Broken Elves

Broken elves inherited the martial culture of the previously existing elven empire, and have maintained many of its traditions that the other elves have abandoned. While the city elves have developed a functional and effective state army only the broken elves maintain a true martial culture. It follows a strongly feudalistic structure, where the state army is small and instead the majority of their fighting force consist of the personal retinues of powerful vassals. The actual structures of these vassal forces vary immensely, but most serve to highlight and support the personal style of the noble at their helm. While some of the more practical nobles use this to develop effective shield walls of archer corps, far more use more spectacular techniques. Many of these are based around the _____, a long bladed polearm traditional to the elves. It is effective when well trained in infantry combat, where a unit armed with _____s acts a bit like a lawnmower when applied to a disjointed enemy. It can also be used effectively from chariot, and this is considered one of the most glorious forms of warfare by many elves. More commonly however, broken elves will be cavalry, leading to more expensive but far more mobile armies than their enemies. They perform well in the steppes that the broken elves have retreated too, and were developed for the fertile plains that are now inhabited by humans, but are almost useless in the dense forests between them and their former empire.   The broken elves now exist in a perpetual state of warfare amongst each others, with constantly shifting alliances as each noble family attempts to establish dominance. These wars however are treated almost like a game, and the death rate in battle is very low, as their real goal is to unite so that they can re-assert dominance on the world. Their battles rely on incapacitation and ransom much more than death, as they recognize that while they all want to be the leader when they eventually reconquer the world, their lives are valuable and they will need their current enemies as their eventual soldiers. Of course, this will never happen since their plans are thoroughly overconfident, and it is unlikely that the noble houses will ever submit to one rule, but training for this day is the defining feature of their culture.   Broken elves are the least religious of the elves, but still more religious that most humans (and less than most dwarves). All elves have far more evidence in the existance of the gods than humans, do to their much more direct role in their lives (ritual), but this has also demystified the gods a bit, and for no elves have the gods been as demystified as the broken elves. They see religion more as another flavor of magic to be used for personal gain, rather than a place for worship.