This is a recap of the events of Dilmir: A Tale of Feylund.

Dilmir was a normal elf of Feylund. He lived in Eld’rin, the elvish capital, where he practiced magic and swordplay like any other elf. His parents lived in a far village, and sent him to Eld’rin to receive his training. He lived with his aunt. There was nothing strange or different about him.

Or so he would have the other elves believe.

The truth was that Dilmir was the wielder of far more magic than any other elf. On his way to Eld’rin, the caravan he was with was ambushed by wolves – the protectors of the forest. Without thinking, Dilmir unleashed his magic at them. The battle was quickly won, but his secret was out.

The news of Dilmir’s unnatural power troubled the Council – the ruling body in Eld’rin. While Dilmir had broken no laws, they feared that the mere presence of his power would cause him to follow in Eltuthar’s footsteps.

Eltuthar had been at Eld’rin long ago, not unlike Dilmir himself. He, too, had possessed strange magic, and had begun experimenting. One thing had led to another, and when the Council demanded he cease his practices, he had refused, and civil war had erupted between those loyal to him and his magic, and those loyal to the Council. The battle ended when Sonlen, archmage of Eld’rin, placed a powerful curse on Eltuthar, draining his magic. Most believe Eltuthar died that day, but Sonlen, for reasons unknown, let him escape into the forest.

Rumors of his magic had reached Eld’rin by the time Dilmir arrived at the city. The memory of Eltuthar still fresh in their minds, nearly all the elves shunned him. Some saw him as possessing dark magic, others as just being different. Dilmir swore to never use his magic again, but he couldn’t take back what was done.

Only one elf befriended him: another student at the city by the name of Ilrin. A natural adept at the blade, Ilrin took pity on Dilmir, and resolved to not let him grow up in Eld’rin friendless. The two became inseparable.

Meanwhile, Eld’rin had a new archmage since Sonlen had died: Alfimir. Alfimir had once been a student of Eltuthar, but had renounced his teachings as dark magic, and sworn to purge them from Feylund. To this end, he hunted down Eltuthar’s line, killing his descendants without mercy. However, Alfimir had been careless, and one family had escaped his crusade.

That family was Dilmir’s.

Unknown to Alfimir, Dilmir was the direct descendent of Eltuthar. This was a secret Dilmir told no one, not even Ilrin, for if the Council ever found it, they would consider it evidence of his dark intentions, and take action immediately.

Unfortunately, Alfimir realized he had missed someone, and soon traced the final descendent to Dilmir. He arrived at Eld’rin at dusk, confronted Dilmir, and tried to slay him.

He never succeeded. By some unknown magic, Dilmir found himself transported behind Alfimir, out of harm’s way. Both Dilmir and Alfimir were shocked at what had happened, and by the time they recollected themselves, other elves had arrived.

Alfimir was employed by the Council, but his methods had to remain subtle. No one could know that the Council was willing to quietly assassinate elves they deemed a threat. For this reason, Alfimir was led away, arrested for trying to kill an elf, one of the worst of offenses. The Council’s hands were tied, and Alfimir was banished from Eld’rin.

Having failed to kill Dilmir once, the Council turned to less-savory means. They hired an assassin (something no self-respecting elf would dream of) to kill Dilmir. The assassin failed however, when Dilmir used his magic against him. Now Dilmir knew the Council was trying to get rid of him.

He continued with his daily schedule in a mockery of what was normal, but now he saw the assassin everywhere, watching him train, following him home, even shadowing Ilrin. He knew what the Council was trying to do: they were trying to get him to use his magic in public, so that they could banish him as they had Alfimir. He resolved not to play their game.

His resolve didn’t last long. Once they realized their tactics weren’t working, the Council commissioned a young elf, Aldir by name, to get close to Ilrin. Through trickery, Aldir managed to make his affection for Ilrin seem genuine, and tricked Dilmir into thinking that she shared it. Dilmir reacted again without thinking, causing a tree branch above Aldir to snap, and fall. Aldir was ready, and was unharmed, but the Council had what they needed. Dilmir was banished the next day.

Now realizing the lengths the Council had gone to, and consumed with anger at them, Dilmir sought out Alfimir, and dueled him. Alfimir was a trained archmage, however, and easily defeated Dilmir. As he prepared to slay him, again a mysterious force intervened.

This time the owner of the force showed himself. Alfimir instantly recognized the elf, and called him by name before being incapacitated: Eltuthar. Having saved his descendent again, Eltuthar brought Dilmir to his sanctuary, Arath Imil. It was here he had retreated to after Sonlen had cursed him. Here, he could study magic, and train those still loyal to him.

Dilmir soon learned the true nature of his magic, how he possessed no form of evil magic, but simply more of the same magic all elves possessed. Eltuthar also showed him why he possessed as much magic as he did: somewhere in the far distant past, all elves had become Cursed. This Curse allowed them only a small amount of magic. Somehow, Eltuthar and his descendants did not have this Curse.

Meanwhile, Alfimir, wounded but not dead, had managed to warn the Council what had happened. They now knew that they must travel to Eltuthar’s sanctuary, and once and for all end the threat his magic posed, by killing him and all of his followers.

Ilrin, when she saw the council’s army preparing, guessed at their purpose, and guessed also that Dilmir might be their target. She rode into the forest in the dead of night, and fled to Eltuthar’s sanctuary, determined to warn Dilmir.

While she arrived in time, the army was right on her heels, and attacked that night. Eltuthar’s sanctuary was burned, and nearly all of his followers were slain. Alfimir came with the army to finish the bloody work he had started, but met Dilmir there, and the two dueled again. This time Dilmir held his own, thanks to Eltuthar’s teachings, but Alfimir used some form of magic Dilmir had never seen, and won once again. Unable to win, Dilmir used his power to transport himself and Eltuthar back to Eld’rin. Ilrin, as a citizen of the city, could not be harmed by the council’s army. She was allowed to return to Eld’rin.

Eltuthar determined to continue searching for the Curse which plagued the elves. If he could but lift it, they would eventually understand their true nature, and stop hunting him and Dilmir. But he couldn’t ask Dilmir to accompany him. Dilmir needed to complete his training at Eld’rin. When he was older, he could join him, but not just yet. Therefore, he formed a plan.

With Dilmir hiding in the shadows, Eltuthar revealed himself in the midst of Eld’rin. He pretended to cast a large spell, drawing all attention to himself. In reality, Dilmir was casting the spell, but the only one to realize what was going on was Ilrin, who saw Dilmir, and wisely said nothing.

Alfimir appeared in Eld’rin, determined to end Eltuthar. He cast spell after spell, but unable to see Dilmir, couldn’t understand why nothing worked. Finally, Dilmir revealed himself, pretending to have just arrived. He pretended to be against Eltuthar, and dueled him as if fighting to protect Eld’rin.

Alfimir guessed what was going on, but was unable to stop it. Eltuthar was ‘forced’ to flee the city, and to the Council, Dilmir appeared to have saved the day. Their laws were binding, and they had no choice but to lift the banishment on Dilmir as a result. Using the same logic, they lifted Alfimir’s banishment as well.

Afterwards, Dilmir, with some help from Ilrin, decided that he had been wrong about his magic. He should never have shunned it, or let the elves tell him it was dark or evil. He had seen and felt what it could truly do, and believed, like Eltuthar, that the elves deserved to feel it as well. With Ilrin on his side, he decided to show the elves the magic, hoping that in time, they would come to see it as he did.

And thus we come to the events of this tale…