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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.

• Population: The elves are skilled, wise, and few in number. But the great forest of Elyria is home to more than just elves: it is the realm of the fey. And the deeper into the woods one travels, the more strange and powerful the fey residents become.
• Government: Matriarchal monarchy. The elven queen rules—and is bonded to—the Faerie Court, consisting of representatives from many sylvan races. Two factions exist within the Court, Seelie and Unseelie, and the Court’s makeup sways the queen’s disposition accordingly. In this way, she is a direct manifestation of the Court’s will.
• Cities and culture: Elves are very philosophical, and believe in a balance of all things. They strive to live in harmony with their environment and each other. Their Seelie aspect seeks to promote peace and tranquility, while their Unseelie aspect seeks to stamp out threats and disruptions to the balance of existence. As such, they hold a particular hatred for their neighbors on both sides: the undead to the west, and the orcs to the east.
  • Estanesse is said to be the first and most grand elven city, nestled near the Yggdrasil at the border of the Deepwood.

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.