My great escape from responsibility led me to the back of a merchant's cart that smelled faintly of potatoes and existential dread. The driver, a jolly-looking man named Pembrook, had asked where I was headed. I just pointed in the direction he was already going and said, "That way. Urgent elflet business," with the straightest face I could manage. He bought it instantly. People were surprisingly deferential when you wore fancy maid clothes.
The ride was boring as hell, which gave me time to finally process some of the more esoteric lore Akselondt had forced into my brain during our three-year training montage. I'd been so focused on combat abilities and etiquette that the deep history of the world had just been data to memorize. Now, it was starting to feel less like flavor text and more like the game's actual source code.
The core of it all was the relationship between this planet, Terraria, and its moon. The moon wasn't just a rock; it was a massively condensed ball of pure mana, an energy source so potent it made the world's own magic look like a low-budget indie project. This was why so many creatures became active at night—they were literally trying to absorb the moonlight for a power boost.
Living on that moon were the Faeries—not the cute, sparkly kind from storybooks, but god-tier beings of immense power. They governed the fundamental forces of Terraria, like its seasons, and acted as a power source for their chosen followers, the faefolk. High Elves like Ellolia didn't bother with the diluted mana that flowed through Terraria's "dragon veins" or was managed by the World Trees; that was for the common mobs. They went straight to the source, mainlining their power directly from the Faery Kings on the moon. It was the difference between using a public Wi-Fi signal and having a direct fiber line to the server.
The Faery Kings themselves were a whole other level of cosmic drama. They were split into factions—like guilds in a celestial MMO—with the Kings of Calamity and the Kings of Seasons constantly vying for dominance in the hierarchy. Eventually, one side won, and the current lineup of top-tier rulers who could now manifest their power through the High Elves were:
Ennaria, Matron of Starlight: Ellolia's mom, and my current magical sugar-momma. The OG Queen of Starfall.
Macuvex, Stormshaper of Mist and Lightning: Sounds like a weather-control ultimate ability.
Euchorin, Bloommother of the Eternal Spring: The one responsible for all the ridiculously picturesque scenery, probably.
Chrollo, Warden of the Folds: Vague and mysterious. Probably deals with dimensional magic or something equally broken.
Sunokyp, The Plague Writer: The edgelord of the group. Definitely the patron of any villain with a poison-based moveset.
Swatsworn, Herald of Shatter and Flame: Sounds like a pyromaniac with a geological fetish.
Gooblepum, The Fermentking Faelord: ...And then there's this guy. I had to read his entry three times to make sure Akselondt's notes weren't a fever dream. The literal Faery King of rot, decay, and alcohol. Absolutely based.
The problem was, the High Elves—the Faery Kings' chosen heralds—had been so powerful and arrogant that they led countless wars and basically griefed themselves into near-extinction. The few who remained were now incredibly coveted by the Faery Kings as the only conduits to properly communicate with and influence Terraria. That's why I, a "displaced soul" in a High Elf body, was such a big deal. I was a walking, talking satellite dish for a pantheon of lunar gods.
It also explained the weird social hierarchy. The High Elves used to be the masters of spirits, controlling them with raw power. But their creations, the common Elves, were designed to cater to spirits. After the High Elves fell from grace, it was the common Elves who formed actual bonds with the spirits of Terraria, becoming the protectors of the World Trees that the High Elves had ignored. It was the ultimate "the students have become the masters" anime arc.
"Penny for your thoughts, little one?" Pembrook called from the driver's seat, pulling me out of my lore dive.
I blinked, shifting back into character. "The whispers of the past are loud today," I said, channeling my best Ellolia voice. "They speak of kings and the fall of civilizations."
He chuckled. "Don't worry, Oakhaven's a peaceful place. Not much to trouble a young lass there."
Perfect. That was exactly what I was counting on. A quiet town full of low-level quests and unsuspecting NPCs was the ideal place to start my real mission.
"Alright, chat," I whispered to myself as the cart rumbled on. "Operation 'Figure Out What The Hell I Signed Up For' is officially underway. First rule of recon: blend in and don't get made."