There was a time long ago when Elves wandered the world in great numbers - when their achievements outshone even the brightness of the sun. Human and dwarven civilizations were still in their infancies. It was a time of legends and heroes, of incredible accomplishments and great deeds - a time when the world knew true greatness.
That time is long gone, however, now crushed under the heel of fate and decay. The Elves are gone now, victims of their own delusions. They failed to heed the warnings of the Harbinger, the one who came to warn them…
He arrived on a night the moons and the Centaur constellation were aligned, several millenia ago, appearing foul and nightmarish, and warning all who would listen of the impending doom that lay ahead. He issued warnings and prophecies, but the Elves having grown vain and arrogant in their grandeur heeded him not. The Harbinger left, promising to return when the time again was right.
Several generations later (a short time by Elven reckoning) the Harbinger returned, once more treading under an ominous alignment of the moons and constellations. The Elves, having all but forgotten his past warnings, stood defenseless as the Curse fell upon them. Despite their arcane lore and magical knowledge, they could not combat the omnipotent powers that confronted them. When the Harbinger left their lands, not a single building was left standing.
It is said that the winds carried the stench of death even as far north as the Dwarven villages. The stalwart Dwarves took this for a sign that evil was coming, and prepared their defences. When the Harbinger came next to their lands to warn them that great danger lay ahead, the wary Dwarves grew fearful of the visitor's appearance, shunning him. He left them, proclaiming that achievements alone were not the true measure of a worthy people.
A millenia later, the moon and stars once again approached the fateful alignment that would herald the Harbinger. During this time, the Dwarves had flourished into a society of craftsmen and artisans. They had built great cities and were dutifully worshipping their god. Prophecies from long ago warned them of a fate similar to that of the Elves, so they had taken care to properly groom themselves and prepare for the Third Coming.
When the Harbinger came to them, however, they could not stand the sight and smell of him and, mistaking him for a fiend from hell, immediately struck him down. This, historians say, brought their downfall. The Dwarves met their foretold fate. It is rumored that some humans witnessed the event, and that the Harbinger portended that their judgment too would come, lest their worthiness be greater than that of the Elves and the Dwarves.
Now, it may be that this tale is but mere legend, and that we are but a worried people living under an anomolous celestial alignment - one that has not occurred in ten-fold centuries… At least let us hope. But should their be some truth to this tale, should it be that the Harbinger indeed walks the land even as we speak, that perhaps he bears closer with each passing moment to judge and torment us if we fail him - then perhaps you will consider little scoundrel, before I kill you for your crimes, before I condemn your soul to everlasting fire and eternal pain, your answer to this one question… Do you feel worthy, punk?