First Imperial War

In the first days of the civilization of Amaun, the might of the Ancient Elven Empire was unmatched. New races came again and again, but none could threaten the magical might of the elves. They thought the dominance of their glorious empire would remain unbroken forever.
This was when the race of humanity came to Vald from parts unknown. War had come to the Empire, and the elves' enemies seemed endless and determined, despite the impressive wizardry of the empire's mages. Civilization in Amaun would never be the same again.

Historical Significance

Due to the sheer immensity of time since the war, not much is known about it. Even the long memories of the elves have little more than myth to draw from. Songs paint the war as a terrible tragedy-- the beginning of the end for the glory of the ancient elves. Even the oldest of them were written about days gone by, long after the fall of the ancient empire. 
What is known is that the spread of humanity across the continent was the primary driving force behind the conflict. Since humanity was limited exclusively to nomadic tribes, it is believed that they were the primary aggressors, although practically all details were lost to the fog of ages.
The defenses of the empire's cities, and the sheer magical might the elves could bring to bear meant that they would not fall to the attacking humans. Still, they would not relent and had the sheer weight of numbers on their side. The war seemed doomed to an eternal stalemate.
This was not meant to be, and for reasons neither side could possibly have predicted. From beneath their feet, monstrous invaders swarmed over the land, killing and enslaving all that crossed their path. These creatures would become known as mind flayers, and this event the First Rising.
Cooperation didn’t come easily to the humans and elves who were mortal enemies, but it did eventually come. When the mind flayers were finally beaten back through the efforts of both peoples, it led to a fragile, uneasy peace between them.

Legacy

The primary long-lasting effect of both the war and the First Rising was the weakening of the Ancient Elven Empire. The careful development of the elves meant that humanity recovered far more thoroughly than the elves did, planting the first seeds for human civilization to supplant elven civilization as the driving force in Amaun.
Another important effect was the lasting animosity between both races, that would remain even after millennia without active aggression. This would eventually explode into the Second Imperial War, and end with the fall of the Ancient Elven Empire.

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

Before 1st Age

Ending Date

First Rising

Conflict Result

Stalemate ended by First Rising.

Location

Vald