*The opinions of each race may differ greatly on any subject.
*Before correcting me, I know what a dynasty actually is but well…they’re elves. Trust me the word will pop up sooner or later...
*The map is not representative of a physical object and is based solely on Nerin's assumptions, thus it can't be used as a point of reference when interacting with another character nor would it allow Nerin to find his way from one place to another.
Elven History.
A time before time- The Creation.
At first this world was but a single point in existence. An unimaginably dense point, so dense that no matter could exist, so dense that it’s mere existence was questioned. Something dark loomed within its core, a remnant of a lost world. But in the eternal emptiness left behind the consumption of the universe some beings that existed beyond the laws of the world remained.
The sphere which we call slade made all creation impossible. These beings took action and coated the surface in paragravital layer of adamantine, a mysterious material which doesn’t resemble regular matter even on a subatomic level. Streams of molten iron and a crust of earth were created to mantle the naked globe. Upon this new world life evolved and the gods were entertained. However the strange coating had disturbed the gravity of the slade and the darkness could emerge from its former prison. Many brave souls guided by the hands of the gods gave their life to hold back the creatures of the depths. All that remains of them are their weapons, forged from the legendary metal and their long dead corpses forever guarding the gates to hell. But one of the gods had grown bored of the flowing life…
0- Time of legends- Fading moonshine.
One of the gods, Armok, went on a never-ending crusade of slaughter joined by his legion of filth and malice. He ravaged the land for years and years, the other gods tried to keep the living safe but Armok’s thirst for blood was insatiable. The world that the gods had dreamed of had turned into a nightmare of slaughter. The different races were exterminated one after another.
In the end the gods realized that if they wanted to save this world they had to take action. As a god Armok was immortal, he also had an extensive greed for power which had made him outgrow the other deities. The Sun, the Moon and the eight human gods all united to fight him and the demonic hoards under his control. But they knew that this would not be an easy feat, sacrifices would have to be made and the world would no longer be the same. For fourteen days and fourteen nights they fought before Armok made a mistake, he had finally left an opening. The eight all forfeited their divinity to banish Armok to the dark core of the world. However they had underestimated Armok and their collective efforts was not enough to defeat him; they were caught in a tug-of-war, a battle of wills. The moon charged valiantly towards Armok to end it once and for all now that he was caught up with the eight. Unfortunately due to the outmost incompetence of the eight she was brought down into the depths alongside Armok.
As punishment for their failure the eight were stripped of their divinity and took on a mortal form. However Armok was forever trapped in his dark prison deep beneath the earth and as the years passed his existence became questioned by the newer generations. Mourning the death of her sister the Sun left this plane of existence and now rests at her spot on the celestial weave forever illuminating the memory of the moon. The loss of the moon was a tremendous injury to the elven people as they had now lost the gifts of warfare (metal), civilization (agriculture) and “the core” (magic).
However, through elven ingenuity a new way of living was soon formed, a way where instead of living off nature one would live with nature. Whatever shortages were left after the Moon’s disappearance could be overcome with help from the Sun whom made substitutes for the skills that had been lost. While the elves were still recovering from having their way of life being crushed in an instance the dwarves took their chance to expand outwards into the lands and downwards into the earth. To the east they carved out the core of a majestic mountain and called it home. At this point in time man had not yet been brought up from their pitiful existence of fighting each other on muddy grasslands by cultural influences and achieved nothing noteworthy.
150- The dynasty Que-re’Hlae
Que-re’Hlae was a tough but just ruler. During his reign many elven standards were set revolving moral values and such. He vowed to protect nature and any elf that broke that rule either by apathy or ill intent was banished from the lands that would later be called the great forest of Turiaa. It is believed that the residents of Sliverslaa would be their descendants.
200-As dwarves began imposing on elven land a lot of tension was built up between the two nations. However, at this point in time any dwarves reaching the west were either merchants or explorers. Due to this increased interaction “common” became more and more common across the realm.
244- Que-re’Hlae exclaimed the towering oak of the northern woods to be a symbol of worship.
290-After an almost century long approach the dwarves had slowly began expanding; one due to trade connections with both humans and elves but they also kept claiming land and harvesting it for valuable resources. However, only smaller skirmishes broke out as the human tribes acted as a buffer between the two.
298-A group of extremist by the name of the Twisted pines had taken Que-re’Hlae teachings one step further and equalized all life to a point were sentience no longer bore any significance when it came down ethical decisions, in battle the would consume the flesh of their enemies whether it be man, elf or some of the lower races. This was of course frowned upon by the community even though it brought great fear to the enemies.
316-The dwarven expansion had harmed nature so much that the elves decided to fight back. Due to superior skill and tactics the elves managed to fend off the invading forces. Days went on and no further attacks came. When the elves finally began celebrating their victory the dwarves somehow managed to open up the core of the earth and spill its blood across the land. As the burning tide rushed towards the forests of Midland Que-re’Hlae climbed atop his mount and lifted his spear encouraging his fellow elves to do the same. Most ran from the luckily slow but devastatingly hot lava. His rumored last words were- I’ve lived my life as one with nature and now we shall die as one as well. The elves had suffered complete and utter defeat after a battle that they had won. The collective elven spirit was low and for the first time in 150 years the elves stood without a ruler.
318-The dynasty of- Ruran’Heasinddare
Ruran’Heasinddare was old even in elven terms when he rose to power; he was famous for his wisdom but also for his slow thinking. During his period of rulership the elven society slowed down quite a bit and few major contributions were made however he did manage to reestablish old relations with the other races. Many opposed of him reengaging trade with the dwarves but he was much too stubborn to have his will swayed, it is even rumored that at some point around 440 he met with the dwarven king Laar-Tark Bookbound and shared a drink. He also spent time on teaching the humans about the elven ways however his plans there never came to any fruition as as soon as he would turn his back on the humans for a few years they would start beating on each other and start killing animals again. They did however learn a thing or two about how to create a functioning society and human cities began emerging here and there.
412-A strange man by the name of Lecasqradue the gravewalker, more commonly known as the Marauder, began traveling the land. His intentions were unknown to all but multiple sources claim to have seen him loot graves, robbing houses and even killing people without leaving a trace behind.
509-A new dwarven king going by the name of Raughelm had taken the throne, he ruled in a very aggressive way that later on led to once again shutting down all trade between elves and dwarves.
549-When Ruran’Heasinddare later died of old age he was celebrated as a great ruler even though there had earlier been some controversy involving dwarves.
555-The dynasty of Therua’Banni-valsa
For 6 years no candidate had stepped forward to claim the position as ruler but as time went on the lack of a direct power made it hard to keep the people united so one of the most influential families stepped up and proposed that a young woman by the name of Therua’Banni-valsa would get the position. Therua’Banni-valsa was renowned for her beauty and overwhelming authority however she was not well versed in politics. She did however manage to convince the others with incredible rhetorical skills and her stunning appearance. As time went on it became that not only did she have the wits of an elf twice her age but also a natural affinity towards leadership. In an instant the elven world had become more vibrant than ever.
583- The first realm war.
War was on the horizon and once again people began questioning the queen’s ability to lead and some even suggested giving over control to a general, at least during time of war. The queen’s calm demeanor slowly rekindled their faith and when the first dwarven army was spotted no elf had any doubt left in their heart. Due to surprisingly cunning strategy and brilliant ruling from Therua’Banni-valsa the elves won a deceive victory.
Therua’Banni-valsa was celebrated as a hero and the dwarves seemed to have left the face of the earth entirely. At first people thought that they might be preparing some sort of counter attack but as the years passed it crossed people’s minds that all of the dwarves might have died became, which became likelier and likelier for each passing day.
587-The elves begin taking control of all the land previously claimed by the dwarves and many new cities and settlements were built. Amongst them only Seraté stands today, which later became a center of worship as it was located beneath the Towering oak.
591- The second realm war
The humans order of knights were arguably the best warriors of that time, they fought with the speed of an elf and the strength of a dwarf but no man could ever pay them all to fight for a common cause.
Suddenly without a warning an incredible army marched over the horizon, tall figures clad in the finest dwarven steel glimmering in light of the setting sun, led by a man wearing a brown and golden tabard as well as an effervescent blue sword of which like no one had ever witnessed before. Chaos erupted as soldiers were called to arms, guards were manning the barricades and ferocious beasts were gathered from the forest. Therua’Banni-valsa looked uncharacteristically stressed as more and more troops kept emerging in to view. What followed was a complete bloodbath and the elves suffered defeat after defeat to these strange new adversaries. Everything was covered with blood except for one untainted blue blade in the middle of the mayhem seemingly cutting the very fabric of existence leaving no foe unscathed. People begged Therua’Banni-valsa to retreat further back in to the forest but Therua’Banni-valsa stared death right in the eye while reciting Que-re’Hlae’s famous last words. The events that directly followed were strange to both sides as when the attacking forces reached the position of lady Therua’Banni-valsa they stopped perhaps on Tyrnall’s orders, perhaps due to some innate respect her nobleness, but most sources cite that they stopped in awe of her radiant persona and lost their will to fight. During the final quivering moments of the war Tyrnall ripped of his bloodied helmet and kissed Therua’Banni-valsa thus ending the war. His confused forces wandered back the way they came across the bloodied fields of Midland as Tyrnall returned with the remaining elves to the great forest of Turiaa. People were outraged when a marriage between Therua’Banni-valsa and Tyrnall was decided upon. Therua’Banni-valsa whom were held in high regard after winning one war and stopping another were now to be banished for siding with the one whom had slayed thousands of their kin. On the very day of the ceremony they were both thrown out without a place to return to and both without honor in the eyes of their people.
592-The dynasty of Isalae’Tyraltin
The elves were thrown into a state of chaos and there was widespread starvation and a lack of workforce. People felt a strong hatred towards the dwarves so it was no surprise that one of the commanders from the previous war was chosen. Isalae’Tyraltin was a strong-willed but silent woman whom had lost an arm in the previous assault. That combined with her piercing eyes and a deep black spot on her cheek gave her a very menacing look. Under her rule society was slowly rebuilt mostly due to her harsh punishment for those who couldn’t follow orders. Meanwhile Seraté had been completely cut off from the motherland due to dwarfs reclaiming their land, now Seraté is instead ruled by the order of the Sun. The entire organization was shrouded in mystery and still is today, it’s is widely known that they are manipulators of magic however there are few whom claim to have seen it and even fewer who know what the purpose of their strange trips in to no-man’s-land might be. However their authority is not compromised in any situation.
604-The largest city in history, Capitol, was built by the humans. Essentially all trade went through there.
606- A woman calling herself the oracle made prophesy telling that the worst is yet to come, that another war was coming, much worse than the previous one. She gained quite a following but was banished for disturbing the peace.
615- Things were finally back to normal except for the traumatized look in people’s faces, the low headcount and how people felt burned-out due to overexertion.
620- Something dark emerged from the far west. Dwarves ignored it and the humans were hesitant in their reaction.
628- First contact with these weird creatures, the brunt force of them seemed to be made up of goblins however their ranks were mixed up with all kinds of foul inbred beasts and creatures, a true shame to nature in its entirety.
636- A strange creature, not man nor dwarf was born. Its actions later in life would make the world a worse place to live in. They called it “the Gray king”
657- The constant attack was too much for the already weakened elven forces, defense after defense fell.
683- The goblins who came from the west managed to get a strategic foothold in the realm and their troops were slowly advancing.
685- The third realm war.
Dwarves, elves and humans united to create an army only rivaled by Tyrnall’s forces back in 591. Hundreds of thousands souls on both sides fell. In the end the dark ones were pushed back…However they were persistent and changed their course for the elven capital. The elves pleaded for the aid of the other races however the cowardly Gray king chose to retreat his forces and return to his safe mountains. The greedy humans soon followed his example as they saw no gain in fighting and thus the alliance had been broken and all that remained was the horde of greenskins and lingering taste of foul betrayal. Isalae’Tyraltin swore to one day get her revenge but fell alongside Turiaa at the hands of the enemies overwhelming forces. Those elves who managed to escape enslavement either fled east to Seraté or sailed north to the Scorching waste, others set up their own settlements on the whistling planes. Of them only the village of Atkara remains today.
688-The dynasty of Fera-Si’Banniarnith
After Turiaa’s fall a new leader had to be chosen, the order were however hesitant to give away their power. After three years of negotiations the political power was split in four including the order, the general, the council and of course the newly elected queen Fera-Si’Banniarnith whom at the time was still cheerful and of an optimistic nature. Perhaps what the elves needed at the time.
695- A large number of half-beasts had suddenly migrated to the northern woods due to unknown causes; it was later suspected that the humans had begun kidnapping the beastmen from their natural habitants to keep them in their cities. The reasoning behind it remained a mystery however. Fera-Si’Banniarnith took them in and let them take residence in the northern part of the woods, as far away from the humans as possible.
709 In the ashes of what had once been the home of the elves a large menacing goblin structure had now risen. Nearby settlements such as Rocklod, Peasantville and multiple elven refuges were under constant attack.
711-Strange creatures of unknown origin calling themselves dark elves started emerging here and there in the western realm, allying with no one.
714-A man going by the name of Renatum Urbanus turns up in the human city Capitol and claims to be a magician. Whether he actually knows magic was never cleared up but he quickly reached a position of power. The order took great interest in him but never got a chance to get close.
718- Human knights continually fought the goblins in the west to protect the smaller villages and push back the invasion. At this point the human army was split up in to 4 major groups, the Vanguard of the aegis whom fight an endless war in the west, the clan of the lance whom are no more than common thugs, and the army of steel which is no more than the nobles private guard and the brotherhood of the sack which was formed a few years later by Jeruda Rightling.
729- With the elves at an all-time low after the third realm war and the dwarves slowly losing their influence the humans got a stronger and stronger grip of the realm as a whole.
734-On the order’s orders a hidden city by the name of Celedome was built deep within the forest, purpose being to protect the elven legacy in case another war were to break out.
752- Fera-Si’Banniarnith married an elven man and a great feast is conjured, marrying was rare amongst elven queens and kings.
788- The order of the Sun is out in the world investigating mysterious phenomenon, multiple attempts at investigating Renatum Urbanus were made but they never reached the capital.
800-Both dwarves and humans spent a lot of time and money on controlling the realm’s sea routes, as no elven coastal cities remained in the realm the elves quickly surrendered their authority.
842- Raughelm the second reached the human throne and holding a strong grudge towards elves even though he was not there to see the first realm war himself he began killing elves everywhere. Large armored battalions of trained knights rode out to slay any defenseless elf they could find. Amongst them were Fera-Si’Banniarnith husband, with him died her carefree nature and Seraté has been fighting the dwarves on the edge of the northern woods ever since.
846-Having troubles cutting through the dense forest Raughelm split up his forces hunting elves across the land instead, any refuges remaining fell quickly but Atkara where humans from Wuppentrump stepped in to protect the elves remained. In exchange for their protection however they had to pay large sums in taxes. The dwarves were forced to accept this as Atkara was surrounded on three sides by human cities, whenever an elf went against the landlords they would often be left out to a bunch of waiting dwarves.
858- The outpost of Musheath was built on the edge of the northern woods to give the dwarven military a base to work from.
871- After a 2 year long peruse of the being known as Lecasqradue the Gravewalker the order of the Sun finally managed to find and defeat him, the details of the battle are unknown but it is said that upon the death of the Gravewalker a flock of ravens had swopped down and consumed the body entirely.