Westvale History

## Chapter 1 – Foundations of Unified Nation States

Soon after the lands of the east began to settle and distinctive and diverse nations solidified, a band of the discriminated set sail for freer lands to the west. On three large cogs came the elves, whose knowledge of the arcane was shunned by those who feared their power. On a massive galleon, a feat of engineering, came the dwarves, whose lust for riches made men skeptical to trust them. Lastly, in a small fleet of ships of various sizes and design came the underprivileged and abused of the race of men, who above all else desired a life in which they were not limited by the shackles of the elite.

All three groups traveled down the Strait of Senvalia (a name given in agreement by the three races), where they settled on a large island in the middle of the continent (which they named the Westvale). From here, they established a capital city sharing the name of the strait where beings of all race, creed, wealth, and age could co-exist as equals. The dwarves with their knowledge of rare smelting techniques became blacksmiths as well as collectors and traders of rare artifacts containing valuable gems. The elves, skilled in the arcane and bonded with nature, used their talents of enchantment and sorcery, combined with their ancient knowledge, to help guide politics and forge roads that have lasted hundreds of years without need of repair. The men, the most ambitious and adaptable of the three races, spread themselves across all professions. Their desire to expand and understand limited only by the space on the continent.

These groups were not the only to be in the Westvale at the time, however. To the south were the intimidating People of the Dragon who called themselves the Wymers. Their legends tell of how some of the earliest men in Eruden ventured to the south west and discovered the fabled Dragon Isles. Though no known living creature has ever been there, legend says these early men bonded with the legendary beasts. They learned skills unmatched anywhere else, the skill of dragon speech and the healing and sturdy power of dragon blood.

Some of this new race of dragonborn traveled to the Westvale, where they established a small colony of their fellows and there they had remained when the new colonists finally arrived. They were initially very hesitant and suspicious of the newcomers to their land, those elves and men who had ventured far enough south to make contact with them. As time passed, the Wymers became more accepting of the newcomers, and even allowed those who had the inherent ability to learn their ways to live amongst them. Thus, this is how the abilities of the dragonborn spread beyond the southern colony.

Though primarily a solitary people, the Wymers had a vibrant culture. They knew no god but the Dragon, a creature which they placed above all else. Twice a year, the Wymers would hold a festival known as Blood of the Kindred, in which a sacrifice of livestock would be made in honor of their deep connection to the legendary beasts. The dragonborn lived along the shoreline in the south of Westvale, but had ancient dwellings in the cliffs towards the north, where the children of the dragonborn would make a pilgrimage on their 13th birthday. They would be required to retrieve the Tooth of the Dragon, a stone formation prevalent and abundant in the caves.

In the western plains and hills lived the halflings, who called themselves the Driens. They were a pleasant people who welcomed all visitors with open arms and were known to host feasts for even the smallest of occasions. Their town of Little Fanglin sat peacefully amongst the Blackdrier Hills which, like the lifestyle of the halflings, gently sloped along the earth neither causing any trouble nor making life too easy. The Driens were a people who worked hard in their fields and on their gardens, and celebrated mightily all the achievements of their people. Those who made the effort to visit them, and it was an effort as their roads were not Elven made, remarked about how there was no more peaceful land and no more peaceful people.

The Driens had long held good relations with the “Eastern Folk,” and would trade fresh fruits and vegetables for fancy or amusing trinkets on the off chance a trader made the journey to Little Fanglin. They also maintained an interest in Dwarves who, due to their diminutive size, were often referred to as hairy cousins by the fun-loving Driens. For the most part, the Halflings kept to their part of the world and were often slow to hear of any news or developments in Eruden.

In the central forests lived yet another race of beings, one far more rare and harder to discover. The Druids of the central forests were said to be the first beings to settle in the Westvale and very little of their history is known. Though sharing good relations with the elves, they primarily walked amongst themselves through the trees, observing from afar and rarely getting involved. No Druid structures have ever been discovered and it is rumored that they live as vagabonds, never settling in one place for very long.

As is natural among many races, once the city of Senvalia was established, the three great races of the continent set out to expand in their preferred habitats. Many dwarves, ever desiring to be underground in their mines, set out for the north where the hills were rumored to be both untouched by pickaxe and overflowing with ore. They formed a relatively small but highly prosperous town at the base of the Vaingold Mountains and called it Oremantzhall. Trading caravans to and from Oremantzhall supplied Senvalia and its neighboring cities with a seemingly endless supply of precious materials, though they kept the most pristine for themselves.

Though they allow no creature but the dwarves to enter their mines, it is believed that deep within the Vaingold Mountains lies a treasure trove of immense wealth. Creations of gold and silver lining the walls. Diamond chalices inlaid with rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Their very beds were rumored to be made out of refined moonstone and colored with cobalt. Whenever asked about it, the dwarves would matter of factly state that their efforts had brought enough wealth to the Westfold and it was of no concern to anyone but the Dwarves what might be behind their doors.

As for the elves, ever the lovers of wood and nature, many of their kind travelled south of Senvalia to the central forests, known as the Tranquil Wood. It has been said that their arrival in the forest beset the air with an aura of eternity, as if the very trees ceased to age and time stood still. Those who traveled there and stopped to admire the beauty of the trees would feel an overwhelming peaceful feeling in which hours could pass without a thought in the world about it. Sightings of the elves who chose to travel south quickly became rare and the other races really only ever saw those who chose to live among them in their cities.

## **Chapter Two - The Fall of the Elves**

Many decades after the founding of Senvalia, the population of the city was flourishing and had grown far and beyond what once city could reasonably hold. The wealth and prosperity flowing from the Dwarven mines to Senvalia and across the sea to the east and back was so immense that it allowed for sub-cities to sprout up along the Strait of Senvalia. Though all recognizing the governance of the capital, the cities of Angvulin, Elfbore, Malteen, and Caramarvel were in their own ways unique from the capital.

Angvulin specialized in smelting and purifying raw ore sent down from the mountains. Many of the cosmopolitan dwarves lived here and ran smithys, where they crafted their goods before taking them to the capital to sell. It was boasted that no finer armor or weaponry could be found anywhere in all of Eruden. Malteen served as the education hub of the nation. The University of Westvale was able to boast of the most diverse collection of books and tomes anywhere. Their classes were taught by the three great races, as well as the lone Halfling to ever seek a career in education (he taught horticulture). Caramarvel is where all things timber were assembled. A few years after its founding, nearly 35% of all ships to dock in Westvalian ports were Caramarvellian in origin.

By far the most notorious of these cities was Elfbore. As the central hub for the Cosmopolitan Elves, it naturally served as a place torn between the profane and the arcane. Separate from the university, here magic was taught to all those who sought it, though precious few actually possessed the talent to access the pool of magic, referred to as magikas by the elves. The elves by far had the most significant connection to magikas, but even they did not have universal access to it. But those who possessed the gift were quite adept.

Whenever a race other than elves were able to access magikas and cast spells, they were drastically more limited than the elves. The Dwarves were unable to cast any ranged spells, and instead had to settle for health regeneration and magic armor spells. Men could cast a wider variety of spells, but they did not possess the gift of a never ending connection to Magikas. Should they expel too much magic they would be forced to sever their connection until the day had passed. Elven potion masters were able to concoct drafts that could temporarily boost the Magikas in a human, but those potions were pricey and therefore very rare and valuable commodities.

As all good things come to an end, so too did the prosperity of the cosmopolitan elves. A fairly sizable sect of elves began exploring how to increase the power of their spells. Traditionally, the elves had respected the power of Magikas and had always stayed within their limits. These elves, however, desired to go beyond even that. They desired the power to bend Magikas to their will, and to bestow its abilities upon whomever they desired. They dove deep, too deep, and tapped into the dark force of Magikas, known as Malmagius.

The corrupting power of Malmagius proved to be too much for the elves and it transformed them into a corruption known as the Drow. Fearing that the Drow would continue to delve deeper into the dark and pursue the darkness that had consumed their hearts, the remaining elves, as well as the human government at Senvalia, banished the Drow from the empire. With no other options, the Drow moved to the far north of Westvale and founded their own city dedicated to the dark arts, which they aptly named Malmorphus. They would not forget who had kicked them out of their city and forced them to begin again.

The legend of the Drow spread far and wide, even reaching across the sea to the east. Creatures of all races feared what the Drow might do, and this fear led to mistrust among all who could tap into Magikas, especially the elves. It became much harder for the remaining cosmopolitan elves to find employment, usually only being hired by the wealthiest of citizens who could use magic as tudors. Many of the cosmopolitan elves were forced to leave the city and join their woodfolk brethren in the tranquil wood. Though they did not hold any animosity towards the race of men, they mourned the loss of what had once been a strong bond. Elfbore went from a thriving city to an abandoned ghost town around which rumors and legends of hauntings and evil spirits spread.