elves

Deities

Ilyndor Creator of elves, blood created tree of Shaa Thalas Lolth Eilistraee

History

Genesis

The first deity of harmony created the elves. With their long lifespans, reincarnating souls, and communal ways, the elves grew immensely powerful, becoming akin to a race of titans.

The Mortal War

The first deity of harmony was slain, but from her body sprouted the great tree, Shaa Thalas. Like the Dragonborn, the elves were fractured into separate tribes, including the Dark, High, and Wood Elves by the United Pantheon.

The New Mythic Age

New elven gods emerged under the strict, secret United Pantheon, and some elves chose to follow them, splintering their beliefs further.

The New Primordial Age / The New Records

Many elves reconvened around Shaa Thalas, once again living in harmony. Beneath the great tree, a passage led deep underground. The first open system of caverns was settled by the dark elves.

Year 702

A conspiracy, orchestrated by Vigilant Mortals and the United Pantheon, led to a great betrayal. Alnebo, a dragon who had shape-shifted into the form of a dark elf, led the dark elves in an insurrection against Shaa Thalas. They stole The Vigor, captured Lorzen, and retreated to the Underdark. Alnebo, promised godhood for dismantling Shaa Thalas, was ultimately betrayed by his lover, Lolth. Instead of Alnebo, she ascended to godhood and led the Drow in the Underdark.

The first chamber beneath the tree became home to the drow. In secret, some drow worshiped Eilistraee instead of Lolth.

The Wood and High Elves and Shaa Thalas scattered into The Deep. High Elves moved westward, out of the forest and into more civilized lands. The Wood Elves stayed in the forest, but traveled south and splintered off.

Year ???

An earthquake devastated much of the drows’ settlements, opening passages that led to deeper caverns while also unleashing subterranean creatures. These events caused a schism, and Eilistraee’s followers split off from the Lolth-worshipping drow, settling in the newly revealed underground systems. Aftershocks sealed them away from the Lolth-aligned drow. Lorzen is left abandoned in his dungeon cell in the upper chambers, but chooses to remain.

Year 817

The Wardens appeared to Lorzen and guided him to the surface. Seeing the ruins of Shaa Thalas, Lorzen vowed to establish a new home for elves, free from the influence of the gods.

Year ???

The drow expanded deeper into the Underdark, uncovering vast cavern systems. Over time, the Lolth drow reclaimed the upper chambers, using them as quarters for their matron and high priestesses. The Vigor was stored within these upper chambers.

Year 921

Two dragon brothers, Andes and Etlan, fought, and Etlan was banished to The Deep. Seeking minions, Etlan gathered the scattered wood elves from Shaa Thalas and united them in Zevourus.

Year 1404

Lorzen, having traveled the world and spending time studying in Magh Mell, founds a new haven for elves, Tir na Nog.

Year 3090

The United Pantheon, seeing Lorzen grow in power as Tir na Nog grows, strike down on the city, sinking it. Lorzen, stays in the ruins, watching as the few survivors establish Gallyway and refer to their former home as the Sunken District.

Years 3699-3700

When Habushu attempted to bring back the fel dragon, Andes was unaware, being distracted by political affairs. However, Etlan, banished from the west, sensed the plot and sent Nero to stop it.

Years 3700-3702

Nero, victorious in his mission, began reaching out to elven tribes in the west, seeking unity.

Year 3702 - The Fall

Earthquakes from The Fall opened passages connecting Eilistraee’s followers to the upper chambers. No longer afflicted by sunlight sensitivity, the Eilistraee drow longed for the moonlight and open sky. Overcome by claustrophobia, they surged into the upper chamber, not to fight the Lolth drow, but to escape to the surface. Most of their warriors and casters perished, but many common folk survived and took refuge in the ruins of Shaa Thalas.

Eilistraee’s followers established a settlement in Shaa Thalas but occasionally appeared elsewhere after escaping the Underdark. Sol and Auroratine emerged from the depths, met with the Eilistraee drow in the ruins, and helped form a new settlement under the great tree. Other elves from the region, including survivors from Solar who had escaped The Shadow’s massacre, gathered there as well.

The Shadows, an elite group of the Darkest of Shadow’s army that died in 702, rose in Shaa Thalas. They sought The Vigor, but were unaware it was in a chamber just under the great tree. After learning of the state of the world, The Shadows traveled to the Sunken District, seeking Lorzen.

The Sunken District had risen in the cataclysm, restored to it’s former glory as Tir na Nog. However, it’s lone denzian, Lorzen was suffering from the effects of The Fall. It had removed his true immortality, leaving him confused in old age. He shielded off the city, preventing anyone from entering.

However, when the Shadows approached, the ancient, delirious elf mistook them for The Wardens who had helped hin so long ago. Lorzen revealed that the Vigor was in the underdark, taken by the drow in the attack on Shaa Thalas. Tellani, seeing no further use for Lorzen, slays him.

Year 3722

Disguised as Terrance de’Shay, Andes guided Valar and his crew in unraveling the United Pantheon’s division of the dragons and dragonborn. Andes then sent them to Etlan’s wood elf tribe in The Deep to confront the ancient dragon.

Etlan had convinced the wood elves that he was a deity, Zevourus, and had brought Nero completely under his control with a cursed crown. Etlan, bound by his duty to Tiamat to divide the races and prevent any from reaching titanic power, was amassing an army of Leave guards to attack Shaa Thalas.

Valar and his crew, entering Etlan’s lair, were attacked by Nero but managed to shatter the cursed crown, breaking Etlan’s hold over him. In the final battle, Etlan was slain. The wood elves, realizing their god had been a falsehood, were left spiritually lost and abandoned their homes built over millennia on the foundation of a dragon’s lies. Nero led his people to Shaa Thalas, joining forces with Sol and Auroratine.

In time, the elves called upon Valar, who came to the growing settlement. There, he began chronicling the legacy of the elves:

• The various legends of Shaa Thalas
• The wood elves of Zevourus and their suppression under Etlan
• The drow’s betrayal and the opposing goddesses
• Sol, a man who had witnessed many of these legends firsthand

Year ???

After completing his tome, Valar uncovered an academic thread within his research that intrigued him. Without warning, he departed from Shaa Thalas.