Volodarin

The Volodarin, or wood elves as they are also known, are a race of elvish humanoids who are native to the south of the continent of Aelderin, especially the region of Volodaria. They descend from the race of ancient Aeldrin who once protected the ancient Aelder Wood. Volodarin tend to have darker, more tanned skin than their northern cousins, the Aoleirians. They also tend to have green or hazel eyes rather than blue, silver or gold. Volodarin are one of the least populous races on the continent, especially when compared to humans, Hahgi and halflings. Volodarin is also the name for the language of the Volodarin elves, which is somewhat similar to Aoleirian, and can be written in either the Elvish or Common script.
The ancestors of the Volodarin were the Aeldrin: the guardians of the ancient forest, and followers of Daisha. It is believed that the Aeldrin themselves were descended from Aoleirian refugees, who fled the destruction of the Aoleirian Empire, as re-told in the Birth of the Aeldrin, a myth inherited through oral tradition. The various tribes of Aeldrin roamed across the forest, from the Thranish peninsula in the west, to the Shaybian Ocean in the east, guarding its borders from interlopers. Remnants of these ancient people still remain, inhabiting the protected Forests of Volodar.
Over the millennia, the ancient Aeldrin suffered many tragedies - the loss of the sacred Daqi grove, the burning of the western woods during Maknor Wildfyr's reign, the encroachment of the Halfling Crews in the east, and more besides. In the end, the death of this ancient people was brought by the arrival of the Empire of Nara Tok. The Aeldrin-Imperial Frontier Battles plunged the Aeldrin into a war against a far greater force, and saw their already reduced woodland diminished to a mere fraction of its former extent. While the Aeldrin fought tooth and nail for years, earning reputations for their ferocity, and prowess at stealth and archery, their population was decimated by the continued imperial offensive. In 193 IF, a great council was called in the heart of the forest, and after days of debating, it was agreed that peace must be sought, for the survival of the southern elves. A few weeks later, Volodar's Pact was forged, and the majority of the Aeldrin annexed into the Empire.
This event is considered to mark the birth of the Volodarin. They are named for the works of their first leader, Volodar, who was the elf responsible for the treaty's signing. In the years following his home's annexation, Volodar took on the responsibility of securing his people's survival in the new province of Volodaria. Volodar spent many years setting up the basis for an autonomous Volodarin government, and oversaw the expansion of many Volodarin towns in the region east of the Fajla river, especially the city of Astria which became the administrative and cultural capital of the new Astrian province.
With the death of their holy pact, and the annexation of their ancestral homeland, the elves of the woods entered into a period of extended cultural crisis. Their population had been decimated: many tribes had been reduced to only a few members, while others saw their villages and settlements razed during the campaign in the north. Many elves had been turned into refugees. Some sought to make new homes in the Forests of Volodar, but there was little room among the Aeldrin enclaves. Others migrated away, to the regions of Lucrenia or the colonies of the Halfling Crews, in pursuit of a fresh start, away from the ghosts of their ancient home.
But many more remained. Lost and displaced elves roamed the woodland searching for new purpose. It was Volodar who began to provide them with this purpose. Volodar, and the Ai-Vala, were the first townsmen of Astria, and Volodar oversaw construction of residential districts, creating homes for the homeless elves. His support of the Fysian Temple provided balm for his people's broken spirit, while he worked ceaselessly to facilitate his people's assimilation into the Empire, funding schools to teach the Imperial tongue, as well as gather the stories of the ancient Aeldrin into a more coherent history, so that their past would not be forgotten. Unfortunately, Volodar died before he saw the fruits of his labours. Volodar remained a controversial figure during his own lifetime, often derided as a traitor or sell-out, but after his death his contributions to Volodarin culture would be greatly celebrated.
As with the elves of Aoleir, the Volodarin are exceptionally long-lived, frequently reaching ages of more than three hundred years. As a result, cultural shifts are slow and hard-fought. Even today, some elves from Volodar's own time still live, and despite centuries of annexation, some among these older generations still dwell on the wounds of their past. While Volodar's quest was mostly successful, the scars of what was lost still remain, poorly cauterised. The struggles of new generations of Volodarin, who seek both to claim new lives for themselves, and reclaim their lost histories and cultures, have created deep divides within their societies. This is most clearly shown by the rise of Amar in the early 4th century IF, whose bloodthirsty religion provided purpose for many of the elves.
The ancient Aeldrin were a deeply spiritual people. Their non-materialistic lives, combined with the Daishan Pact, imbued them with a deep affinity with the animus of their forest home, and a reverence for the spirits of its denizens. The Volodarin inherited this spiritualism wholly, though their beliefs have been forced to adapt, in the face of their own cultural crises. Worship of Daisha remains common, though less popular than worship of Fysia, her daughter. The Fysian Temple shares many parallels with the ancient Aeldrin religion, yet with a focus on appreciation of the gifts of nature, rather than the pure beauty of the natural world. The temple provided a path to spiritual healing for many lost elvish souls in the years after the pact was forged. Belief in other gods is also fairly common, and Volodarin across the Empire make up a disproportionate number of clerics and priests within the largest churches, from the Sidari Church of Lucrenia to the Mylosian Church of Cyrin.
This spiritualism also played a role in the rise of Amar, however, and the riots and uprisings that accompanied the birth of his bloodthirsty cult. Amar popularised belief in a new, reforged Daishan Pact, and preached that a return to the paradise of the Aeldrin could be achieved by excising the scourge of the forest's invaders. His religion survives to this day, ruling the city of Amara, and has been the source of terrible suffering across the region of Volodaria. Its popularity is closely tied to Volodarin spirituality, and the divisions that lie at the heart of their culture.
In the wider world, the Volodarin have developed a reputation for their wisdom, as well as their abilities as scouts and trackers. Wood elven archery is considered second to none, and many of the finest archers in the Imperial Army are Volodarin. Volodarin have also developed a reputation for superstition however, their natural spiritualism inclining them to believe in sailor's fancies and nonsensical tales.