Nymphs developed their powers and increased their knowledge. They had discovered an ancient parchment which told of their connection to the elder gods of fire. The elder gods were no longer remembered or served because of their chaotic and often cruel nature. They learned from the parchment how to worship these ancient deities. Those most fervent in their worship began to feel power growing within them. It is from this power they began to develop destructive magic harnessing the element of fire. Not all the Lampades would worship the elder gods, nor sought a way to control the other nymphs. There arose among them a new order led by the exalted Lampade Aylen. All those refusing to follow her, were killed. Indeed Aylen had terrible powers and decided to use them to bring back the elder gods. The worship of these cruel beings would bring an order of chaos, a jungle law. The Lampade Zealots, led by Aylen, attacked the other nymphs. War came to loreroot, with it the deaths of its people and the destruction of its lands. The other nymphs were unprepared by such an attack. All their magic was used to create and protect. Aylen and the Lampade Zealots quickly conquered almost all of the wilderness. Only a few pockets of resistance remained. A scant group of nymphs took refuge in a hidden cave near a small but exceedingly beautiful waterfall deep in the heartland of Loreroot forest. Only a handful knew of the existence of this place. According to legend, when the green sun\'s rays are reflected in the waterfall, a magical portal leading to a mystical vale appears. Loreroot is a land shrouded in mysteries and steeped in the cryptic and arcane. Those nymphs that knew of this gateway were part of a mystic society, a secret order of Lorian medusas who served the Root. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- They had taken refuge in places withdrawn or caves. But a small group of nymphs took refuge in a cave near a small waterfall in the middle of the Loreroot forest. Few people knew about this place. According to legend, when the green sun\'s rays are reflected in the waterfall of this place, a portal to a legendary place appears. These nymphs were part of a secret order: ancient lorerootian medusas. Nymphs, including Lampade thought until now that this secret order was a legend but the reality was completely different... The history of this secret order is only known by a handful of its members, and only the most prominent know how the order was really founded. Indeed it exists for over 20 centuries, moving in the greatest secrecy. It was founded by Arian Oak, an ancient Alseydes nymph who lived at that time and disappeared over night without trace. The only remember that it lasted until our time is the legend of Oak and the myth of magical portal near a waterfall where it is said we have seen her before she is away. The mystery of his disappearance was never solved and was forgotten in the maze of time. Arian Oak was the high priestess of Root. At this time there was a cult dedicated to the Root called Rootian. This was to worship the principle of believing in a higher entity called Root. This entity was the lifeblood of Loreroot, feeding with its strength the forest and all individuals living within, a kind of protector of all life in Loreroot. By its nature, Root is connected by a psychic link to all other life forms. An exchange of vital flows would take place between the Root and other entities even if most did not even aware. This cult did little followers; most do not like the idea that a superior force could influence their lives. For this reason, Rootian cult no longer exists, for lack of followers it was forgotten with time. However a major event happens at that time among the Rootian: their high priestess Oak Arian disappeared and during the following days, most exalted of Rootian too. In fact, during one of her long meditations, Arian Oak success to get in touch with Root entity. During this exchange, she saw a beautiful isolated area in the middle of Loreroot near a small waterfall. Then, she had the revelation of the existence of a magical passage leading to an ancient unknown city, an underground city where all the energy of the Root seems to be concentrated and distributed from this central point. The Arian’s vision stopped suddenly vanishes. For several days, she did not stop thinking about what she had seen and wondered why Root had decided to show him that. Was she prepared to cross the portal? She did not know what awaiting her behind it, the vision was so short she has not really time to realize what was happening in this sacred place. The following day, she tried to communicate again with the Root but no response... Also she took the decision to go alone to search the place she saw in her thoughts. She chose not to warn other members to not worship them face danger if something goes wrong... The only clue she had to find the place she had seen in her thoughts was her flash. She knew it would be very difficult, perhaps impossible to find this place. Despite this, she began to search. Arian Oak was often used to walk in the forest during her long meditations and therefore knew a large part. However, she had never seen a place as she saw in her vision. She explored several days in various parts of the forest and in particular the vicinity but can not find anything. She had to resign itself to explore the most dense, but also the most dangerous, part of Loreroot. This part was in the heart of Loreroot but few creatures dared to explore it. Many rumors exist on this part of the forest that spread between RavenHold and Defensive Quarters and extending to the west, most terrifying, evoking gigantic creatures or curses. This does not stop Arian: she entered with some apprehension in this isolated part of the forest. During several days she wandered into the forest completely lost. She started to say herself she will never find this place and die here ... A bout of strength, she collapsed and fainted. Then her spirit awoke in a dream. Her fatigue, hunger, everything had disappeared. She had the impression of floating in a bubble but could not move. Myriads of bright lights were all around her like stars in the sky. “Where am I ?” wondered she... Suddenly she heard a voice whispering her name, a deep and powerful voice. She was unable to hear what it said, but the sound seems to be repeating itself. It now became increasingly strong, then deafening. “Wake up now Arian oak!” yelled the voice. She suddenly wake up, completely disoriented. She was lying near a pond with a small waterfall overlooking it ... it was the place she saw in her vision. Although she does not know how she landed here, she was finally arrived at their destination. Everything seemed calm around her, even too quiet. While she was in a forest dark and oppressive, an entirely different atmosphere reigned here: quiet, calm, light ... a very strange place. So she did few steps back…she quickly understood why there was such an atmosphere here: she found herself again in the dark and humid forest... She raised her hand in front of her and it disappeared... a kind of magical barrier was around the quiet place to hide it and making it invisible through an illusion. She cross again the barrier ... a strange sensation ran her body, as she was through a wall liquid ... she knew now that it is impossible to find this place without knowing its exact location... Now she was in the place of her vision, now she should find a way to open the passage that leads to the underground city which was revealed. The problem is that she had absolutely no idea how to do it... After fully explored the area in search of clues, she decided to meditate again, it seemed obvious that the answer was here; under her eyes and that her faith would show her the way. During several hours Arian concentrated her mind by focusing it on one point trying to capture the energy of nature revolving around her. She felt also a new power flowing through her veins coming from both everywhere and nowhere. An aura around her body appears now; green efflux was escaping from every cell of her body. These green effluxes grew up to create a sort of mini green tornado all around her. Her eyes became bright as gold. An intense green light shone, it was the sunlight, crossing the efflux, was becoming green. Then a very brilliant door appears in the middle of the waterfall, splitting water in two flows. Arian, always in a kind of trance, got up and headed for the door without even remarked she was walking on water. Then she crossed the door light and suddenly all disappeared.... We are fifty years before the Nymphs war. A cry sounds, it was a baby nymph, an Alseyde, a beautiful nymph of the woods. She was lying there on a round marble stele on which was engraved a pentagon. Around it stand five sacred Lorerootian medusas holding hands. Each of them was at a summit of the pentagon. A green light had just disappeared ... One of them, with a green velvet dress, which appeared to be the leader of the other nymphs took the baby in her arms and said: \"My sisters, this is our last hope\", watching the baby nymph, \"Your destiny is already sealed my sister, I am deeply sorry, I hope you will be strong enough to accomplish it... Your name will now be NelyaSetesh... \" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am BlackThorn, Bard of Loreroot. NelyaSetesh, Lady of the Root, has asked me to begin this on her behalf, and so I must. \"First I will tell you of what has already transpired.\" \\\\ \"Oh BlackThorn where are you taking me?\" NelyaSetesh was in no mood for any of the bard’s silly games. She was worried about the developments in the balance between Golemus and Necrovion and how it would affect Loreroot. The loss of Wodin still weighed heavily on her heart. \"If you are wasting my time, my boot will meet your face.\" She growled. BlackThorn was not in his usual take-life-as-it-comes mood. He seemed quite in earnest as he led the beautiful nymph deep into a very secluded part of the Wild Wood. At her words he seemed to wince as if she had just slapped him, and he was quiet. \"What is going on?\" she said. \"You are never this quiet. In fact, most times I find it rather hard to shut you up.\" She was beginning to grow concerned about her friend, and that made her angry. She turned to him and asked, \"What’s wrong BlackThorn?\" \"We are almost there.\" he said turning to her in a low and quiet voice. \"Listen.\" Nelya stopped next to where BlackThorn stood. He had his eyes closed. She tapped her foot anxiously on the ground, frustration and the pressures of the council weighing down upon her. \"I don\'t hear any thing.\" she said. BlackThorn looked at her with tears welling up in his eyes. He said, \"I didn\'t ask you to hear, I asked you to listen.\" Her anger left her then and she said, “BlackThorn I\'ve hurt you. I\'m sorry.\" He smiled at her and said, “I grew up here. In this valley.\" Nelya looked around at the ancient trees and thick carpeted moss covering the forest floor. “This was your home? Before The knator Lord found you?\" He shook his head in the affirmative. “I would like to meet the vine you call your Mother.\" she said with kindness. \"It must have been terribly lonely for you here.\" she said when he didn\'t speak. \"No\" he replied. \"It wasn\'t. HE was always here. Always.\" Nelya began to feel her heart beat faster. “Who was here?\" she asked in a distracted kind of voice. \"The Knator Commander did not know why I was abandoned here.\" He said. \"But I do, now. It was to prepare me, so I could bring you here.\" Nelya could feel him now. He was so close. \" HE is calling me.\" She said as if in a dream, and then began to run. She ran until her lungs burned but that did not matter. \"HE\" was calling her. She reached the center of the valley and there all in a circle stood a copse of the most ancient trees she had ever seen. She hurried to them and ran around them desperately searching for a way in. Nelya found a space large enough for her to just squeeze through. Inside she saw the same thick carpet of moss surrounded by the circle of ancient trees. A small fresh spring bubbled up from the depths. Standing stones with archaic Glyphs were scattered and tilted about. She new what to do. As she spoke NelyaSetesh knelt to the ground with her arms outstretched to the sky, and in an archaic Nymphic language she cried out: \"Most ancient Father, heart of the wildwood, Giver and Keeper of Life, accept from me your most obedient child this gift and awaken.\" The wind began to blow and rain began to fall. She lowered her hands to the ground as pulses of yellow light surged from her body and were absorbed into the mossy floor. The ancient stones sprang to life and the strange glyphs began to pulsate with power. After long minutes, Nelya’s sacrifice stopped. She was exhausted almost to the point of death. But then an answering rumble could be heard from far below the forest floor. The rumble grew louder as Nelya tried and failed to get to her feet. She could feel the life slipping away from her. \"He is awake.\" She was utterly spent and hung on to life only to see Him one time before death claimed her mortal frame. At the very center of the circle of the copse, the ground began to heave and crack open. Root rose up from the ground and from his long slumber. He looked to his Priestess Nymph, he smiled and she was suddenly bathed in light. Nelya felt the life of Root pour into her body. She was filled with his effulgence and yet still more flooded in, great stores of secret knowledge and power flowed from the gentle Lord of the forest into NelyaSetesh. Outside the Bard had witnessed Nelya’s sacrifice and Root’s awakening. BlackThorn wept. When Nelya had entered the Sacred Circle, he had feared for her life. Still he had obeyed. Now he could hear the language of Root and knew he had returned to the world once more. All around Loreroot, things were changing; reawakening. She had succeeded. He was awake at last. The bard patiently waited for Nelya to return and many hours later the trees opened a way and she walked out to him. Exhausted she fell into his arms. He was content to hold her there forever in his embrace. \"The Root of Lore lies deep within,\" she accused him. \"You knew. All this time you sang it in your songs, and you knew.\" He smiled that Take-life-as-it-comes smile of his and said, \"Mitakuyé Oyasin.\" // From Calyx: (Mitakuyé Oyasin) From the Lakota language meaning all my relations. This thought concept is common to all aboriginal people of Turtle Island (North America). It acknowledges that everything Creator made, even that which (to modern eyes) appears dead or inanimate, is sentient, conscious, and capable of communicating with us. When we utter this phrase we are acknowledging our connection to the listener/reader and to all of creation. We are (stating and acknowledging that we) all related as family, as blood.