The Crystal Thief

Aledai, a half-elf and outcast in Farendale steals the Lunar Crystal in an attempt to escape the cruel world of her upbringing. Now, she's on the run from the dryads who must get it back before nightfall, when their ages-old ritual will begin. The survival of the dwindling dryad race hangs in the balance as Aledai is faced with a selfish and potentially devastating decision. Can she escape? At what cost?

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All seemed quiet and calm within the moonlit reaches of Farendale, when suddenly a dark figure burst through the red-orange leaves on the bushes of the forest. She ran as quickly as her lithe elven legs could carry her, but they were hot on her trail, and, as she emerged from the shrubbery, she found herself standing at the edge of a wide-open grove, moonlight pouring into it, like a river flowing into a lake, and she realized she'd reached a dead end.

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Take the flower, bush and tree,
By the goddess, blessed be.
Set beside the sacrifice,
Beneath the moon's rays, burning bright.
Darkened night and shining moon,
Invoke the age-old elven rune.
Then with the pure-hearted death,
Child of the moon therein is blessed.
Clear as crystal, one's heart must be
To be sacrificed unto thee.
Not stained with blood nor cracked within,
A perfect jewel must be given.