The Fall of the Elves (Patreon)

Elves are thought to be one of if not the oldest intelligent species of Terra. While the rest were only starting to build their first settlements, elves already had cities in every part of the world. Evidence shows that these early elves were isolationists, rarely leaving their homes to interact with outsiders. Study of these sites has revealed an astounding amount of near-identical architecture and even signs of a shared language, indicating the existence of an ancient globe-spanning elven society.

Unfortunately, this society did not survive to the present day. Thousands of years ago, a great tragedy befell the elven people of Terra. The exact circumstances are unknown and are largely kept under wraps by the elven council, but evidence points to a magical cataclysm that struck each of their cities simultaneously. In the few historical records from this period that survive, a number of accounts mention bright lights filling the sky before earth-shattering explosions rocked the planet. Millions of elves were wiped out in an instant.

However, not all elves of the time shared the isolationist views of their brethren. These elves had been living in smaller groups and settlements outside of elven lands, even occasionally interacting with the rest of the world. In light of the devastation, many of them attempted to return to their homelands only to be met with empty ghost towns, with no signs of the previous inhabitants. Worse still, dangerous magical energies permeated the air and seeped into the ground, transforming some of these lands into uninhabitable arcane wastelands.

What came next is largely unknown, as the planet fell into a centuries-long magical and technological dark age. Researchers believe that as a result of the strength and power of the magical destruction, the physical laws governing the magic and spellcasting had been irrevocably changed, or at least required time to recover. Casting magic had become dangerous and unpredictable. The world was thrown into chaos, just as it was learning to stand on its own two feet. Societies regressed, land wars began anew, and for centuries people feared the planet was on the brink of destruction. And perhaps it was.

What is known is that the elves began the long and arduous work of rebuilding. Certain that their previous isolationism had done little to help them, and knowing they were unlikely to regain the level of prestige and power they once held, these survivors banded together to use their remaining knowledge for the betterment of the world. As a result, elves are responsible for the creation of the gold/silver/copper standard, the spread of the Common language, and many of the diplomatic ties between nations that still exist to this day. These new elves’ outlook has led to a fantastic worldwide blending of cultures, creating the elven society as it is known today.

Sadly, much of the elves' original knowledge and culture has been lost. Every year there are fewer and fewer speakers of Old Elvish, their original shared language. In present times, most elves typically speak a combination of a language native to their area, Common, and New Elvish, a language with roots in Old Elvish as well as dozens of other languages. The elven council today is a body made up of representatives from each of the surviving elven tribes and is the governing body for matters pertaining to the elven species as a whole.

Today, travel to the elven homelands today is heavily restricted and all but banned to non-elves. While many of these locations are now safe, there are still locations where the earth is so spell-scorched that using magic can be dangerous. There are also persistent rumors of these ruined cities being inhabited by all sorts of deadly magical beasts and untold arcane horrors. Elves that do wish to visit must seek special permission, something the council only grants under very specific circumstances. Anyone attempting to venture onto elven lands on their own does so at their own peril, and few have returned to tell their tale.