Introduction
The High Elves are one of the most ancient and powerful mortal civilizations. Hailing from a mighty mist-shrouded island-continent on the Great Ocean, the High Elves of Elvhenair are a proud and mighty nation of masterful warriors, peerless mages and lords of the sky and sea. They are an ancient race with powerful armies and even grander magic, building a grand and all-mighty civilization who, alongside the Dwarves, fought a long-forgotten, apocalyptic war which saw some of the greatest and most powerful mortal heroes battle against the great darkness that tried to consume the world many thousands of years ago. At the zenith of their power, the world was truly theirs for the taking.
Yet their noble and compassionate nature, which was once one of the Elves greatest and most noble character was soon replaced by a great sense of pride and hubris in their own vanity and superiority. In their blind arrogance, they've only succeeded in shattering their once powerful friendship with the Dwarves. Teaching magic to Man backfired once the darkness had disappeared, culminating in a war which crippled the High Elves and shattered whatever bright future there was for this young world. Isolated and alone in a world they no longer control, the High Elves are facing the twilight years of their existence, their cities no longer bustling with vibrancy and life as they used to be but now serve as a gloomy reminder of their ultimate, impending demise.
The time of the High Elves has passed, or so it is said, yet such is their immense pride that they fight on nonetheless, for they consider themselves the true and rightful protectors of this ancient world, and they believe that so long as their civilization persist throughout the ages, this dying world will never fall into complete darkness. If oblivion is indeed to be their fate, they have chosen to face it with arrow nocked and sword held high, defending the world they have loved and protected for so long. So do the white-garbed hosts of Elvhenair march to war, banners streaming in the wind and every warrior reconciled to death in service of a greater cause; the protection of this very world. Let the servants of destruction beware their righteous wrath.
Governance
- Land: High Elves reside on Elvhenair, the ancestral home of the Elven race.
- Location: Elvhenair is an island located west of Fiore and north of Caelum.
- Governance: Elvhenair is ruled by a collection of princes, princesses and mages, above whom preside the Elvenking.
- Head: Isildur the Elvenking.
- Capital: Galadriel.
- Region: High Elves only live in Elvhenair.
- Population: 2,000,000 in Elvhenair.
Details
- Languages: All Elves speak a single racial tongue called Elvarin, but the language have since splintered into different dialects, each representing one of the races of Elves in the world. The High Elves of Elvhenair still practice the original Elvarin language.
- Names: Examples for names for males are Caladrel, Heldalel, Lanliss, Meirdrarel, Seldlon, and Talathel. Example for names for females are Dardlara, Faunra, Jathal, Merisiel, Oparal, Soumral, and Tessara.
Religion
- Religion: The Elven Pantheon are split up into two groups, known as the Linea and the Vhaladar. All Elves revere this pantheon of deities but put a lot more emphasis on certain gods than others. An example of this is the Dark Elves outright ignoring the Linea Gods and the High Elves shunning the Vhaladar Gods. The peaceful, fundamental, and productive aspects of the Elven Pantheon, such as crafting, smiting, motherhood, farming or hunting are represented by the Linea. The High Elves openly worship and revere the Linea, building large temples and shrines to profess their faith. Above all other gods is Sayha, the Creator, who the High Elves worship the most.
Then come the rulers of the Elven Underworld, whose pantheon are known as the Vhaladar. Many Vhaladar Gods are shunned by the vast majority of High Elves, yet there are some Vhaladar Gods from which the High Elves attempt appeasement. However, even though worshipping the Vhaladar Gods in Elvhenair is either frowned upon or totally outlawed depending on the deity in question, some individuals still do privately worship them. The worship of Shilen, the Mother of Destruction, who is the Dark Elves patron Goddess, is to ask to be put to death on the spot. On the other hand the worship of Mathlann, The God of the Deeps is common among Elven voyagers on sea and is considered in a sense legal for worship.
Biology
- Physiology: All Elves are fair to behold and of them all the High Elves are the most handsome. High Elves are pale-skinned with refined, aesthetically beautiful features and hair as clean and fine as flax. High Elves are tall and proud in their bearing, indeed it is not uncommon for Elves to stand a whole head taller than a man. They have a slim build, which has led to the common misconception that Elves are weak or fragile. In fact, the opposite is true, for Elves are surprisingly strong, and though they are not as robust as the races of Orcs or Dwarves, they more than compensate for that with their dexterity and amazing agility.
For the High Elves, long hair is a symbol of strength, power and nobility -- the clearest token of a real warrior. Just as the Dwarves find great significance in their beards, so too do the High Elves hold their hair in high esteem. Because of this, locks of hair are also important talismans for the Elves. This ancient custom stems from the greatest heroes of Elven legend, who have always been depicted with long flowing hair, and it is said that it is from here that their might springs. All High Elves decorate their hair with combs made of silver or gold, and embellished with bright gems. Each jewel has a different meaning, and reflects the their role in their family, their rank in battle, or can even be a token of favour granted by a betrothed.
Every movement that High Elves make is graceful and controlled, their minds are quick and clever with an intensity and depth of insight which makes them seem fey and strange to other races. High Elves convey meaning into the slightest gesture, perceiving a wealth of information in the slightest nod of a head, or narrowing of eyes. More than once the Lords of Elvhenair have made war among themselves or upon other races for some real or imagined slight, for though they are a noble people the High Elves can be cold and haughty, unreasoning in the view of other races.
The High Elves are also currently some of the most magically attuned race on Earthland, their developed knowledge and powers over magic and sorcery going far beyond the accomplishments of any other race save perhaps for some races that are almost composed out of magic itself. They were among the first to study magic and remain the greatest mortal masters of it on Earthland as a civilization. Through magic the High Elves protect their island home of Elvhenair. It is the High Elves who in years past taught magic to men, although the High Elven mages far surpass the human wizards in both skill and knowledge.
- Physique: High Elves are roughly of human height, standing from 1.65 – 2.20 meters) on average, but are lighter, weighing from 60 – 80 kg.
- Lifespan: Elves are long-lived, some say immortal, and less vulnerable to disease than humans. In truth, elves have a lifespan of around one thousand years (though few ever reach that age).
- Psychology: To most outsiders, the High Elves can be describe in many different ways; subtle, elegant, graceful, cunning but perhaps above all, arrogant. Elven minds are subtle and clever, possessing an intensity and depth of insight that lies far beyond the ability of other creatures — a single word or gesture, however small, conveys a wealth of information to attentive Elves. It is said, of the High Elves in particular, that their minds are their finest weapons. This is certainly true, but they are dangerous weapons indeed, and can require a lifetime to safely master. Unless they know discipline, the High Elven's interests can quickly become obsessions — and set his feet on a path that will ultimately see his soul delivered to a thirsting god.
Due to this, Elvhenair's society has become tightly structured, rigidly bound by convention and precedent, ritual and ceremony. Therefore, for High Elves to behave out of keeping with tradition is considered a truly shameful matter, able to break the power of a family overnight if proven before the Imperious Court. Thus, its mere implication is one of the chief gambits in Elvhenair's interminable politics. On the battlefield, it is the combined alacrity of mind and body that makes them so deadly an opponent. Their mind is keen enough to read an opponent's intent in the slightest shift of stance, and their body swift enough to deliver a lethal counterblow a heartbeat thereafter. There is no weapon nor form of fighting the High Elves cannot master and, even untrained, their skills are formidable. Once properly tutored in their chosen way of war a High Elven soldier is lethal grace given form, able to match a hero of lesser blood blow for blow.
Yet it is perhaps the arrogance and pride of the High Elves which can be considered their most defining trait. High Elves, from the humblest lowborn to the most esteem Lord, will always reserve a bit of self-satisfaction in their own superiority, especially to what the High Elves consider the "lesser races" of Mankind. This arrogance is in many ways the corrupted heart of High Elven society.
Lore
- Society: The High Elves of Elvhenair are not the only race of Elves to walk the world. The truth of the matter depends on who is telling the story; however, they do hold the honor of being the one true civilization from which all other Elven civilizations have sprung. East of Elvhenair, amidst the crags and spires of Dhalvalen, dwell the cruel Dark Elves. There is no peace to be had between the courts of Elvhenair and Dhalvalen, for the millennia of their shared history have been of endless blood and betrayal. No enmity in all the world is so bitter, no war so savagely fought.
By contrast, the Wood Elves hold no enmity for either their High or Dark Elven cousins, but then neither do they nurture any great trust of them. These Wood Elves possess a manner and outlook that is utterly alien to other Elves, and want no part of the ancestral hatred that has brought only ruin to the world. Regardless of their bloodline, all Elves are long-lived — some say immortal. Physically, they are tall and slender, with a dexterous grace and otherworldly aspect that no other race can aspire to match. Such traits are shared by most of the Elven races, although the High Elves would have you believe that only on Elvhenair can true Elven beauty and warrior grace be found.
In matters of war and politics, the High Elves, true to their prideful nature, have only ever cared about the protection of the world, yet not those innocents that live within it. Whilst the High Elves consider themselves defenders and protectors, that calling doesn't necessarily extend to the protection of other races. Only a relative handful of High Elves see the lesser races as something worth protecting — and even they believe that these races must occasionally be saved from themselves. The rest, at their most generous, consider foreigners an additional set of defenses with which to preserve Elvhenair, living fortress walls to be reinforced or abandoned as the larger scheme of battle dictates. This is not to say that the High Elves never fight alongside other races, but it is true that such alliances seldom come about save through the intervention of exceptional and foresighted individuals.
Few among the other races see the High Elves' mission for what it is, so blinded are they by their own petty concerns and suspicions. To them, the High Elves of Elvhenair are merely another power trying to gain control through the channels of trade, diplomacy and war. They have not the wit to see that if the High Elves choose to trade with another race, it is not out of a desire for coin or armaments. There are treasures beyond the dreams of avarice in the vaults of even Elvhenair's meanest mansion, and the armories of its kingdoms contain ten times as many enchanted weapons than there are Elves to wield them. However, the High Elves know trade to be something that others welcome and understand, and so use it to gather information and position spies. Likewise, the High Elves find the tongues of other races to be leaden and boorish, and so only engage in overseas politicking if it factors into their wider goals.
History
- The First Invasion of Earthland: The history of the High Elves is a long one. Therefore, we shall fast forward to roughly 10,000 years ago. It was around this time that the Seraphim of the Lucent and the Demons of the Abyss started to invade Earthland in search for an artifact that was supposedly hidden by defectors from both factions on Earthland. This was later on referred to as the Uldyssian Wars. Many lives were lost. High Elves did not side with with Seraphim but fought against the Demons on their own as did many other races. It was no surprise that the humans quickly sided with the Lucent because they were helpless.
- Demonic Subjugation of Earthland: As time passed, Demons frequently returned to Earthland but were time after time defeated for their armies were small and their forces were not organized. The next time they returned it was under the command of a few Demon Lords and everything changed. The military might of the Demons were powerful and, having lived in peace for a long time, the High Elves were no match for the fearless Demons under the command of their Demon Lords. The majority of the land became demon territory in an instant. Not one to form alliances, even the proud High Elves realized that they needed one now.
- King of Man, Era of Magic: No one heeded their call. None were capable of organizing armies for they were all too busy fending off and protecting their own to worry about the bigger problem. Left to bemoan their fate, the High Elves were surprised by the appearance of a stranger among their ranks. The stranger knelt before the Elvenking, who peered closer to discover the stranger was a representative of Man. The stranger wore a crown made of tree branches. The Elvenking recognized the crown as the symbol as the King of Man. At first, the High Elves felt mocked that the King of Man would come to their plight. But the King of Man offered his feeble forces to the Elvenking. The High Elves rejoiced, for though the humans were foolish and weak, their great numbers could be of help in battle.
But the King of Man did not come without a request. Their powers were too weak. Their teeth couldn't even scratch the skin of the Demons and their nails were useless against their muscles. And thus the King of Man begged the Elvenking to teach them the knowledge of magic. This bold proposition left the High Elves shocked and infuriated. The Elvenking's advisor consulted and convinced the High Elves to teach them only the basics of the magic to be useful to the High Elves in this war. Man was too weak, and it would be doubtful that they could beat the Demons without help. And with their inferior minds, the humans would be no threat were they even able to learn magic. And thus she, the Elvenking's advisor, made a stand that would later cost her life.
The humans quickly absorbed the ways of magic, learning much faster than the High Elves had anticipated. The human bodies, though not as strong as those of Demons, had been strengthened through constant labor and infighting among their kind. They were adept with their hands and could skillfully wield weaponry, and more than anything else, their numbers were huge and impressive. In a short amount of time, the army of Mankind became a formidable force.
- Mankind's Betrayal: The High Elves grew uneasy, even as the alliance victories grew in number. They could sense the humans growing stronger and beyond their control. Yet the High Elves did not allow their uneasiness to grow to concern, for they could not imagine that the lowliest of them all - the humans - could conceive a revolution. And with final victory over the Demons within reach, the High Elves had no time to dwell on worries of the humans. The humans continued to learn higher forms of magic, and eventually the war ended with the victory of the alliance.
With the war concluded, the High Elves now faced a new threat - the humans. But after the long battle, the High Elves were left too weary and weak to fight. In contrast, the humans with their new powers of magic, were strong. And thus, the humans rose up against the High Elves. A fierce battle of magic versus magic once again shook the land. But the High Elves were too tired to concern themselves with superiority over Earthland and returned to Elvhenair. And then centuries passed again.
- Conclusion: The history of the High Elves of Elvhenair is the history of the world. They were once the masters of Earthland, and their actions have shaped the fates of many lands. Alas, the High Elves are now passing into twilight, their works and deeds dying alongside them. The empire of the Elvenkings, which once ruled entire continents, is now confined to the kingdoms of Elvhenair and scattered overseas outposts. Alabaster cities that once bustled with vibrancy are now naught but empty echoes of a bygone age, and lands that knew nothing but beauty and nobility now reek with the blood and fury of unremitting war.
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