Arkspire Covenant of Dione'Leora

Dione-Leora, (Dee-o-nay Lee-or-ah) is otherwise translated to "the Haven of the East". Located in the eastern subcontinent of Lorthal. Dione-Leora is the last known surviving Arkspire of the Elves, the one that survived the disastrous mass magical exodus of the elves when they had retreated from the Prime Material to the Feywild, escaping from the destruction wrought by the battles of the Prime Divinities millennia ago in the Cataclysm. Spending nearly 200 years in isolation within the Feywild, their eventual return was remarked as the return of the elves - but upon arrival, these elves soon realise the world is not what it once was, and mankind had prospered in their wake.
It is the seat and central power of the ancient elves, the sun and moon elves of the Dio'leorai and their royal family and their descendants, the "Alofreya". A city powered, protected and found thriving by old magics invested from the elegant and powerful elven mages of the old world. Their once-great empire now left as a forgotten ruin, they founded their new seat of power within the verdant expanses of the land they came to call Dioleorais. From here, they sought to rebuild and restore to glory the name of the elves, aided by their great "Queen Tiarhossa Alofreya". From there, they came to learn to domesticate the great griffons of the Palloryze Mountains and occupy the Brenqwinn Valley, keeping within the safety of the woods that grew there and bringing a great vitality to the land there.

GOVERNMENT

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Dione-Leora was once ruled by a collective of the royal family of Alofreya, of whom there was the Coronnal and the Phoenix Queen. The relationship between these rulers is not as simple as the titles might suggest. The Coronnal, a title equivalent of a King, was an elective position whereas the Queen was hereditary, and both monarchs maintain entirely separate courts. The Phoenix Queen is always the Queen of Dione'Leona. Her realm is the site of the principal shrine of Arvanos, and she is regarded as the spiritual leader of the whole Elven realm. The position is always taken up by the firstborn daughter of the previous queen, conceived during the year-long ritual marriage to the Coronnal. After this formal marriage, they are free to take new consorts, but only the daughter conceived from the marriage of the Phoenix Queen and the Coronnal can be the new Phoenix Queen. Hence the Queens of Dione'Leora have always been the Phoenix Queens of Dione'Leora, forming an unbroken chain from ages past. By contrast, the Coronnal is chosen from among the princes of Dione'Leora, one year after the death of the previous incumbent. Each is crowned during a holy ceremony, held at a massive Shrine of Arvanos, and attended by legions of the Royal Guard and the princes of Dione'Leora. The process of choosing the new Coronnal is rife with intrigue. Emotions often run hot during this fraught and delicate event; however, in practice, the debate starts much sooner than this. Often, the politicking starts before the reigning Coronnal has died. The High Elves love intrigue and never is the prize greater than when a new Coronnal is chosen.

The grandest of Dione'Leora's noble families each look to be chosen, and they vie for the support of their peers for their choice. Further to this, each realm in Dione'Leora desires the new Coronnal to be chosen from their land. So it is that rivalries are set aside - or created - to ensure that the agendas of the noble houses are met. For all the deception, manipulation and chicanery employed during the election process, it is almost unheard of for the tactics employed to escalate to violence or outright sabotage. Such actions are considered heretical, for the Coronnal is the anointed servant of Arvanos. Few High Elf nobles are so consumed with a victory that they could believe, even for a moment, that the Creator God would ever approve of a king selected by the ruling council under such dubious and destructive circumstances.
Outside of this monarchical structure, Dione'Leora is comprised of ten independent realms, each ruled by its own princes. Each of these realms forms into distinct geography, the Outer and Inner kingdoms. The former are those whose shores touch the sea, while the latter are those that surround the hinterlands.
The Elves of Dione'Leora follow the Royal Council, an oligarchic circle of theocratic mages and high noble officials, known as the Voronwe ("Steadfast Ones") that had taken power away from the royal family after a coup'd'etat, referred to as the Phoenix Folly, upon realising that their retreat had cost them their entire empire and supremacy as a world power. They retain power and influence as a council with a set of unifying goals, to locate the lost citadels, unify their people, reclaim their lands and destroy the Great Enemy: the Drow. And operating under the control of their magically bountiful Mythallar, the Arvendylliad, which grants them power and protection from the dangers of the world.

They did not kill the royal family, rather they forced them to abdicate and grant them political and spiritual powers in order to enact their great purpose and dream to return their god to them. The Voronwe ruled with an iron fist and believed that the elves were superior to other beings.
Maintaining the Great Houses of nobility - the Voronwe was made up of a council of seven, that delegated matters of great importance in the Elven Arkspire:

• The Royal Scribe & Messenger
• High Admiral, master of Dione'Leoras navy
• High Sentinel, master of Dione'Leoras military
• High Lord of the High House of Leonathir, the Archbishop of Arvon
• High Lady of the High House of Dionedan, the Archmage of Arvon
• Grand Mage of Dione'Leora, the head of Dione'Leoras mages
• Grand Farseeker

 
While it was once a tradition that the Royal Council serves at the pleasure of the Elven Throne of Dione'Leora and the current reigning monarch, the members appointed to the council were just as traditionally powerful in their own right, and their opinions did not always coincide with that of the reigning king or queen. Thus, after the forceful abdication of Queen Alofreya, her reign was replaced by the governance of her high council, renamed the Voromwe. They were set to rule until they had re-established the power of the elves.
The Royal Scribe was a position of great influential power, or once was, as the great chronicler and keeper of elven history in the Royal Court - maintaining the knowledge and truths of the Elven societies, the development of their civilisation and its magics and wisdom. Working alongside and in the knowledge of the Elven religion of Arvon, their great ancestor. Now amongst the Voromwe, they have taken a greater role as the Minister of Propaganda & Antiquities for the Arkspire - changing and supporting the role of the Voromwe after the abdication of the royal family, and granting greater emphasis and support of the Great Houses of Dione'Leora; granting the elves a history of superiority and greatness in celebration of its heroes and heroic actions that emulate the new order of the Elves, its religion and its power as an Arkspire.
The High Admiral, is a position that has largely depleted in influence and power over time - and has become a supportive and more ceremonial role in internal political affairs & command of the newly growing elven navy and its foreign policies to the other races. Focusing towards protecting the region against pirates and privateers, but also focusing on invading other kingdoms for necessary resources such as the Gnomes, the Orcs and Anga-Volka.
The High Sentinel, is a position that has gained considerable power in the aftermath of the royal families abdication, but stands as a second-in-command and protector of the elven people. It has forced a crusading campaign to recover the lost Alflands their kingdom once held, and commit active military conscription and draft from the elves to strengthen themselves and project a sense of power to the other races.
The High Lord of Leonathir. An important position for the Arkspire itself, as the family that orchestrated its great construction and its maintenance during their exodus through the Feywild - also establishing ties with the Eladrin courts of the Feywild to provide sanctuary and accumulate both wealth and power. Not to mention they are high ranking emmbers of the Arvon religion.
The High Lady of Dionedan. A highly influential position for the Arkspire city, as the family that provided the necessary magical research and great warriors to guard the royal family previously during the exodus into the Feywild - however, they also supported the claim against the Queens rule after their return; and established themselves in the guidance of the court, and to maintain its power and balance it from the other Court officials.
The Grand Mage of Dione'Leora. The most powerful position for the Arkspire city, responsible for returning the elves back to the Prime Material and for their survival in the Feywild - the preservation of their magical arts and positions against the newly established world. They maintain the cities defences and protect the council with its powerful mages. The new voice of the Arkspire.
The Grand Farseeker. A traditional and ceremonious position upon the court, but also the great spymaster and protector of the lands - knowledgeable in beasts, counter-magic and hunter of the borders. Controlling the elite shadow corp of the royal family and the elven secret police.

SOCIETY

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The most important principles in elven society are Magic, Grace, Artistry, Martial Prowess and Intrigue. The more an elf has of these, the greater they rise within their society. You are only as important as you have value, skill, intelligence and ambition. They stand firm in their belief that they are the sole protectors and inheritors of Arvanos' legacy in the Prime Material. Patient and deliberate in most of what they did, they demonstrated an orderly nature uncommon to most elves, preferring to master a skill before applying it rather than learning as they go. Rushing was out of the nature of these elves, who, while less versatile than most races, had a mastery of whatever they applied themselves to. The only true exception was in martial combat, which nearly all elves had some training in, regardless of how much and which most were eager to finish as quickly as possible once engaged. Due to the longevity of their natural lives, and the veneration and reverence of magic, elves are fundamentally influenced by their environment and born to made to be users of the arcane. They realise that they can achieve anything with the proper dedication, patience and will to learn magic and manipulate the flow of the energies of the universe. To follow the path of being the inheritors of Arvanos' legacy, they endeavour and devote their lives to contribute to their society and to bring good to the world.
Here is the social structure of the Elves:

• The Royalty: The Phoenix Queen & the Coronnal
• The Royal Council (Voromwe, the Steadfast Ones)
• Priests & Mages (Ven'areanda, the Venerators, & Opus Avae, the Great Artists)
• The Noble Houses (The Elat'Primaevo, the Uplifted Bloodlines)
• The Artisans, Musicians, Artists & Poets (Operfexio, the Concerted)
• The Working Class (Apisio, the Tasked)
• Merchants, Traders & Peddlers (Eccipere, the Givers)
• Farmers, Hunters & Herders (Vulgus, the Common)
• Unskilled Labourers & Servants (Indigus, the Undeserving)
• Half-Breeds (Vastata, the Spoiled)

The highest in Elven society are those whose names and ancestors descend to the first Primal Elves that accepted their mutable and ineffable bodies during the mythic era, and led the elves in their supreme empires of old. The greatest amongst them, believed to be appointed by Arvanos himself as the reincarnated and descendant line of his chosen was the Phoenix Queen, to be resurrected and to lead. Aided and assisted by the oldest, wisest and most talented of the Elves, as part of the Voromwe.
Below them, are those who are the closest to their departed deity, the Ven'areanda & Opus-Avae, those who enact Arvanos' will and those that discern his ultimate power and the universe that he formulated, the Great Mages.
Beneath the two great castes of priests and mages, are the other elder houses of the esteemed nobility, the Elat'Primaevo, who claim their lines to the old kings and queens of old and their families of the other Princes. They are some of the oldest, most prestigious and skilled from generations of experience.
Below the nobility, are the Operfexio, the lauded artisans and artists of the society, the ones who generate beauty and use their knowledge to create great works of art - making each and every performance, artwork and craft unique and undistinguished.
Below this artist elite, are the hard-working class, known as the Apisio, and number that toil towards other menial tasks and necessary labour across society.
Merchants, traders and peddlers are those that bring value to the goods and trade for the Covenant - but their labours in dealing and exchanging goods are less valued, only if they provide great contributions to their society are they lauded with more respect. But their focus and efforts for materialistic values are lost in a society that holds personal value about all material items. They are referred to as the Eccipere, or the Givers.
Farmers, Hunters & Herders belong among the lowest of the elven social structure, though the means in which they provide sustenance and provisions for the society are essential - they do not contribute in any other means to ensure the elves reign supreme, as these are tasks that are achieved by those below them. They are the Vulgus, or the Commonfolk.
At the bottom of the social ladder, are the Indigus, the Undeserving. These are the elves who have given way to their own passions, and do not contribute towards society - absorbed by their own selfish and ignorant ways, who are lost and spoiled groups - the disinherited of the Elven stock. Criminals, the inelegant, the stupid, the clumsy, the foolish, and those who constantly make mistakes.
Then there are the Vastata, the most reviled in all of Elven society - the Half-Breeds. Those who have broken the sacred chain of the Trance, and the link between Elven souls and elven bodies, by tarnishing and spoiling the bloodline of the elves, and in essence, the bloodlines of Arvanos' chosen. They are not socially accepted and are usually the symbol of shame amongst the Elves.
The Elves of Dione'Leora embraced individuality and freedom of thought, in the spirit of passions they follow their pursuits to their heart's content, believing their society to be the purest, most advanced and most reasonable of all civilisations - but are also imperialistic, and believe it to be their right to hold dominion over the lesser races of the world, enacting the will of their creator god. They see themselves as truly free and do not accept laws beyond their domain as their own. The elves believe themselves honourable, working one with nature and thus with the world in its entirety. Governing themselves, with everyone entitled to his or her own opinion, but only with logic will others listen. Men, women, children and the elderly are all entitled to their opinion. But, they hold a bias to expertise. As the battle-hardened soldier has more say in matters of war than a child who has only seen the fires of war. Children are educated at an early age, and with the long lives of the elves, the creation of children is rare, and children are treated as sacred.
Elves practise polyamorous relationships due to their longevity, but marriage occurs rarely, but when it does, it is for life. It is the joining of two families, and take pride within their families. As individuals, they are equal, but as a family, they hold the strength and knowledge in their long hereditary lives. An elven family is a sign of ultimate bonding. Families are almost never divided by anything but death. But, elves are not restricted in their romances within marriage, as they can have multiple if not dozens of partners in their lives, as passion is encouraged as is the chances to bring a child to the world... but they would always have their life-long marriages with their first partners and hold legitimacy with their first family line.
Even in war, the elven people are treated equally. While the most experienced lead the battle, each and every elf knows their place. They do not discriminate by age or gender and mature very quickly in their early years. Graceful, quick, strong-minded, determined, intelligent and quick thinking.
Elves are capable of interbreeding with humans (thus producing half-elves and quarter-elves) and dryads. Though elves are incredibly long-lived, only young adult elves are fertile, thus elven populations tend to reproduce at a slower rate than humans.
Perhaps more than any other race, elves are familiar with all aspects of memory. From birth, elves don't sleep but instead enter a trance when they need to rest. In this trance, elves remain aware of their surroundings while immersing themselves in memories. What an elf remembers during this reverie depends largely on how long the elf has lived, and the events of the lives that the elf's soul has experienced before.
Much has been made about the fecundity of humans compared to elves. Ignorant folk wonder how elves can live so long, yet have so few children. They do not appreciate how birth is a joy and sorrow, a reunion and a parting.
Each elf that is born represents an elven soul that has been to Arvandor, their elven heaven, and returned. Mortal elves cannot know if it is the soul of someone recently dead or someone who died millennia ago. They cannot even be certain if the elf is of the same world. The only assurances they have is that it is an elf of their own kind, for when the primal elves went against Arvanos and took permanent shapes, they chose this fate for themselves.
How many elves are born to which parents or in any given generation is a mystery that has been pondered for many generations. It is believed that the elven Solars ferry souls from Arvandor into their mortal lives anew. A decade in which many elves are born across the world is thought to be a harbinger of danger that great numbers of elves will be needed to withstand. In contrast, if an elven community goes a century or longer without a new birth, members will take this as a sign that the community has stagnated and must disband. Because of the rarity of elven births, siblings might be separated in age by decades, or even a century or more. Thus, few elves grow up playing with brothers or sisters of similar age and instead rely on friends for the development of their social skills. In exceedingly rare cases, a birth might produce twins - or scarcer yet - triplets. These offspring, which the Elves refer to as Soul Siblings, are believed to have a special, intertwined destiny that can only be fulfilled if raised together. During a young elf's first few years, the memories evoked during trance are drawn not from current life experiences but from the fantastic past adventures of the elf's immortal soul. Parents of young elves and Priests encourage the youths to explore these memories and talk about them with one another, but they aren't to be discussed with adults until the memory of walking life first intrudes upon a youngsters trance. They call this experience, the First Reflection, which marks the end of childhood and the beginning of adolescence.
Most elves experience their First Reflection in their second-third decade. It marks the beginning of the period when an elf must focus on acquiring the knowledge and skills needed for the elf's role as an adult. As a means to this end, elves in adolescence learn how to use trance to evoke memories of their waking lives, giving them opportunities to reflect on the joys of the mortal world and to reinforce the principles of any training or practice undertaken while awake. At the same time, the memories of long ago that came so easily during childhood now arise less and less frequently. The Drawing of the Veil is the name that elves give to the occasion when a young elf no longer experiences primal memories during trance but instead recalls only the events of its current mortal existence.
The Drawing of the Veil marks an elf's passage into adulthood, typically occurring at the end of the first century of life. Losing access to one's primal memories can be a traumatic experience. Elder elves look for signs of this change in young elves and try to guide them through it - most mark this time with a celebration of pride or ceremony, as a way of offsetting an individuals' melancholy. For some young adults, this might be a time for contemplation, while in another community it is an occasion for celebration that invokes Arvanos' spirit.
After the Drawing of the Veil, the elf enters the prime of life, a span of centuries during which most elves strive to engage with the world. An adult elf learns how to control the memories that bubble up during trance, choosing to recall experiences from its waking life that enhance its training or give it solace in bad times. This is the stage of elven life that others are most familiar with because it's the age when elves move outside their reclusive communities and interact with the larger world. They strive to have a permanent effect on the world, to change things for the better (as they see it). Elves want to leave a mark on the world that future generations will remember. Over time, an adult elf can become accomplished in many endeavours while pursuing its destiny. It isn't unusual among elves to meet someone who is an expert in disparate disciplines, such as a battle wizard who is a settlement best vintner and famous for creating delicate wood carvings. This versatility speaks to every adult elf's eagerness for new experiences because memories of adventures, escapades and accomplishments will fuel the next and possibly longest phase of one's life.
At some point during adulthood, the reverie of an elf's trance is first interrupted by a new form of unbidden thought. This seemingly errant memory arises not from the elf's personal experience nor from the memories of the elf's primal soul but comes from another life and another time. An elf's first experience of this sort is often referred to as the Remembrance. Or it is called the Revelation. Regardless of the label, this event marks the start of a new phase in an elf's life. An elf who begins to experience these other-life memories might live on as normal for decades, but as the intrusions become more frequent, they take their toll on the individual's outlook. Eventually, an elf's thoughts start drifting away from worldly accomplishments and turning more and more inward. This change is gradual at first, but it becomes more and more severe until it can't be ignored. When that happens, an elf loses interest in the outside world and wants nothing more than to return home, to be surrounded by others of their own kind, to explore the memories that they've accumulated in this life and keep them separate from the ever-increasing number of other-life memories that are resurfacing. Most Elves undergo this experience in their third or fourth centuries. Elves who led extremely active and dangerous lives, such as adventurers, seem to be affected earlier than those who pursue more sedate occupations.
Notably, elves who have been revived from death by magical means seem to experience their first other-life memory earlier than they otherwise might. Regardless of how soon or how often elves experience such memories, most consider them a blessing from the gods. The experiences of other lives that are revisited during trance can be examined for lessons to be applied during one's waking life, signs from the gods, or ways to open an elf's perspective to other points of view. A handful of elves in any generation never experience an other-life memory during trance. It's hypothesised that these select few might be reincarnations of the original primal elves who sprang from Arvanos and were allowed to stay in his company. Although most elder elves become more serene, these rare folk spend the rest of their lives throwing themselves into dangerous situations, as if daring death to try to take them.
Most elves don't age outwardly as other humanoids do. The skin of adults remains smooth, their hair does not grey, and their bones do not ache. Even the oldest elves look similar in age to a human of perhaps 30 years. Yet there is one sure sign that an elf is nearing the end of life: cataracts in the shape of crescents, pointing down, that appears over the pupils of both eyes when the elf is in trance. This change, commonly known as the Transcendence, is evidence that their soul has been allowed to enter the doorway to return to Arvandor - a direct sign from the gods that it's time to get one's affairs in order.
Most elves are seldom frivolous or carefree. The reason is rooted in an inborn sorrow that infused the primal elves when they stopped following Arvanos' path. Becoming physical beings and immutable. These feelings of regret and sadness grip all elves at various times in their lives, and impact every aspect of their society.
Priests among elves typically believe that the broken link cannot be healed unless Arvanos has a change of heart and returns to the mortal realm. And as changeable as the god is, he was adamant on one point: as long as Lolth exists, the responsibility for her betrayal falls on all elves. When the elves were cast from their formlessness and impermanence for the promise of greatness, they forsook the part of their nature that Arvanos most cherished. Worse, by doing so they somehow compromised Arvanos' mutability too. Whether or not Lolth tricked the primal elves, is beside the point. They chose to follow her, which precipitated the schism between Arvanos and Lolth, even if many of them ultimately remained loyal to Arvanos. Now the elves must forever live and die and live again, suffering the consequences of their ancestor's poor judgement. In this one regard, Arvanos is as inflexible and unchanging as the foundation of the world. All elves grieve over the memories of the irreparably broken bond between themselves and their creator.
As elves have a natural life span of 700 years or longer, this affects their attitude and outlook toward every aspect of mortal life. Events from centuries ago that are distant or even ancient history to humans might have been experienced first-hand by many elves who are still alive. And an elf's memory of such events is likely more accurate than a well-researched historian account because the elf can revisit the memory over and over during trance, fixing it more firmly in mind each time.
The elven sense of value as it relates to time is hard for humans to comprehend. An elf seldom becomes sentimentally attached to physical objects such as manufactured structures and furnishings, except those of personal significance, for the simple reason that the object is likely to become decrepit before the elf does. Even fine jewellery and steel swords become tarnished and pitted succumbing to the ravages of age-long before the years of their elven owners come to an end.
Paradoxically, elves pay special interest to the ephemeral: a cloud of mayflies, bubbles in water, illusions, eclipses, rainbows, artistic performances, and so forth. They are fascinated by anything of beauty - an object, creature, scene, or event - that might be experienced only once, but which can be captured in an elf's memory and revisited during trance for the rest of their lives. It's a rare elf who forms strong relationships with people of other races, particularly those whose life spans are much shorter. Humans like to believe that elves don't form bonds with them because the elves are saddened whenever they lose a friend to death, but that's only a portion of the truth. From the elven view, humans' lives are over too soon for elves to forge what they consider a real friendship. Among elves, a hundred years of acquaintance between individuals is considered a good foundation to a close relationship.
In keeping with their seeming aloofness, elves can appear cold and emotionless in the face of tragedy. They do feel the same pain that others feel, and they do mourn their losses. But they also understand, in a way that other creatures can't, that all worldly pain is fleeting. Also, if an elf becomes too emotionally invested in a loss, the experience might be relived during trance for centuries to come. Keeping some distance between themselves and the concerns of others serves elves best. Even though they are stingy with their affection for others, the elves are excellent judges of character. Thus, they can form superficial associations with other creatures very quickly. An elf often knows within minutes of meeting someone whether that new acquaintance would be a fitting companion for a journey or adventure, and their first impressions are seldom wrong - thought it might be decades later before the relationship becomes deeply personal. The quality of patience, as other races define it, is so ingrained in elves that it goes beyond second nature. When enemies threaten to invade their domain, elves are just as often satisfied to wait out the danger in their concealed strongholds as to come forth and fight. Remaining out of harm's way for a year or even a decade is a small price to pay to avoid bloodshed - because elves, after all, have all the time in the world.
Consistent with their long perspective on the world and their knowledge of its history, elves have a special view of morality. They abide by the traditional definitions of good and evil but are tinged with elven sensibilities. When someone takes the life of another, for instance, the elves have a unique way of delivering justice.
Like most civilised beings, elves consider murder a serious crime, but their reasoning concerning punishment is their own. Mortal creatures, like humans, condemn murder and those who commit it because it snuffs out life. Where a mortal's life is concerned, elves see things the same way. Even if the murdered creature is brought back to life with magic, that doesn't negate the crime any more than replacing stolen gold makes up for the original act of thievery. But elves aren't truly mortal, in the way that humans and other creatures are. If an elf is killed, the soul is reincarnated into a new body after some indeterminate time. Only the deceased elves ambitions and current life goals are cut short; the soul will eventually receive another chance at life and fulfilment. Because elves are reincarnated, their society treats the family and friends of a slain elf as the real victims of the murder. The survivors must carry on in life without a beloved parent, child, partner, sibling or companion, and might feel that loss for centuries. Justice in such cases is geared towards their benefit rather than toward avenging the individual whose life was extinguished. Punishment for the murderer depends to some extent on the nature of the crime and whether it was premeditated. It can take the form of being exiled from the community, paying a great sum of money to the survivors, or being forced to carry on whatever unfinished work the slain elf was engaged in. Of those, exile is the most severe punishment.
Property crimes such as theft are usually considered evidence of significant character flaws because elves don't value material goods as highly as shorter-lived races do. An items intrinsic value is secondary to its historical and sentimental value, which can be considerable. An elf who steals a pouch full of gems would be pitied, but someone who steals a dried flower presented to an elf by her long-gone sister would be seen as a monster and likely exiled from the community.
The elven personality is a mixture of two opposing forces, which vie for dominance throughout an elf's life. How an elf handles the tension between passion and restraint.
While they are young, elves approach life with great enthusiasm. Their joy is as intense as roaring flame, their sadness as deep as the sea. They dive into endeavours with inexhaustible energy, yet they typically do so without much display of emotion.
The reserve and patience of elves is well known among other races, but what a dwarf or human doesn't see is the conflict taking place inside the elves mind. Elves keep their passion internalised because they learn at a young age that such dealings become destructive when they are allowed to take control. Elves who let passion overtake their behaviour can be consumed by it. They stop caring about friendships, alienate family members, and take foolish risks in the pursuit of gratification that a cooler head would never hazard. This passion wanes as an elf age, but it never disappears entirely. One of the most important responsibilities of elder elves is teaching youngsters the danger of letting their passions loose and showing them how to develop long-lasting self-discipline.
Magic infuses the elves world. Even so, they aren't born with an innate understanding of magic. To master spellcasting, an elf must devote years of study and practice to it, the same as most folk. But from the moment they're born, elves are surrounded by a culture, a philosophy, and an artistic style that incorporates and subtly reveals the mysteries of magic to someone who is receptive to the message - which elves certainly are.
Each and every elf has a predetermined affinity for magic, and hold the ability within them to greatly master the Weave. Elves, unlike any other race, live naturally long lives, with some growing as old as or older than 700 years of age. When an elf begins their life, they do not reach the maturity of an adult until they have reached 100 years of age. Communities were typically run by members of an esteemed nobility, some of which could trace their ancestry all the way back to the Age of Elven Supremacy. However, where a human king typically accumulated influence through the ownership of land or command of soldiers, an elven noble commanded authority through the prestige of their family name, or the magical power they held at their behest, a power they often demonstrated through the grandeur of their home.

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Upon the return to the Prime Material - the Elves had brought with them a contingent of sylvan creatures, and those that they had preserved before the Calamity, now endangered creatures in their own right. They had no worked lands, no agriculture apart from what they had from the Feywild - major concerns at first was establishing knowledge of the surrounding areas and securing them of any immediate threats or concerns. Thus began the Ranger Corps - and the Farseeker Initiative. The mages and military gauged the understanding and loss of their lands, and tried to prevent a riot - the Voromwe inset this by assigning blame upon the Queen, and forced her abdication - in order to accumulate power and to set their goals clear on the expeditions out into the wider world. Then there was the initiative of invading and raiding other lands to bring support to the Elven lands - the elven privateers, the Farseekers. The Moon Elf nomads & the high elf exiles had no room left in their capital as they started to expand and think bigger and in the long-term for survival.

Culture

Much of the Arkspire's architecture was created by magical means, most notably through the use of the spell 'construction' - made from green alabaster, glass or white marble - stone buildings were usually crafted from single pieces of rock; those made of magically created wood had roofs magically created bark or leaves. Some were typically made of crystal or gems, causing them to glitter in the sunlight. The Sparkling Wanderale was a fizzy drink imported from Dione'Leora and favoured by many high elves.
Many species that existed during the Cataclysm are now preserved in the gardens and homes of the Elves in the Arkspire in order to protect them and preserve their nature - much like the Elves and their own endeavours towards reuniting their race and with their deity, Arvanos.
The Elves normally organised themselves into groups of a dozen extended families or so, each ruled democratically, although often with de facto leaders whose say held more weight than anyone else's, an individual most often respected for either their age or their martial skill.
ART & LEISURE
The elves qualities of patience and haughtiness often are demonstrated in Elven art.
Some elves took things with little gravity, instead of taking joy in the simple things in life, a trend that their music and art reflected, which were more joyous than solemn. They were very fond of art and had both a strong bardic tradition and a history of painting and sculpting. For entertainment, most elves tended to gamble, taking little risks as part of the fun. Similarly, drinking and revelling was an important part of their culture. Elven architecture, while undeniably beautiful in most cases, was often flashier than what other elves commonly built, a quality in part due to the fact that these elves accept nothing short of perfection, working tirelessly in their art to constantly raise the aesthetic bar. Elven art, poetry, music - all of these demonstrated a regal attitude that had come to be closely associated with Elven tastes. To an Elf, the grander a piece the better, with heroic ballads or tragic epics the preferred form of literature amongst the subrace. Elves loved and enjoyed learning, perhaps even to a point that others might find surprising. Nearly all elves had access to a private store of knowledge and no self-respecting elf lacked the capacity to read or write.
Contrasting, many elves preferred clothing that was at once beautiful and understated, with subdued colours favoured over bolder hues. Most elves decorate themselves with gold or mithral embroidery in subtle patterns woven into the design of their clothes and which added to the beauty of the clothing without seeming flashy or showy. Similarly, most elven jewellery was simple in appearance, but in fact exquisitely complex both in construction and design. Meanwhile, others preferred clothing of simple design but exquisite making, using the finest textiles and most beautiful weaving designs available but typically making simple cuts and measurements, finding showy flourishes unnecessary. Their clothing was often flashy in other ways, with bright colours being popular to those who felt comfortably at rest and away from danger. Most elves wore their hair in braids and ponytails, decorated with wires or beads. Tattoos were not unheard of among the elves and were frequently worn, though it was not an ingrained part of their culture.
Few of the Elves of Dione'Leona enjoyed keeping pets, though they retained a fondness of nature itself. Elves were rarely disturbed by wild animals, more often welcoming them should they pass through a cities limits. For companionship or servitude, however, Elves were more likely to summon powerful elementals or immortals than natural creatures. Those who did keep personal pets were most likely to use them as mounts, though often exotic ones, such as pegasi or giant eagles.
MAGIC AND RELIGION

Elves had a deep respect for magic, particularly of the High Magic variety, and often concentrated their studies on its nature and use. Elves had an advantage over other races, for as a collective group, the Elves had a greater wealth of lore than any other, a collection accumulated over millennia. With the proper training, Elven mages might be capable of warding an entire city or changing the landscape of a small region overnight, although such power was often used hesitantly and with restraint; the destruction of the Arkspires and other disasters reminding the elves that, with great power, came the need to restrain one's self. As a result, Elves, as much out of an urge to prevent magical disasters as out of possessive arrogance, were hesitant to use their abilities learned as mages outside of their domains.
Elves favoured the arcane, though they did not neglect the divine and most elves were deeply religious. This piety was also often intertwined with nationalism, as they believe they were the chosen people of the Arch-Heart. As in most other things, the Elves left no detail incomplete and the elven ceremonies devoted to the Seldarin were often long and drawn-out. For other races, these rites might even seem dull, with Elves neglecting any hint of joy or merriness, which they believed disrespectful to the gods, in their worship.
Both traditions of arcane and divine magic were highly encouraged and those who partook in either were pushed to expand the knowledge of their race. This pressure did not bother most elves, who were outright delighted should they ever become masters of the Art.
The Elves generally paid heed to Arvanos, Shelúne, the Season Riders & Null the Unborn Godling, though some did not even consider Araushnee, or Lolth, to be amongst their worship. Most found only Arvanos worthy of their veneration. To the common elf, he reflected the best qualities through their vision of the great being - wisdom, generosity, and firm leadership. Priests of the god often had a high place in elven society, advising nobility and aiding the military.

People

The people that resided within the Arkspire Covenant are primarily the Elves - mostly High Elves, forming 53% of the population and Moon Elves, forming 33% of the population. Otherwise, the other races that populate this area are Kobolds, Gnomes, Halflings & Fey. Halflings & Kobolds make the larger of the minority populations, around 6%, whereas the Fey forms 5% and the Gnomes form 3%. Humans and dwarves are rare and unfounded in this region, only coming in as short-term traders across the Ventura Sea and coastline.

HISTORY

Pre-Divergence:

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0-213PD = The Arkspires had retreated to the planar realms - Dion'Leora had escaped into the realm of the Fey and was protected and fortified, developing in isolation - with time so bleak and different in this realm, it was 400 years in the Feywild compared to the 200+ years that separated them from the Material Realm. They lamented the loss of their favour with Arvanos, and subverted to rearing effigies and figures to lament their belief in their lost divinity, trying to reclaim the divine magic within the Feywild - meanwhile, the connection to Sehanine became much stronger.
213 PD: The Return of the Arkspire - giving to the end of the century of Broken Magic, in which it was believed that the magic of the world had improved and realigned to its natural state and allowed the old magic of teleportation to be reinstated to the Prime Material - the magic and technology of the Dion'Leora seemingly reignited and the planar alignments seemed to converge back as access to the world became more available. Thus transportation across the regions was made possible by the arch-mages of Dion'Leora under the command of Queen Alofreya. They saw the world had been revived - but in their absence, the rise of other kingdoms had grown and they were no longer the power they once were.
220s PD: The Immortal Pursuits = The arch-mages propose great research across multiple centuries towards the reclamation of the lost Elven civilisations - mixing magical professions and schools, of Divination, Conjuration, Abjuration, Enchantment; propelling a grand pursuit, known as the Immortal Pursuits. Helped and aided by the Farseekers, who develop and begin a great cartographical expedition across the whole world, with travelling rangers that work in aid of the Elven civilisation - the works seem to be aided by those that devote themselves to the Immortal Pursuit to adventure and map the world, and those that take the dangerous pursuit to map the planes. This became a mix of Moon Elves and Sun Elves, belonging to the high elves; becoming the groups known as the "Stray Pilgrims" (lost in finding the sacred places of ancient Elven society). These branched out across different kingdoms and integrated themselves, then to report back in a great network being managed and maintained by the Farseekers Enclave, managed by the Reclaimant (those who appeal to reclaim, to restore from an undesirable position or manner). Meanwhile, as the community endeavoured into the Immortal Pursuits, there rested the keepers that proposed to a new ideal of finding the 'sacred homeland' of the elves, promised in an old elven text that existed since the Dawn of Civilisations, believed to have been written by Corellon himself, only interpreted by a preserved artistic-machine affected by magic, defying reality itself... believed to be a sacred material, or divinity in material form (Platonic Shapes?).
230s: The Great Elven Pilgrimages = the division of people avowed to a quest to 'reclaim' elven civilisation back to its original form. Meanwhile, the Reclaimants revered and consecrated their power by consolidating the power and magic of the elder arch-mages, seeking to reunite the elven race together and marshal the 'so-called prophecy' of the elven race. They seek the civilisations that were present from the Divergence, seeking historical texts and ancient artefacts and relics of the past to find the lost 'elves'.
Discovery of the Elves of Gwynngilliad

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Inspiration = Forerunners, Magic Blademasters, Teleporting Cities (Brainiac) - Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge - Magic to help the humanist philosophy of the elves, to find the means of 'a perfect soul', cosmic alignments and research into reality, researching the link between divine and arcane magic (understanding God, Corellon) - masters of the demi plane and Astral Sea. * A villain character that is collecting pieces of elven civilisations, hoping to break down these civilisations until they become so rare that he 'collects them' as his own pieces. * The elves caused, along with the dwarves, the Rift Schism, in a mission to understand the link between the arcane powers or divinity of Corellon; a mission where they sought to reclaim the divinity of Corellon for their own, attempting apotheosis, the creation of a god or celestial being. * Lighthouses that act as beacons through the planes for the Elves traversing the regions - civilisation devoted to finding their lost brethren in the Planes; uniting and acting in aid and deference against other civilisations (Ankh'hera, Duat'terra, Isla Bahatoor, the Alloyar Shaperate) - becoming interplanar navigators, treading upon the territories of the djinn, devils, demons, celestials, fey, elementals, aberrations. Finding the Dead Plane Scrolls, Elder Truths, Forgotten Gods...

The Nine Arkspires

Work-in-progress:

1. Dione'Leora = Eladrin and High Elves that survived the Teleportation Crisis.
2. Gwynngilliad (Wood Elves) = the once-great high elf kingdom that evolved into a prominent natural kingdom debased in druidism, animism and the works of the Fey.
3. The Arkspire of the Arctic (Arctic Elves) = Snow Elves, that became lost and buried. Enslaved by giants?***
4. The Shadar'Kai (Shadow Elves) = the elves that became lost within the Shadowfell, and were taken in by the Raven Queen... trapped and becoming 'untied' to the eternal soul of Corellon. Hunters and destroyers of the living dead, enemies of Orcus, hateful of undeath, but melancholic of life.
5. The Lost Drow (Dark Elves) = the Drow that still beheld the power of Corellon and Lolth as equals, seeing them as the divine king and queen of the elven pantheon.
6. The Atlantean Elves (Sea Elves) = The elves that once conquered the sea, but now has been devastated and their civilisation flooded within the seas of the world in its dark depths, guarded over and protected, and dominated by the Abolethic Sovereignty.
7. The Far Elves (Space Elves?*) = those that became trapped in the Far Realm, and were corrupted by the Elder One. Mutating and changing into something new, and something horrific, monstrous and corrupt.
8. The Ethereal Elves (Ghost Elves) = the elves that were transported and transformed into the ethereal realm - neither living nor dead, a proper Schrodingers Cat situation; becoming quite literally ghosts, haunting and hating the living, lamenting the loss of their life, and denying their basic functions of eating, drinking, sleeping... a terrible factor, becoming 'beings of energy'.
9. The Blood-Styx Elves (Fiend Elves) = those that were scattered between the Abyss and the Nine Hells, and launched into the Blood War; forced into evil, traversing the regions and trying to survive; godless, and broken folks... turned into a machine for the Blood War between the Nine Hells and the Abyss.

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Perils that they face:

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• The abandonment of their god, loss of faith & dis-unity of their race.
• Out-of-time syndrome (change in the world, home, etc)
• Fall from greatness - once a great empire, now a rag-tag coalition of once-powerful houses now vying for supremacy against creatures they once knew as monkeys and non-superior races.
• Preservation of their endangered familiars, plants, and 'elven-animals' (now the world has potentially hunted them down, or due to teleportation, reintroduction to the wild killed them off essentially or became poached/ exotic creatures)
• Threatened by the rise of Orcs, Orocs & Drow.
• Cultural shock - now unable to rely on their ancient technologies and magic, they have entered a dark age of their culture. They need to work harder and more to regain their lost power and knowledge. Potentially becoming seen as 'out-of-date', 'ancient' and 'un-modern'. But still magically dominant.
• Duality of souls (they 'dream' their second lives in Arborea, their forgotten heaven - which lies empty and abandoned of their god, literally dreaming their purgatory - and live their lives, sometimes the two conflict over the age)
• Backtracking their history and scholarly knowledge on magic, unable to harness the direct divine route of Arvanos their magic deity - and thus have to discover this through the rigours of study, experimentation and determination.
• Modern diseases - after being away from the world for centuries, they can easily succumb to modern diseases, having not built the immunity towards this over generations.
• Disconnected from their magical fonts - seeking to reclaim it.
• Their colonies and border territories fell - and are the lasting remnants; now with their return, they wish to unite the lost elven people and reign supreme. But do not wish to fall behind from the modern world, and wish to re-climatize themselves to the world.
• Fearful of barbarian raids & strange world (xenophobia?)
• Creatures, strangers or monsters living in their old homes after their return.
• Fear of retribution from those that did not survive or escape through the great exodus of the elves - spiritual, descendants or otherwise; led to harsh and hard times.
• The breakdown of their once great communication, transportation and magical circles.

Response to Perils:

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• Rebuilding of faith in Arvanos - potential and forceful proselytising of other people to rebuild their faith. Potentially, rebuilding faith in magic***.
• Becoming more acquainted with the world, sending agents out across the realms to feed information back into the elven nobility and supremacy. Strengths, weaknesses, political alliances, trade and commerce - anything and everything. To retain a sense of 'home' and get rid of home-sickness, they wish to preserve anything and everything of value, both lost and preserved in their travel; reclaiming their lost secrets that may have been bastardised or forgotten - by re-researching it, stealing it or discovering it once more.
• Vanity check or overindulgence in their prior successes (much like how a noble family fallen out of favour tries desperately to do anything to retain their past glories... even if it is detrimental to themselves; products of arrogance, superiority). A prominent propaganda campaign of the success and greatness of the elves, instilled from birth & re-establishing their greatness in form of education. Re-establishing themselves in political circles with their newfound loss of power - making them wiser and force them to be more cunning, relying less on their past reputation and focus more on actions that show their power as much as possible. Although this has led to potential bankruptcy and squalor for the elves.
• Preserving these animals and flora - protecting them from the dangers of poachers and rich-seeking hunters in sanctified grounds close to their civilisation, although seeking to reintroduce them back into the wild and in their natural habitat... if it still exists. And adapting them to new or old predators that have made minor changes. Angering druids but trying to preserve the balance. Also, to preserve them against diseases that now may be fatal to them - both in the woods and in the wild.
• To fight against the Orcs and Drow - working towards genocidal means of extermination against them. Preserving and watching over the eastern borders of their lands along the coast - wary of storms and lightning, as it can be telling signs of the Orcs and their coming. Against the Drow - the elves work to seal any and all means of access to the Underdark, to imprison them there...
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• Duality of souls - going regularly to church, to seek signs of Arvanos, and to 'anchor' themselves to their current reality by keeping token items that ground them to the world - something that fixates them and grounds them to the present world if necessary. Always keeping mirrors with them to assure them that when they wake up, they know who they are.
• Having lost a prominent amount of their divine power and energy - they have had to access other means to achieve their goals. Stigmatising and scapegoating others of their race, potentially other wood or moon elves - bringing them down and raising themselves up. They have had to achieve more practical means and not rely on more autonomous and rapid means, using older technologies in place of their once-great and ground-breaking ones.
• Facing against modern diseases - one of the primary contributors to their exacerbated xenophobia - always keep their distance from others, wearing protective talismans or enchantments - never eating, sleeping or dining near others, avoiding it as much as possible. Growing rather paranoid and OCD. They develop means to inoculate or immunise their race through controlled exposure to the world - strict and guarded access to their lands; even inviting middlemen. Even controlling their own blood.
• Once able to channel their powers through their magical mythallars - they wish to reclaim these lost icons - despite changes to the world geography and environment; building practical means to overcome obstacles i.e. ships and fleets, horses and mounts.
• In order to re-climatize to the world; send envoys, ambassadors, and set up means to achieve political alliances and union; though having to sacrifice many of their means to reclaim snippets of their power... often being superseded in deals... and thus, have to show their dominance against those that overrule them, showing they're harder and a firm hand.
• Fearful of potential attack - they have grown rather paranoid to any and all slights and assumptions; thus martially a great means to protect themselves for the good of their people.
• Having been lost to time - losing their lands, their homes, and their sense of 'home' - they will fight tooth and nail, gladly, to reclaim these portions of lands - they do not see trade or deals in these sorts of matters. They held it, it was there's, they will have it back again. Leading to infractions in political matters early on... but have reached compromises. As they always have done.
• From those they left behind - they wish to make recompense for the shame that they brought, or to cut loose old ties, quite cruel in some circumstances - and wish to forget these folly points; though some spirits have gained notoriety, and given rise to legends and monstrous myths.
• No longer given a sense of unity, strength and dominance - disconnected from their wider web of information... having to actually, *shiver* walk on land with their feet, rather than teleporting from different area to area.

Joy that they value:

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• Recovering what was lost to them.
• Finding a new home.
• Adapting to the new world.
• Bringing new life to the world.
• Restoring their lost civilisation - recovering a lost piece of art, magic, music, craftsmanship, technique or piece of history. An honoured tradition.
• Spreading the glory of Arvanos - and magic.

Products they can make:

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• Once extinct herbal remedies and plants, animals and creatures, even familiars - preserved in their arks.
• Elven craftsmanship - sublime, elegant, practical and rich; embossed in elven filigree with special personalised meaning & magic activation. Using long-lost techniques that have been lost for centuries, causing a revolution and synchronisation of technology/ magic/ culture/ craftsmanship with the modern world.
• Elven instruments: long-lost instruments that have not been in service and forgotten styles of music, poetry and social conventions.
• Slavery
• Essences of spirit, distilled in liquid form i.e. liquid faith, liquid luck, liquid courage.
• Elven foods & beverages - especially Elven wine, meads, spirits and beers.
• Elven arrows - special arrows imbued with potential magic, spiritual essence & craftsmanship that can have multiple effects.
• Powerful enchantment magic.
• Long lost materials & minerals - becoming extremely rare. For instance, magical breeds of trees (Ironwood - enchanted wood)
• Soft and sensual wools and silks from their magical breeds of sheep and livestock.
• New elven and fey poetry, ballads, theatre, literature etc.
• Mirror gates?

Hope for the future:

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• To unite their race together.
• To be reunited with their god, and reunited with their heaven - problem with spiritual recovery?
• To rebuild their civilisation.
• To destroy Lolth, and her Drow followers - to destroy Giants and the long bloodline of the Orcs and Orocs from spreading across the world.
• To reclaim their long lost lands conquered or occupied by monsters, changed by time, or retain the wealth, power and influence of long ago.
• To modernise, but retain their elven grace.

Type

Geopolitical, State

Neutral

Arkspire Covenant of Dione'Leora

-20

The Sovereign Kingdom of Martzhein

-20

Non-Aggression Pact

Arkspire Covenant of Dione'Leora

-35

Mercantile Republic of Isla Bahatoor

-21

Non-Aggression Pact

Arkspire Covenant of Dione'Leora

-86

The Alloyar Shaperate

-68