La Lyllalean Dynasty

The Dynasty's War Banner

(( PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PAGE IS OUTDATED AND THE DYNASTY LORE IS BEING REWRITTEN. ))

Known for their beauty, longevity, arrogance, magical supremacy and their devotion to their Six gods, the elves of the Lyllalean Dynasty consider themselves the custodians of the Great Symmetry – the delicate balance upon which the world hangs. They believe that it is their destiny to protect Malm from any world-ending cataclysm by ensuring this balance is maintained, and that the burden is theirs to guide the short-lived races and stir them from their false idols and life of barbarism.

The Dynasty is ruled by an ancient line of exceptional high elves, the royal House of Lyllalea, who see it as their sacred mandate to promulgate the worship of the Six to every corner of Malm, so the world will know the truth of its creation and the balance will nevermore be upended.

With the elvenkind riven by a great civil war, this proud and noble bureaucracy seeks to unify all elves under its banner once more. Their history and achievements are a sprawling tapestry, embroidered in blood, magic, and gold.

## **Background**

#### When One Became Six

The tale of the Lylallean Dynasty starts in the ruins of another. In an era where the natural order of the world grew distorted, as elementals of each of the Six run rampant and lay devastation to the realm of Treaq. Famine, disease and endless calamity were but truths of the world of chaos. Even the most noble of elves in character would anoint their souls in the colours of the Six, giving way to the birth of the other elven races in a bid for protection and prosperity in a world starved of it. Once united as One now divided in Six, stood divided and each shard fought for its own place in the world. The White-Gold Era before it had given way to weakness, to weak men who had forgotten that sometimes greatness can only be achieved through sacrifice and that calamity awaits in the face of those who forget to learn from the past.

#### The Rise of the Dark Elves

All light is destined to fade, for even as the light of Galathilion the Wise endured a hundred years after his death, it was destined to fade for the Dark Elves who had suffered the greatest amidst this chaos had surrendered themselves to the umbral god, Zom, in order to complete their dark transformation. First amongst them stood Daianara Ebonheart, most beloved by Zom and his chosen in this world. The end delivered at her hand in a bloody war where brother fought against brother over the fate of a people. The last of the White Kings selflessly sacrificed himself in a miracle of light to save at least those within the royal palace from the razing of Galathiras, the royal capital of that era.

A new hegemon of elvenkind had risen, yet it would not be the chosen of Nom’ani to reign but the chosen of Zom. An end was brought to the calamity that laid waste to the realm. The vast hordes of Zomspawn turned onto the plague of monsters roaming across the land, having found purchase in the weakness of the elven people they were now once more expelled and driven back into Draxington. The magick of the Umbral is a powerful one, but not without a cost as the sacrifice of blood was demanded and it would be the Sun and High Elves to be the ones to supply it.

#### Three Saints, Three Sisters

A fallen father of noble blood, forced to bleed out on the blood-soaked altars of Zom became the catalyst for change, for rebellion. As Kui had wept and given birth to the elven people, so would the tears of three daughters of Lyllalea shed that day give birth to a new hope. The eldest raised the blade and made war upon the Ebon Legions of the usurper-queen, and while she held strong and prevailed over mortal blood, it were the spawn of Zom that proved to be her undoing. Alike to the White Kings of yore, she proved the virtue of her blood by remaining the last on the battlefield to offer her soldiers an escape.

The second sister raised the spirits of the people, for her voice could mend the hearts of the broken with hope and gild them with courage. Even when alone, she could behold a world and if none other but she saw it, it was one that tens of thousands would walk and bleed for to behold and turn dream into reality. Ever beloved and free of sin, she was undone, betrayed by those she had sworn to protect and said to have cried for three days and three nights upon the altars of Zom. Alike to the White Kings of yore, she proved the virtue of her blood by never cursing the names of those who betrayed her.

#### The Phoenix Takes Flight

And so the youngest of sisters remained, alone in a world not kind to those who stand in rebellion. Yet her path took her to a place undreamed and forgotten, beyond great seas of fire and deserts of ice. On the threshold, a star born from the heavens flew down in the form of a golden phoenix to meet her. A heavenly guardian born in aeons past stood as the final barrier at the edge of hope. Yet it was no contest of mortal strength, but the judgement of her worth, which won true, and won her passage. The phoenix guardian guided her, to a place already primordial when even the ancients were yet young. There, she and twelve others of noble birth claimed the fruit of knowledge and brought it back to Malm. Thirteen tablets in number, made of stone unknown to mar to steel or the edge of time. Six spoke of the divine and their great design. Four revealed the truth of things and the birth right of elves and the last three speak of secrets yet unspoken to this day. Yet one truth stood above all others, balance had to be maintained for creation could only endure when the Six exist in accordance with another.

Amatharysia Lyllalea, the last and youngest of three would elevate the trials and tribulations of the elder two to become the foundation of a new era. The hardened soldiers forged in the crucible of war against not only Dark Elves but also spawn of Zom became the core of a new army. Anointed in the light of the Six and sworn as the very first Knights of Lyllalea. Their armour cast red to remember the commander that had died for them, to remember the sacrifice and to repay it, for it was only the living who could remember the dead and in turn give meaning to their deaths.

#### Hail Holy Queen

With erudite magi in step, Amatharysia travelled the land and liberated it from the elemental chaos that had consumed it. Wisdom gained through tablets of ancient truths transformed into the cure for the disease of the land that had divided a people once most proud and noble. It had been the Six that divided and it would be the Six to unite, teaching the people that to praise them all would in turn bring balance and peace to heaven and earth. She found none willing to listen till all from commoner to noble remembered the Lyllalea that had died for them and had loved in them to the end and so their hearts opened to queen and divine alike. Twelve lords of Treaq once divided now stood united to crown the last of the Lyllalea as the first of a new Dynasty, the first of La Lyllalea.

#### A New Dawn For Elvenkind

Restorer of the elven world, having mend the hearts of people and the land alike she and her knights of Lyllalea marched upon the dark usurper-queen. Prevailing where many had failed, exorcising darkness till only their victims remained. Yet as many she had touched, the hearts of the Dark Elves she could not for they remained defiant to her. Unwilling to found her reign on slaughter of untold proportions, she instead spared both Dark Elves and their usurper-queen and exiled them to a land far away. Perhaps setting the stage yet again for tragedy but for now peace had come and the start of a new age of elvenkind had dawned.