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The Wizard and the Aivren
"This tale, I am told, is a little-known legend of Sylvarraend.
While I have never seen any proof that wizards have the ability
to enchant people, I have found some evidence that leads me to believe
that the girl in this tale did actually exist."
Briede Songweavyre
It is said that there was once a young, impetuous wizard who lived
his entire life trying to right the one wrong he ever did.
An apprentice wizard, long ago, felt himself to be great and strong.
He had been practicing the mystical arts for the greater part of
his life and, while he thought he had a firm grasp on it, his teacher
found his skill still raw and lacking. This did not hinder the young
mage's mischevious nature.
One day, while shopping in the marketplace, the young man came
upon a lovely sylvan. The two exchanged a quick, polite smile and
moved on. The wizard found himself looking back to catch another
glimpse of the beautiful woman with hair of pure silver, yet could
find her nowhere. Continuing on his way, he stopped to buy a wand.
As he reached for his coin pouch realization suddenly hit. It was
gone! The sylph has stolen his silvers!
The mage raced through the crowd, seeking out the young thief.
Through the winding streets of Sylvarraend he ran, never able to
find her. It wasn't until he began his trek back to his master's
home that he again caught a glimpse of the silvery hair. Without
thinking he turned on the girl, his rage apparent. He demanded his
silvers back, to which she immediately declined. Without a warning
the wizard began to chant, weaving magic into a powerful spell.
Unfortunately, his will was not sufficient to control his magic
as he cast.
The young girl screamed. A great cloud of smoke enveloped the thief
and her screams slowly altered… into the sound of a screeching
bird. When the smoke parted the girl was gone, in her place was
an enormous aivren. The creature attacked the mage, slicing its
claw down his face before launching into the air and retreating.
When the young man finally returned to his master's home, bruised
and bloodied, his master was enraged. He demanded the boy seek out
the creature and undo the wrong he had done, by killing the aivren.
With that, he banished his pupil forever from his teachings. Having
nothing left, the boy started out on a journey that would be his
life.
Over many decades the boy, now a man, chased the creature across
Elanith. Each city was laid waste by the creature's destruction
yet he never managed to catch her. What he had discovered was that
for a fortnight each full moon the aivren would change shape into
the young sylvan girl once more and she would roam the city. Never
did she remember the mage, or what had transpired between them.
She always appeared lost and frail.
The wizard could not help but fall in love with the girl and found
he could not destroy the creature he had been chasing for so many
years. His life soon became wretched. No longer could he allow her
to destroy city after city and claim the lives of innocents. He
would have to destroy her.
It was in a little town known as River's Rest that he had his chance.
The townspeople banded together to take down the creature. They
used a combination of sorcerer, wizard and clerical magic to trap
her and then the wizards and rogues ambushed the animal until it
lay bleeding. It was only when the aivren lay dying upon the ground
that spell was lifted. The wizard took the girl in his arms and
there she died. It is said that soon after the wizard died as well.
Without a quest or the woman he loved, to live for, he had given
up on life.
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