On the northern slopes of Pikesteel Mountain, nestled among the trees that blanket its basalt crags and sandy gullies, a complex of ancient structures lay. Seemingly untouched by time, and well hidden from prying eyes, its pure white walls had sheltered generations of Great Elk clansmen when their forest homes were menaced by immeasurable threats, then sat unoccupied in times of peace. But in the wake of the devastation wrought in their lands by the Algus, the elves sought to keep a permanent presence in this haven.  The Pikesteel dwarves, for their part, had never been able to find the stronghold on the borders of their domain.   Thus, they regarded it as a rumor or legend, and were surprised when the elves requested it, and even more surprised when the elves showed it to them. Some among the dwarves argued that they should claim the fortress for their own, given its situation upon their own domain, yet when scouts were sent to find it without elven guides, the hapless dwarves searched the forest fruitlessly for several weeks before stumbling back through the gates of the mountain, perplexed and looking rather worse for wear. Still, the Pikesteel dwarves were eager to have an ally to shelter their northern flank, and so they ceded the land and even committed to aid the largely nomadic elves with settling into their new, well-fortified home.  The expert dwarven craftsmen, guided by elven design sensibilities, seamlessly integrated the elves' improvements with the existing structures.  In little time the numbers of the tribe swelled, their kinfolk flocking eagerly to the flourishing citadel, which they called Herfin Telosuren in their tongue, or the Haven of the Great Elk.     Travelers pays their respects at an ancient shrine to a god whose name has long since been forgotten to these lands.     Admiring the tribe's motif, newly affixed to the Great Tower.     The elven chieftain thanks the leader of the dwarven craftsmen for his efforts.   The fountain tower looks out over the forested slopes that descend to the great lakes and flat lands to the north.