The sound of metal hammering onto metal could be heard in the air from one end of the narrow, claustrophobic back alley to the other.   Issac, the renowned blacksmith, was tending to his craft once again.

Here in the back streets of Miranda, the familiar sound of steel crashing into steel can often be heard from sunrise until sunset.  Issac’s quality craftsmanship of fine weapons and armor had gained the admiration of many well-to-do soldiers and mercenaries in the region, with even the occasional visitor patronizing the small yet impressive blacksmith’s shop after making the several days journey from Ariesburn across the Great Bay.   In fact, it is said that there may even have been a few customers over the years who have traveled to Issac’s shop from the Sovereign City, located much farther away on the southern coast.   Truly, the wisest folk in the Southern Lands all know that it is never a good idea to accept any substitutes when dealing in matters of life and death.

Many of the city’s dilenchi often gather in shade offered by the tall buildings lining this back alley, hoping that perhaps a well-to-do pasha on their way to visit the local blacksmith might take pity on them and toss a coin their way as they pass by.    Whether a coin is tossed or not, all dilenchi know enough not to harass any passers by until after they have already concluded their business with the local blacksmith, lest they risk upsetting Issac - who is almost as famous for his rage when someone dares to trifle with his business clientele as he is for his legendary works of steel.

Issac was working on an order that had been placed by a well-to-do Pasha from the region, a noble who had come in seeking a new Breastplate armor bearing his family crest.   The task was simple enough for Issac to complete over just a few days, and the pay would be enough to keep Issac’s stomach full and his blacksmith stall paid up for another month, and so he was in quite a good mood as he worked the steel on his anvil into what would soon become another quite remarkable piece of armor with just one more day of work to go.

But sometimes even the most ordinary of days can change unexpectedly, and so it would be today.   As Issac stopped to adjust the positioning of the metal on his anvil, he noticed something unusual.   Normally the back alley outside of Issac’s shop would be filled with the sounds of people passing by, little snippets of conversations filling the air.  Between Issac’s shop and a small but quite lively bordello just a few doors further down the alley, there is usually no shortage of people passing by the entrance to Issac’s shop.   But now… even the gentle breeze that had been whistling between the rooftops of the mismatched buildings lining the alley had gone quiet.   Then, before he could move to the entrance to investigate, his suspicions were confirmed as a familiar silhouette appeared at the entrance of his shop.

“Greetings, Issac.”

Issac would have known the voice instantly, even if he could not see his old friend standing in the doorway to the shop.   It was Grayven, his long time friend since they both were just young pups growing up.

“Hello yourself, Grayven.” Issac replied.   “Have you come here for a visit with an old friend?”

“I’m afraid I’ve come with a message this time, old friend.”  Grayven replied, reaching into a pocket of his fur coat.    

With a flick of his hand, Grayven tossed something small and shiny towards Issac, who had no difficulty snatching the item out of the air as soon as it was within his reach.    Issac looked down into his hand and found a silver coin in his hand.  On it were markings that very few humans would recognize - they were the clan markings of the elves who live inside Moonmist Forest.

Issac snapped his head up to look at Grayven, unable to hide his surprise.  Grayven met his eyes with a look most serious.

“A calling?” Issac asked, with more than a subtle hint of disbelief in his voice.  

“The first one in years.” Grayven replied.

Looking down thoughtfully at the silver coin in his hand, Issac said as much to himself as to anyone else “...the first one in six years”.   A calling is a rare occasion indeed, and not something to take lightly.    Issac and his entire bloodline were being summoned to Moonmist Forest by the Elves of the forest, and Elves only call people into their realm under the direst of circumstances.  

“Is this because…?” Issac looked up and his voice trailed off.   Grayven had left the shop during Issac’s moment of concentration,  and had gone without so much as a parting good-bye.   This is not unusual of course, as those in Issac’s family often prefer to leave each other’s company without saying good-bye.   You would likely consider it a silly superstition, but many of Issac’s kin believe that saying good-bye can lead to fate causing one to never see another again, and so many of them have taken to simply parting company from each other without acknowledging it.  Issac’s kin mostly tend to only say good-bye in two common situations:  when they do not care if they ever meet the other person again, and when they fear that they will not meet them ever again.   

As Issac looked back down at the silver coin resting in his hand, he could feel his palm already beginning to itch.   He quickly dropped the coin into a wooden bucket near his anvil, and moved to the back of his shop to rinse his hands with some hot water that was resting in a metal bucket hanging from the front of his forge.   Issac knew not to leave any remnants of silver in his hand, lest it eventually blister and turn sore on him.

But the message had been received, and he knew what it meant.   Delivering an elvish coin to one of Issac’s bloodline is a call to gather in Moonmist Forest during the next full moon.   But the most concerning part of the message was the metal of the coin itself.   For as long as Issac could remember, all of the callings he had ever attended had been called by Elves sending out copper coins.  The use of silver coins in a Calling were forbidden save for only one situation, and it had never happened before during Issac’s lifetime.

To receive a Calling message with a silver coin was to tell all of Issac’s bloodline one very important fact that cannot be ignored - that if for any reason you were did not attend this calling, it could cost you your very life.