Menzo and T'orgh Timeline

Year	Event
2445	Fleeing the continent of Ular, 24 noble dark elf families land on the eastern coast of Nala and head into the Silent Forest.
2447	After a less than amicable dispute, the families split up. 18 of the Houses stay and found Llur'gel, while the remaining 6 families chose to follow the vision of Jy'ak T'orgh, and go deeper into the immense forest.
2448	Almost 3 years after they arrived on Nala, the 6 families settle down near Dragon Mountain and the building of Menzo begins.
2458	A young, but very skilled priest named Da'kar of House Argith is named the first High Priest of a newly finished Temple.
2555	The biggest red dragon any dark has ever seen lands on top of what is now called Dragon Mountain. For 60 days, it is seen entering and leaving a cave at the top of the mountain, then it disappeared, not to be seen again. Several of the leading High Priests and their best men went up to explore the cave, but nothing was found.
2711	To the south, Ched Cinlu is founded by a fraction of dark elves who has left Llur'gel behind.
2733	Jy'ak T'orgh dies of old age. Pyrzi T'orgh becomes new High Priest of House T'orgh.
2998	First encounter with drows on Naja by an expedition in the caves below the Green Peaks.
3076	Pyrzi T'orgh dies and his eldest son, Razza T'orgh becomes High Priest of House T'orgh.
3077	Razza T'orgh is killed by the Council for heretical thoughts. Q'aro T'orgh becomes new High Priest of House T'orgh.
3421	Q'aro T'orgh dies and Mezro T'orgh becomes the new High Priest of House T'orgh
3467	Council expanded to 11 Houses.
3499	First and last dark elf-drow war starts, as Menzo, led by House Argith, sends a small army below the Green Peaks and wage war on the drows.
3537	The war between the dark elves of Menzo and the drows ends, with great loses on both sides. The Council decides that as long as the drow stay down below, they are to be left alone.
3599	Mezro T'orgh dies, and G'azz T'orgh becomes new High Priest of House T'orgh.
3733	Exactly 1000 years after his death, the ghost of Jy'ak T'orgh is seen walking the halls of the Temple,
3815	HP Venar T'orgh takes charge of House T'orgh
3980	A large army of humans lands on the shores of the Red Lake.
3981	Colonists follow the army, and start building New Laketown, clearing the forest around the lake.
3999	The combined might of Menzo descends on the settles of Red Lake, and more than 8.000 humans are slaughtered on the borders of the lake, coloring the waters red.
4102	A coalition of most noble Houses of Menzo begin an aggressive and rapid expansion northwards with House T'orgh in charge.
4117	Menzo's expansion stretches all the way to the Hills of Blood, the Black Hills and 30 miles west of Blackwell. A truce is made with the humans who have not been subjugated.
4169	Venar T'orgh convinces the Council to break the truce and to let the coalition attack Blackwell.
4170	Blackwell falls and is sacked, but at great cost. The humans, horrified by the sacking of Blackwell revolt. King John of Laketown leads the human army.
4172	The dark elves are soundly beaten and expelled from the human lands. House T'orgh loses a lot of men and status.
4178	King John wins the battle in the Forest of Death and unites Ra'kar under his rule, forging the Iron Empire
4401	Collapse of the Iron Empire
4553	Current year

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Asmodeus

Below is an overview of Asmodeus, the only god of the dark elves of Era.

 

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House T'orgh

The T'orgh House holds a significant number of nobles (around 35), and more than 110 drow swear allegiance to it. The T'orgh nobles have about 600 orcs and goblins to use as cannon fodder, if need be.

The T'orgh House used to be much more powerful, but in the war against the humans, many of it's most powerful nobles died at the hands of the humans. Especially Venar lost a lot, including more than 6 high priest sons and several brothers. The T'orgh House has just not been the same since then.

But they are slowly getting there. With Venars almost surreal ability to produce sons (he has had more than 21 sons and no daughters over the years) it is but a question of time before House T'orgh makes a bid for a higher position in the Council. Unless someone manages to stop them, of course.

High Priest Venar - Your father and the head of House T'orgh. Old beyond measure, even for dark elves, Venar is a devoted cleric, a high priest of Asmodeus. Always dressed in the high priest robes, the one-eyed patriarch looks almost fragile, with his bony hands and thining hair. But he is still the leader, and no one has dared challenge him for supremacy of the House for hundreds of years.

Brother Hu'ar - The eldest living son of Venar, and your eldest brother. Hu'ar is 252 years old, a cleric of Asmodeus, soon to be High Priest, if he passes the test. Hu'ar is calm and merciless, and thought to be a fitting crown prince of the House, even though his rise through the ranks of Asmodeus in way no has been spectacular. He is not afraid to speak his mind, but never goes against the wishes of High Priest Venar.

Brother Ty'var - The secondboy, second eldest son of Venar. Ty'var is 227 years old, a priest of Asmodeus. While considered a great talent when he was young, Ty'var has never achieved the heights that were expected of him, and is thus no where near becoming a high priest. Ty'var is youthful and energetic, and even though he is certainly no saint, he always manages to act friendly. The only of your brothers that have ever had time for you. Whispers in the kitchens say that Ty'var is afraid of power, that he can not hack it.

Brother Re'var - Third in line to take over the mantle of Venar, most agree it would be the end of House T'orgh as a House on the Council if disaster struck and left him in charge. Barely approaching 200 years, Re'var has always been split between the divine call of Asmodeus and the arcane studies. While he is certainly knowledgable, Re'var clearly prefers the company of books over that of other dark elves and the scheming that comes along with being a noble of House T'orgh. Re'var spends much more time with We'kar than with his father, High Priest Venar.

Ze'kar - The youngest of the eldest, Ze'kar is something of a nutbolt. Considered amongst the most promising of his generation, he is 128 years old, still fresh out of the Temple, but is already making a bit of a name for himself. Then again, the fact that he removed his own eye, just to be more like Venar does say a lot about it. He is utterly fanatic about Asmodeus and his teachings, even to a point where few other priests and High Priests not always follow. He is said to know all of Asmodeus' sayings by heart, all 666. He should soon become a Brother of Asmodeus, according to gossip.

Aside from those, there are 6 more children, named Tagar, Nalfein, Taluzik, Raheem, Ukerin and ??. These boys are fresh out from the academies, and although they show great potential, they are still too weak to spend time on describing ;)

Master Wizard We'kar - Youngest but only living brother of High Priest Venar, We'kar is the unchallenged Master Wizard of House T'orgh and has been for a number of years. A bit more than 450 years old, he oversees all wizards and all things magical. He rarely leaves his chambers and even more rarely speaks, at least outside of the arcane wing of the T'orgh palace. Many consider him to be a parrot, always agreeing and doing the bidding of High Priest Venar, but no one in the house can match him when it comes to arcane power.

Brother Hsi'ra - At 354 years, he is the eldest of Master We'kar sons, Hsi'ra still some time away from becoming High Priest, although he is significantly older than all of Venars living sons, a fact that plagues him to no end. The very short dark elf with the red-dyed hair feels he should be next in line for the position as head of House T'orgh.

Brother Zamal - 321 years old, the second son of We'kar is also older than all the sons of Venar, but he has never shown the same want for power as Hsi'ra. In fact, he rarely if ever shows any emotions. Completely dispassionated, he does as he is told, without ever showing how he feels - about anything.

Brother Tooraj - Almost 300 years old, Tooraj once was a rabid follower of Asmodeus, but he had radical ideas, preaching co-existance with the drow, allying with them against the humans. Rumor has it that Asmodeus foresook him, left him with no magical powers. That turned Tooraj around, and for 101 years, he fasted and prayed in solitary to regain the trust of his one and only love. At last, Asmodeus relented, and Tooraj could once again call himself a cleric of Asmodeus. But the 101 years had taken it toll on the dark elf, and he was never quite the same afterwards.

Ra'jyk - Still considered a young dark elf at 200 years old, Ra'jyk is the public shame of Master We'kar. A son that failed the initiation as cleric, and opted to become a fighter instead. Regarded as dumb, Ra'jyk has none the less showed some aptitude for fighting. Unfortunately, for House T'orgh, he is constantly getting into trouble, as he often hangs out down in Scumtown, with cheap whores and questionable characters, not fit for the company of a noble dark elf.

Sister Ya'lira - The eldest daughter of We'kar, Ya'lira is the twin of Ra'jyk. But where Ra'jyk is almost considered a failure, no one denies the skills of Ya'lira. If she had been a male, she would soon be a High Priest of Asmodeus. Unfortunately for her, she isn't so she will be stuck as Priestess Ya'lira until the day she dies. Which could be soon, as many of the males of House T'orgh are jealous of her magical power.

Vanae - Second daughter of We'kar, Vanae is 180 years old and already an accomplished fighter. In fact, she is so good that she is second in charge of the fighters of House T'orgh. Along with Weaponmaster Ghi'raz, she oversee the training of all dark elves, along with the protection of the T'orgh Palace, overseeing both the dark elves and the orcs and goblins.

Mistress Quira - Third daughter of We'kar, Quira is 156 years old, and a very skilled mage. She is also a sadistic bitch, who enjoys torturing anyone. Whether it be with magic or physical utensils, Mistress Quira will get info out of a prisoner, if there is any information to be had.

Master Wizard We'kar is blessed with a lot of children, and aside from those mentioned above, there is also (in descending order of age) Viz'kar (wizard), Ra'mok (wizard), Zi'na (fighter, female), T'kar (cleric), D'zar (priest), Ri'quol (cleric), Vis'quar (cleric) and Quy'gg (cleric). While not fresh out of the Academies, these nephews and nieces of High Priest Venar are not powerful enough to approach getting a title. There are also 9 grandchildren (6 males, 3 female), but they are currently still at the academies or just out of it, and do not warrant mention at the time.

A little information about the titles.

Cleric/priest: At 7th level, you can earn the title of Brother (or Sister). This is not an automatic thing, you need pass the test set by the Temple and are found worthy by Asmodeus. Using the title without having earned it, is ground for immediate death, no matter whom you are lying to. At 14th level, you can become a high priest of Asmodeus. Once again, there is a test. Females may never become high priestesses.

Wizard/mage: At 7th level, you automatically earn the title of Master (Mistress) if you can prove your skill to the Tower and the Tower Master. At 14th level, you become Master Wizard (if you are male).

Figher (and other martial characters): There is no officiall rank, aside from the one held by the Weaponmaster. Fighters who are also noble are usually called Lord or Lady, the same title you use to adress a noble you do not know the real title off. Not using the correct title when known, is a griveous insult. High Priests wear special robes, as do Brothers of Asmodeus. Wizards are a little harder to know on sight.

 

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The Iron Empire

The Iron Empire was a human Empire on the peninsula of Ra'kar, which came to be as a result of the expansionist of the dark elf city Menzo.

 

In 4102, after more than 1600 years of living in isolation in the Silent Forests, the dark elves of Menzo decided that it was time to expand and conquer the human lands north of their home.

At that time, Ra'kar was made up by many small kingdoms, baronies and city-states. While they were certainly organized, there was little of alliances and such. In short, they were absolutely not prepared for the level of organization that the dark elves brought with them.

Using orcs and goblins as canon-fodder, ogres and even giants as shock-troops, the dark elven armies swept in over the human lands, conquering one kingdom at the time. It took some time though, especially after the general population learned how whole cities that aided the armies had been put to the stake and to the torch. After that, there was no question that this was merely not another conqueror coming to rule them. The dark elves meant to break them, to enslave them, and keep them firmly under their steel boots as slaves.

But it was to no avail. After more than 100 years of fighting for every square inch of their lands, the humans had been soundly beaten and broken. The dark elves ruled the Silent Forest, and the human lands as far as the Hills of Blood, the Black Hills and all the way east, just south of Blackwell.

A truce was established in 4117, with the dark elven council of Menzo legitimized as the lawful ruler of their realm. Some sages speculate that the dark elves agreed only because there was some infight amongst their nobles, or (and?) because their ressources were stretched thin, but we will never know. The truce (later named the Dark Truce) was made, and for a while, Ra'kar once again knew peace. The people who still lived under the dark elven yoke probably didn't know peace, but there was no war, at least.

Then in 4169, all hell broke loose again. Apparently for no reason, the dark elves decided to take up their campaign again, and attacked Blackwell and Castle Durgard with more or less all they had. For almost a year, they kept coming, and while the Castle did not fall, the city did. And when the castle didn't want to surrender, they put Blackwell to the torch and killed every single inhabitant. While such things had happened several times before - they even had a name for it: Dark Elf Justice - it had never been seen on such a scale. More than 20.000 people were slaughtered for no good reason other than punishment.

That event triggered something in the good folks of Ra'kar. Sure, there had been resistance before, and some dreamed of fighting back, liberating the poor souls living on dark elven lands, but until know, it had been whispers and secret dreams. But the sacking and subsequent execution of Blackwell all changed that.

In the north, King John of Laketown was one of those who were horrified and appalled, and at the same time had some means of striking back. New to the throne of Laketown, he none the less swore a solemn oath to rid the human lands of the dark elves.

He gathered his army, who grew by the day with free people from all over that wanted to help, and then started his campaign against the dark elves. Now the humans had an army of a size that had never been seen before in Ra'kar. Town by town was liberated, the dark elves beaten at each step. Maybe King John was an extraordinary strategist, or maybe the dark elves had other problems to deal with, we do not know. We do know that in two short years, the dark elves lost all they had spend more than 100 years in taking, and in 4172, the last dark elf was seen heading into the Silent Forest.

After that, King John named himself Emperor John I, and went on to unite all of Ra'kar, from coast to coast, after the battle of the Forest of Death in 4178. He doned an iron crown, saying being emperor was not about gold and riches, but about the people.

Emperor John lived to be an old man, he died in 4242, and left a host of sons and grandsons to take care of his empire. Unfortunately none of them was up for the task, and slowly, the Iron Empire became more about hoarding riches for the rich than being there for it's people.

In 4401, King John IV, ninth emperor of the Iron Empire died at the hands of his servants, as the revolution started. The Empire dissolved and returned being a collection of independent city-states.

 

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Introduction

It's been many years since each of you have set foot in the T'orgh palace. The Temple, The Tower and the Arena have been your homes for many years now, training with the other young dark elves of both noble and common families. Time and time again, you have had to prove yourselves. It has been hard, but now that you are finally done, that you are finally of age, it's time to show your worth to the House, to your family, and most of all, to your father.

Your father, who has summoned you all. You and your brothers, whom you haven't seen much neither, all stand in the antechamber to the T'orgh temple, where your father does most of his business. You all stand, because there is nowhere to sit - waiting for your father was never supposed to be a pleasure. Even the guards, who are stationed here for eight hours at the time, have nowhere to rest. "Dark elves should always be ready" your father always said when you were kids. As you quickly learned, "always ready" meant "don't even lean against the wall to relax". The guard who did that once was never seen again.

So you stand. And wait. And do not lean against the wall. The two guards standing at the door do not move a muscle, do not look at you. They might as well have been dead.

The doors finally open up, and a dark elf servant beckons you to enter. As you walk through the large temple, towards the throne on the dais at the end, you can't help to admire the mosaic of the Lord of Light in all his glory covering the back wall. That mosaic has always been the pride of the House, unequaled by any temple to Asmodeus.

As you approach, you can see your father is on his knees in front of the altar, off to the right, reciting the litany every dark elf knows by hear:

All trust is foolish
Ambition leads to ascension
Death is not the end, but the means

Dishonor lasts a lifetime, but death is instant
The best dagger is the unseen one
To walk apart from House and Lord is to walk into the grave
All glory to Asmodeus, the Lord of Light

As he finishes the litany, he rises and turns, walking towards you, holding his platinum rod with six snakes. Looking at you with his left eye, the only eye he has left, he says:

So, fruit of my loins... Sons. Are you ready? Are you ready to die for Asmodeus and the House of T'orgh?

Menzo and around

Noble Houses of Menzo

House Argith - The first House of Menzo, now and probably forever. Ruled with an iron fist by High Priest  Da'kar, who has been around longer than any other living dark elf. That he isn't dead is the will of Asmodeus, another sign that House Argith is first amongst Houses. House Argith is just more powerful and older than any other House, except House T'orgh, which is the only other House that can trace it's ancestry all the way back the originals. More than 200 dark elves serve House Argith, with around 40 of them being Nobles. House Argith has about 2000 orcs and goblins serving them.

House Hume - The second House of Menzo, House Hume holds it's position due to a crafty leadership. While High Priest Q'lor might not be the most powerful of priests, he makes up with leadership and tactical skills beyond the norm. Although nasty tongues in taverns claim it is in fact
his former concubine Kiera that pulls all the strings. For generations, House Hume has also produced some of the finest dark elf fighters and rangers and not only are they skilled one on one, but they operate at a fearsome level when in groups, commanded by the many Hume captains, all coached by Q'lor and their Weapons Master G'lor. Around 150 dark elves serve House Hume, with the nobles making up about 25 of them. House Hume has about 1600 orcs and goblins serving them.

House Khalazza - The third house of Menzo is perhaps the smallest House, but in some ways, it is also the scariest. Where normally 1/10 noble dark elves show aptitude for magic, every noble born of the Khalazza House show a significant degree of aptitude for the dark arts. Fully half of their sons and daughters are wizards. High Priest F'er is both the one of the most powerful priests and wizards in Menzo. Only around 50 dark elves serve House Khalazza, with almost 20 of them being nobles. House Khalazza has about 450 orcs and goblins serving them.

House Naerth - Where House Khalazza has a tendency to produce wizards, House Naerth, fourth House of Menzo has a tendency to produce priests. It might not have the most powerful priest in Menzo, that honor falls to House Argith, but it certainly has one of the greatest numbers of
powerful priests, especially compared to the size of the House. But House Naerth is very different. Normally the rule of women is not allowed, but for some reason, Asmodeus has never reacted to High Priestess Binael taking power from her former husband that she (allegedly) killed with a dagger through his skull while making love to him. So for now, she rules. A little more than 70 dark elves serve House Naerth, and 25 of them are of noble blood. House Naerth has about 650 orcs and goblins serving them.

House Vrinn - Being the fifth House of Menzo is a relatively new thing to House Vrinn. They are one of two newer up-and-coming Houses that have made their way onto the council, where the 11 most powerful Houses are represented. It's rise to power has been quasi-meteoric, and a lot of
jealous eyes follow High Priest Jarl, who runs House Vrinn. While some are jealous of House Vrinns success, most despice them for the same. House Vrinn has enjoyed an enormous boost due doing what no one has done before. Trading on a large scale with humans. While not forbidden, it is certainly commonly frowned upon, and for some, it is still a sin. House Vrinn also has access to a lot of mercenaries and often employs other races for certain jobs. They also facilitate if other Houses need mercenary contacts. Almost 110 dark elves serve this dark elf House, and close to 15 of them are nobles of the family. House Vrinn has about 1450 orcs and goblins serving them.

House Xiltyn - Another of the very old Houses, House Xiltyn is one of those Houses that seem content, that do not make too many waves, usually siding with the majority (and House Argith). The sixth House of Menzo has a long history of making exceptional magical items and hording lore. What is less known, is that House Xiltyn, under the guidance of its young High Priest Re'qor recently has begun to consort both with drows, to acquire knowledge and certain minerals from the Deep Below,
but also with humans, in order to acquire even more lore from other races. Around 80 dark elves follow House Xiltyn, and 15 of them are nobles. House Xiltyn has about 800 orcs and goblins serving them.

House Dhalmass - By all rights, House Dhalmass, the seventh House of Menzo is way too small to hold the position it holds. But, High Priest E'toe is extremely well connected, and seems to know everything that goes on, both in Menzo and beyond. Thus, armed with that knowledge, he has
an uncanny ability to always chose the winning side in any given dispute or conflict. Failing that, he has at his beck and call some of the best assassins within thousands of miles, his sons, grandsons and
great-grandsons. Only 30 dark elves serve the House of Dhalmass, but 25 of them are nobles. House Dhalmass has about 250 orcs and goblins serving them.

House Jhalavar - House Jhalavar, eigth House of Menzo does not have many live members. In fact, it's mostly just the nobles, everyone else is pretty much undead. Actually, quite a few of the nobles are said to be undead as well, having used foul magics to prolong their lives. High Priest M'zor isn't one of them, at least not yet. Yet he rules and runs House Jhalavar with an iron fist. The House is said to cultivate close connections with a human group of necromancers called the Cult of Bones, that worship dead dragons. Only 25 dark elves serve this house, and 24 of them are nobles. Only one living dark elf serves the House of Jhalavar. House Jhalavar has no orcs and goblins serving them, but instead an army of undead. How many is unknown.

House Mizzrym - Another of the new Houses on the Council, House Mizzrym has also enjoyed a rapid rise to the top of Menzo. While Vrinn rose due to dealings and planning, House Mizzrym owes it rise solely to the brute strength of their minds. Seemingly all master psions, High Priest
J'luk and his family has annihilated no less than seven other families in their quest for power. Allegedly of course. When will they stop, is the question every noble above them ask themselves. Others hate them, such as High Priest Venar of House T'orgh, who took it as a personal
slight, when House Argith and the Council let House Mizzrym jump ahead of House T'orgh in the ladder of power of Menzo. Mizzrym has more than 110 dark elves serving the House, and 25 of them are nobles. House Mizzryn has more than 1200 orcs and goblins serving them.

House T'orgh - The tenth House is one of original six houses in the Silent Forest. It can trace it's lineage all the way back to the original dark elves, sometimes calling themselves the Sons of Asmodeus. Very proud, but no longer very powerful. Ruled by High Priest Venar, one of the oldest of
Menzo. House T'orgh used to be much more influencial, in fact, it was third House of Menzo at some point, but some bad choices over the last couple of hundred years has seen House T'orgh slip down the ranks, and is now close to losing it's seat on the Council. Yet if Venar has proven one thing over the 700 year he has ruled his House, it is that he never gives up. More than 110 dark elves still serve House T'orgh, although the numbers have been dropping over the years. House T'orgh is a vast family, and has more than 35 nobles. House T'orgh has about 600 orcs and goblins serving them.

House Tuin - The last House on the Council, the eleventh House in Menzo, House Tuin owe their power to their trade agreements with other dark elf cities and settlements in the Silent Forest, as well as trade agreements with other dark elf cities around Era. High Priest Ty'rin runs the show, but his position is extremely weak and the assassination attempts have been numerous lately. Many speculate that it is just a matter of time, before he is replaced by his eldest son. House Tuin has around 70 dark elves serving it, with 20 of them being noble dark elves. House Tuin has about 750 orcs and goblins serving them.

Menzo, City of Dark Elves

Menzo
One of the bigger dark elf cities on the continent of Nala, Menzo houses nearly 10.000 dark elves, and more than twice that of goblins and orcs. Located deep within the Silent Forest, not far from Dragon Mountain, few outside the dark elves and their slaves know the precise location of the city.

Cloaked by enormous oak trees and ancient magic, you might walk very close by and not notice Menzo. Entirely surrounded by a 40' stone wall cloaked to blend in with the rest of the forest, the many towers hold vigilant guards that look for any enemy.

Outside the walls lies the fields, where thousands of orcs and goblins slave away to bring food to the tables of their dark masters. Stone guard-towers raised by magic overlook all fields, and while there are guards, they are comparatively few. All dark elf slaves know that any attempt at fleeing or rebelling is met with swipt and brutal retribution.

The Market is a large open area in the middle of Menzo, south of the Arena where
merchants come and deal all sorts of things.

The Temple is a huge structure that holds the Temple of Asmodeus, but also the quarters of every priest under education and where they train. Ro'kar Argith, son of Da'kar, is High Templar currently.

Just like the temple, the Tower is a large structure (shaped like three huge towers that are melted together) where all wizards of  Menzo receive their arcane education. Ri'jad Khalazza, brother of F'er Khalazza, is First Wizard as no one would dare challenge him for the title.

The Arena is where the warriors of Menzo are educated. The Arena is run by Master G'lor Hume, by many considered the finest swordsman in Menzo.

Scumtown is a fairly large area in the south-eastern part of Menzo, where most of the rabble live, meaning the dark elves with handicaps, the orcs and goblin slaves who belong to no Houses.

Most of the town is made up by claustrophobic alleys lined with 2-3 story high buildings on either side. The only exceptions to this is around the Market, the Temple, the Tower, the Arena and all the noble palaces. Those areas are usually protected by walls and a significant amount of open space. The noble palaces are huge high towers connected by bridges high above ground, all surrounded by walls.

Menzo, which is about 2 square km, is more or less formed as a circle, and measures a mere 800 meters from the center to the outer wall.

Major Products: Body dyes, chains, high-quality edible mushrooms, everdark ink , fine weapons, herbal medicines, poisons, potions, riding lizards (bred and trained), slaves, spiced sausages and wine (spiced and sparkling). Most of their trade are with the other dark elf cities in the Silent Forests, but some Houses trade with humans on a global scale.

Dark Elves in Era

Stats:

• +1 int and +1 dex or +2 dex
• +2 surprise
• 120' infravision
• 1/24 hours, all dark elves can cast dancing lights, faerie fire, and darkness (last 1 round + 1r/lvl). Dark elves can only use one power at the time. They can move the effect of power at MOV 16 without any significant effort.
• +2 bonus to all magical attack saving throws—that is, both against spells that overcome their natural resistance, and against the effects of magical items wielded against them.
• +5 bonus vs poison saving throws

The areas of effect of faerie fire and darkness increase by 10 square feet, or in a globe, 2' of additional radius per level of the creating dark elf, above (not including) 4th level. The number of light sources created by the dancing lights effect also increases by one for every two levels of the creator beyond 4th: that is, one additional at 6th, another at 8th, and so on. Range and control also increase by 10'/level beyond 4th.

A creating dark elf who has received even rudimentary training can always create an effect of lesser size, range, and efficacy than the maximum possible (e.g. a 5'-radius sphere of darkness around a foe's head, rather than a 20'-radius sphere cloaking the foe and four companions). The darkness cast by the natural power of dark elf is globe-shaped. Its “base” size (the maximum usable by dark elves of 4th level or less) is a sphere of 20' radius.

At 5th level, dark elves also get the powers of levitate, know alignment, and detect magic.

At 6th level, dark elves with 16 or more INT can wield a natural spell-like power and a spell simultaneously (e.g. casting a spell while levitating), or employ a maximum of two natural spell-like powers simultaneously (e.g. levitating while launching darkness to enshroud the head of an opponent).

At 7th level, dark elf priests and priestesses also gain the additional spell-like powers of clairvoyance, detect lie, suggestion, and dispel magic (in addition to their spells) through divine favor.

Dark elves of noble blood gain the ability to use all of their base and mature powers more than once a day. An additional daily use is granted at the end of each 100 years of life.

As you have no doubt noticed, I have removed the magic resistance that dark elves normally have in 2nd edition. First of all, it's just way too powerful, and makes balancing encounters even more impossible than before. Not that encounter-balance is something I will strive for, but it's nice to retain some measure of control. Instead, I have let you keep all the powers that dark elves normally have, even though the dark elves of Era live above ground. They also have no penalties in sunlight. In short, they are very powerful, compared to all the other races, but no magic resistance.

The poison resistance, which normally is attributed to the Lolth-worship and their affinity for spiders and spider poison, still makes sense, as the Asmodeus-worshipping dark elves in Era really like poisonous snakes :) 

What do they look like?
Dark elves vary a lot in shape, in features, and in hair color - just as greatly as humans do. The only exception to this rule, is that they all have jet-black skin, except for the extremely rare bone-white albinos. Almost all dark elves also have snow-white hair from birth, which turns yellowish (if female) or grayish (if male) and thins with age. Some rare dark elves have naturally silver or copper-hued hair. Most dark elves have red eyes. Others have green, brown, or black. Various shades of gray, even amber and rose-hued eyes are not unknown. Yellow eyes almost always means some kind of illness, disease, poisoning, or the presence of certain detrimental magics. Blue and purple eyes are the most unusual eye colors, and usually denote human or elven blood somewhere in the dark elf's ancestry. Such children are almost always sacrificed or discarded before their third year. Dark elf females tend to be just as big and strong as the males. Both sexes tend to be slim and graceful in build, features, and movements, just as other elves appear to humans.

The dark elf way of life
Noble Houses are led by a the senior male priest. In general, his rule is absolute, enforced by the priests beneath him (usually his sons and daughters). All male offspring in order of their age follow in rank, although they wield no authority until they are trained and of finished at the Temple. Below the priests come the officers of the House: the weapons master (leader of the fighters), (chief) House wizard, and the concubine of the high priest, followed by the female offspring of the high priest, who are ranked according to age.

Below them come the “war-leaders” of the House (veteran warriors, who lead House patrols, attack squads, and guards, under the command of the weapons master), and the House mages (under the command of the House wizard). Beneath these “blood” members and officials of the House rank its common warriors, its craftspeople, its servants, and its slaves. All ranks are decreed, and can be changed at the whim of the High Priest. His position changes at death—often a violent one, excecuted by his eldest son. It is a deadly thing to slay a high priest who holds Asmodeus' favor, so high priests do tend to reign for hundreds of years, kept alive by the magic of Asmodeus and the diligent service they perform to get and keep it.

The assassination of a high priest is often a punishment for losing Asmodeus' good will, and marks either a new direction for the House, or—if it is weak, and has strong rivals—the beginning of its extinction.

If one dark elf House of a city openly wars on another, and fails to eradicate it entirely in a single attack, the survivors of the ruined House can call down the city's justice on the attacking House. When this occurs, all Houses combine forces to wipe out the offending House. Houses who send assassins and saboteurs against each other for years will be forced into an open battle by the city's ruling council, with the same results as above.

This type of no-win scenario allows the internal strife of dark elves to be strictly controlled, so that dark elf communities are not torn apart by continual, bloody warfare. Most internal combat therefore takes the form of eternal manoeuvering for small advantages. Intrigue, poisoned knives in dark alleys, vicious trade rivalries, and dirty dealings are all a part of normal dark elf life.

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Elves, Dark Elves and Drow

The History of the Elves

After seeing the work Moradin had done on the dwarves, Corellon just had to "have" his own race. Designed to live in the forests Corellon had already created, the elves were very much made in his image, or rather as he saw himself. Slender and elegant yet powerful, wise yet carefree, the elves were perfect creatures to inhabit the forests of Era. 

Corellon's passions were nature and magic. He wanted to instill the same passions into his creations, but something went wrong. Instead of all elves having both equally, some became very in tune with nature while having a slight interest in magic, while the others became intrinsically linked with magic while having next to no interest in nature. While the two kind of elves still to this day cohabit, the difference between the two types of elves have become more pronounced as time has passed, and today, many of them live separately.

When Corellon created the elves, he inadvertently set in motion the events that would create the Sibling Wars and thus influencing the entire history of Era. The elves were so perfect that his twin brother Asmodeus could not help love them just as much. At least at first. That love soon changed to hatred, to jealousy for not being the one who had created such magnificent beings. After all, Asmodeus was the god when it came to magic, hell, he had even taught Corellon how to make the creatures. Luckily, Asmodeus also saw that the elves could be improved upon. After all, they did resemble his weaker and younger brother a bit too much. They should have been made more focused, more ambitious, more powerful, just like Asmodeus.

So Asmodeus created the dark elves. Just as he and Corellon were alike, it made sense that their creatures would be alike. At least on the outside. For where the elves were carefree and easy-going, the dark elves were ambitious and ruthless. While the elves were perfect hunters, the dark elves were the perfect predators. And just as Asmodeus had certain issues with Corellon, the dark elves certainly had some issues with the elves. In order to gain the upper hand, Asmodeus made sure that the dark elf females were just as capable as the males. That way, the race would have more potential, more power. Little did the god realize that his decision would prove the downfall of the race.

For a while though, the two elven races managed to get along. Never very amicable towards each other, there was still some sort of respect. After all, both races excelled at hunting and magic. Just like the twins were very competitive with one another, so became the two races. And for a while, it worked well for them both. Many magical breakthroughs came because of the rivalry between the two races, many legendary feats were performed due to the competition.

But at some point, the contests turned sour, both races would do anything to win, to perform better, and thus the rivalry grew bitter and brutal.

For years it went on like that, but in the year 937, The First Elven War broke out. Prince D'rak of the Dark Elves was brutally murdered while visiting King Elas Moonshadow. The elves claimed innocence and ignorance, but the Dark Elves to it as an act of war, and marshaled their forces. For 4 years, the two elven races waged war on each other, filling the forests of Ular and Nala with blood. This was not a battle for territory or for borders. This was a battle of races, to exterminate the other. After 4 years, right after losing their king in the Battle of Sharks, the dark elves sued for peace, and the elves were only happy to give it to them. The war had taken a told on both sides, and with their very low birthrate, there was no way they could keep up, had they continued.

For more than 45 years, the dark elves worked very hard to make up for their part in the attempted genocide. They had accepted that the elves had nothing to do with Prince D'rak's death, and their new king, Prince D'rak brother, spearheaded a new era of brotherhood between the races.

But it was all a lie.

In 987, Prince D'rak had convinced the Moonshadows to let him host King Elas' 400th year birthday. But, just as the charade that had been ongoing for the last 40 years, it was all part of an elaborate ploy for revenge and retribution. In one swift stroke, the dark elves eliminated the entire elven royal family that had been ruling over the elves since the race was created.

War began anew, and since the dark elves had known this was coming for many years, they were much better prepared. The elves died in great numbers, and many elven cities were completely razed, leaving only scorched earth behind.

For seven years, the elves fought just to survive, and had the war gone on for long, it would surely have been the doom of them. Both Corellon and Asmodeus had taken a very active part in the war, and the devastation to the forests was enormous. However, Corellon alone could not turn the tide of the war.

But Moradin could...

The All-Father simply ordered both of his sons to stop the madness, threatening to rally the other gods and make war on both them and their elven races. That stopped the war, and a peace, also known as The Last Truce, was brokered in 994.

After the war, there was no longer any relations between the two races. Gone was the competition, gone the rivalry. Left was only a desire to expunge the other race from Era.

For years, both elven races nursed that feeling, making alliances with the other races. Then after the Divine Pact was created and the gods had retreated from Era and the dwarves had removed themselves underground, tensions grew and grew, until the inevitable happened.

In 1157, the dark elves, now allied with the humans worshiping Bane, began a much larger campaign, this time not only to eradicate the elves, but to control and rule all of Era. For almost 150 years, the entire Era was at war. There was no place to hide, and no one that could stay out of the war, perhaps except the halflings. Unimaginable horrors were created, and more people than one can imagine died to sword or magic.

At the end, the humans of Bane and the dark elves won and the Ebon Empire was born. The Banites and the dark elves assumed dominion of most of Ular and Nala. All elves were placed in gigantic work-camps or became slaves.

After about 150 years, there was no longer any doubt who had control of the Ebon Empire - the Banites. While a lot of dark elves were perfectly happy with being left alone in their dark woods, there was a significant fraction that believed that they should rule everything, not some mere humans. These dissenters were also extremely disappointed with Asmodeus. He had after all told them to exterminate the elves, but then changed his mind when the war was won. For them, having those that was once their brothers in work-camps was not enough. They wanted them gone. Amongst those of that pushed the hardest for such a radical solution was Tierna K'ral and her sisters. Powerful priests from a noble bloodline, the three sisters finally got enough of trying to get things their way.

In 1443, they led a large fraction of dark elves away from their homes in the dark forests of Era, and below ground. They renounced Asmodeus for being too weak, claimed that the male leadership of the dark elves had failed, that only females could be decisive enough and fled underground, where they founded a matriarchy based on the worship of the Raven Queen, around death.

They are now called drows, an ancient elven word for death.

Playing an Elf

While the average elf doesn't mind most of the other civilized races, he absolutely loathes both the dark elves and the drow. They are to be killed on sight, no questions asked. The horrors inflicted upon his race by those go far beyond any kind of possible redemption. Even mention of those two races can make any normally balanced and merry-going elf turn into a somber and brooding shadow of his former self. The scars left upon the elven race have not yet healed. Far from it. Elves are likewise not fond of worshipers of Bane but the biggest part of the hatred is aimed at the dark elves and the drow.

The Wood Elf is in his mind completely in tune with nature and it's beasts. He feels that nature is one of the, if not the most important thing there is, and he will thus go to great lengths to protect nature, should it be threatened. Most wood elves live in the forests of Era, but some, mostly those who have been rejected or forced out due to circumstances, live their lives amongst the humans, working as scouts and trackers.

The Wood Elves are a fairly recluse people. After being almost totally decimated by the dark elves and later the work-camps of the Ebon Empire, most elven communities exist deep in the woods, far away from the humans and the other races that they do not trust. Those few that for some reason are a part of that world, still feel that distrust, at least to some degree. They most certainly feel sorry for the hardship their race has endured. 

The High Elf's focus is usually magic. While he does have a certain affinity with nature, he is much more likely to live in villages, towns and cities. The High Elves have even fewer communities than the Wood Elves, and they are all closely kept secrets. No non-elf has been allowed to enter a High Elf community for at least 500 years. At least not let to tell about it afterwards. Maybe there are none?

The High Elves suffered the same fate as the Wood Elves, but where the Wood Elves talk about it a lot and feel very sorry for their race, the High Elves have taken another approach. The Sibling War and it's aftermath is simply not mentioned, at least to outsiders. But make no mistake, their hatred for dark elves and drow know no bounds, and in their own circles, the leaders are surely still plotting revenge against their dark-skinned brothers.