Falhid...

[Arianna Calanthe]

The story of Falhid, is much like the ever popular tale of 'Romeo and Juliet' by William Shakespeare. However, in Shakespeares tale, the familes use the death of their children to strengthen and unite them, in this story, the death tears them even further apart, bringing to their knees the two most powerful clans in Falhid.

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Zaira Bhaltair and Payden Ryszard did not mean to fall in love...fate pushed them. At the time this tragedy took place, they were but mere children, no more than 16 years of age. They held no understanding of the intricate dealings of their clans and race and they did not care for them either.
It was by some cruel stroke of fate that they meet in the woods one evening, and an even crueler one that they should be from opposing families.
Sparks flew between them, and they commited their love that night under the watchful eyes of the full moon. But it was not to be...it was only a week after their passionate night together that Payden was told he was to be sent as a spy to Bhaltair castle, it was there he learned of Zaira's heritage, and it was then that their love was destined to fail.
The two young lovers strived in vain to keep their love a secret, but a young guard by the name Garan Bhaltair caught Payden sneaking through the garden after a visit to Zaira, Payden was captured and questioned. Only after being threatened with the death of his beloved did he reveal who he was, and why he was there.
Payden was sentenced to death, and was due to hang by the next sunset...

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That night Zaira released Payden and the two young lovers fled into the night. Realising that their unrequited love for one another could never be, they made a pact to be together forever. Mortal and immortal, human and elf, joined forever in an irriversable act of life and death.
The two children made love to one another one last time, and then threw themselves into the river. Death giving them the chance to at last, be together with no barriers.
When the two families found their children, they blamed each other, blinded by their hatred of each other, and too stupid to realise that they're children had died from love, not hate.
The Bhaltairs blamed Payden, claiming he had used his elven powers to brain wash Zaira and send her plunging to her death.
While the Ryszards claimed that Zaira had used her beauty to bewitch Payden and force him to kill himself along with her.
Neither considered the option that they're children had chosen death...it was this blindness that bought upon years of war, death and poverty.

That is the story of Falhid...