Chapter 05 - Die Alten Hofs - The Watchful Wards
Image - Die Alten Hofs approach Galadran at the Labyrinth entrance The great archway of Harksheide loomed like a gaping wound carved into the living mountain. Carved runes pulsed faintly with blue-white light across its stone surface, the remnants of ancient protective wards etched by High Elven magi after the Fall. The entrance yawned in eternal gloom, a maw of echoing blackness from which cold air and whispers crept like tendrils. Before the archway stood a detachment of the High Elf Command, clad in mirrored armour that shimmered faintly even in the dim light of dusk. Their banners bore the crescent of Aralayne, the Moon Kingdom — a symbol of vigilance and celestial guidance. At the centre of their formation stood Captain Galadran, tall even by elven standards, his golden hair tied in ceremonial braids and his white cloak unsullied by the dust of the road. A faint hum in the air suggested protective magic constantly at work — wards that repelled the dark mists, traps for illusio...
