Dominion of Thalanius

Populated by the pale, silver haired "Silver Elves", this remains the seat of the purest population of elves on the world. Despite their de-population, they have not changed or allowed immigration in thousands of years, occasionally allowing golden elves of perfect pedigree remain. Their vast empire is now a shadow of what it was, allowing separate factions to grow in those areas that they used to exercise control.

Silver Elves (or Moon Elves) have black, grey or silver hair, and dark violet to silver eyes, and they claim that they follow more accurately the culture passed down to them by their divine father Thalasian, and his great grandchild and namesake Thalanius.

**Location, Size and Ecology**: A thin floating island 400,000 square leagues stretching from above the Nungar nation, over the Ushab Spire Mountains and toward Rebel Islands. It is approximately 1 to 1.5 leagues in elevation, and is usually partially covered in clouds from the ground. Their empire used to incorporate dozens of smaller floating islands and colonies, but since the war and they have pulled most of their governors and soldiers back from their colonies, which has left the indentured workers (usually non-elves) in far off kingdoms cut off from the world either slowly dying or finding some way to subsist independently.

The ecology of the main dominion varies between cold boreal forests, to warmer rainforests with interspersed mountains, and cold water springs. The main island has many unusual creatures not native to the continental level, including fey creatures and the occasional dinosaur.

**History:**

The official History states that Thalanius was a priest of the great God Thalasian, and walked with him as a father and a friend all of the days of his life, and was the first elf to be created in millenia past, though this also brings up questions about where his wives came from. Some elven theologians claim that Thalasian created many elves after him, and others claim that his first wives were directly from the feywild, which explains the penchant that moon elves have for faerie magick.

In any event, his tribe and children increased as they filled the island they found themselves on, and intermarried. They defended themselves from dragons and became adept at the magick they were given by theie god and their connection to the feywild.

In the Age of Empires, they discovered a gem that provided a conduit for teleportation magicks allowing even the simplest of initiates to open at first small gateways to other such crystals, and eventually large gateways. Their first encounter was with other elves, essentially similar to their themselves although with slightly different coloration. The Asari claimed equal allegiance to the Thalasian and Saranrae, the moon and sun, which seemed like confusing blasphemy to the faithful Thalasians. They also held reverence for the stars, which seemed odd to the moon people. Still, while different and strange, they were similar enough.

Both made joint efforts to venture below, and there they found many sorts of wondrous and occasionally despicable creatures. Humans, who while similar to elves physically died quickly and seemed much more primitive, living in tribes and small cities. The offspring of the dragons in humanoid form, which they clashed with, but avoided when they could. And the Ushabti, who practiced unwholesome blood magick, at least according to the Elves, and they avoided them as well, and prepared defenses in case the magical invasion.

Then the Thalanians found their cultural compatriots in the the humans of the Astartes, another floating island empire, filled with an innovative people who burned with passion partially due to their short lifespans. The Thalanians believed they had found a kindred people. They were fascinated with conceptual magic, and sought to built structures of beauty and glory. More than a few half-elves were created from diplomatic relations and treaty marriages.

As the Astartes expanded below, the Thalanians warned them of the Ushabti expansion and their dark ways. As the Astartes clashed with their landbound rivals, the Thalanians supported the Astartes but also counselled caution. However as that war escalated into in an arms race, then a cold war, then a proxy war, and then into outright hostilities, the Thalanians withdrew. They were devastated by the fall, and have many different theories as to what caused it, ranging from the Astartes nobly sacrificing themselves to save the Airth and Vidgart from an evil woken up by other wayward humans. Others believe that the Astartes brought it on themselves, by ignoring the advise of the Thalanians.

The elves were struck by fear when the Astartes continent fell, and quickly turned their backs on their human allies. Fearing that the fall was contagious, they exiled every refugee and half elf in their midst, some of which survived but many did not. The Elves went into a period of withdrawl and mourning. They recorded all they could but focused on defending and observing the world below.

Centuries later they re-established diplomatic contact with the golden elves, who had changed - they had bred with Astartes that survived on their territory and the uniform golden eyes and golden hair was not uniform, but only maintained in the purest of the nobility. Now intermingled were human hues of hair and eyes; now red and brown and black.

**Populations**:

Silver Elves: 85%

Golden Elves 10%

Half Elves 4%

Non-Elven Non-Citizens 1%