Elven Princedom

Government: Princedom. Royal lineage determines successor.
Cultures: Elven.
Official Religion: None
Population: 290,000
History: The Elven Kingdom (precursor to the Elven Princedom) traces itself among the ancient nations of the world, on par with the Arbethian Kingdom. Its roots can be solidly traced to a large Elven community, whose oldest known records date back to the 1st Epoch. This Elven community transitioned into a Kingdom in the 2nd Epoch when they were united under the rule Elven Sorcerers, starting the first royal bloodline. The Elven Dragonriders of the 2nd Epoch were among the most feared, and the Elven Kingdom fielded the largest number of Dragonriders in the world at its height.
After the Great Purge of the 3rd Epoch, the Kingdom managed to survive falling apart despite the loss of their Sorcerer King, Quelath, and his cohort of Dragonriders. The strong communal sense of Elven culture kept the Kingdom together, and after a few decades of limbo, a Prince had found their way to general popularity. In 78 3E Prince Eshlian was made King, beginning a new royal lineage.
The Kingdom remained isolationist, protecting its borders, but not interfering greatly in world politics other than to trade. In 183 4E, the Elven Kingdom was invaded by the Darnesian Emirates as part of their 100 Year Jihad. After years of sporadic campaigning by the Darnesian Emirates, they managed to overwhelm the Elven holdings in and around the Shasarek Desert. The Elves are then defeated at the decisive Battle of Sha Alafa in 188 4E, in which the Elven King is killed. The Elves retreat from the region, and to their relief are not pursued further into their lands as in-fighting takes hold of the Darnesians once more.
The heir to the Elven throne, Princess Imillira refuses to name herself Queen, but maintains leadership. She declares that there will never be another Elven King or Queen until the Elven homelands have been reclaimed from the Darnesians. Imillira declares the Elven Kingdom to now be the Elven Princedom. Imillira knows the Princedom isn't strong enough to fight the Darnesians yet, so she begins a covert campaign to cause insurrection in the Shasarek region, planning to strike after it has been weakened by revolt.
The Elves are patient, and their works bears fruit. In 251 4E, the Shasarek Rebellion occurs as Shasarek locals rebel against the Darnesians. It is vastly successful. The Elves prepare to return to their homelands, yet their plan has turned on them when the Shasarek locals resist the Princedom as well. In 253 4E, as the Elves were preparing to occupy the Shasarek region, the Inniash Khaganate began to contest their Eastern borders, and war was at hand a year later. While at war, the Shasarek region devolved into anarchy, and populations of Orcs, Goblins, Minotaur, and Gnolls flood the region as they are ostracized from other societies in the world. Out of this came the rise of the Shasarek Shogunate. The Elves rue that they ever destabilized the region.
The rise of Corenthia in 6 5E birthed a strong ally for the Elven Princedom, who seem to be ever skirmishing with the Shasarek Shogunate along their borders. The Elven Princedom has been trying to gain support from Corenthia to offensively attack the Shogunate, who have so far only pledged troops to defend their border, and are in endless debates over the Elven proposition.
The Princedom greatly enjoyed the Darnesian cultural boom in the late centuries of the 4th Epoch, and much animosity from the 100 Year Jihad was mended as the two countries shared their art and culture for a time. The Darnesian Sultanate's decline into militarism after the Rashwanan rebellion has soured relations back into neutrality. The Elves isolationist policies have made them few enemies and few allies. Their focus has been primarily on regaining their homeland, though their culture is not suited for war. The Elves are slow in everything they do, choosing to to take the patient, assured path over all else.