The Hunter Siblings III

"The legends of the Greenfolk in the forest have existed for a long time. The mountain people of Manowell and Lantorilan call them Tree-dwellers. Some say they are descendants of the Min'er People. After the War of the Saints, some of the Min'er People did indeed follow the route we traveled today and took refuge in Frost-dyed Forest. They crossed the Needlefall Mountains, set sail from the area around today's Silverpine Coast, and headed north. No one knew where they went after that."

"No one knows where they ultimately went, but some say the Min'er People in the forest split into two groups back then. The leader of one group refused to give up worldly power and cunningly deceived a number of people into staying behind. The fate of those people can be imagined. Those who stayed behind became the Greenfolk of later generations. But the forest assimilated them—their cheeks resembled the grain of wood, their dull eyes were sunken deep into their faces, and roots covered their bodies. They wandered through the forest endlessly, regretting the decision they had made long ago."

"Dark Magic turned that regret into hatred. They were like heartless Ghosts lost in the forest, killing every living thing they encountered. Most of the Min'er People who stayed behind had been nobles among their people. They were skilled at using language to bewitch people's hearts, especially when that language contained the forest's magic. Many who encountered them never returned."

The flames seared the branches in the campfire. The small twigs turned golden-red in the fire, occasionally crackling and bursting into sparks. Brando's voice rose and fell as he narrated the widely circulated legend of the Tree-dwellers around Manowell. Most locals knew only the legend and could not explain its origins in such detail, so everyone gathered