The ambulatory cities of the Elves have posed a challenge for the Kingdom of Men since their emergence in the depths of the forgotten forest. Encircled by dense woodland and shrouded in the thick mists that permeate the area, these cities have remained concealed from those intent on their destruction. These mobile fortresses have enabled the Elves to live free from persecution. Numerous esteemed heroes have attempted, in vain, to locate them, only to be consumed by the forest's creatures and subsequently forgotten. Nevertheless, the Elves were not always nomadic; they once reigned as emperors over the Gifted Lands.
For millennia, they reigned supreme until a human, a mere mortal, overthrew them, leading to the downfall of their empire. The Elves, with their unnaturally long lifespans, would forever remember the world as it once was and what it had become. As opposing forces seized control, the Elves retreated to the farthest corners of the empire, seeking refuge from the relentless hunters. Despite their gifts, the King's hunters proved efficient, reducing their numbers to a few hundred within a decade.
In a final effort to save her people, Lady Mithraelise discovered them in hiding—within caves, dungeons, encampments, and even the deserts of Therindra, where scant mana barely sustained them. She gathered her people and set sail into uncharted waters. Guided by the stars, she discovered the wild lands of the north, where Falamire, a small fishing village, stood. The village paid no heed to the Elves as they landed under the cover of night. The Elves burned their ships to ashes and ventured inland to the forest's edge, where trees stretched to the horizon and dense underbrush filled the gaps. Moss covered every stone and trunk, rendering them slick and unclimbable.
Mithraelise meditated at the forest's entrance for many days, holding the last Elf Tear, now merely a shard of its former size. She used the remainder of her magic, channeling it through the Elf Tear to create the first city. Trees emerged from the forest, their roots anchoring firmly as branches grew robust. They intertwined, forming a wooden and leafy bowl to cradle the Elves. As the trees lifted the Elves, they gathered earth and stone beneath for farming. Mithraelise's body gradually turned to stone as she elevated the sanctuary for her people, witnessing the last Elf's ascent before her own transformation.
The Elves would eventually construct three walking cities, modeled after Mithraelise's original design. Her sacrifice shielded the Elves from King's tyranny, and they remain in the Forgotten Woods to this day, deep within the dense and shadowy forests. Mithraelise rests at the entrance of the Forgotten Wood, a solitary sentinel safeguarding her people. Though time has smoothed her once delicate features and rain has eroded her form into a grotesque stone figure, the Elves remember her as she once was.
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