Elves

The race of Elves was created by Einhasad at the beginning of time, with Shilen, Einhasad's daughter, instilling the spirit of Water into a form her mother had made. Elves were wise and knew how to perform magic. But they were less wise than the Giants. Therefore, the Giants let the Elves serve them in politics and magic-related activities.

After the fall of the Giants the world was overcome by great turmoil. Accustomed to the rule of those Genesis Creatures, the Elves, Orcs, Dwarves and Humans were faced with the harsh reality of fending for themselves. On top of this frightening new change, the world in which they lived lay ravaged with the strike of the Hammer of Despair. Many died during the disaster wrought by Einhasad, and many more died in the ensuing confusion and chaos. The races of the earth pleaded fervently to the gods for salvation, but the gods did not answer.

First to take control of the situation were the Elves, as they were the race responsible for politics during the time of the Giants. The Elves were successful in unifying the races and continued on with their lives. But as time passed, it became apparent that the Elves did not have the same capabilities to rule that the Giants had. The first to stand against the Elves were the Orcs: "Are the Elves stronger than we? No! Do the Elves have the right to rule over us? No! We cannot bear that those who are weaker than we dare to stand above us!"

The Orcs were great warriors and, having lived only in peace, the Elves were no match for that proud and fearless race. Most of the land became Orc territory in an instant and the Elves were driven to the northwestern corner of the continent. There the elves sought aid from the Dwarves who, with their great wealth and superior weapons, would stand a chance against the Orcs. "Race of the earth," the Elves cried, "Come to our aid. The violent Orc hordes persecute us with their sheer might. Come - let us fight them together."

But the Dwarves coldly refused to aid the Elves. To their eyes, the world had turned in favor of the Orcs. There was no reason for the pragmatic Dwarves to side with the weak. The Elves were enraged, but could not sway their decision.

The elves decided to seek help from the race of the Wind - the Arteias. Their reconnaissance skills and aerial attacks would be sufficient aid for the Elves to triumph over the Orcs. An Elven delegation traveled to the ends of the earth, or to be more precise, to an island off the coast of what is now called Innadril, to seek the help of the Arteias: "Race of the Wind, come to our aid! The barbarian Orcs are oppressing us with their sheer might. Let us join together and teach them their foolishness!"

But, as always, the Arteias were not interested in the politics or wars of the earth. They determined to take neither side and hid themselves deeper in the island. The Elves despaired: "Alas, no one will aid us! Is this the end of our kind? Are the filthy Orcs to take over the lands and claim its wealth as their own?"

In the end, the Elves got help from the Humans, but were betrayed by them as soon as the Orcs were overcome. After the long war against the Orcs, the Elves were too weak to suppress the forces of the Humans. They were slowly pushed back until they were forced to retreat to the safety of their forest. From that secure position, they prepared for the final clash against the Humans. Elven magic was strongest in these woods and they sought to use this advantage to victory.

The Elves dug deep dungeons that quickly echoed with the clanging of swords and shouts of battle. But the ultimate victors in the three-month siege were the Humans. Neither Elven pride, nor the magical powers of the Elven woods, nor even the superior magic of the Elves could stand against the endless stream of Human armies. The Elves suffered horrible losses and eventually escaped deep into the forest. In retreat, they cast strong barriers around their woods to prevent the trespassing of Humans and other races.

Not everybody among the Elves was content with just retreating into the forest. Two factions emerged - the so-called "Tree Elves" who simply wanted to live in peace and harmony with nature, and the "Brown Elves" who wanted to strike back at the Humans, if necessary also with black magic. During this time a Human magician by the name of Dasparion approached the Brown Elf faction and proposed to teach them powerful magic in exchange for the secret of immortality.

Although it is not widely advertised, the long life span of Elves is not an inherited racial trait but based on an - admittedly rather complicated - technique which can be learned by anybody with the right frame of mind. Seduced by the powers of the black magic that Dasparion possessed, the Brown Elves accepted his proposition and learned the dark arts under his tutelage. Dasparion in turn acquired the knowledge of immortality and left the woods satisfied.

Learning of these events, the Elves banished the Brown Elves, who had abandoned Eva and came to follow Shilen. A battle ensued among all Elves. The Brown Elves, acting on a plot of Dasparion who had returned to advise them on military matters, used a deadly spell to annihilate the Tree Elves. But the Tree Elves, with their dying breath, laid a curse upon the Brown Elves. The curse rotted the woods of the Brown Elves and they became a race of darkness. Thereafter, the Brown Elves were known as Dark Elves.