The win'ghymn

estled deep in the mountains lives a small sect of Grey Elves. To the rare few who have stumbled upon their sanctuary or crossed paths with a member of their tribe they are known as the Aleanneldth (The Noble Line of the Arcane). However, within their sanctuary, and within their hearts, they call themselves Dwin'ghymn (Walkers in the Forgotten Ways) a name that is seldom spoken to outsiders.

The Dwin'ghymn devoted themselves to the study of arcane magic and the excavation of significant sites in hopes of recovering the ancient secrets and artifacts destroyed in the strife of the Great War. Spurned on by the prophecies of their great leader Baelrath Arkenearaheal (see Baelrath Arkenearaheal and the Books of History and Prophecy below), the Dwin'ghymn believe a new time period of strife is nigh and that the existence of all living creatures hangs in the balance. The Dwin'ghymn devoutly believe the only chance to defeat the coming night is by tapping into, and controlling, the very power that killed countless during the Great War. Unfortunately, even the most powerful arcane mage of the Dwin'ghymn is a mere infant in regards to the knowledge and power required to wield the arcane magic of old.

So, it is with every sinew of their bodies and every moment of their existence that they pursue their goals; seeking all forms of legend and lore for understanding and clues into the past and the arcane, practicing all forms of the arcane arts hoping to unravel the greater mysteries, and hunting for all manner of artifacts and relics from an age long gone to study and emulate. The only fear of the Dwin'ghymn is that their discoveries will come too late to help good triumph over the evil that draws near.

Dwin'ghymn Society and Culture

The Dwin'ghymn follow most of the standard practices and traditions of Grey Elves. They primarily worship the Elven god Corellon Larethian but can occasionally be found offering prayers and petitions to Baccob, Ehlonna, and Pelor. The Dwin'ghymn seem to show more structure in their society when compared to most Elven races but they do not put tight restrictions on the practices of their clan members hoping to eliminate any limiting factors in the exploration of the arcane secrets. As a result many Dwin'ghymn are of Neutral Good alignment, occasionally swaying between both Chaotic and Lawful within a lifetime.

As with many Grey Elves, the Dwin'ghymn possess a slight ego in regards to their racial superiority. This superiority complex is even displayed toward other Elf sub-races. Intelligent and haughty, the Dwin'ghymn Grey Elves are a bit abrasive at times and slow to show the proper respect to outsiders, both Elf and Non-Elf alike. Once a person or creature has earned the Dwin'ghymn's respect they are treated as equals forevermore.

The attributes and skills held in the highest regard within the Dwin'ghymn are: intelligence, knowledge of all sorts (but especially in lore and the arcane), a deep understanding of arcane magic and the ability to wield it, sword and bow play, and artificing.

The Dwin'ghymn abhor evil and will do everything they can to protect life. However, due to their long lives and study of the ages, they have a broader perspective on time and sometimes will forgo the immediate needs of good if they are faced with a competing need of greater value, if that need furthers the ultimate goal of protecting life against more powerful threats in the future (for example: when faced with saving the life of a fellow party member or jumping through the closing portal that will lead to a great arcane secret which may help save the world, the Dwin'ghymn will almost always choose the portal). With their perspective on a broader range of time and their fear that the end is drawing near they see their choice as the lesser of two evils.

Baelrath Arkenearaheal and the Books of History and Prophecy

In the days following the Great War, when dark times had come to rest on the world and the leaders of years past no longer graced the halls of Elvenkind, new leaders arose competing for the ear of their fellow brethren. Some proclaimed tranquility and progress, pointing with disdain at the stories of old which where, by their estimation, overly embellished and did not pertain to the Elves of the present or the future they could achieve. Others knew all to well the evils and tragedies of the Great War and believed in the rumors and prophesies of curses yet fulfilled, proclaiming a need for the Elven tribes to heed the prophecies and focus on protecting their future through preparation and study. The factions were passionate about their positions and quickly divided into two camps; the Progressives and the Prophetics.

The majority of the Elves, like most free spirited creatures, wanted to believe in the former and so the ranks of the Progressives swelled. Soon their counterparts, the Prophetics, were met with strong opposition and were verbally assaulted in the public halls and Elven circles as "naysayers," "rabble-rousers," and "demagogues." Finally threatened with physical violence the leaders of the remaining Prophetic factions were forced to convert or leave the realms forever.

The most influential of these Prophetic leaders, Baelrath Arkenearaheal, a Grey Elf Diviner of immense power, gathered his followers from the four corners and disappeared deep into the mountains south of the Korvalti Desert. It was not long (a few hundred years) before the majority of Elves had forgotten of the divisions or the kinfolk that had left their home.

After establishing the Dwin'ghymn sanctuary deep in the mountains Baelrath spent most of his time in trance, traveling the endless fathoms of space and time in an attempt to unlock the secrets of the past and future. Many of his travels were recorded in three series of historic and prophetic books: The Tide (two volumes in all), The Crescent Moon (three volumes in all), and The Stolen Book (see below).

The Tide recounts the ebb and flow of history, from the Age of Innocence to the present, uncovering many secrets long forgotten. The Crescent Moon contains prophetic quatrains replete with instructions and warnings to be heeded by future generations of the Dwin'ghymn. These books help guide the Dwin'ghymn in their search to unlock the secrets of the past and are a corner stone of their society. However, the Dwin'ghymn were not so fortunate in regards to The Stolen Book.

Nearing the end of his long life Baelrath fell into a deep trance. For over a year the venerable Elf did not stir and needed no food or drink. After a time many believed that he had relinquished his soul to the future to guide the way for the Dwin'ghymn forevermore. The remainder prayed for the day when Baelrath would awaken from his journeys and lead the Dwin'ghymn once again.

On the 457th day they were rewarded as Baelrath awakened from his trance. Slowly rising he called for a single bound book of the highest quality, his pen, and his ink. Without another word he retired to his study, locking the door behind him. For seven full days he wrote unceasingly, the scratching of pen on parchment echoing through the mountain halls. On the eighth day, and there forward, only silence.

After several days, the high council agreed that they should enter the study, fearing for their leaders health. To their surprise they found Baelrath slumped over his table, the writhing bone handle of a wicked knife protruding from his back, the contents of his study undisturbed except for the missing book. The evil weapon was a relic of old; it's dark power so immense that any Elf attempting to remove the knife from Baelrath's body instantly fell into the depths of insanity never to return. And so, the great Baelrath Arkenearaheal could not be given a proper Elven burial, instead he was sealed inside a lead coffin, bound with arcane magic, and buried deep within the heart of the mountain in the hopes that the evil relic lodged in his body might never be used again.

In the aftermath, the only suspect was an ambitious Dwin'ghymn sorcerer named Minud Laatria (Nightdancer), son of Firael Koehonna (Earthkeeper), who went missing the day before Baelrath's death. A search of Minud's dwelling and attached study revealed evidence that, unbeknownst to his father or the rest of the Dwin'ghymn, he had been meddling in the dark arts for quite some time. However, most believe Minud could not have accomplished this evil act alone, some dark force was aware of the Dwin'ghymn and was attempting to thwart their plans at securing a safe future for the good of all the land and whoever this force may be had become more powerful with the acquisition of The Stolen Book. No one knows what secrets the book revealed or how the knowledge would be used but they pray that they might one day find The Stolen Book and use it as Baelrath intended: to protect good from evil.

After his death, Uthellon Thoron (Truthwalker) replaced Baelrath and leads the Dwin'ghymn to this day.

The Prophecies of Baelrath Arkenearaheal

In recent times the Dwin'ghymn have had a revelation concerning many of the prophecies of The Crescent Moon. Most notably the quatrains from the Second and Third Book which describe events leading to the departure of a select few Dwin'ghymn who must leave their sanctuary on a quest to discover the mysteries of the arcane and the relics of old before "the coming of the night" (a descriptive term used throughout The Crescent Moon by Baelrath to describe the great struggles lying ahead). It is said that one of these travelers will discover a great secret that will be vital in overcoming the approaching times. A few of the prophetic quatrains are included below:

Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Quatrain from the Second Book of the Crescent Moon

Seventy Eighth Quatrain from the Third Book of the Crescent Moon