Dominion de la Morte

The defeated and exiled elves fled northing across the Greystone Mountains, seeking shelter from the genocide that would befall them for siding with Aita during the war. With their god defeated they were without leadership except for that of Tiberius Eidenai, the Arch-Necromancer. He led his people far to the northeast past the mountains, and to the Bay of Blades, where they would found the Necropolis, and the Dominion de la Morte. The exiles took on a new name, the Drow, to separate themselves from their former kin. Their hair became pale and skin turned a dark bluish hue over the many years in the cold climate. They spread throughout the area dominating the local populace of orcs, ogres, goblins, amongst many. The population grew, and as such their need for resources.

After the exile of Aita’s followers now known as Drow, they fled into northern wastes past the Greystone Mountains into an area once called the “Northern Reache”. No civilised culture had ventured past the treacherous mountain passes in such numbers, and what they found was a harsh and unforgiving landscape. Thick ancient coniferous forests, filled with pines, spruces, and larches; giant spiders, massive toothy predators, large prey, and snow, more snow than what seems imaginable. Tundras and fjords, massive glaciers near the coastlines, and something else as well. An ancient White dragon Daariv, vicious and animalistic dominated the more habitable areas, with her white dragonborn the “Sventari”. A brutal conflict erupted which lasted just under 15 years for control of the land, with great losses on both sides, Tiberius was able to strike a deal with the dragon. With promises of great power from their god and regular sacrifices to keep Daariv at bay they formed a fragile alliance. The drow would begin to populate much of the land, and reach out much further than that of Daariv, settling the northern coasts and establishing many mines, lumber yards, fisheries, farms, and most notoriously slavery on a massive scale. Drow became expert sailors and remorseless raiders of “lesser races”; goblins, kobolds, orcs, and ogres all became a currency. Trade relations were established with the Dwarves of The Platinum Tower, and even certain traders in Talabecland.

Centuries past on and the Academy de la Morte was reformed and furthered much more so than ever before. Tiberius claimed that he could still hear Aita whispering instructions to him, leading him from a weakened state, though for thousands of years necromantic power remained dormant. Highborne drow families sent only one child per generation into the Academy, this created a culture that would shape how drow became who they are as adults. Most siblings would seek to trick, deceive, or even kill one another to be given the chance to enter, which was only furthered once they did make it into the Academy. Peers would seek any sort of advantage they could amongst each other, because only one per class would complete the full course and become an Acolyte of Aita, the most “noble” honor a drow could receive. Currently there is 13 Acolytes active, many of them being killed by each other, either failing in power grabs, or killed out of jealousy.

The drow erected a massive citadel known as the “Necropolis”, where Tiberius holds the second highest office next to Aita himself. Myths abound about the very structure itself. Some whisper of enchanted walls that seem to wind forever, poisonous gases and hallucinations as you enter into its interior. Rumors that there is a giant statue of Aita miles underground with a massive growth of what appears to be flesh that has been forming for the last several hundred years. The drow too have been said to hear their god once more. Necromancy has resurfaced in this time and the drow has set to master the lost dark art again. Though no proof has left their lands of this lost knowledge, and the Imperium’s insistence that drow are helpless without their god, the drow have been able to reclaim much of the power they once had. A heavily militarized border between the two states with minor skirmishes and the occasional raid on northern villages, have always kept relations tense between the nations, as well as the betrayal that elves still hold over their northern brothers.

The Dominion grows ever stronger with a watchful eye on the events of the world, waiting for their time to strike out and seize control over the world they once almost ruled.