Re: Darnannon Expanded Part 1

All right, here goes.....

As usual, comments and questions are more than welcome.

Darnannon Elves

     Elven races native to DarnannonSpace include almost every known 
species of Elf and Fairy.  Particular Races are found at the following 
locations:
Dobluth:  Morwaen / Half-Morwaen.
Darnannon:  Mithe/ Calaen / Taur’Lai  / Alu’aer / Avariel 
Unique Darnannon: Aran / Elatae / Elenai / Olvane / Yanwae 
Sha Loch:  Khelimbe / Yanwae.

Mithe Elves (Grey Elves)
(+2 INT, +1 DEX, -1 STR, -2 CON)
     Much like their Grey Elven brethren on other worlds, the Darnannon 
Grey Elves are the most noble and most reclusive of all elves.  They are 
the protectors of good, but they will only rise to the call of war when 
faced with great evils.  The Mithe are the ancient Elven nobility of 
Darnannon.  The Royal House of Aran Latierre Vardae has always provided a 
line of Elven Kings and Queens to rule the great forest planet.  The Mithe 
have always provided the original inhabitants of Darnannon a ruling voice 
on the council of Daldamar, and successfully balanced the more aggressive 
schemes of the Aran with the best interests of the citizens of the 
planet.  No request of the Imperial Elves will granted without the Regal 
Mithe of Daldamar agreeing.  Of course, this power does not extend to 
Imperial Fleet decisions, but RuaCorolnol Mymia and the other admirals of 
Darnannon typically allow the Mithe to opine upon their discussions. 
     Supercilious and condescending, arrogant and full of their own 
importance, Mithe of Darnannon typically disdain contact with non-elves 
and even those of “lesser” Elven blood in favor of their own kind.  They 
are striking and elegant, yet haughty and quick to speak their true 
thoughts.
     Mithe Elves are taller and more slender than other elves and 
typically have silver or pale golden hair and amber or violet eyes.  They 
are pale of skin and for the most part resemble Grey Elves of other 
spheres.  They don stunning dark blue or purple cloaks over metallic hue 
tunics which in dress alone serves them with an almost supernatural 
appearance.
     While not exactly bigoted toward other races, the Mithe do believe in 
the purity of the Elven line.  They are the least tolerant of other races, 
and they take pains to ensure that their culture remains in seclusion.    
     The Mithe of Darnannon have a well justified fear of the corruption 
that other Elven races can bring to their people.  The history of the 
Mithe adds a certain credibility that is not well represented among Grey 
Elves of other worlds.
     As mentioned before, the planet Darnannon is completely dominated by 
Elves, and much like everywhere else, the great war that separated the 
Drow from the Surface Elves raged across the forests of Darnannon.  In 
DarnannonSpace, however, the outcome may have been very different indeed.  
     Elven development on Darnannon occured at a much slower rate than on 
other worlds.  Originally, the dominant species were many different and 
unusual types of Seelie Fairies, with the Elves as just another Fairy 
creature.  While on other worlds, the Elves were being hardened to the 
trials and tribulations of great wars with the Goblinoids and Men and 
Dwarves, Darnannon was spared this era.  Only a few Dragons, Giant-Kin and 
natural predators ever caused any grief for the peace loving folk of 
Darnannon.  Other intelligent life simply did not exist here.  This was 
the First Age; The Great Age of Peace on Darnannon.  The Age lasted from 
the beginning of time on Darnannon until the Elfwar.
     The temptations of Lolth began to spread through some of the more 
aggressive and individualistic Elven tribes near the end of the First Age, 
and soon, the Spider Queen’s plans came to fruition.  The Dark Queen’s 
Morwaen armies fell silently upon the other elves of Darnannon during the 
darkness of a new moon and countless elves were slaughtered while at 
rest.  Entire cities were raised and every man woman and child residing 
there was put to the sword.  The night of a billion tears could have been 
perhaps the greatest night of Elven bloodshed that has ever occurred in 
any sphere.  More Elves were killed in that one night than during the 
entire Unhuman War.  It was the greatest mass surprise attack ever carried 
out.
     The other elves of Darnannon were taken completely off guard.  A 
sword was a weapon that had never even been conceived of before.  Archers 
had bows for hunting, and hachets for firewood, and a few knives for 
utilitarian purposes.  No Elven city had any kind of organized defense 
past a few armed constables in reserve to serve as “Dragon Wardens” and 
the like.  It would take a long time indeed for the elves to take up arms 
by attempting to copy the works of the few captured assailants’ weapons.
     The Faries of Darnannon were hardly up to the task of war, and many 
of the smaller sub-races of Elves sought seclusion,  rather than to take 
up arms.  It was quickly decided that the most populous race of elves on 
the planet would bear the brunt of war; the Mithe.  And so began the Age 
of the Sword.
      The Mithe quickly discovered they were no match for the Morwaeni 
generals in their deity inspired arms, armor, and battle tactics, and 
suffered defeat after defeat.  It didn’t take long before Daldamar was 
taken by the Morwaen and the Royal family to be slowly eliminated by a new 
terror:  Sereg’Wethrin, or Assassination.  Ruler after ruler was put to 
death.  In the year of kings alone, 13 members of house Aran Latierre 
Vardae ascended the throne and were struck down, some being younger than 
80.
     Only when it became apparent that the Morwaeni wanted nothing more 
than complete genocide, did the other races come to the aid of the Mithe.  
Daldamar was retaken and the seat of power rekindled in the great city.   
Still, it was a decidedly losing war, and one that would rage for many 
centuries longer than on any other world.
     The end of the Second Age came upon the night of a great battle.  It 
is said that Darnannon may have been the last stand for Lolth’s universal 
reign of terror, for history recalls the end of the war occurring long 
after other Elfwars had come to an end.  The massed legions of the Morwaen 
had brought a great siege upon the walls of Daldamar.  The Mithe had never 
before seen the likes of such great engines of war and terror, and the 
might of the Mithe was waning.  They had mastered the art of sword and 
armor, and great Mithe military leaders had learned much of wartime 
strategy, but they were now cut off from the rest of the world.  Only a 
few groups of other sub-races remained within the besieged walls of 
Daldamar, with the Mithe and the ill-equipped Alu’aer warriors bearing the 
only legions of power.
     The last surviving King of house Aran Latierre Vardae had donned his 
great plate armor and lowered his lance to meet head on the charging 
advance of the Morwaen armies as they rended the gates to so much ash.  
The Great High Wizards of Daldamar expended the last of their own life 
forces in a mass magical slaughter of the first wave of the Morwaen, and 
to slay the Undead and the dark creatures of the Abyss the Tinu’Morwaen 
Priestesses summoned to their aid in a crazed mad obsession to bring death 
to their brethren.  Daldamar was doomed to extinction and all the 
surviving Mithe would die in the ensuing flames.  
     It is said that the Seldarine themselves were battling the Dark Queen 
on the fields of Daldamar, when Corellon Larethian himself called upon his 
powerful summoning magic, in one final attempt to save the planet.  Legend 
has it that the clouds seemed to darken as great shadows descended to blot 
out the sun of Darnan.  Lolth laughed in triumph as her evil-hearted 
Morwaen Drow reveled in the darkness, for it brought terror down upon 
their enemies.  The Morwaen cheered in victory for surely these dark 
shapes were more vile work of the great Spider Queen!  And the Mithe 
cowered in fear at this new unknown enemy that approached from the skies 
and they prayed their last prayers that they may at last have peace in 
death.
     It was not, however, as it seemed.  The Captain’s Log of the Imperial 
Fleet Armada aptly named “Divine Intervention” stated that the ship needed 
to make repairs in this uncharted sphere, and this strange planet below 
seemed perfect.  But when the seers of the Imperial Elven Navy Fleet saw 
that the great Elfwar was about to climax below and seal the defeat of the 
Royal House of Grey Elves, the Admiral had no hesitation when she 
intervened.  Seventeen Armada Class Vessels and Thirty Man-O-War and their 
escorts rained fire down upon the armies of the Morwaen!  The Mithe 
immediately took this as a sign from the gods and emptied the great city 
of Daldamar in a valiant charge to once and for all slay the evil Morwaen 
and their dark priestesses.  The Imperial Fleet brought great and powerful 
magics never before seen on Darnannon.  Surely, the Mithe thought, that 
these elves were sent from the heavens to defeat the Morwaen!!
     Over the next year or so, more Imperial Fleet ships had arrived to 
help the burned, battered and beaten Mithe in their struggle and soon, the 
Morwaen Drow were defeated.  But the imperial Fleet understood lessons 
learned from countless other worlds, and they knew that the Drow would 
only make life worse for the Elves of Darnannon.  In a stroke called pure 
genius by most, the entire population of Morwaen was captured, rounded up, 
and removed from the planet.  They were sent to Dobluth, to make whatever 
existence they could eek out of their lives.  They were expected to die.
     The Imperial fleet helped the Mithe repair the great city of Daldamar 
and used never before seen healing magics on their wounded.  Thus began 
the great friendship between the Mithe and the Imperial Elven Navy.  And 
it set the stage for the birth of the Aran, the children of peace, and the 
new Age of Healing.
     The Mithe are in fact, because of all this, a dying race.  
Eventually, the Imperial Elves, with their higher birth rates, will be all 
that is left of the once proud Mithe of Darnannon.

Calaen Elves (High Elves)
(+1 DEX, -1 CON)          
     The Calaen are the most common Elf on Darnannon.  They are typical 
fair-skinned and fair-haired High Elves found elsewhere.  They are usually 
outgoing and friendly.  Many adventurous Calaen have joined the Imperial 
Fleet.
     During the ElfWar, the Calaen immediately sided with the Mithe.  
However, the Calaen were even less skilled at weaponsmithing than the 
Mithe and took great losses to their Morwaen assailants.  Eventually, as a 
people, their skills caught up and they became a force to be reckoned with.
     While the Mithe arranged most of the battle plans and defended and 
held the great cities and villages against the Morwaen, it was the Calaen 
who were the hunters.  The High Elven legions rode out to meet the Morwaen 
and a few even dared invasion into Morwaeni homeland.  There are many epic 
tales of great victories at the hands of the Calaen.  These activities may 
have been what has saved them as a people.
     The Calaen were organized, at least within their own armies and 
legions.  Overall though, command was given to each group individually and 
they pretty much did as they pleased.  Many Calaen were present during the 
great sieges of Daldamar, but many more were far off engaged in lighter 
skirmishes with the Morwaen.  This spared most of their people an untimely 
death.
     Still, the Mithe had and still have a degree of respect for their 
Calaen allies and sometimes willingly accept them into their society, so 
long as they respect Mithe law. (Particularly laws which violate the Mithe 
ideals of racial purity.) 

Taur’Lai Elves (Wood Elves)
(+1 STR, +1 DEX, -1 CON, -2 CHA)
     In the early stages of the Great ElfWar of Darnannon, the Taur’Lai 
Wood Elves chose not to fight for either the Mithe or the Morwaen.  The 
tribal elders decided that they could avoid the conflict entirely and 
regress into the woods to be with their Seelie brethren.   Neither side in 
the war would let this happen for long.
     Ambassadors of the Mithe pleaded with the Taur’Lai for any assistance 
they could muster up.  Many young Wood Elven warriors took heed of the 
words and served as scouts and spies against the Morwaen, but they were 
never very numerous and only participated in minor skirmishes and raids.  
The Taur’Lai felt that overall, the loss of Daldamar might not be such a 
bad thing for the Mithe.  The city certainly did not appeal to the Wild 
Elves’ liking.
     Meanwhile, the Morwaeni Priestesses discovered remote tribes of the 
Taur’Lai and began to spread lies to them about the great conquest the 
Mithe were undertaking, in order to “cleanse” the Elven population and 
bring all under the tyrannical thumb of Mithe law.  These claims did not 
fall on deaf ears either.  Several tribes initially joined with the 
Morwaen to fight the Mithe, but were soon abandoned after the truths were 
revealed and the Morwaeni treachery exposed.  Of the surviving tribes who 
fought the Mithe, some sought to make amends and turn against their former 
Morwaeni allies, while others simply abandoned the cause and disappeared 
back into the forests.  
     The Mithe now regard the Taur’Lai on an individual tribal basis.  
Some tribes even have good trade relations with merchants from Daldamar.  
But the Mithe also have never forgotten the lost tribes, the ones who 
would make war with the Mithe but not the Morwaen, and have chosen to shun 
their societies. 
     The Taur’Lai appear to be stereotypical Sylvan Elves.  Most have 
yellow to auburn hair and tanned skin.  Taur’Lai clothing changes with the 
seasons and they tend to wear things that blend them in with their 
surroundings.  
     They are emotional and live through their hearts, wild and 
temperamental, living by instinct.  They rely more on Taur’Lai intuition 
and strength than on Mithe logic.  They are independent and reclusive, but 
far more open than the shy Olvane.
    
Alu’aer Elves (Sea Elves)
(+1 DEX, -1 INT)
     The Alu’aer of Darnannon are a great noble race of Aquatic Elves.  
They are a Silvery-Green with perhaps a bluish tint that matches their 
homeland surroundings.  Some experienced sea-farers of Darnannon can tell 
where a Sea Elf hails from just by their skin tone.  There are many 
different tribes of Alu’aer, some even live in the freshwater lakes, 
pools, and rivers of Darnannon.  They don loose fitting robes made of sea-
weed accented with sea shells that do not hinder them while swimming 
underwater.  
     The Alu’aer, although frivolous and playful, keep the seas of 
Darnannon safe.  They will travel along with Elven ships to ensure they 
get to where they are going and will readily rescue any air breathers who 
have fallen overboard.
     The Alu’aer have a wonderful trade relationship with the Mithe of 
Daldamar.  They will readily accept any visitor into their homelands and 
treat all Elves who come to visit with a great respect. 
     The ElfWar came as a great shock to the Alu’aer, and although they 
were greatly overmatched, they fought valiantly alongside the Mithe.  It 
is of special note that no Morwaeni Warship ever reached the coastline of 
Daldamar, all due to the Alu’aer’s efforts.  The great siege of Daldamar 
spelled the end to the line of Alu’aer Kings, as the last remaining 
members of Sea Elven royalty died in the great raging infernos their 
Morwaeni enemies unleashed against the gates of Daldamar.  There are 
Alu’aer legends that speak of the search for the lost children of their 
regal house, and now only a council rules the great kingdom beneath the 
waves of the coastline of Daldamar.
     The Alu’aer have several ambassadors sitting on the council of 
Daldamar, and help rule Darnannon with the Mithe and the Aran, although 
with a lesser voice.  They are very active in politics and seeing to the 
well being of all Darnannon Elves.  Current topics of local intrest 
include patching up the relationship between the lost tribes of the 
Taur’Lai and the Mithe.  Although many Mithe are adamant against this, 
they have also never forgotten that the Alu’aer were their greatest allies 
in the ElfWar.  
     The Alu’aer seem to be able to get away with much more than the other 
Elven races, at least from the point of view of the Mithe.        

Morwaen Elves (Drow Elves)
(+1 INT, +2 DEX, -1 CON, -2 CHA)
INCOMPLETE

Avariel Elves (Winged Elves)
(+2 DEX, -2 CON)
INCOMPLETE
  
PART 2 Coming.....