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More than any other event in its long history, the War of the Elves left a lasting scar on the kingdom of Aravia. All High Elves, from the monarch to the most humble craftsman, have an opinion on the schism that split and decimated their race. These notions range from rabble-rousing hatred towards Dark Elves and forswearing any contact with them to tentative attempts to lay old divisions aside once and for all. Those with the latter view – a minority in Aravia – only hold out slender hope of reunification, yet that hope persists.

For there is a prophecy, or perhaps a fairy tale born of wishful thinking, that speaks of a Champion destined to restore peace. It is a recurring legend among Elves in Aravia and beyond, and while the specifics may change, its overarching themes remain the same. The Champion is always a righteous Elven woman, though she may go by many names and titles, one whose martial skill is second only to her burning conviction to oppose the forces of Darkness.

The legendary Elven woman is said to wield a mighty bow that some believe was crafted by the semi-mythic Elven King Dornaroc, though others contest the claim and say the bow is a holy gift from a Lightbringer, blessed by Lumaya herself. Others yet maintain it is no more than the tool of a humble huntsman passed down from one generation to the next. But regardless of the weapon’s provenance, the Champion wields it with breathtaking grace, and her arrows always find their mark when aimed at wicked hearts.

But the Champion is more than just a warrior. Most of these tales hold her as a learned scholar – a scion of a noble line, born and raised to lead. Throughout her adventures and tribulations, she is meant to form an unlikely alliance with three heroes from other parts of Teleria. Some adaptations even claim one of those allies will be a Dark Elf, with whose help the Champion shall mend the wounds inflicted upon their people by ambition, greed, and narrow-minded zeal.

Of course, these may be mere fables of days long gone. Certainly, no Elf who values their reputation would dare argue that there is any grain of truth in them and that a heroine will one day emerge to usher in an age of unity and harmony. And yet, the fables persist. Some even whisper that the Queen’s own niece, Elhain, displays many of the qualities the tales speak of. And indeed, she is an exceptional markswoman, a savant of Elven history, and an heir to the throne of Aravia; if that Champion of legend ever existed, Elhain would be a worthy candidate.

The royal court, however, has little tolerance for such idle gossip, and more than a few Aravian nobles resent the very thought of fraternization or, Lumaya forbid, reunion with the Dark Elves. As for Elhain herself, quite what Elhain herself thinks of the stories is, for now, unknown.