Online:The Fall of Carac Dena

Many years ago, when I was a young Elf, I came across a book in the ancient Ayleid language that described a magnificent fortress deep within Valenwood. Ever since discovering this book, I have been captivated by the idea of this place.

Unfortunately, the book was lost to me under mysterious circumstances before I was able to commit my translation to writing. But I have transcribed from memory what I can recall of that mesmerizing description.

"The great fortress of Carac Dena stood for centuries, held by a hundred Ayleid who had bled into the stone at its creation. The fortress rested high above the coast of Valenwood, a great stone monument and a bulwark against all enemies.

"Because of its greatness, it became a wayrest for travelers, a vault for great treasures, and a vast library. It was even said that one could hear singing when one approached the fortress.

"… when the great horde* laid siege to the gates, the fortress of Carac Dena stood firm for a hundred years, until the great force beneath threatened to overwhelm the gates. That is when the commander gathered the hundred original soldiers and convened a meeting. The fateful decision was made. One by one the soldiers bled on the stones and brought the great fortress crashing to the ground, destroying the enemy host beneath it."

* The text is unclear as to the nature of this horde, and the word used is unfamiliar to me, but resembles the word for "army."

I have dedicated my life to finding the location of this great fortress. I am now certain that it must have been swallowed by the land after it fell. And indeed, I believe I have at last narrowed down the location. It only remains for me to gather a fitting group of Wood Elf guides and venture to the spot ….