The Dukes Confession

At face value the contents of this particular letter are unremarkable, however without it or rather without its meaning the Kingdom of Lavrellnìr would not have stood the test of time. However to understand its importance we have to take a step back.
In the year 23 ac the last forces of The Final Empire crumbled to dust this left an enormous power vacuum all over Arkion. Well almost all over... the Kingdom of Lavrellnìr had been preserved throughout the empires rule and now with the oppressor gone the elven kingdom was on its way to regain their former glory and power. In the eyes of most elven nobles it was the fault of the humans that the Empire was able to take over Arkion and thus many elves hold grudges to this day. One such elve was duke Filarion Sharoris the oppressive uniformity brought by the empire went against every fiber of his being and now that it was gone he pushed for the invasion of the human regions on Arkion. His hatred of the human race was fueled even further by humans who invaded his domain in order to cut down trees.
Many elven nobles shared his sentiment and his hatred however mostly those that were born during the occupation of the final empire like the duke himself. Most of the older elves among them the King were adamantly against this invasion their reasoning being that not all humans were the same. From their perspective the empire oppressed the humans just as much as it did the elves maybe even more than them therefore the King suggested to support the humans in rebuilding their previous diverse society. This occupied the political landscape of the elves for almost a century however more and more support fell towards the duke. It is always easier to fan the anger in peoples hearts this is true even for elves who otherwise are regarded as gentle creatures.
Filarion, blinded by his grudges and sure the nobles would back his decisions he sprung into action on his own. The Sharoris Duchy lies to the west of the Kingdom bordering both the ocean and the edge of the forest and thus it bordered the humans who settled east of the Blackstone Mountainrange. A fledgling kingdom its name lost in history had just emerged and some of its inhabitants turned to the forest of jura for wood. This not only enraged duke Filarion it also gave him a somewhat valid reason for declaring war.
And so it was... in the year 34 ac the duke levied his troops and led them north, the first encounters were small settlements occupied by lumberjacks and their families sending timber down the river back to the kingdom. They were no match for the dukes troops and they fell in a matter of days, most not resisting at all. This further bolstered the pride of Filarion who felt even more justified in his decision. Soon after the duke arrived at the seikjer river which officially marked the beginning of the human Kingdom. Across the river a small human army has assembled with a messenger in front on horseback.
The messenger tried to reason with the duke apologizing for any fault they might have committed but apparently the duke did not even dignify the human messenger with an answer but just signaled to attack, even while the elves were already crossing the river at a close ford the humans did not attack but tried to reason with the duke. This was the first crack in the duke's convictions however he did not call off the attack, faced with no other choice the messenger called a retreat or so it seemed. The troops hugged the edge of the river and retreated to the east in the direction of the kingdoms then capitol. The elves gave chase their ego and morale bolstered by the previous easy victories. After a short chase the humans reached a small mound and suddenly they turned. Their previous unsure looking complexion was gone, as they welcomed the elven force with battle cries and a bloody skirmish broke loose.

"Deep in my heart i knew immediately that i fell for a trap, yet my arrogance did not allow for retreat. However upon witnessing the fervor in their step and the vigor in their voices my mistake dawned on me... when i finally called for a retreat it was much to late" ~ Filarion Sharoris

In the chaos of retreat it was hard to accurately assess what happened but in anticipation of conflict in the north the Human Kingdom had sought allies with a duchy to the east. Yet this ally proved even more useful against the unexpected threat of the elves. The new arrivals blockaded the path back to the ford and forced the elves straight into the river who essentially escaped every man for themselves. The humans did not give chase and were content with their victory and their prisoner... Duke Filarion had been captured.

Highwater Castle ~ Log Filarion Sharoris

I awoke a day after the battle, chained to the wall in a circular tower as i took in my surroundings the first thing i noticed was the window next to me. Secured by Iron Bars the window allowed me to peer down upon the castle i was held captive, even though my mind should be occupied with other things i could not help myself appreciate the beauty. Streams of water crashing down the waterways and pooling into gardens, ponds and wells. At this moment the morning sun eclipsed the Blackstone Mountainrange and dowsed the castles Marble walls into golden pillars piercing the mist.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps and the turning of keys, flustered i tried to put on the most nonchalant expression i could muster but i am sure that a glint remained in my eyes. A solider entered the room and without a word freed me from my shackles and hoisted me to my feet. My every attempt to talk was shut down by a gruff retort in a dialect of the old tongue i did not recognize. I was escorted through the castle by 4 soldiers who screened me from the eyes of the servants and court officials, it took us about 10 minutes until we reached my supposed destination. Mighty oak doors were slowly opened and revealed the throne room, i was holsted onto my knees in front of the king. An old man with sharp green eyes sat atop the throne his overall appearance was nothing impressive and i sternly held his gaze. His voice was equally mediocre and the scorn i held for humans resurfaced once more and my expression regained the cool superiority i was used to. The king spoke the old tongue with a similar dialect like his solider but a bit more dignified, but still it was hard for me to understand but it was along the lines of "Why did you invade our lands" etc. the word heathen was also included somewhere in his speech which almost made me chuckle.
I Tried to negotiate, i tried to sooth, i tried to intimidate however my grasp on the old (human) tongue was superficial at best and in combination with the dialect it made it impossible to communicate the exact meaning of my words. This was frustrating to both sides and the talks soon descended into a heated screaming match which resulted in me being hit frequently if my voice raised to much. This went on for a bit until out of reflex i cursed the king in elvish which earned me another whack. But then i heard another voice clear and soothing like water "peace now i understand" it was a bit crooked but it was elvish... confused i looked up and for the first time i looked at the other people in the room, i thought this unnecessary before as anyone but the king was beneath me in my opinion. However now i looked at the woman beside the king with clarity, petite and a bit pale but nontheless she posessed more aura than her father the king who called out to her "elain, what -gibberish- my child" her deep green eyes rested upon my for a moment longer before turning to her father.
I was sent out soon after it was spoken to me a few times more in the old tongue but i was mesmerized with the countenance of the princess and did not pay attention to anyone else for the remainder of the time. I managed to control my thoughts only when i returned to my prision in the Tower.

All out War

Whilst the Duke tried to deal with his imprisonment the remaining soliders returned to the capital and spoke of the human victory, achived through deceit and unnatural strengh so on and so forth. The stories soon piled up and turned into an evil agenda pushed by those close to the duke and those who saw profit in a war with the humans. The rule of the final empire left even the hearts of the elves full of greed and hate, like this the elven capital turned into a center of unrest. Politics ran wild nobles prepared their armies and anti human probaganda was everywhere and tainted even the magic that ran through the Forest, saddened by the behaviour of the elves the forest turned dark and gloomy.
Id did take a few more months until the king and his advisors of the old committee broke underneath the pressure and the anti human sentiments and declared the war against the humans to be official.

A change of Heart ~ Log Filarion Sharoris

A few days passed since i had the discussion/fight with the king and still the princess did not leave my thoughts. I was not chained anymore and was able to move freely in my room but despite this i spent most of my time looking out the window observing the humans in the castle go about their day. The beauty of Highwater Castle surprised my every day anew, today i had just watched 2 knights battle in the courtyard as a knock sounded at my door, startled i triped back from the window, normally i would notice the footsteps of the soldiers approaching but i heard nothing. Was i this absorbed in the battle in the courtyard, nonetheless i gathered my thoughts and sat onto my bed. "Yes, what is it" i asked, or at least that is what i wanted to say in reality i doubt that is what i said... well never mind that it was clear what i meant and the response was well in elvish. "Can i come in" a soft voice answered, my jaw dropped and i was flustered all over again what a pathetic conduct for one such as i. "YES, yes ähm yes please do" i finally answered.
The door opened and indeed it was the princess and she was alone to my surprise, no guards... immediately i thought about restraining her to gain my freedom. But as soon as i laid my eyes upon her all ill intentions went out the window... "Keep Secret" she said with a cheeky grin as she closed the door behind her. And then began a time of great change within me, the princess would frequent my prison to learn elvish in order to help resolve the communication issue. Almost every day she visited, soon i discovered how empty and disappointed i felt on days she did not come, on those days i would stand on the window endlessly staring out in the courtyard hoping i would spot her... and when i did my heart jumped. Ridiculous me the duke of Sharoris falling for a woman, a human woman at that... but that voice. I tell you no matter who it would be they would fall for her as well.
The days passed and we soon were able to talk about all sorts of things she was abnormally gifted learning at unprecedented speeds, and soon our conversations turned from learning to talking about a variety of topics. One day however she asked me "Why?" confused i answered "Why what"

"Why did you attack us? We have been talking so long and not once did i see any sign of maliciousness, nor did you show any ill will toward me... you could easily overpower me and use me as leverage. So why?"
Why i thought, well of course humans are lowly and they invaded our forest and the Final empire and... and... and well i did not find a single reason that truly justified the attack.
"I... to be honest i cannot tell you, i had my reasons of course but in hindsight they are so insignificant it is embarrassing to say"
"I see" she answered "Then why don't you talk to my father and we fix this issue, to be honest i am not privy to much information but the rumors are that a new elven army has been spotted, a massive one" her voice started shaking "and they are talking about using you, and i don't want that so please... wont you help me stop this madness"
I did not answer immediately, an elven army of course how could i not think about that they will rescue me and wipe the floor with the humans if the whole army came. But do i even want this, i looked up at Elain, NO definitely not. The emperor was right Humans were not evil nor lowly, just impressionable. Furthermore the massive array of diversity in character i noticed was unreal it was impossible to lump them together in a category, and as i thought about it the same was true for elves as well, we had evil and greedy ones granted not many of us are like that but still.
"Yes, i would like that... all of this is my fault to begin with, would you... would you help me talk to your father"
The smile that followed i cannot describe so i wont even attempt it but it overwhelmed me
"Yes, of course i will" she answered and for the first time she approached me from her corner of the room
And then she embraced me and i was certain i had made the tight choice.

The Dukes Confession

The letter the duke then prepared was written with his own blood and infused the words with his feelings and intentions, this ensured the recipients of the validity and honesty in the words written.

Confession

"I know that this must be confusing for i was the one who pushed for a war with all my might, the hatred i harbored clearly displayed at every meeting and yet still i hope these words can convince you otherwise. My rash descision making and unfit leadership landed me in captivity, i am held in Highwater Castle and yet captive is not the word i would use when describing my situation. I was treated very well and i met a great teacher who opened my eyes to reality, i was enchanted by her and i now see humans in a different light. I hope that this war can be nipped in the bud and i might introduce you all to my fiancee Elain. Yes this is a surprise, but i must confess i fell in love not only with Elain but with Humanity. I truly hope you will allow me to show you all what i have fallen for and the diversity we overlooked. Driven by our prejudice and influenced by our greed we lumped the humans together and called ourselves superior, a mistake i will not soon forget." ~ Signed Duke Filarion Sharoris

Unexpectedly the emotions the duke wrote the letter with caught the attention of the stream of magic who touched the document in passing. Now everyone who reads the letter is able to feel the dukes emotions of love and regret in its purest form. The elves who are connected to the stream of magic more deeply than other races felt the overwhelming honesty in these words and stopped their army dead in its tracks.
The conflict was soon resolved and a deep connection between the humans in the region and the Elves of the Kingdom of Lavrellnìr was formed that to this day holds strong in the Duchy de Venture. The Letter itself is preserved to this day and closely guarded by the Keepers.

~ Filarion Sharoris

~ Highwater Castle