The Tale of Elderwood, A Short Story

((My name's Aeloras and I really like making lore for skin series that come out when they interest me c: This one's for the Elderwood skins and I hope you guys enjoy! I made a couple ones for the PROJECT series so go check those out of you like these :) ))

Once upon a time there was a forest; a land of ancient magic and timeless trees that brushed the very sky with their limbs. The woods ran wild with mythical beasts and fair-folk alike. And they worked together to make this old place peaceful and safe--a haven for all. It was these inhabitants that gave the forest a name: The Elderwood.

However, it was not long before others wanted such a haven, and so they attempted to take it by force. It was then that guardians stepped forward to defend their home.

The great and mighty Hecarim fashioned a weapon from one of the great trees. ‘Twas an easy task for such a creature, and so he proved his worth in battle. Swathes of foes fell before him-- The Sword of Elderwood.

But little one, it is not by brawn alone that one wins a war. The inhabitants of The Elderwood knew this, and so the being called “Bard” appeared.

The creature wandered from place to place, assisting all he was able with his wealth of knowledge and healing abilities. It is through him that the forest received the knowledge and wisdom needed to combat the darkness.

It was then, during a time of dire need that the fair-folk realized that none were present as a guardian. There was no order within The Elderwood, no one to spearhead their march against their enemy. And soon after a leader was chosen.

LeBlanc (The White) stood out from the rest of the fairies. She held a vast understanding of The Olde Magic and its inner workings for she was the strongest of the fairies. Her skill in magic, her mind for tactics, and her unattainable beauty made her an excellent candidate for Queen. In time they would call her “Titania, Queen of the Fairies”.

With the might of Hecarim, the wisdom of Bard, and the cleverness of LeBlanc, the Elderwood flourished. And the kingdom fell into an era of peace.

But it didn’t take too long for The Elderwood citizens to come across it-- the very thing that made their forest special. For at its core, it housed the very origin of life itself. The guardians agreed that the power, or Origin, should be kept safe, locked away from those who use its power for evil.

They circled around The Origin for hours. Tossing ideas around of how to best defend it. Eventually, it was the clever LeBlanc who came up with a solution. Here she would erect a great kingdom. A castle from which she would rule, and the guardians could stay close. The Origin would be safe behind guarded walls and powerful wards. And so it was done.

The combined magic of the fairies created quite the spectacle. It was as if the very forest itself swayed to the Queen’s desire. Enormous trees moved together to form walls. The earth sunk low and caused the trees to bend themselves into natural defenses and barriers. The Origin disappeared, vanishing with the walls.

The end product was a marvel, the pinnacle of magical architecture. A magnificent castle stood, made solely out of the trees and nature than inhabited The Elderwood.

The Origin remained safe and out of sight, deep within the castle of the fairy queen. But you and I both know that a power like that cannot simply be “left alone”. Over the years LeBlanc had become all the more curious about her recently acquired charge. The source of all life had been right next to her seat of power, completely untouched. And if there is one thing I’ve learned over the years, It’s that power corrupts.

The Fairy Queen started to hear whispers, promises of what could be. She dreamt of a world where all bowed to the great forest of ages. A land where every inch was covered by the wood, and every corner of the earth knew her power. A place of complete harmony-- a Utopia. It was then LeBlanc began to experiment. She snuck down to The Origin’s chamber late at night and drew from its wealth of power.

At first there was little she could achieve with the magical power that The Origin provided. She didn’t know how to best utilize its energies and was forced to run by trial and error. This led to her biggest secret, little one. For on the thirteenth day of practice, a miracle was turned dark.

The Fairy Queen discovered that she could influence what life emerged from this new source of power. But what emerged from The Origin was not what she had intended. No, what she created was a being akin to that of a monstrous praying mantis. It had arms of scythes, wings twice as broad as an eagles, and ghostly blue eyes. That creature was seen once-- by Titania herself. Luckily for her she was able to write the creature off as nothing more than an intruder of the forest. From then on the inhabitants referred to the creature as “Kha’zix, The Death Blossom”.

It is said that LeBlanc made several Death Blossoms, though their names are lost to time. She gained much experience through her various mistakes and small strides. But it was then, on the thirtieth night that she made her final experiment.

Under the light of the full moon, just as she was to begin the ritual of creation, something unexpected occurred. A flock of ravens ascended from The Origin without Titania’s invocation. The flock swirled around her, creating a black vortex that mesmerized the caster.

A voice came from all around her, “Greetings, Titania.”

LeBlanc stood in the center of the ravens with a grin on her face, “Who am I speaking to?”

Laughter emanated from the flock of ravens, “Who am I? You should know, Titania. You made me.” Dark magic filled the room, but LeBlanc payed it no mind. With her power, a simple wave of her staff would be more than enough to dissipate it. She touched the dark magic with the tip of her staff, but it would not disappear. “That’s odd…” She thought. Her magic had always been more than enough to extinguish a single foe, and so she tried again, when she was met with the same effect.

“What manner of creature are you?” Her voice grew agitated, for it was then she knew that she had summoned something beyond her control. “Be it demon, or witch, or magic unknown, I command you: Answer me!”

Silence filled the air for a brief moment before a sinister laugh filled the air. A vision of LeBlancs face appeared before and it spoke, “I am you.”

An unfamiliar feeling rose from deep within LeBlanc-- fear. In a flash, the ravens dissipated, flying out of the chamber to parts unknown.

When morning came, The Fairy Queen addressed her subjects and told them everything. She told them of how the Death Blossoms came to be and how the strange entity escaped the castle. And later that night, LeBlanc sealed The Origin, making it impossible for anyone to abuse its power again.

But it matters not.

For it was I who escaped the woods that night. It was I who instilled fear into the heart of The Fairy Queen. And it is I who will bring The Elderwood crashing down to the earth.

You see, little one, there are in fact two beings in this world who can claim to be “LeBlanc”. That name belongs to Titania and yours truly. During her final experiment she created an image of herself, born in darkness and fear, I emerged from The Origin. My power matches hers. But soon, my child, that will all change.

And once I acquire what I need, no one will stand in my way.