A Brief History of the Elves, Part 1

Lucien was born the son of Alcaneus Tinuvir and his second wife Janwen, her first. His father was titled Feylord Alcaneus, and he ruled over Shal’Tavoor, a wine region in the Known World[1], for more than a century. Lucien was brought up with all the luxury that could be afforded to a king’s prince, and with it an insatiable lust for life.

As a second-wife child, he knew at an early age he would never rule unless his four siblings from his first-mother were removed. He also knew that to become a Feylord himself he would need the support of his elven brethren who lived in the region. So, as Lucien aged, he planned his course with care, and cultivated all the skills and traits needed for someone destined to be a usurper.

Being the son of the reigning Feylord, Lucien studied under the best tutors his family could find and spent years memorizing the Elven Traditions. He was a good student, but his interest in the Classics waned and by the time he had reached the end of his adolescent years he wanted something different. By chance, Lucien met a human diplomat who had come to his father’s estate on some political matter. The young elf’s curiosity about Human culture and history peaked, and made an impression on his father. Being an astute ruler, Alcaneus thought it wise for his son to learn about Human history and culture, if only  only as a matter of study. He hoped that one day Lucien would serve as a special counsel on all matters related to the Humans, and how to deal with them. Alcaneus recalled this diplomat, Morcant Denarius, and employed him as a special tutor to his son Lucien. Little did he know, however, that Morcant was a Ritual Master and a leader among those who were fighting against the elven oppression.

Morcant agreed to teach Lucien the culture and history of the humans, in the hopes that the relations between the two races would improve over time, or perhaps to gain some advantage over Alcaneus. Once the tutor had gained Lucien’s trust, Morcant made a secret deal with him: he would teach Lucien what he knew of the secret Druidic Traditions – a form of ritual magic not known by any of the Elves at that time. In return, Lucien would in turn provide Morcant with everything he knew about the Elven Traditions – their magic, sorcery, and crafting secrets. They became mutual traitors for each of their peoples, and this secret bond helped keep them together – as student and master – for over three decades.

In time, Lucien became a Ritual Master in his own right. He, along with his tutor Morcant, had developed their own form of magical art too. It was a fusion of two cultures, a true blending of magical theories that, scholars say, had no right being intermingled. It was powerful, but unstable. The people who witnessed it dubbed it “Lightfire”, after the human trade-tongue translation of Lucien’s name. They were breaking new ground, and they looked to the future. Lucien had not lost his appetite for taking his father’s place. If anything, his success only emboldened him.

Eventually, Lucien’s role as student ended. The two wizards, now essentially equals by all accounts, agreed to part ways. There were rumors of the two forming a formal school – but Lucien’s aging father forbade him from doing so and instead insisted that he take on his role as a diplomat to the Humans whom they ruled over. It was the last thing Lucien wanted to do, but fate and time would stay his hand for a while longer.

Lucien proved to be an uncompromising and sharp tongue diplomat. Soon after he set out, the humans of Shal’Tavoor rose up against Alcaneus’s rule. What followed was a long and drawn out civil war fought in the hills and valleys of Shal’Tavoor  that lasted nearly seven years. Thousands died, but eventually the rebellion was quelled and a peace was reached. In the end, Lucien was removed from his post and the humans gained several important concessions from Alcaneus including a seat at the Lord’s Council. The man who was chosen: Morcant Denarius. The human’s had won – and Lucien’s dream of leading his people was now slipping away.

Fearing that the human tribes and clans would eventually overthrow the elven ruling class, Lucien went to work. He was now free of his official post in his father’s court, but now had the connections and support of the several lords of the council. He also had the secret support of several military generals, as well as the High Caretaker Anwen Neirshen of the Convocation of Shal’Tavoor[2]. He firmly believed that his elderly father, as well as his siblings (who were unaccomplished and ineffectual sycophants), would do nothing to stop him. A quiet revolution within the Elven Court was soon underway.

With his supporters in line, Lucien mounted a campaign to gain the power he had longed to have for so many years. First he appealed to his people directly by publicly speaking out against the concessions for the Races of Man. He reminded everyone who would listen of the otherworldly superiority of the Elves and the promise of immortal life in the Feywyrd after death[1]. He also took his rhetoric further by charging that his father, and the children of his first-mother, had succumbed to a spell placed on them by Morcant Denarius. He turned on his former master as well as his family, and declared that they must step down at once. He demanded that the council elect a new leader for Shal’Tavoor, and that this leader should be none other than himself -Lucien Tinuvar.

It was a massive blunder.

Lucien’s appeal came on the long tail of a bloody war, and the people had little appetite for additional strife and bloodshed. Not only had Lucien outed several important figures as corroborators in a potential coup (which they later all denied), he also made himself public enemy number one. So, dispite the support of Convocation and several military leaders, Lucien soon found himself in prison.

In the years that passed, the humans slowly made more inroads with the elves. Although some wanted a total revolution to teardown the elven aristocracy, Morcant choose to take a more patient path. Soonafter Lucien disappeared, a second human was handed a seat at the Lords Council – this time it was Hierophant Wöden Gaibyu, the religious leader of the humans who lived in Shal’Tavoor. Together, Morcant and Wöden formed a secret cabal that cast a wide net of influence over the unprepared Elven Court.

The history books are unclear as to what happened after this. What little we do know suggests that after a decade Lucien managed to escape from prison and, with new found support among the elves, he was able to raise an army and dispose his father from the throne. Morcant Helfay then revealed himself to be the wizard many had long suspected, and together with Wöden’s druidic sorcery, they led an army against Lucien’s.

The people cried out for blood, and a bloody war ensued. Lucien, with the help of the Convocation, led the elves to victory. After two years of fighting, Morcant and Wöden were dead, and with it the spells they had weaved for years among the Tinuvar family vanished. The humans were broken, and the elves returned to ruling them with an iron fist.

“With blood, comes reward. And vengence.” – Elven proverb.

Eventually word reached Loaerth City of the atrocities occurring in Shal’Tavoor. It is unclear who managed to assasinate Lucien, but it was believed to have been an highly skilled Edgemaster from Loaerth City. No one claimed responsibility, but everyone knew they were the only ones who could have possibly been talented enough to make the killing.

When Lucien was found dead in his palace, a cry went out across all the Known World. Elves across the globe mourned his loss and he quickly became a martyr for elves of all walks of life. His reputation grew, and he soon was regarded post-humonously as an Elven Herald, Feylord Defender, Saigant of the Convocation, and the Lord of Lords. Who Lucien was in life became overshadowed by myth and legend, and the legend of Lucien Tinuvar soon became synonymous with the entire elven racial identity. He was more than a martyr, he became a saint, an angel, and eventually a god.

But how did this happen?

Passing through the Veil, Lucien’s soul felt a great surge of anguish, anger, and vaishing hope from his people. These feelings fed his soul, and once he reached the Feywyrd he knew he was already on a course towards immortality. The sentiments, thoughts, and veneration given to him by the mortal elves who dwelled in the Known World gave his soul power beyond anything he dreamed possible. His power surged, and he found he could manifest it in the Known World. Lucien Tinuvar had become a god.

Legend says that Lucien’s first manifestation was to High Caretaker Anwen Neirshen of the Convocation of Shal’Tavoor. She had been one of his key allies during his life in battles against the humans and his father’s cacotopic empire. He annointed her as the First Priestess of his church, which grew like wildfire among the elves. Now for the first time the elves had a diety to whom they could place their eternal trust into, and this new god promised them a world without the Races of Man.

And so began the Elven Scourge…

[1] Shal’Tavoor was a place know to Mankind as South Dawning, a bucolic region about seven hundred miles south of Loaerth City. It was known for its fine wines, and extremely rich fishing waters. The Tinuvar family ruled the region like kings and eventually their rule led to several uprisings that led to their downfall.

[2] Each elven region was assigned a Convocation of Practitioners, masters of the elven ritual magic traditions. Given that, up to this point, the elves had no gods but were instead Caretakers of the Feywyrd, in the Known World, Practitioners were often the ones who controlled who gained access to the Veil and were permitted to pass through the Veil back into the Feywyrd. The were, for all intents and purposes, much like priests the humans and trolls have – although their “churches” were more akin to schools where tradition and history was taught, memorized, and practiced. Once Lucien ascended to godhood, most of the Convocations converted en masse into churches dedicated to his worship.

[3] The artwork at the top is by Matt Lichtenwalner, and was reused from a post here at Nevermet Press from 2009. The logo, as you might have guessed, indicates that this is a post for Loaerth & Feywyrd.