The War of Shattered Souls

Fought not long after the Elves were cast out by Corellon from the haven known as Arvandor; the war ended with the elves splitting themselves into the sub races of High Elf, Wood Elf, and Sea Elf and one of the elemental portals being split apart.

The Conflict

Prelude

After the elves were cast out of the city of Arvandor in the year 4,963 BCW, they settled into the lands of Ossin building up homes and civilizations of great stature and beauty. The greatest of the Elvin cities were built around the four Portals of Arcane Energy of Ossin. In the northern arctic of Pomarch was the Thelascia Tribe of high elves, they were a cold and unfeeling group not unlike their sister tribe not too far south of them. The city they built was grand and beautiful with the portal found in its center. In the southern arctic the Linowensea tribe; sea elves that had built a city both above and below the sea surrounding the portal in the area. In the jungles of the Inyavas territory on the continent of Belorien the Hilothlond tribe of wood elves wove strong vines and trees into a haven for the fellow wood elven tribes. They saw the portal as the heart of their territory; treating it as a gift from the gods themselves. The final elemental portal was on the opposite side of the globe, found in what is now the southern coast of Almelar Island. Before the war, the island was much larger, with the Redwyrm Islands being a part of it. Both sea elves and high elves had settled on the island on opposite ends, building up their own defenses and cities each making a claim to the portal.

The four portals were connected to one another through the Ley Lines of the world. The arcane energy that emanated out of them provided the elves who lived near them a deeper and more intense link to the world itself. The elves were able to share knowledge, language, and ideas through the portals, and thanks to this the art of Lymrah was developed between the four portal cities. It was through the sharing that the elves split into far more distinct sub-races of High Elves, Wood Elves, and Sea Elves; languages solidified too between the three and cultures became whole. Corellon had grown proud of his creations, watching them go far and wide around the world. The four cities stood as beacons for their fellows who lived outside of them, as a guide for what their sub-race could be.

The elves that were becoming the High Elves of Thialascian had grown territorial over the portal in their area. They had been speaking with their sister tribe Thelascia for years on how they should be the one to watch over the portal on the island and that only High Elves should have access to the intense magic that they offered. Small battles were fought between them and the Sea Elves on Almelar known as the Mani Tribe, with the High Elves getting increasingly closer and eventually walling up the portal from the Sea Elves. Having lost access to the portal the Mani Tribe sent word to the closest sister tribe, the Maenor Tribe of Wood Elves in the Maestyn Mountains asking for help in restoring balance to the island and with that the war began.

Deployment

The two sides raised their banners and called for help from their sister tribes. The Mani and Maenor tribes were able to hold their own against the High Elves, each side developing the art of Lymrah to the point of being able to create extra planer weapons and project their consciousness to attack their enemies. The war waged on for two hundred years and the High Elves eventually attacked with a deadly weapon unlike any other. A poison know as Rytol was developed between Thialascian and Thelascia, and when it was deployed it nearly decimated the other side. By the end of it all only a few hundred were left on both side of the Mani and the god Corellon could no longer stand by and watch his creations fight. He brought down a hand of arcane energy and split the island of Thilascion creating the Redwyrm Islands in the process. He then took the portal and split it in two, sending one half to the newly created island chain and the Mani Tribe. The other half went to the Maestyn Mountains with the Maenor Tribe, both were tasked with keeping the portal safe and out of the hands of Thialascian.

Battlefield

Fought mainly on Alemar Island with some battles taking place out in the The Attel Sea. Many battles were also fought using Lymrah in an extraplanar dimension.

Outcome

The Mani and Maenor Tribes shored up their defenses around the portals and began to build their own impressive cities. Thialascian was able to strike a deal with its sister tribe to allow them a minor amount of access to Thelascia's portal.

Aftermath

With the Arcane Portal destroyed the amount of magic flowing into the world was significantly reduced and Lymrah became almost inert in many ways, the Mani and Maenor Tribes were able to connect to each other and use the split portal to teleport to one another.

Historical Significance

In Literature

The war has been documented in multiple places with the Mani tribe producing what most see as the truest account of the war in a series of history books called The War of Shattered Souls: A True Account of the Great Elven War. Both High Elf tribes' accounts of the war were reviewed and believed to be skewed to make high elves out to be the victims of the Sea and Wood-elves and according to the books that they should be the rightful overseers to the portals. The The Council of Advancement and Awareness was able to research and get copies of all accounts of the war and produce their own book on it which most consider to a fair look at the history but not as definitive as the Mani Tribe's books.

Conflict Type

War

Battlefield Type

Extraplanar

Start Date

2427 BCW

Ending Date

2253 BCW

Conflict Result

Almelar Island was split creating the Redwyrm Islands chain. The Arcane Portal was split in two with only the Mani and Maenor tribes able to have access to it.

Location

Thialascian