Elfo Esploratore dei Boschi 森林精靈探險家 森の妖精探検家

Elfo Esploratore dei Boschi (Woodland Elf Explorer)

In the hidden folds of an ancient forest—where mist clings to roots like memory and time moves differently—there lies a land untouched by men, known only in whispers as La Selva Antica. It is a realm shared uneasily by hobbits, elusive elves, and things far older than either.

At the heart of this world lives Lira, an unlikely explorer. Not quite elf, not quite human, she is a wanderer between worlds—curious, warm, and quietly burdened by a past she cannot fully remember. Armed with her handcrafted staff, a lantern filled with ever-glowing sap, and a pair of binoculars that once belonged to her missing mentor, she maps the forgotten paths of the forest.

Lira’s peaceful routines are shattered when she discovers something impossible: a section of the forest where all sound has vanished. No birds. No wind. No life. At its center, she finds a blackened tree marked with ancient elven runes—runes that speak of a sealed evil known as Il Cuore Silente—the Silent Heart.

Legend tells that long ago, elves and hobbits together bound this dark force beneath the forest floor. But now, something is weakening the seal.

Determined to uncover the truth, Lira begins a journey deeper than any map she’s drawn. Along the way, she meets Tomo, a stubborn but loyal hobbit gardener whose village lies closest to the spreading silence, and Aeralyn, an enigmatic elf guardian who has watched over the forest for centuries—and who may know more than she admits.

As the trio ventures through glowing glades, ruined elven towers, and hidden underground roots older than the stars, they uncover a truth more unsettling than any legend:

The Silent Heart is not merely awakening—it is calling.

And it is calling to Lira.

Her lost past is tied to the very force that threatens to consume the forest. The deeper she goes, the more the forest begins to change around her—responding to her presence, bending to her emotions. She realizes she may be both the key to saving the forest… and the reason it is falling.

In a final confrontation beneath the roots of the world, where light barely exists, Lira must choose:

Seal the darkness forever—at the cost of losing herself…

or embrace it, and reshape the fate of elves, hobbits, and the forest alike.

The Venice Carnevale is not all about masks. Many local Italians prefer painted faces, historical costumes and recently even cosplay. Often, these costumes look much better than full masks and I do enjoy photographing them very much. The original portraits were done on the busy streets of Venice, against a dark grey wall. The background and mock movie posters were subsequently generated to match the costume.