Elf, High
An elder society lost to dark corruption. Their ruins still dot the land.
Elves were the first race to emerge from the Dream after the creation of Urvén. Their forms easily shaped by the world around them, elves came to epitomise their environment. Wood elves in the forests and wild places. Frost elves in the snowy peaks and arctic borders. None were held in as high regard to the other races as the high elves.
High elves, "sun, moon and star elves", or sometimes "lost elves" in modern discussion, were a race spread throughout Urvén up until their disappearance in 498AA. They were known for their mastery of the arcane arts, pristine architecture and their reputation as diplomats for the world.
Ruins now dot the world, either deserted during the disappearance or destroyed during the time of woe. These structures are potentially filled with treasures, art and magical items but are guarded by magical defenses and advanced automatons. In those places were such measures have failed, nefarious creatures may have taken their place.
Pre-Woe History
Those of the sun, moon and stars were a remarkable constant in the first age of the world. Their communities and architecture remained virtually unchanged for over five thousand years.
High elves came to be when their homelands and settlements became defined by a high level of arcane mastery. What became known as high magics were put to use shaping their towns and cities into places of unparalleled wonder. White and gold spires stood tall above round towers and grand halls. Airy walkways lined with trees, flowers and waterways webbed out in dizzying circles, interlocking into grand patterns with hidden meanings.
In spite of this majesty, high elven settlements were not haughty or aloof and instead developed a reputation for aiding and supporting neighboring cultures. In times of peace, high elves often acted to oversee diplomatic events, hosting when appropriate. In times of war, they would send skilled warriors and mighty spellcasters to aid the defense of innocents. They also acted to bridge the gaps between other elven subraces.
The Vanishing of the High Elves
The time of the withdrawal and the eventual disappearance of the peoples took place over such an extended period that, from the perspective of other, shorter-lived races, it was a relative constant.
After the sundering of Great Sond during the Time of Woe, there was a period of rebuilding for all races throughout Urvén. The high elves were no exception, although their high level of magical skill meant that their repopulated settlements appeared undamaged long before others'. They did not restore all of their lands, however. Some had been entirely swallowed up by the ground, such as a now unnamed settlement in which there was a Temple to Yeyvalla, Goddess of Nature.
By around 290AA, the most powerful of the high arcanists had turned their efforts towards the impact that had nearly destroyed all life on Urvén. What had struck the world? Was there malice behind it? They confirmed that the impact site remained; an everlasting whirlpool draining the seas towards some unknown destination. Most importantly, they confirmed what was feared: a darkness festered underground that threatened the safety of all those who remained.
A feverish, although secretive, period of research commenced. Those involved became reclusive, fearing to share what they learned of the now apparent Void corruption with the masses. As the arcanists dug deeper, a slowly increasing number of high elves across all of Urvén began exhibiting strange symptoms: unexplained usage of voidtongue, shared dreams and subtle hallucinations. These spread like a plague with no obvious infection vectors and, over the following century, had become an unfortunate part of high elven culture. Research continued, now tinged with a mounting desperation, and the symptoms steadily got worse.
In 421AA, a horrible realisation dawned. The natural span of a high elf life (normally nearly a millenium) was steadily reducing. New children were aging faster than their parents and a malaise of indolence was setting in across the entire population. Settlement leaders and respected elders - after much debate - made the decision to begin a time that became known as the final migration. All high elves would travel from their homes to their largest city, Ghandarest, in southern Sondrana, while those residing in Ghandarest who were not of the race would be gently rehomed.
Finally, on the 20th of Thaw 498AA, the entire city of Ghandarest vanished, leaving behind an empty crater the settlement's outlying constructions and farmlands. To this day, sections of the city manifest unexpectedly across all of Urvén, inhabited by beautifully crafted automatons and almost undetectable spirits. Scholars debate whether there was an attempt to transpose Ghandarest into the Astral but there is little understanding of exactly what occurred.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Unlike the speech and language of most races, all elves, due to their lengthy lifespans, have consistently spoken the same dialect for the entirety of Urvén's existence. Most high elves also spoke Sylvan due to the race's fey heritage and Common to better interact with other peoples. Many also spoke Draconic to aid in their magical studies.
Due to their long life and the relative instability of Common, it was not unheard of to converse with elders in almost unintelligibly old dialects.
Average technological level
High elves preferred to rely on magical solutions to problems over inventions and technology. They were, however, known for their mastery of arcane automatons created from magical crystals and engraved metals. The craftsmanship and artistry of these devices is unparalleled, even centuries after the disappearance of the race.
Art & Architecture
High elven architecture is usually found to have been constructed from bright white stone with decorations and adornments of gold, crystals and fine wood. In particular, buildings were often tall and narrow with pointed spires.
They mastered a wide range of art forms including scupture, woodwork, engraving, ceramics and painting but the culture was known especially for their weaving and poetry. Magnificent tapestries depicting periods of history and important events were extended across the walls of large halls - even their woven rugs were of exceptional quality and would remain in almost perfect condition for decades of use.
Their epic poems, such as The Journey of the Sind and The Twelve Trials, would often last hours when recited in one sitting. They would often dip in and out of different languages in order to create complex rhyming schemes that nested recursively. It is a point of pride for travelling troubadours to be able to perform such a poem, especially in the original tongues.
Foods & Cuisine
High elves consumed relatively simple foods and, as time went by, their appetites diminished. By the time of their disappearance, it was not unusual for an adult to eat just a single, small meal a day, instead being sustained by the Weave itself. The foods that were produced were generally light and used only a little meat.
They were, however, renowned for their meticulously produced wines. Often taking more than a century to complete, such drinks were sometimes infused with gentle magics. In modern times an exceptionally high price is attached to surviving examples due to their rarity and their ability to still be consumed.
The Truth of the Disappearance
This information is not known by any of the denizens of Urvén. Well-informed scholars may have suspicions but it should be considered meta-information for the setting.
By delving into the mysterious object that had struck Urvén, high elven arcanists accidently caused the Dream to become corrupted with void energies. This caused the slow withering of the entire race - the great template from which life springs was permanently tainted. In a last-ditch attempt to free themselves from this influence, the remainders of the race worked together to remove the entirety of Ghanderest from the Material. Instead, the city now exists apart from space and time, occasionally intersecting with the planes. This causes small sections of the city to materialise in entirely random locations, along with their treasures and the automatons who guard them. The elves themselves do not reappear, although faint apparations may be observed interacting with objects as though going about their daily lives.
One such intersection occured for the adventuring party, the Hagsbane Order, during the very start of their adventure.
Yeyvalla
Spirits of the Moons
High elves follow the racial template set out in the basic rules for Dungeons & Dragons 5E but are not a playable race within my setting.
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