## Early Life Swift was born unexpectedly early to Vandahast the Red and Lunarian (Luna), earning his name for arriving swiftly into the world. His father, Vandahast, was a high elf and powerful Evocation battle mage who served as right-hand to Devion at [[the Wizards Conclave]]. Born during the first creation of mortals shortly after the Age of Rebirth when Perserphina created the races, Vandahast had mastered what he called "the manipulation of reality"—bending energy and frequency itself, including the manipulation of life and longevity. His mother, Luna, was a wood elf Vandahast met during the Defeat of the Dragons in 5500 B.R. Captivated by her, Vandahast manifested a magical treehouse for Luna near [[the Wizards Conclave]] so he could visit while maintaining his duties. Tragedy struck when Swift was only thirteen. Luna fell ill with a sickness no magic could heal. On her deathbed, she made Vandahast promise to care for Swift, saying "he is part of both of us, and I live within him." Her heart gave out shortly after. Devastated that even his considerable skill couldn't save the love he'd spent so long finding, Vandahast threw himself into his work at the Conclave. Before doing so, he cast a high-level longevity ritual on Swift, preventing him from aging once he reached adulthood. ## The Ranger's Path After his mother's death, Swift inherited her treehouse south of the [[The Wizards Conclave|Wizards Conclave]]. Grieving and alone with an absent father, he eventually joined the elven army to toughen himself up and learn practical skills. There he trained as a ranger and scout, mastering the use of terrain, survival, escape and evasion tactics, and discovering his natural talent with the longbow—the elven ranger's weapon of choice. Swift earned several promotions and was eventually given command of eight soldiers with varying skills. His unit received orders to establish a watch post at the lake where the Shaleth and Sost rivers meet. The Great Elandran Forest was known to elves as unexplored and dangerous, filled with monsters according to local tales. Swift's team built a camouflaged treehouse hide on the lake's eastern edge, high in the canopy where they could observe both the water and surrounding forest. The construction took weeks to complete. ## Meeting the Forest Giants One day, a group of forest giants emerged from the trees to fill barrels with lake water. One giant noticed an elf collecting water outside the forest and followed him back, leading to first contact between the two peoples. Most wood elves spoke only Elvish, but Swift had learned Common as a second language from his father. The giants spoke broken Common, and their leader—an intelligent creature named Cal-Gor—served as the tribe's witch doctor and healer. As the giants visited the lake regularly, Cal-Gor began visiting the elves' hide to speak with Swift. A friendship developed. Cal-Gor wanted to learn Elvish to trade with the elves of the great wood. In exchange, he offered to teach Swift the Giant tongue and provide intelligence about the deeper forest where his tribe lived. Swift agreed. Over time, Swift learned Giant while Cal-Gor mastered Elvish. Swift even visited the giants' village, learning their ways and history while forging an alliance between the forest giants and wood elves. ## The Long Years As years passed in the elven army, Swift's unit began noticing something unusual—he wasn't aging. Even for long-lived elves, this drew questions from his superiors. Swift requested leave, claiming he needed time off. He left unanswered questions behind, hoping time would let them fade as those who knew him passed and new elves took their place. Swift visited his mother's grave to say goodbye, then set off on a personal quest: to become the best war archer in Solare. It was an ambitious goal to keep his mind focused and prevent the madness that might come from immortality. Just a wood elf—nothing special by his own reckoning—but determined to make a difference in the world. ## Journey Through Elandra Swift traveled south through the woods of Elandra, sleeping in trees or caves depending on weather, avoiding monsters. His solitary nature suited the journey well. Having spent so much time alone honing his skills, Swift lacked some social skills but preferred his own company regardless. He was a guardian angel type—sometimes visible, sometimes not, always watching from a distance. Deep in the forest, far from civilization, Swift discovered a small village. He established a hide in the trees overlooking the settlement where he could observe the villagers without being detected. For weeks he practiced his stealth skills, catching fish—keeping some for himself and leaving others at the riverbank for villagers to find. It was his way of interacting while seeing how they'd respond. One winter, a pack of wolves grew bold with hunger, killing village animals and one villager who tried to protect them. Swift tracked the wolves to their den and eliminated the entire pack from the safety of overlooking trees. He dragged the bodies to the riverbank so the village could use the meat and hides. Swift noticed many villagers were half-elves who spoke Elven, which he understood perfectly, though some spoke Common—still his third language at the time. He overheard them talking about a hero in the woods watching over them, though they had no idea who it was. ## The Giant's Threat One particularly dark night, a fifteen-foot-tall giant approached the village. From his hiding spot in the undergrowth, Swift could partially understand the creature's broken Giant-Common speech. Covered in scars and wielding a massive club studded with spiked bones, the giant demanded the village supply him with food and gold, or he would bring horror upon them and summon more of his kind. This was Swift's first encounter with an evil giant—a hill giant, vastly different from the forest giants he'd befriended years before. The encounter planted seeds of hatred and distrust toward giantkind that would color Swift's worldview going forward. The village guard said he needed to consult the elder. When the elder arrived and explained they had no gold but could share meat, the giant refused. As a warning, he struck the elder dead with one swing of his club, promising to return tomorrow for what he'd demanded. Then he walked toward the mountains. Swift followed the giant to his mountain cave, confirming he lived alone without a clan. That night, while the giant slept, Swift killed him and took his head. He left it on the riverbank for the villagers to find, then rested in his hide. Satisfied, Swift continued his journey south toward the elven city in southern Elandra. ## Preparation for the Human Lands Swift took his time moving south through the great forest. With all the time in the world at his disposal, there was no need to rush. Most of Elandra remained empty of elves and humans—the forest's dangerous reputation kept settlers away. Swift kept to himself, eating only when necessary. Upon reaching the southern elven city, he began hunting to earn coin for new clothes, leather armor, and equipment. He enrolled in classes to improve his Common, preparing for his planned crossing to the human lands across the sea. He also acquired a new bow and dedicated time to archery practice, as his long solo travels had made him somewhat rusty. After saving sufficient gold, Swift booked passage to South Angoria. The voyage took months, but Swift didn't mind. He had people to watch over and occasional conversations to break the solitude. He caught fish from the boat to help feed the captain's crew and passengers, and taught archery tricks to several elves aboard. ## The Watcher Emerges After the Battle of Polaria restored the great city to its people, the remaining Heralds of Silver became legend. Their tales echo through inns and taverns across Solare even today. Following the defeat of the Demon King, Swift departed the ruins of Polaria for the Forest of the Green Palace. There, in solitude, he built his first treehouse near the forest's edge—hidden in the canopy yet overlooking the road. From this perch, he contemplated, prayed to his god, and watched Polaria's slow reconstruction. As Swift did not age, travelers began encountering a lone elf on a brown horse, its green cloth barding bearing the heraldry of his elven homeland. He would trade with adventurers, protect them from bandits and monsters, then vanish back into the woods. Some saw only a rider passing on the road, gone before they could blink. Swift made South Angoria his domain, establishing seven treehouses overlooking key locations—watchtowers for a ranger, fighter, and rogue who needed none but himself: 1. **Baytown** - in the woods overlooking the town entrance 2. **River Rock Falls** - near the road 3. **Griffinlow** - where the roads converge 4. **Mattershire** - nearby surveillance 5. **Talonaldon** - overlooking the road 6. **Aspen River** - covering both road and waterway 7. **Harkenfer Forest** - near Polaria's edge, watching the plains Building this network took time, but Swift had time to spare. He appeared occasionally in Polaria—trading for supplies, sitting alone in corner taverns with a glass of wine, people-watching while gathering gossip and news from across Angoria. These visits were rare treats for the vigilant watcher. Some claim Swift died long ago, that others have taken up his name and continued the legend. But Swift has lost track of time and even lies about his age when asked. He wanders the woods on solo adventures, helping people in trouble—stories for another time. Perhaps this is why his chosen god noticed him, selecting him as a champion for this important time when the gods return once more. The Elf in the Woods lives on—the Man with Many Surnames who helped save Polaria, watching still from the canopy's shadows.