Ancestral Enemies of Elvenkind...and why they target the grey elves specifically in Scarterra | World Anvil

Ancestral Enemies of Elvenkind...and why they target the grey elves specifically

In the The Second Age, elves were large and in charge.  This bred a lot of resentment in the other mortal races of the Second Age.   Now in the Third Age, the grey elves of the Elven Empire, government are the most likely targets of ire for their ancestor's misdeeds.  Perhaps this is unfair.  Perhaps it is not.   The grey elves are roughly as numerous as the dark elves and the wood elves in terms of population but the grey elves are far more wide spread.   At it's peak, the Elven Empire had so many far flung colonies that the sun never set on the Elven Empire.  Even now in 1837 with only a fraction of what the territory they once held, the Elven Empire's flags and ships can be found in nearly every land.   The wood elves rarely leave their home forests of Codenya and while the dark elves are more spread out, they usually only leave their homeland of LKahdisteria  in force.  By contrast the grey elves are far more exposed.     Because goblins were enslaved en masse during the Second Age, they bear a huge grudge against all elves everywhere.  The grey elves, like the wood elves, claim that their ancestors never kept goblin slaves, but few people believe these claims, least of all the goblins.   While the dark elves probably deserve more ire (they are enslaving goblins right now), the grey elves find themselves on the receiving end of goblin wrath more often.  Goblin raids are a threat or a nuisance on nearly all of the Elven Empire's outlying territories and when grey elves abroad beyond their colonies, goblins seem to emerge out of the woodwork to harass them.   It hasn't helped that while the Elven Empire outlawed slavery years ago, they have not really reached out to mend fences with the goblins.  They usually kill goblins they find rather than enslaving them.   Goblins are not the only creatures that bear an ancient grudge against elf-kind dating back to the Second Age, they are simply the most numerous and widespread.

Maybe it's simpler than all that

  By the mere act of calling themselves the Elven Empire, the grey elves have announced to Scarterra at large and all beings therein that "We are the elfiest elves that ever elfed, so if you have a problem with elfs you have a problem with us."


Cover image: Modified public domain falcon heraldry by Me

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