Zera Al'dea

History

 

The First Age - “The Eastern Fathers.”

Sometime in 120 AW, within the Elven kingdoms of Yimbra, a super continent far to the east of Krinara, the sprawling city of Ilmajora Eydala grew into a state of economic panic. Its mythril deposits deep beneath the city were mined practically to exhaustion by their dwarven cohorts, who struck deals in trade with the elves for lucrative riches. With nothing left, the trade for the mineral stalled, and being one of the more explicitly pricey commodities they dealt in, the Elven Kingdoms of Yimbra found themselves on the edge of massive profit loss and economic recession. So, instead, they sought to seek land outside their own and to hunt down a new source of mythril, setting their eyes on Krinara as rumors of the lands' richness in ores had reached even them. A draft of selection was sent out for the youngest of elves, few barely seeing their first century, promised with grand rewards and stipulations upon their return to the citadel.   The first of what would be eighteen fleets was sent across the grand Midaius ocean in 121 AW, and of these eighteen fleets, only seven arrived to the shores of Krinara's Eastern coast, the others lost to sea. This brought their numbers from 700, to 360; and though heartbroken, they would set off into the lands in search of a place to settle and establish their mining colony. The Ahnima, which had existed here for nigh-eternum, watched as the elven people migrated towards the great mountain of Kilkrayuk. This required them to traverse the monsterish infernal jungles, which many of the peaceful jungle folk warned them were perilous.   Unfortunately, the elves, thinking themselves the masters of the woodland realms, entered the jungles intent on reaching the sacred lands of Kilkrayuk, but they severely underestimated these wild-lands. The jungles would cut their numbers to only 200, and soon they found themselves being led into the center of infernal jungles, a place once known as the Endless Grove. The 200 hundred remaining elves etched their names into an obelisk by the lake at its center. Tired and broken by their journey, they opted instead to live their lives out in the grove at its center amongst the Elden Ones, who at the time were at war with an old Necromancer. He thrived in what is now known as the Verboten Lands, hence the elven folks' aversion to necromancy and its practices. This was when the First Elven High-King Anduriel Drav Estil was anointed in 135 AW as ruler of this fruiting nation, and from there, with the aid of the Elden Ones, erected the great city of Zera Al'dea which meant “The Ones far From Home.” Near the great spiraling lake known at the time of 'The Eye of Ovos.' The Elves would actually aid the Elden Ones in the war with the necromancer, earning victory in late 223 AW.   Several Elven High-Kings would rise at these times, the few before dying either from wars or mishaps.  

The Second Age - “The Coming of the Ashen Ones”

In 230 AW, after being hunted from Maya Ardul'gala by the Orcish Empires there, the drow found themselves in the lands of Krinara, seeking aid wherever they could. The Elvish people in Zera Al'dea and most of elvin society, regard drow as Ash Folk. Millennia back, after the Grand Convergence where the many realms adjacent to the realm of which Arkan stands temporarily collided and merged with others, the elves were only one species. However, some of them, preferred to travel and live in the night under the stars, these elves would garner the attention of Nightmother Galmorathe, the eidolon of the night. She tempted them into performing a ritual in which they gained her favor and powers at the cost of worshiping her over Crueshedd, the Sun God Patron of the Elves. Those who pledged allegiance to her grew dark in skin, blending into the night and their hair silvered and gray, like the moon. They bore red eyes that could see into the dark. The Elves who pledged to Crueshedd denounced these new-coming elves, as even children born with them bore the mark of the nightmother. Seeing her as a dark, ambiguous figure with her own motives and the opposition to Crushedd who was open and honest, they deemed the worship of her as heresy and cast the bearers of this “curse” out.   As such, when the drow arrived to Krinara where the Elves were not at their strongest, fear took them and many saw the drow as a threat to their sacredness and lands. Though the drow showed no intent to harm, they sought refuge from the raging world around them and so the Elden Ones would give them aid as it was in their nature to offer charity and help to others. The elves, fearful of the drow in their lands propagating and erecting settlements, grew fiercely opposed to their presence. The First Elven High-King Anduriel Drav Estil had raised a decree as the outrage of his people continued to grow in response to the drow's presence. The creed was known as the “Ash-Blood Concordant,” which targeted drow specifically and prohibited them from the city and their lands, failure to respect this trespass would mean imprisonment or death.   The elves began to imprison and sometimes even slay the drow people, who in their meager state could only hope to escape their wrath. They fled to the aid of the Elden Ones who bestowed them a gift to escape into the deep earth, finding the Abyssa and creating their own city within the earth. The Elves and drow have never seen eye to eye at this point, and this would be important for events to come.  

The Third Age - “The Great War”

At 562 AW. A great war began, known as The War of Sovereignty. The Elven People of Zera Al'dea, an invading force of Orkish Krof from Mara Ardulgala, the Tiefling nation of Andramedus, and the drow people under the Blind King Hauste Vel Vidorum the VII entered into conflict. They began to dispute over territory. The Ahnima and the Elder Ones remained neutral in the plight between the nations. That is, until a new threat rose from the abyss. In the Abyssa an illithid resurgence known as Skoth's Veil, which had been waiting patiently to rise and begin anew the transformation of this world, broke from the depths into the mortal realm.   It is said that the Elf King, the Blind Drow King and the Orcs, had turned their differences aside to fight this common foe, who threatened their existence.   Though the battle was won, it is said the king of this time, Seventh Elven High King Ursaria Drav Estil, had died suddenly and mysteriously.