Elyria

raceselves
regionsestanesse, [Yggdrasil](../relics/yggdrasil)
deitiessehanine, corellon
neighbors{"N"=>"flux"}, {"NE"=>"rup"}, {"E"=>"selva"}, {"S"=>"deepwood"}, {"W"=>"arallu"}, {"NW"=>"ocean"}

In the deep south lies a sprawling forest, home to the elven people and many other sylvan races. The forest’s crowning feature is the Yggdrasil, the World Tree, said to have been planted at the dawn of time by the gods themselves.

The elves were slow to enter the War of Countless Deaths. Historically, Elyria had been highly homogeneous, their isolationist politics a reflection of their long lives in the shadow of the ancient, unknown powers of the Deepwood. With little concern for short-term goals, conflict between the lesser races in the north simply wasn’t a priority. After all, the Elves had a higher calling: protecting the Yggdrasil from disease and incursion, for should it die, the world would surely die with it.

Change came with the humans: a tide of civilian refugees and military deserters poured over the Elyrian borders. They came seeking respite from the war and harsh lives on the scorching plains. A lack of immediate response from the Queen allowed for unregulated mixing of the cultures. In some cases, local communities welcomed the addition of curious outsiders. But for most of northern Elyria, this became a time of conflict—driven by greed, jealousy, and resentment.

Eventually, a massive Elven army was mobilized. The human incursion was halted—their straggling militias purged, and settlers evicted. While this certainly accelerated Elvish involvement in the War, it also changed the composition and outlook of Elyria itself. Pockets of human settlers and human-elf communities have inevitably remained, with a relative explosion of mixed race births.

Today, Elyria stands polarized. To the south, the forests remain timeless. As one travels north, the influence of humanity—both physical and psychological—becomes increasingly apparent. Border elves, and half-elves, have experienced loss in a way their pure brethren to the south have not. For these individuals, living in the shadow of the Flux, the general sentiment is that caution and deliberation have either failed them, or prepared them for the challenges of the times. Either way: now is the time for action.