Lingol

Lingol was an elf from the world which the Artist had made. Like many elves, he enjoyed the occasional travels through the Door to the world of humans. One such visit was made during the Peloponnesian Wars. On a later visit, he heard about a man named St. Francis of Assisi, who had recently died. Lingol admired Francis' way of looking at life, by understanding all the troubles of the world and fearing none of them. On his next allotted visit to the human world, Lingol selected as his destination a city named for St. Francis, although he had been warned by the Doorkeepers that he would not find any resemblance to the human world of previous visits.

Arriving in San Francisco in the year 1979 by the common human reckoning, Lingol found a world of technological wonders and pleasures that felt like magic. Upon hearing of an extremely pleasurable section of the city, called the Castro District, Lingol chose to take his luxury there. He soon met a human named Gaetan, who was almost as beautiful as an elf. The techniques of love which Lingol taught to Gaetan were unlike any Lingol had known before. Although this seemed to be only the beginning of a perfect romance, Lingol abruptly decided to break it off on a high note rather than have it decline into ennui and loathing. He returned to his own world, unaware of a souvenir he had received from Gaetan.

Lingol became a celebrity for a little while after his return, as the elves were fond of listening to each other's new stories from the human world. His friend Belionora was the first elf with whom he shared the techniques he had learned from Gaetan. Mafindel was the second.

Some years later, Lingol been to feel the effects of a mysterious curse. He began sweating profusely each night, and feeling that his essence was somehow sweating away as well. He went to Celcalad the wizard to seek a magical cure, but the wizard could see no obvious signs of cursing. All cures that were attempted for Lingol had a temporary effect at best. Belionora told him that she was feeling the same way, and they slept together again.

Lingol's symptoms worsened, and began to include coughing and difficulty breathing. The witch Foriana, after futilely attempting to cure him, slept with him as comforting therapy, assuming that this could make nothing any worse.