A recurring character from the Ring of Steel, a Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms campaign set in and around Harrowdale. “The companions scrambled to keep up with the lithe wood elf, as Allys lead them through a maze of swinging bridges, platforms and spiraling stairs hung among the trunks and branches of the Tangled Trees, dozens of feet off the ground. It was clear she did not agree with the elders’ decision to let them stay, and she seemed to be testing both their resolve and their agility. Finally reaching a large platform which spanned between four great trees, lined with wide spaced, hut-like structures, Allys stopped and turned to face them. “You may use these so long as the elders allow you to stay,” she announced, making no effort to hide the displeasure in her voice. Looking over one side of the platform, Fhariel recognized the clearing below where they had just met with the elders. “I hope not all of the settlement is so hard to reach,” she said sharply, eyeing the stairs that spiraled around one of the trees’ trunk, right down to the clearing, then turning to facing Allys who bore an unapologetic smile. “Why,” Allys replied in a sarcastic tone, “did you not enjoy your little tour?” Not willing to give her the satisfaction of complaining about the indirect route, the companions quietly headed to separate huts, leaving Allys’ taunt unanswered. Fhariel had just lit the lamp that hung from the ceiling and turned to survey of the small, one room structure when she saw that Allys had followed her. “What do you want?” she asked coldly. Although she understood the wood elf’s reluctance to welcome strangers into her community in these dark times, and understood why she had tested them, it did not make it any more palatable to be made a fool. “If you want the drow forced from the forest as you say. Why did you abandon it?” Allys challenged. “I had no choice!” Fhariel shot back, furious that her motives would be questioned by another elf. “My father chose to join the Retreat, not me, and I had no choice but to obey his will. But as soon as I could, I returned!” Allys studied Fhariel intently. She had never understood why so many elves abandoned their ancestral homes to flee in the Retreat. The very word “Retreat” meant surrender to her, and she would never surrender her home to humans, or worse, drow! But she recognized Fhariel’s passion, and understood that she could not have disobeyed her father’s will… It was elven law. Then Allys caught Fhariel by surprise when she suddenly stepped forward, hooked her arm behind her neck and locked their lips together in a passionate kiss…” Born and raised in Tangled Trees a forest town of structures built on platforms high in the limbs of trees and connected by a web of bridges, and one of the few elven settlements to largely ignore the call of the Retreat, Allys has little tolerance for non-elves, even those humans and half-elves that adopt the wood elven way of life. A skilled archer, hunter and warrior, she despises the drow who infest the Cormanthor, and blames the elves who fled in the Retreat for their presence in her forest. A reluctant ally at best, Allys will support efforts to force the drow out of the Cormanthor, so long as they do not endanger Tangled Trees. But she does little to hide her distaste for non-elves, making it difficult for members of other races to deal with her. My last post of 2008! Thanks for looking... Hope you enjoy! Comments and suggestions always welcome and appreciated! Best wishes to all for a safe and happy New Year!