The First

⟬ Heart of the Tree God's Forest, two bells prior... ⟭ 

The forest was still beautiful... still pure. 

It had yet to be sullied by mortal men who could not know better... or guided by the arrogance of elves that should. 

O' piteous Saplings... 

They could not know the depth of their foolishness...

There was but one who truly knew them for what they were. 

He was their King.

He was the First Champion of their people. 

He... was the First Ranger... the first to dance with wind and storm, iron and steel. 

He was the first... to bestow his gifts upon the Realm... to his children. 

He hoped they would bring together all peoples... to protect and nurture... to rule if they must. 

The First King was chosen to rule as the greatest of his kind. 

However... as a ruler-- and as a father... he was a failure. 

Alas, he stood alone... as he did those ages past.