Shadowed Path

Originally a counter culture movement to the spread of the philosophy of the Wood Elves, who favored adopting the ways of life of other races such as dwarves and humans, the manifesto of the Shadowed Path promotes the idea that the Elves lost their immortality on Lorgaire due to exposure to the sun, and to regain it they must shield themselves from the tainted light of the sun and live only in the darkness as their ancestors of the Shadow Realm did. Like the Wood Elves, the Dark Elves of the Shadowed Path are a cultural subset and not a separate breed of elfkin, although their pale green skin and bright yellow eyes can set them apart in appearance from darker complexions of surface dwelling elves. In this aspect the Dark Elves more strongly resemble their relatives in the outer realm.   An association with the Night Elves (vampires) is often assumed due to their avoidance of the sun, however, the Dark Elves are still a living elven folk, while the Night Elves are undead and only capable of reproducing by spreading their cursed infection to living elfkin. There have been supporters of the Shadowed Path encountered among vampires, but no known link from the Night Elves to the origin of the movement has been proven. Some competition for sanctuaries from the forbidden light of the sun puts Dark Elves and Night Elves in greater conflict than the cursed have with other elven cultures. While widespread knowledge of the Wood Elf and Dark Elf movements began in relatively recent times, after the curse of the Night Elves was unleashed, there are some legends that the original followers of the Shadowed Path were warriors from Fae'erie who never allowed themselves to be tainted by the light of the sun, and were allowed by the queen to return. These legends suggest the modern movement originated out of traces of art these developers of the Shadowed Path left behind.   Dark Elf followers of the Shadowed Path largely still follow the nomadic warrior cultures of their ancestors with more prolonged periods of encamptment where dark refuges are few, and are known for frequently invading the burrows and natural caverns occupied by dwarves or other subterranean races to expand their network of underground sanctuaries hidden from the taint of sunlight. Most adherents will travel the surface at night to move across or expand their territory, but small factions eschew even exposure to the reflected light of the sun from the moons, and will only willingly go to the surface when Elsora and Ashwin are in their new phases. Wars with surface dwelling elf tribes have also occasionally arisen in areas where adherents of the Shadowed Path become numerous, but their enclaves are generally avoided by surface dwellers. The numbers of followers of the Shadowed Path are considered low by most accounts, but are difficult to estimate due to their secluded lifestyle and often violent interactions with outsiders.