Perspective of the Sereg'wethrin, Volume 1

Perspective of the Sereg'Wethrin, Vol 1 By Earar Di'Mana

1. History is Perspective

As most people of T'Nanshi, I was raised learning the T'Nanshi prospective of the Sereg'Wethrin; Horrible, uncontrolled monsters of elves, to be feared, and attacked as soon as they are spotted. Not that in my youth I'd ever be able to see one, or be able to harm one in any way what-so-ever, but that is what you're taught, so that is what I believed. I lived at least 70 years with only that perspective. Also in my youth, the M'Chek war was taking place, and had been for some time. It was always there, but didn't really enter into my thoughts, as I worked under my father learning his tailoring trade. It was during a trip I took to Le'Or, that the war struck home for me. It seems a raiding party attacked and killed my family, my home, friends and neighbors. When I returned, everything I had grown up with was gone. I can honestly say that my life long pursuit of defending the nation and people of T'Nanshi started at this point.

Being left with nothing, except the gold I was bringing home, I decided to leave T'Nanshi, and train in Elysia. For months, I used what I knew of tailoring, and trained in combat. I learned that my skill in tailoring was also useful in working with traps, so I focused on them too. I joined the T'Nanshi Army as soon as they would have me, and worked hard to earn a place for myself. They soon changed their name to the Winter Leaves, and became the new Special Forces in the fight to defend T'Nanshi from the enemy.

It was during that time I found another talent and interest of mine, in tactics and strategy. I was never much to behold on the battlefield, but I had a knack for getting others organized. What I lacked in personal combat skills, I made up for in knowing where to be, and rallying my fellow army members to the point. Near the end of the war, I attained the rank of Rangermaster, though rank never meant much to me, as my real interests where in preventing other families in T'Nanshi from having to endure what mine did.

I tell you all of this, as I believe it is important for the reader to understand my background, so that you can see a unique perspective I have in what I write below.

It was during that war where I meet a Sereg'Wethrin for the first time. I was on the frontline, scouting alone, when I must have been spotted. I was quickly swarmed by the enemy, and would have certainly perished, if not for a dark figure attacking those around me with such speed and grace, I've seen few like it since. I lay there bleeding, but with the entire enemy group killed, or escaped, the dark figure healed me, and promptly left.

Imagine my surprise, no spite, no instant death, no uncontrollable anger and rage. Just a dark elf, seeming to be fighting the same enemy I was. This tore at me for a long time, the conflict of what I was raised to believe versus the actual event I lived through. Then, months later, another interaction, and another, all with a common theme. How could I in good faith attack a Sereg'Wethrin, when they never attacked me? Especially when they were fighting the same enemy I was. How would it serve the people of T'Nanshi?

This sparked in me a further desire to better understand these elves, to seek truthful answers, for I know what I had been raised to believe was not entirely correct. Near the end of the war, I was again alone, this time in the western forests, where M'Chek pushed hundreds of miles into our land. I heard fighting and saw a lone Sereg'Wethrin fighting a dozen of the enemy. He was wounded, and slowing. It was only a matter of time. I entered combat, and did what I could. In the end, the combatants where killed, but the Sereg'wethrin was on the forest floor bleeding. I tended the wounds, but there was little I could do. In his dying act, he handed me his pack, indicating it was mine to keep. This was no monster. This was an elf, a different color yes, but the same as me, and I knew at that moment my life was forever altered. I could never go back to believing what most did, nor could I allow any falsehoods prevail.

Now, I'm not naive. I know there were brutal things that the Sereg'Wethrin had done through the years. The Spite, conditioning, the abduction of male and female elves just to name a few, so, I needed to discover the truth of these things as well, to be able to give an honest assessment of these people, the good and the bad.

When the war ended, I must admit, I was angry. Angry at T'Nanshi for the poor choices they had made that costs tens of thousands of my people's lives. Angry at M'Chek for ruining so much of the culture of my nation, and ending so many families. Angry at myself for not being able to do more. I saw myself as not much different then the original Sereg'Wethrin, a special forces unit doing everything they could to defend their homeland. In fact, had it not been for their example, I expect I would have done the same things given the situation. Fortunately for me, the Sereg'Wethrin came first.

In this book I detail what I have learned of the Sereg'Wethrin since that time. No matter if the truth is bad or good, I write the history as I have studied it, from multiple sides and perspectives. I end the book with a look into a future path for the Sereg'Wethrin and the people of T'Nanshi. I hope, and for the sake of T'Nanshi pray that this book makes a positive difference in T'Nanshi and our fight against the new invaders.