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High Elf Forest: Deedlit’s Tale is a light novel short story collection by Ryo Mizuno, comprising four separate stories, focusing on the high elf Deedlit. It is one of two spin-off stories of the main Record of Lodoss War novels, the other being The Black Knight.

The stories A Traveller From the Elf World, Opening the Forest and Fog of Revenge were released as cassette books from 1991-1993, before being adapted into Deedlit’s Tale. The fourth story was a newly-written story for this book.

In 1998, it was adapted into a shojo manga illustrated by Setsuko Yoneyama.

Synopsis[]

Story 1: A Traveller From the Elf World
The story takes place after The Fire Demon and before The Demon Dragon of Fire Dragon Mountain, part 1.[2] Deedlit and Parn, living in Parn's hometown of Zaxon, deal with a new threat to the Alanian independence movement after the village of Hanam is attacked by Alanian soldiers, and Deedlit's old friend Estas visits and tries to take her back to the Forest of No Return.

Story 2: Opening the Forest
The story takes place after The Kings’ Holy War and before The Holy Knight of Lodoss, part 1.[2] Deedlit and Parn, assisting the Kanon independence movement, are forced to go through the Forest of No Return to preserve the lives of the villagers of Karall after being surrounded by Marmo soldiers, and Deedlit confronts Ent, the king spirit of the forest, to ask for the lifting of the curse.

Story 3: Fog of Revenge
The story takes place immediately before and after The Holy Knight of Lodoss, part 1.[2]

 Strall, a sorcerer from the ancient kingdom of Kastuul, has been revived since the events of this book's second story. He seeks to take revenge on the elves of the Forest of No Return. After a year of plotting he learns that Saluvan, the last governor of Kastuul, still lingers in existence as the Immortal King of the Undead, after the governor gave his memory and will to the Ferronnière of Knowledge. Strall decides to meet him in the governor's palace, where the governor hands Strall an instrument which the sorcerer can use for his revenge.[3]

 Near the border of the Forest of No Return, Parn and Deedlit are on their way from Kanon to Flaim to deliver a letter from Prince Reona to King Kashue, following the events of Record of Lodoss War 5: The Kings’ Holy War. While bickering over whether they should visit the high elf village or not, the pair notices a fog lingering around a tree, emitting a strange yellow light, which Deedlit recognizes as an immortal beast.[4] Deeper in the forest they meet with several elves, and, later, Estas. The elves are fighting a sorcerer with a crystal in his forehead who commands several undead. Eventually, the party defeats the undead and the sorcerer is captured.[5]

 In the village, the elves gather for an assembly to discuss the sorcerer and the fog, with Elder Lumars as their leader. The elves are at a loss as to what to do against the fog, which they believe the sorcerer is responsible for. The fog is capable of absorbing the life force of living beings and grows larger as it does so. One of the elves recognizes the sorcerer as as Kastuulian. The man says his name is Strall and that he was a member of the summoner-sorcerers. He is pleased to tell the elves that fire is the only way to deal with the immortal beasts, because fire will also destroy the forest.[6] Some elves suggest summoning Jinn, the king spirit of the wind, but others point out Jinn too will harm the forest.

 Eventually it is decided that fire is the only way. Looking for a way to properly implement fire, Deedlit steps forward. She believes fire doesn't simply govern destruction, but also regeneration. She summons Phoenix, the king spirit of fire. The king spirit wraps the immortal beast in flames and then disappears. Only the areas where the fog lingered were affected by Phoenix. In those areas only ash remained. Looking at the Phoenix, Parn thought he saw Nardia, the former chieftain of the Fire tribe.[7]

 Afterwords, the angry elves belittle the Kastuulian for his revenge, which they deem savage. Strall wanted revenge for being taken away by the elves from his own time. To everyone's surprise, Estas responds that elves are not much different for wanting to punish Strall. It was then decided to let Strall go. Upon this decision, the sorcerer lost his fearless smile, as if he was disappointed. However, though it wasn't perfect, his revenge was completed. But because revenge can be a huge, all-consuming purpose, the sorcerer may not find his next purpose. With the fog taken care of, Parn and Deedlit continue their journey to Flaim.[8]

 Back with Saluvan, Strall laments not having a place to return to and asks Saluvan to take him into his services, but Saluvan declines and has Strall carried away to live with the "barbarian" humans.[9]

Story 4: The Elves of the Forest of No Return
The story takes place before the events of The Grey Witch[2] and provides the backstory of how a young Deedlit became interested in traveling to the human world.

Characters appearing[]

  • Story 2
    • Parn
    • Deedlit
    • Maar
    • Hobb
    • Village chief of Karall
    • Leaf
    • Estas
    • Elder Lumars
    • Deedlit’s mother
    • Deedlit’s father
  • Story 3
    • Governor Saluvan
    • Strall
    • Deedlit
    • Parn
    • Estas
    • Elder Lumars
    • Deedlit’s mother
    • Deedlit’s father
    • Spark
  • Story 4
    • Deedlit
    • Estas
    • Jord’s father
    • Elder Lumars
    • Jord
    • Deedlit’s mother
    • Deedlit’s father

Gallery[]

Artwork from the novel in order of appearance.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 KADOKAWA, "ハイエルフの森 ディードリット物語"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Mizuno, R. High Elf Forest: Deedlit’s Tale, Afterword.
  3. Mizuno, R. High Elf Forest: Deedlit’s Tale, page 146.
  4. Mizuno, R. High Elf Forest: Deedlit’s Tale, page 153.
  5. Mizuno, R. High Elf Forest: Deedlit’s Tale, page 162.
  6. Mizuno, R. High Elf Forest: Deedlit’s Tale, page 171.
  7. Mizuno, R. High Elf Forest: Deedlit’s Tale, page 182.
  8. Mizuno, R. High Elf Forest: Deedlit’s Tale, page 190.
  9. Mizuno, R. High Elf Forest: Deedlit’s Tale, page 192.
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