, ▁who ▁is ▁dis lik ed ▁by ▁Has ke er ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁race ▁( and ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁D war fs ▁fight ▁for ▁both ▁sides ); ▁and ▁Alf ray , ▁an ▁old ▁and ▁wise ▁or c ▁who ▁also ▁acts ▁as ▁the ▁war band ' s ▁standard ▁bear er ▁and ▁medic . ▁The ▁setting ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁is ▁the ▁myth ical ▁world ▁of ▁Mar as ▁D ant ia , ▁which ▁is ▁populated ▁by ▁Hum ans , ▁Or cs , ▁El ves , ▁D war fs , ▁G ob l ins , ▁Cent a urs , ▁G nom es , ▁T roll s , ▁Drag ons ▁and ▁many ▁other ▁st ap le ▁cre atures ▁of ▁the ▁Fant asy ▁genre . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁war ▁ra ging ▁between ▁the ▁poly the istic ▁Man is ▁( who ▁worship ▁many ▁gods ) ▁and ▁the ▁mon othe istic ▁Un is ▁( who ▁follow ▁a ▁religion ▁analog ous ▁to ▁Pur itan ▁Christian ity ). ▁The ▁or cs ▁dis like ▁humans , ▁who ▁have ▁brought ▁far ming ▁and ▁industry ▁to ▁Mar as ▁D ant ia , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Un i ▁religion . ▁The ▁presence ▁of ▁humans ▁in ▁Mar as ▁D ant ia ▁is ▁also ▁killing ▁the ▁land , ▁every ▁year ▁the ▁gla ci ers ▁advance ▁farther ▁from ▁the ▁north , ▁and ▁the ▁magic ▁is ▁literally ▁dra ining ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁ground ▁itself . ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁begins ▁with ▁the ▁wol ver ines ▁having ▁been ▁sent ▁on ▁a ▁mission ▁by ▁an ▁evil ▁queen , ▁Jenn esta , ▁(