Obsidian Elves

[The language is based off of Korean, words in their native tongue are taken from this]

 Native Name

Heug-Yoseog was what they called themselves when they arrived, but soon after becoming more familiar with the Silver Elven language they took the name Obsidian Elves, and in the present day their ancient name is nearly forgotten.

## Appearance

Their skin color tends to range between light shades of purple to very dark black. Their eyes range from purple, red, black or even very dark blue. Their hair lacks variation in color, generally being completely white, but not rare to find some with tints of purple.

## History

The Obsidian Elves are not from this world, but they arrived long ago, before most of the races even started to record history. Most of the information from their old world is now lost to time, as not much could be salvaged from their vast libraries, and only a handful of their people actually managed to escape The Crack.

What is known from these ancient times mostly concerns the study and discovery of Void Magic, which leads modern society to believe that either the original settlers were all Warlocks and their relatives, and a confirmation that indeed Void Magic was what saved them from extinction. Some of the first records of history state that one day they were simply there, building shelters and trying to salvage what looked like the remains of a broken tower. This tower was not made with materials found in this world.

Not much is known of The Crack, and the oldest records salvaged from that broken tower only state what happened, not what caused it. One day the planet simply split, exposing its core, and causing powerful energies to warp time, space, gravity, and the very existence of everything around it. If the oldest record found in the broken tower is to be believed, their escape was thanks to a group of Warlocks who managed to channel a fragment of all this chaotic energy, and warp the tower elsewhere.

After they arrived, their first contacts with civilization was with the nearby Silver Elves, which took to calling them Obsidian Elves, due to their skin color and their features. These two races developed a friendly relationship between them, with the Silver Elves helping the Obsidians to form a small state, and acting as a suzerain to them while they regained their footing. The Obsidian Elves in return assimilated the Silver Elf language, much of their culture, and in return offered tributes, most of those books and scrolls, containing what the Silver Elves valued the most, knowledge in magic.

This relationship was weakened with the landing of the Valerian conquerors, and after these humans took the lands of the Silver Elves, the Obsidians stayed put, still lacking the military might to oppose this foreign power. For many years afterwards the Obsidian Elves suffered dark times, suffering raids from both the Vile Orcs and the Wood Elves, the later attacked them with the mindset that they, like the Vile Orcs, were spawn of demons.

Even at the face of these dark times, they survived, and when the Valerians and Silver Elves finally forged the new Valerian Empire, the Obsidian Elves thrived. Trade was resumed, and a powerful ally was gained, helping them defend against the constant raids of both north and south. With this, they were also exposed to a whole new culture, and the Warlocks who served as the political figureheads of their nation decided to form an order dedicated to acquire and propagate the knowledge of magic, military and martial arts, and an effort to bring the three races closer in their alliance.

Many Silver Elves and Valerians were intrigued by this forming order, and came to their call, sharing their own cultural patrimony, and contributed to a Golden Age on the Obsidian Elf state. The members of this Warlock Order, including even Silver Elves and Valerians, governed the people, as there was little prejudice in it. To them, all right to govern was earned by merit, not birth.

This Golden Age did not last however, as part of the Warlock Order did not agree with this mindset. They were purists, and thought that matters concerning their kind was not something that outsiders should be consulted about. Out of the fifteen Masters, five felt this way, but many of their apprentices and followers shared their mindset. Their message started to become louder and louder, as well as more violent. While it stood to logic that the remaining Masters, who received full support of the Valerian Empire, would easily be able to quell this rebellion, this was not the case.

The rebellious five took over with brute force, killing most of the Masters on their own, and surprisingly, a great part of their army. How they acquired all this power is a mystery, but because of this newfound monstrous strength, they took over the Obsidian Elf state, and even invaded the bordering Valerian Empire, taking over many bordering towns in pursuit of the remaining members of the Warlock Order.

Their advance was stopped before they could get too deep however, as a Valerian General of legendary might and prowess matched one of these Warlock Masters, and slayed him in single combat. This caused the army to flee the mixed force of the Valerian Central Army, and the original Warlocks and their followers. This alliance pushed back and recovered the city in the very edge bordering Obsidian Elf territory, but as soon as they did, they were taken by surprise.

The remaining four rebellious Warlocks took to the field by themselves, irradiating so much mana that it caused a feeling of crushing despair to reach the allied army. To this day the proud Valerian general refuses to believe what he saw, and the soldiers all say that the remaining four split the very earth, creating a great chasm that now divides the land of the Obsidian Elves. The remnants of the Warlock Order started anew, as they were forced to do before, and now govern a large city state that stands vigil between the Valerian Empire and the Great Chasm. The city of Yuli.

## Homeland

The lands that surround the city state of Yuli were once part of the Valerian Empire, the southernmost part where the winters are harsher and the terrain is rocky. The city state is one of the biggest cities in the continent, and the keep is one of the most ancient castles that the silver elves ever made. Surrounding the city there are a few towns that dot the landscape around it. At the south The Great Chasm can be seen, as the very land splits and the ocean invades and drowns the mountains. The cracks created by the war dot the water, making it impossible to sail the Great Chasm. Even if one would go past the rocky crags, in the center of the Chasm is a great anomaly, an ever storming whirlpool that swallows the ocean around it, one that the Warlocks constantly watch and study.

## Religion

The Obsidian Elves do not have a formed religion or gods that they venerate. Instead, they believe that all life is energy, and when life dissipates, its energy is fed to the Void. After the Void has absorbed that energy, it will release it again into the world, as a new cycle of life.

## Society

Obsidian Elf society is split, thanks to the rebellion that took place a few years ago. Historians don't know much about what goes on in the land beyond the Great Chasm, only that no outside contact was made after the Great Chasm was formed.

The last true Obsidian Elf city is a self sufficient city state, governed by the Warlock Order. The Warlock Masters vote to form a Senate, and it creates and enforces laws. Aside from the Senate, there are also five elected judges, who manage political disputes, and judge crimes against the state. A representative of the State is chosen every fifteen years to act as a kingly figure, serving an administrative role over the other powers.

Putting the government aside, the Obsidian Elf city state is a true melting pot, bolstering more cultural and racial variety than any other city in Entheria. This is very much because the governing power that rules the city is the Warlock Order, an organization that was founded based on the reunion of cultures, and that reflects on the laws and organization of Yuli.