Elysenas

Firstborn among the races, chosen of the gods, the Elves of Elysenas can trace their existence all the way back to their creation by Corellon Larethian, most highly revered amongst the Seldarine, the Elvish pantheon. According to their carefully chronicled legends, told through poetry and song, they were given this good land to tend and keep, and the first created elves gave this land, beautiful and fair, the name of Elysenas, which in common tongue, means "the place to where my heart belongs."

The elves lived in harmony with one another for some time, but as other races were created and came to populate the world, they developed cordial ties with many of them, and quickly grew to despise others of them, for their lack of care for the earth and forests. They built their cities in and amongst the trees, and defended them with carefully woven spells, and they sometimes marched to war, against the dwarves of Narn Todir, against the evil dragons of the Algori Heights, and against the orcs and goblins that sent raiding parties from down south.

Ever since the wars against the dragons, companies of elves have also patrolled and settled in Shinholden, the cold pine forests of the tundra, north of Elysenas that separates the temperate forests of the elven kingdom from the mountains in the North. These elves, over time, have developed a much stronger sense of independence and fortitude, along with a resistance to the cold temperatures, and even a love for the ice and snow. Many of these elves have little desire to return to Elysenas, preferring the relative solitude and harsh beauty of the pine forests more than the broad oaks and soft ferns of the Elvish kingdom. And many from Elysenas are uncomfortable with the fierce, almost uncontrollable and wild elves of the Northern borders.

But when the elves rescued the pitiful human refugees who dashed their ships to pieces against their shore, their destiny would be forever altered. They brought the humans in, after much debate, and taught them their crafts, their arts, their magic, their language, and they lived in harmony for some time. As the humans grew more numerous however, they departed, with the elves' blessing, to create their own kingdom, aligned in complete and total agreement with the Elves of Elysenas, and many half-elven towns developed along the borders of both kingdoms.

The events of the last century however have shaken the elves to the very core of their being. They have come to despise the half-elves, as being tainted with the weak treacherous blood of the humans. They are fearful as well, for who better to attack their own beautiful cities than the very people who lived there, and who learned their secrets, trained alongside them in their forces, and fought alongside them in battle. They have reestablished their long held alliances with the dwarves of Melodur, and have sent out emissaries to numerous other kingdoms to try and establish new alliances from friendly relationships, but many secretly worry that it is too little, too late. The amassing of the empire's troops in their newly conquered territories of Twainfel has been viewed with dread and anger by the elves. Some have taken matters into their own hands, viewing the leadership's responses as incompetent and old-fashioned, and have joined resistance movements throughout the land, leaving the comfort of their own home behind. But others have chosen to wait and see what their current King and High Council will do.

The Kingdom is split among the four Houses of Elysenas.