The Elves of Gylranor
Gylranor is rich with lore. The Years of the Wilds (the Beginning) was a remarkable time for the Primals, sons and daughters of Inilizul the All-Essence. They were brought forth to protect the All-Essence’s creation: Gylranor. Through this 30,000-year period before the First Dawn of time, they were in an endless series of wars with Orma, the Dark Primal. Once his final banishment to the Nethermire occurred, the Primals were at long last able to bring about even further creation to a world only filled with flora and fauna, but no beings of a higher intelligence. Inilizul had granted them the power to produce beings of their own makings without the All-Essence’s interference, much to their joy.
The Sundering of Nindoras brought to an end the Years of the Wilds, thus ushering in the First Dawn. Aliri the Magnificent, goddess of all things good and beautiful, journeyed across the newly-formed Melendil Ocean, her steps concluding on Tinith. The continent of Tinith lay in a majestic beauty, full of lush jungles and forests, rivers and lakes, plains and valleys, different from Eradell, which contained a large desert. She pondered endlessly, wondering what she could provide to Gylranor. Eventually she traversed far from the mountains and came to an open field upon night, Gylranor’s two moons Tarilon and Tarilmar shining above. As she played a harp, her song gently pulled essence from the Stars of Indilithien (later Iramar), central region to the Elvic Empire. Aliri, moving her fingers as if holding a paintbrush, formed Aliri’s Bairn, today known as the First Elves or Hrendai.
The First Elves
Once Aliri’s song was complete, Landralas and Lendrith, took their first breath. Being the first beings of greater intellect, Inilizul granted them the longest lifespan of all mortal races to come, averaging 2000 years. Aliri welcomed her two creations and embraced them warmly, kissing them both upon their pale, red skin. After instructing them in the ways of love and intimacy, Aliri bid them farewell and Gylranor, opting to watch closely from her abode in the Everlasting Realm. The Hrendai prospered for several centuries thereafter until Landralas fell victim to the poisoning words of Orinthyr, the first Corrupted Dragon. Seeing the black in her partner’s eyes, Lendrith had no choice but to slay Landralas, and with the aid of her Hrendai slew also Orinthyr. In the final moments before his last breath, Landralas broke free of Orinthyr’s Corruption. She buried her companion and soon faded to the Stars filled with grief.
By this time the First Elves were plenty, and with their leaders deceased, a newcomer took that mantle. He gathered all Elves under one banner and formed the Elvic Empire, Old Empire as some refer to it in present times. The Elvic Empire flourished to its greatest extent and crumbled following the devastating effects of the Decay.
The Veilmarch Elves
The Decay was a continent-wide rot. Its mysterious origins still baffle many historians and lore-experts who have made ancient Elves their life’s work. Some speculated the First Elves let it loose themselves, sour at their loss in the War of the Divide, to diminish the ranks of Thel Emon, a kingdom of Nelyads. This rot is still felt in certain parts of Tinith. The Dell of Mushrooms, a strong remnant of the Decay where many fungi still thrive, and where many rare species live, is a perfect example of what the Decay brought. The Decay caused extremely poor harvests, depleted hunts, where only rotted meat was available, and much infighting within the Old Empire. All this and a variety of other factors caused its downfall. Many First Elves died through this period of anguish. Those surviving Elves made their way further south, where the southernmost portion of Iramar remained unaffected by the rot. Veilmarch too, a wilderness and uninhabited realm of the Deserted Lands, remained unscathed by the Decay.
Here the last remaining Far Elves settled. Survivors in the Elvic tongue is vaudai. So, the few First Elves renamed themselves Vaudai or Veilmarch Elves, meaning the First Elves existed no longer.
The Far Elves
The Veilmarch Elves were stronger than their predecessors, but soon several Vaudai came to the realization that this new settlement differed little than the Old Empire. In many ways the New Empire retained ancient habits that only worked in pre-Decay periods. These alert Elves knew infighting would repeat itself. Tired of the old ways, and yearning for something fresh, a young Elvic woman named He’drah rallied those weary Elves and convinced them to follow her and seek a life across the Melendil. They form a rebellion, easily thwarting the many guards and paladins of the New Empire. This would be the first time since Aliri made the Elves, that an Elvic race would dwell elsewhere other than Tinith.
They gather on their ships and travel northeast until they reach land in what is famously known as the Elvic Exodus. Upon disembarking, they head further east as much as they can. They create camp on the outskirts of a large valley beside the Rosnian Mountains, a valley they call the T’wen Sanctuary. They dub this camp Unin’shai, which today is the capital of Ni’shorus.
The Broken Elves (Trolls)
Unin’shai camp turned into a town, then a bustling city in a short time. As Unin’shai grew, so did He’drah’s power and greed. She ruled in a tyrannical manner, much like the rulers of the Old and New Empires. Sickened by this, a splinter group breaks apart from He’drah’s monarchy like how He’drah had done decades before from the New Empire. Unlike He’drah’s rebellion, this was peaceful and they left in secret, traveling as far north as they possibly could. Led by Oracon Pent’as, they discover a mostly unpopulated land and name it Masegenethh, solitude in the Elvic language and proudly call themselves the Broken Elves or Masenai.
Upon discovering the disloyalty of the Broken Elves, He’drah is outraged, refusing to believe anyone would want a better life elsewhere, and soon sends a force of 4000 paladins to batter Oracon’s 600 strong. He’drah suffers a humiliating defeat by the hands of the Masenai. She does not concede the loss and abandons her kingdom and ventures into the Shrouded Woods just before Masegenethh, where she is never seen again.
As time moves on, the Masenai develop a habit of being isolationists, wishing not to endure the same hardships that He’drh made them endure. This leads to the common practice of referring to them as Trolls.
The Elder and Lesser Elves
The majority of Elves today living in Ni’shorus can be categorized into two groups: the Sildai (Elder) and Diniltai (Lesser). The Lesser Elves are the leading Elvic race in all regions with a select few living among the Elder Elves in Edelas and some choosing to dwell among the thriving Vaudai in their ancient home of Veilmarch.
When He’drah disappeared in the Shrouded Woods those Dawns ago, many wondered who had the willpower to lead their people. This is where not one, but three individuals rose up and declared He’drah’s Kingdom as over and transitioned Ni’shorus into a republic. These three individuals formed the Triumvirate, with each within the Triumvirate being responsible for a third of the republic, which included the small lands known as Edelas to the east.
Those who settled in Edelas brought with them the desire to preserve the eldest of all Elvic knowledges. They constructed the Annals of Elga’min to store the histories of Elves and of Gylranor, as well as the Arcane University, where not only Elves, but students from all parts of Gylranor could learn to harness their magical abilities.
Lastly, the Lesser Elves are the common Elf, however, no less important than the Elder Elves and all Elves that came before them. The bonds of the Lesser Elves have effortlessly maintained the renown of the Republic of Ni’shorus since He’drah’s loss.