Adam sighed again.<br/><br/>"Humans are not your enemy, orcs are.  Humans have been less tolerant of elves because they themselves have been attacked in orc raids.  Did you ever stop to wonder what made the orcs choose now to go to war?  They are being goaded and aided by the dark elves and other creatures of the underground.  They have already eradicated the dwarven races.  They plan to sweep in behind the orc hordes and conquer the surface world.  But that plan will not work.<br/><br/>"The humans will rally, but not until the elves and halflings and other races are already perished from the earth.  The humans will push the orcs back, back to the caves and underground passages.  They will destroy the orcs to a man, and then move down to punish the dark elves.  The dark elves will be pushed into a corner, and they will unleash a terrible plague in desperation.  It will pervade all the world, and no living creature will be spared.  It will be the end of all life.<br/><br/>"That is what I am trying to prevent.  I have selected certain individuals from each race I could, as well as a collection of animals, to preserve in this tower and restore life to the world after the plague has abated.  And I have chosen you to help me preserve the race of wood elves, if you will serve me.  Do you understand now?"