Late in the cycle of History, a Bra ’An Mark Lios Eflar woman and a High "Grey" Elfar man fell in love, despite their cultural differences. They were very young in their years, and their passion was legend amongst their peoples. They shared many decades in the pleasure of each others’ company, years of pleasure and sharing, that ended on the woman’s 361st birthday.

Shan "the Swordsman" wanted to gift his lady love with the Agate Rose, a flower said to bloom only once each Cycle. This living stone thrived only on El Lydor, the fabled Isle inhabited by four Dragon Lords. Shan quested for the flower, and is said to have found it. However, returning to Lartroxia, Shan found himself displaced in time, forward thousands of years into the Cycle of Dreams.

He searched for his lady love for countless years without success. No living Lios Elfar existed with the name of Shan’s lady love.

Believing she had heard the Song of Avranaith, Shan and a fellow Historian, Etienne Villiers became leaders of the remnants of their High Elfar people. They served under the Kav Elfar traveller god, named Waldann high-Ironjade X. Shan named his holdfast Shanagate after his lost love.

After living for nearly a century in the Cycle of Dreams, Shan high-Shanagate met his lady again under a different name, the name Dark Agnes. She had lived through the end of the Cycle of History and was trying for the magical immortality granted by a lifespan of 4444 years. After living through four millennium with only the memory of Shan, she was fond of him, but understandably no longer passionately in love. Shan Shanagate had seen than a decade without his love, and was determined to win her back.

Shan tried everything short of imprisonment and charm spells, but was ultimately unsuccessful. He stopped harassing Dark Agnes eventually and made his own life away from her. Shan learned she died from a Morganti Weapon nearly a year after it happened. Divinations revealed that Dhruva slew Dark Agnes to appease the Demonlord of Red Light for some favor.

In an attempt to comfort him, Etienne Villiers had told Shan of an "ancient prophesy" that a "Holdfast founder" would be reunited with his "timeless love" after she "wore a different face." With this knowledge, Shan grew distracted in his duties as Holdfast leader, spending Shanagate Holdfast’s wealth and magic searching for Dark Agnes wearing a different face. The resources of the wealthiest holdfast were depleted in his desperation.

Within the decade, the Necrodemian Kingdom Garfield Land bordering on Shanagate Holdfast attacked and decimated it by fielding a hundred unbound Red Dragons and a thousand Pellinese Orcs. The halls of Shanagate Holdfast now hold only ash and bone, its remaining kethi wandering the lands of Lartroixa with no hearth or true home. Since then, Shan Shanagate has been shallowly respected by the remaining Kav Elfar holdfasts, who see only that Shanagate Holdfast was overthrown by a woman, Jil Sander.

Two years ago an accomplished minstrel of Canaith training informed Shan that he had met a young Lios Elfar woman that spoke with the voice of Dark Agnes. Since then Shan high-Shanagate and his teyn Etienne high-Shanagate Villiers have been searching for this elusive Lios woman.

Historical evidence suggests that two years ago Mestea was possessed by a Lios Elfar Enchantress during an encounter with a Canaith minstrel from the Kestrel Mark. Mestea now shares the features of Jil Sander.