As happened many times in the past the Fell Ice once again charged down from the north and attacked the world in its effort to turn it into a frozen ball of ice. Only the White Magic and it's ally the Sun could stand against such a vast enemy.
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The Druids Bane tunneled relentlessly under the mountains known as the Grimfangs. Caves already in existence were made larger and new tunnels were dug to get to where they had to go. Thousands of passageways were made leading under every part of the Elven Vale. The Dark Lord added more and more Dark Stars to his ranks, who in turn added more and more slaves. He also gave the spell of long life to his black sorcerers to use along with the spell of compulsion on the poor tormented souls that served them. Over the turns his workforce grew and so did his army of slave warriors mindlessly training for battle. After five hundred winters the Black Druids were finally ready to attack the Elves above.
The tunnels and caves were ready to be opened under the Mage Towers in the Vale and every key point from the East end to the West. The Dark Lord knew thousands of his slaves would die when the tunnels collapsed, it was a sacrifice he gave no thought to. Their dying would release thousands upon thousands of mindless savage warriors and ravaging black wolves on the lands above. They would be led by legions of the black sorcerers of his Dark Stars. All would be intent on the slaughter and death of every Elf and Tundra Wolf in the Vale.
Above ground it was the time of the new moon and the deepest part of winter. It was the longest night of the turn and a storm raged above the dome of the Elves. In the labyrinth of caverns below, the Dark Lord sat quietly upon a fiery black steed. He was at the entrance to the largest of the caves with his four Dread Lords gathered about him. With a blast from his mind he sent out the order to attack. A thousand sinkholes opened up, bringing the underworld to the Elven Vale.
*****
High Mage Orndacil stood looking out the large windows that made up the wall of his north facing chamber. His gaze was on the mountain tops to the north above the Vale wall. His view was unobstructed because he was just below the solarium high atop the Central Mage Tower in the city of Asegron-thare. The room the High Mage of the Towers stood in was part of his quarters where he conducted his meetings and did most of his work. Sturdy wooden shelves covered three of the walls and were filled top to bottom with books and scrolls Orndacil collected over thousands of turns. The forth wall was made from panes of quartz crystal so clear one could hardly tell it was there. A door was also in the crystal wall that let out to a balcony and a walkway going around the Tower. In the middle of the room sat a large rectangular table with many chairs around it. Tonight four of the chairs closest to the crystal wall were occupied by powerful Tower Mages, each strong in the Mage Sight. They too stared towards the line of mountains in the north. One looked northeast, another looked northwest and two looked to the portal in the Vale wall that opened to the top of the world. Orndacil overlooked all with his powerful Mage Sight to make sure nothing was missed.
It was a brutal night in the skies over the dome as a fierce winter storm raged. You would never know it under the dome as all was peaceful and quiet. Above tons of ice and snow fell combined with a continuous barrage of lightning strikes. To make matters worse a deadly Fell Wind had escaped the barrier of White Magic earlier in the day and was blowing through the Grimfangs mixing with the storm. Orndacil could not remember ever seeing a storm of such enormous energy and strength. He was in awe of its display.
