Wood Elf History
The capital city of Irathos (meaning "Veiled Sanctuary") is the new capital of the wood elves on the Hir'athi isles
Synopsis
Since the dawn of their race, roughly eleven thousand years ago, the wood elves have called home to the southern region of Melrhine, the Taul Valleys. In these magical fey forests are deep valleys of misty rain forests, surrounded by long jutting mountain ranges and plateaus of tall, gray stone; a perfect home for the elusive and cunning wood elves. As the young civilization formed into a noble and mighty empire, the elves would eventually come across a new threat to their society: the Erebis. A shadowy race of humanoids from a distant world, the Erebis sought refuge with the wood elves in their state of disrepair after crash landing. In exchange for their help the Erebis would in turn help the wood elves destroy their ancient enemy: the Taulsmen. But what the wood elves did not know is that their "alliance" with the Erebis would soon turn into a sour deal: one of betrayal and damnation for the elves.
The Children of Venos
Venos, God of Nature and Balance is often depicted as a serpent devouring it's own tail or a snake-like humanoid. His children are the wood elves, for they are his kindred folk who call the forests of Amora home. Venos is neither a wrathful god nor benevolent spirit; he is the will of nature. Just as water is necessary for life, it can also be destructive force in the form of floods or typhoons. Venos, to the wood elves, is that concept - a god of cycles. Life is a balance of creation and destruction; Venos does not sway in favor of one life over another, only fair judgement is cast in his eyes. With this philosophy in mind, the Children of Venos stride to preserve nature's balance. Wood elves do what they can to preserve the "Balance of Nature," a term often heard uttered by them as reasoning for their actions or inactions. The Balance is a fragile system that every living creature is a part of; that every major action needs to be thought out carefully - will taking a life affect the balance? Will feeding the weak who cannot fend for themselves upset the balance?
The First Champion of Venos: Tierus Sagearrow |
10,000 years ago: 6th Era, Year 47 - 55 |
It is said that in the wood elves' time of need, Venos would always provide a champion; a leader for the wood elf people. In a time long forgotten, there was need for such a champion, the first Champion of Venos: Tierus Sagearrow.
In ancient times, the wood elves were not a unified people - they were separated into clans, each fending for themselves in the verdant forests. But their human neighbors, the Taulsmen, wished to see the emerald valleys of Taul as their land, one not to be shared by these long-eared bowmen. So one by one did the clans fall to the unified Taulsmen, each clan never standing a chance against the vicious onslaught. Tierus foresaw his people's doom and plead to Venos for guidance. While Venos was not a benevolent creator, he did not wish to see his beloved people washed in blood throughout the forests. Venos pondered, and for many nights he did not answer Tierus' desperate pleas; he wanted to test his will, to see his resolve. Tierus waited, his will never faltered in hope that Venos would answer his call for guidance, and so on the moonlit night of the summer solstice - Venos answered. A gift... a weapon of incredible power. Venos bestowed the Gilderbow to Tierus, a bow crafted from the Tree of Life itself, with gilded arrows of glowing silver, within a quiver of boundless end, never to run out. The weapon was more than just a tool though, it was a symbol of hope; hope that their god had not forsaken them even in their darkest hour. With bow in hand, Tierus rallied his people under a single unified banner, the symbol of his clan mixed with the crest of Venos, to show that the wood elf people were connected through their ancient bloodlines and to their creator. The battles that followed would be known as "The War of the Forest" and since then, House Sagearrow has ruled as the leaders of the wood elf nation as they celebrated their victory over the Taulsmen menace.
In ancient times, the wood elves were not a unified people - they were separated into clans, each fending for themselves in the verdant forests. But their human neighbors, the Taulsmen, wished to see the emerald valleys of Taul as their land, one not to be shared by these long-eared bowmen. So one by one did the clans fall to the unified Taulsmen, each clan never standing a chance against the vicious onslaught. Tierus foresaw his people's doom and plead to Venos for guidance. While Venos was not a benevolent creator, he did not wish to see his beloved people washed in blood throughout the forests. Venos pondered, and for many nights he did not answer Tierus' desperate pleas; he wanted to test his will, to see his resolve. Tierus waited, his will never faltered in hope that Venos would answer his call for guidance, and so on the moonlit night of the summer solstice - Venos answered. A gift... a weapon of incredible power. Venos bestowed the Gilderbow to Tierus, a bow crafted from the Tree of Life itself, with gilded arrows of glowing silver, within a quiver of boundless end, never to run out. The weapon was more than just a tool though, it was a symbol of hope; hope that their god had not forsaken them even in their darkest hour. With bow in hand, Tierus rallied his people under a single unified banner, the symbol of his clan mixed with the crest of Venos, to show that the wood elf people were connected through their ancient bloodlines and to their creator. The battles that followed would be known as "The War of the Forest" and since then, House Sagearrow has ruled as the leaders of the wood elf nation as they celebrated their victory over the Taulsmen menace.
Mechinchzleft and the Expansion of the Empire |
10,000 years ago: 6th Era, Year 70 |
Deep within the center of the Taul Valleys lies a circle of mountains, deeply surrounded by mist so only the tops of its gray peaks are visible. It is said that in the heart of these mountains is a lush and fertile plateau of land; rich with waterfalls and rolling hills of grass and jungle trees. For years, the elves searched for a way atop the plateau, looking for a way up to it safety, but none could be found.
It wasn't until after the War of the Forest would they be able to reach this paradise. The new and motivated leader, now King Tierus Sagearrow, searched for a place to settle a new city. He needed a centralized location that would allow him to reach all corners of his empire with minimal movement, and one that was not just strategically placed, but economically and aesthetically as well. His seat of power, his paradise, needed to inspire and awe his people, as well as strike fear into the hearts of his enemies. When Tierus heard of the misty plateau he decided he must see it for himself. And so, Tierus climbed its slopes to investigate the hidden valley. It took weeks to climb and traverse the mountain's rocky ledges and walls but eventually a way to the top was found. Tierus and his team noticed something very peculiar within the valley; dotted along the cliff walls were cave entrances, some in plain sight, while others behind dense vegetation or roaring waterfalls. So a plan was made to find a cave system that could lead safely to the ground below. Many of the caves were connected but lead nowhere, or worse, deeper underground to dark and dangerous places the wood elves dared not go. Eventually, after months of mining and connecting some of the cave systems did they finally make a hidden entrance to the valley, one with a magical gate that only the wood elves could open, and a cave system where only they knew the way. And so the nation banded together to build their "hidden-paradise", their "Mechinchzleft". |
The city would go on to be exactly what Tierus hoped it would become: a flourishing metropolis. The natural cave systems surrounding the valley were rich in rare metals and gemstones that helped them create new techniques in metallurgy and construction, allowing them to perfect their armories and fortify their cities with fantastic results. The wood elves thrived in their new forest home, and forged a new empire from the economic explosion created from Mechinchzleft. Not to mention, for the first time in the Taul Valleys roads were constructed, connecting clan-villages. With the connection of these villages, trade and commerce dramatically increased, allowing these once small villages to rapidly expand into cities of their own grandeur - now lead by elven houses rather than by clans. The four main cities of the nation were:
Mechinchzleft, the heart of the empire and home of the best smiths and engineers. The capital was the seat of power for the entire empire and for its leading house, House Sagearrow, a house mostly comprising of rangers, knights and craftsmen.
Venathos, the temple-city, located directly southeast of Mechinchzleft, in the valley below. The city was built into the deep natural caverns below the cliffs. Here House Leafshadow devoted themselves to the worship of Venos and the training of his druids. The Leafshadows also acted as scribes and powerful sages for the empire, advising on all matters magical or divine in nature.
Ralbular, the fortress-city, in the northern mountains was the original home of the Sagearrows but since the founding of Mechinchzleft the city was left in the hands of their greatest allies, House Bladesong. The Bladesongs were an honorable and disciplined family of warriors that took the task of training the elite Forest Rangers and Silverblade Knights as well as the entirety of the military might of the wood elves.
Arenmor, the great harbor-city to the east. Lead by House Ravenbow the city was at the farthest reaches of the empire, which dominated the eastern coast and controlled most fisheries and naval ships. The Ravenbows have had a long history of resentment towards the Sagearrows and their geographic isolation only furthered it. Arenmor is also known for its mage college, the College of Arenmor, which is celebrated for the training of powerful sorcerers and it's impressive library and collection of tomes and scrolls.
There were many other smaller houses that ruled beneath the main four, but under the strong leadership of King Tierus, all the Houses swore absolute fealty. The "King of the Forest" lead the wood elves into their golden age and ruled over the verdant forests in peace and prosperity for many centuries.
Mechinchzleft, the heart of the empire and home of the best smiths and engineers. The capital was the seat of power for the entire empire and for its leading house, House Sagearrow, a house mostly comprising of rangers, knights and craftsmen.
Venathos, the temple-city, located directly southeast of Mechinchzleft, in the valley below. The city was built into the deep natural caverns below the cliffs. Here House Leafshadow devoted themselves to the worship of Venos and the training of his druids. The Leafshadows also acted as scribes and powerful sages for the empire, advising on all matters magical or divine in nature.
Ralbular, the fortress-city, in the northern mountains was the original home of the Sagearrows but since the founding of Mechinchzleft the city was left in the hands of their greatest allies, House Bladesong. The Bladesongs were an honorable and disciplined family of warriors that took the task of training the elite Forest Rangers and Silverblade Knights as well as the entirety of the military might of the wood elves.
Arenmor, the great harbor-city to the east. Lead by House Ravenbow the city was at the farthest reaches of the empire, which dominated the eastern coast and controlled most fisheries and naval ships. The Ravenbows have had a long history of resentment towards the Sagearrows and their geographic isolation only furthered it. Arenmor is also known for its mage college, the College of Arenmor, which is celebrated for the training of powerful sorcerers and it's impressive library and collection of tomes and scrolls.
There were many other smaller houses that ruled beneath the main four, but under the strong leadership of King Tierus, all the Houses swore absolute fealty. The "King of the Forest" lead the wood elves into their golden age and ruled over the verdant forests in peace and prosperity for many centuries.
Strife Among the Houses |
9,000 years ago: 7th Era, Year 234 - 264 |
Centuries had gone by since the rise of the wood elves, and at the peak of the golden age was the time of the first king's passing. King Tierus Sagearrow had unified his people and in doing so brought forth an era of unbridled expansion and supremacy to the wood elves. And so his time had finally come, living a magically extended life and living to a ripe old age, King Tierus passed quietly into the night, leaving his people his absolute legacy. Tierus' death brought the nation to mourning and looked to his well established line of succession for leadership; his eldest daughter, Vemtha Sagearrow was next in line to be crowned "Queen of the Forest". Vemtha ruled strongly, keeping the great houses in check while still understanding their individual freedoms and houses' cultures. They pushed for more of the Taul Valley and began creating a articulated society within the wild fey forests. For generations, the wood elves prospered. They knew peace for many centuries and turned to the arts as their nation peaked in its glory. Many kings and queens would sit on the throne, all from the House of Sagearrow.
Eventually though a new king would sit upon the forest throne. Riven Sagearrow became king on Year 234, 9th Era, after his father Denarus Sagearrow fell in combat. The young king was only 19 when he became king and was largely left unprepared for the depth of the role he was chosen to fill. Riven was indeed a noble elf, if fate was different and he became king with more training, perhaps things would have turned out differently. The power void left by Tierus, left many of the other houses vying for power and influence. Some houses understood that a new and young king needed time to grow into the position, perhaps even aided in the process, but other more power-hungry houses, saw this as an opportunity for political supremacy. This was especially true for House Ravenbow of Arenmor, a noted rival of House Sagearrow for many generations. Since the rise of Tierus, the Ravenbows' influence over the other houses had diminished greatly. The current lord of the house, Barov Ravenbow, wished to see his house's rival displaced from power, and saw an opportunity in the new and gullible king. Lord Barov wanted to not only usurp the throne for his own family, but to also disgrace and humiliate House Sagearrow in the process. Although while Lord Barov was painfully selfish and arrogant, he was still an influential speaker; using his charisma, he began to sow wild rumors about the new king among the clans' leaders, and sure enough over time, the trust and status of King Riven was polluted by false accusations and rumors.
As the cities grew, so did the conflict between houses - the burning coals of old hatreds smoldered over time. Many houses felt they should have more independent power in their cities and felt controlled by the politics far away in Mechinchzleft, by people who did not even live in their city. Some houses even spoke of seceding from the empire, craving the absolute freedom they had as independent clans long ago. House Ravenbow was the loudest amongst the unruly houses and their leader, Lord Barov argued that the leadership within Mechinchzleft had grown weak and complacent since the death of Tierus, and that a new house should lead the wood elf people, his house to be exact. Houses began to take sides, and the cities had become much more independent, trying to "return to the old ways", when clans bowed to no other clan or "king".
Riven could not do much to restore the unity the empire once had, while it was still an empire (no house had the courage or resources to completely leave), most citizens became much more loyal to their city-states, rather than to the empire as a whole, or to the king - excluding the elves of Mechinchzleft. Lord Barov still petitioned for Riven to step down as king, but not many supported the idea other than House Ravenbow itself - it was clear that Lord Barov only sought to further his own agenda. While the strife among the houses never fully ended, it did eventually subside; a new threat was about to emerge within the forests, and the wood elves had focused their attention on a recent spectacle within the mountains near Mechinchzleft - a ship had crash landed in the mountains, and something stirred among the wreckage...
Eventually though a new king would sit upon the forest throne. Riven Sagearrow became king on Year 234, 9th Era, after his father Denarus Sagearrow fell in combat. The young king was only 19 when he became king and was largely left unprepared for the depth of the role he was chosen to fill. Riven was indeed a noble elf, if fate was different and he became king with more training, perhaps things would have turned out differently. The power void left by Tierus, left many of the other houses vying for power and influence. Some houses understood that a new and young king needed time to grow into the position, perhaps even aided in the process, but other more power-hungry houses, saw this as an opportunity for political supremacy. This was especially true for House Ravenbow of Arenmor, a noted rival of House Sagearrow for many generations. Since the rise of Tierus, the Ravenbows' influence over the other houses had diminished greatly. The current lord of the house, Barov Ravenbow, wished to see his house's rival displaced from power, and saw an opportunity in the new and gullible king. Lord Barov wanted to not only usurp the throne for his own family, but to also disgrace and humiliate House Sagearrow in the process. Although while Lord Barov was painfully selfish and arrogant, he was still an influential speaker; using his charisma, he began to sow wild rumors about the new king among the clans' leaders, and sure enough over time, the trust and status of King Riven was polluted by false accusations and rumors.
As the cities grew, so did the conflict between houses - the burning coals of old hatreds smoldered over time. Many houses felt they should have more independent power in their cities and felt controlled by the politics far away in Mechinchzleft, by people who did not even live in their city. Some houses even spoke of seceding from the empire, craving the absolute freedom they had as independent clans long ago. House Ravenbow was the loudest amongst the unruly houses and their leader, Lord Barov argued that the leadership within Mechinchzleft had grown weak and complacent since the death of Tierus, and that a new house should lead the wood elf people, his house to be exact. Houses began to take sides, and the cities had become much more independent, trying to "return to the old ways", when clans bowed to no other clan or "king".
Riven could not do much to restore the unity the empire once had, while it was still an empire (no house had the courage or resources to completely leave), most citizens became much more loyal to their city-states, rather than to the empire as a whole, or to the king - excluding the elves of Mechinchzleft. Lord Barov still petitioned for Riven to step down as king, but not many supported the idea other than House Ravenbow itself - it was clear that Lord Barov only sought to further his own agenda. While the strife among the houses never fully ended, it did eventually subside; a new threat was about to emerge within the forests, and the wood elves had focused their attention on a recent spectacle within the mountains near Mechinchzleft - a ship had crash landed in the mountains, and something stirred among the wreckage...
The Arrival of the Erebis |
9,000 years ago: 7th Era, Year 264 |
News spread quickly of the alien ship crash landing near the capital, and with it, rumors that spread like wildfire. It was almost impossible to tell fact from fiction; some stories told of it being a derelict ship, filled with gold and other precious metals, and that all of it was being shipped and carted away to Mechinchzleft in the dead of night. Others foretold tales of strange shadowy creatures, that skulked about the ship, never venturing far into the forests. King Riven wished to ease the minds of his people, and to distract them of the political mayhem that had consumed the city-states for centuries following Tierus' death. Riven was never as respected as his father was, he was seen as a clumsy leader, often falling into heated arguments with unruly houses and making poor decisions for the empire. Even decades after his father's death Riven was still being compared to him, and the news of an alien ship crash landing was a welcomed distraction, perhaps this was his opportunity to prove himself.
So Riven assembled a scouting party to observe these strange new creatures, and after months news arrived of what the ship held. Reports told that they numbered in the thousands and were beginning to venture farther and farther into the forests. They appeared to be made of the manifestation of physical shadows, floating around and leaving black mist shortly wherever they walked. they also seemed to be communicating but never spoke verbally. News of this worried Riven, and knew that contact with them was inevitable; he wanted to be on top and meet with them when he had the advantage.
So Riven assembled a scouting party to observe these strange new creatures, and after months news arrived of what the ship held. Reports told that they numbered in the thousands and were beginning to venture farther and farther into the forests. They appeared to be made of the manifestation of physical shadows, floating around and leaving black mist shortly wherever they walked. they also seemed to be communicating but never spoke verbally. News of this worried Riven, and knew that contact with them was inevitable; he wanted to be on top and meet with them when he had the advantage.
A well-armed legion of rangers approached the ship and sounded a horn to announce their arrival. As the horn echoed in the misty air - nothing happened - all remained quiet. Then suddenly, bolts of arcane magic were flung from the mist with an immediate following of armed soldiers. The shadowy creatures began their ambush and attacked the rangers from all corners. Each side exchanged numerous blows to their ranks and then retreated, the wood elves fled all the way back to Mechinchzleft to report the news.
Riven was shocked by the unexpected response of violence, he mused over why these survivors would attack with such outward aggression, and then it dawned on him: these creatures did not attack out of aggression, but out of fear. The sight of a legion of rangers would terrify any city into an act of self-defense King Riven argued. This time, diplomatic measures needed to be taken... but it seemed that the shadowy creatures had already beaten him to that conclusion. At the gate of Mechinchzleft was a lightly armed group of the shadowy creatures, waiting to speak it seemed. Many wanted to outright kill them out of retribution, but Riven stayed their hand, he wanted to personally see what their intentions were. At the gate, Riven stood, with rangers on each side, behind the gate and stared into misty figures that stood before him; the small group was only made of about five to seven figures, each standing a little over six feet tall. They hovered gently in place and stared directly at Riven. They all wore long and flowing robes, with a hood wrapping around where a face would presumably be, but instead was only two glowing eyes, they beamed directly at Riven as he approached. To his surprised, he heard a shadowy voice echo from the figure within his mind...
Riven was shocked by the unexpected response of violence, he mused over why these survivors would attack with such outward aggression, and then it dawned on him: these creatures did not attack out of aggression, but out of fear. The sight of a legion of rangers would terrify any city into an act of self-defense King Riven argued. This time, diplomatic measures needed to be taken... but it seemed that the shadowy creatures had already beaten him to that conclusion. At the gate of Mechinchzleft was a lightly armed group of the shadowy creatures, waiting to speak it seemed. Many wanted to outright kill them out of retribution, but Riven stayed their hand, he wanted to personally see what their intentions were. At the gate, Riven stood, with rangers on each side, behind the gate and stared into misty figures that stood before him; the small group was only made of about five to seven figures, each standing a little over six feet tall. They hovered gently in place and stared directly at Riven. They all wore long and flowing robes, with a hood wrapping around where a face would presumably be, but instead was only two glowing eyes, they beamed directly at Riven as he approached. To his surprised, he heard a shadowy voice echo from the figure within his mind...
"We had meant no ill-will..." , the voice spoke to the elf king, "I am Sathari-Vol, and I am the Speaker of the Erebis...".
The Fall of Taul'Maulron: Rise of the Minarin |
8,000 years ago: 8th Era, Year 603 |
The Betrayal of the Erebis |
7,000 years ago: 9th Era, Year 983 |