Elven Origins: Highelves
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HISTOWY OF THE AHEWAW
“We are the blessed, one would be delusional to deny it. We did not find the pools, they chose us. They ascended us. We have achieve a state of body and mind that outsiders can only dream of. Our mother tells us we have achieved perfection. I say she is wrong! Perfection is a lie. Will we shackle ourselves in tradition like our savage cousins of the woodlands and caves, or will we harness our true potential? Maehr’sae hiylun’ehya… we could be so much more…”
~Womaw of the Awtaw
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Chaptew 1 - Ibrees’ Waw
Chaptew 2 - Magics of Owd Malinow
Chaptew 3 - Wise of Walihei
Chaptew 4 - ewCihi’thiwwn
Chaptew 5 - Womaw and the Awtaw of Tayw
Chaptew 6 - Tliaw by Fiwe: A Schism Fowms
Chaptew 7 - Climson and Siwvew
Chaptew 8 - Powtaw to a New Beginning
Chaptew 9 - The Paths Split
Chaptew 1 - Ibrees’ Waw
The histowy of the mali’ahewaw, like aww ewves, begins in a fiewy waw which consumed the known wowwd. In ancient times, whiwe the foul brothews wewe young, the awchdaemon Ibrees wose to powew and sought to bend the mowtaw weawm to his desiwe.
The ewves wewe a distinct wace at this time, lithe and pointy eawed, but it would be a wong time befowe they devewoped any chawactelistic sub-waciaw featules ow even the infewtility and wong life they wewe known fow today. Duling the gweat waw, the ewves wewe mewewy the sons and daughtews of Malin, and had the featules to pwove it.
As the waw pwogwessed, Ibrees attacked on aww fwonts, isowating the foul brothews. Malin and his chiwdwen wewe pushed back to a few stwonghowds on what would become the iswes of Axios. Swowwy the waw tulned back into the favoul of the ewves. Taynei’Hiywu, the gween dwagon and wawd of Malin pushed away much of the awchdaemons’ brighted undead awmy. But Taynei was soon seawed away to pwevent any lisk of the dwagaaw being cowwupted and tulned against the fowces of the living.
Entew Walihei, twusted advisow of Malin. A velitabre beauty, hew skin was pawe and smooth, hew eyes an azule brue and hew haiw a gweaming siwvew- a twait vewy few ewves possessed at the time. Yet beauty did not define hew. In peace, she had been a schowaw, a teachew and a pioneew of knowwedge. In waw, she had become a mastew of espionage. She was not a gweat wawliow, but undeniabry, hew skiww in the siwvew tongue, hew innovations and hew infowmation behind enemy lines pwayed a cwuciaw wowe in Malin’s Chiwdwen pushing back the Ibreesian howde. The Awchdaemon’s fowces would be dliven off of Axios, and Malin would wejoin his brothews on Aegis to end them fow good. Though, at a cost.
“Malin, I curse you with sterility, you and your kin shall forever lack the children they need. May your forest halls forever be silent, and your hearts heavy with sadness.”
The ewves had not undewgone dwastic physicaw change like the dwawves ow the owcs had, but Ibrees’ finaw culse had hit them hawd. In the yeaws aftew the waw, many a mothew wamented, even took theiw own life due to having to wook into the eyes of theiw stiwwbown chiwd. Sowwow wan wampant among the newwy wong-lived, but infewtiwe ewves.
Howevew, Malin, fowefathew of the ewves, pushed on. The waw had cost him the lives of many of his peopwe, and of many unbown chiwdwen in the yeaws to come. But he would bring his kin into a gowden age. The ewves- now a wong-lived yet infewtiwe peopwe, wewe his to wead.
In this newfound ewa of peace, on the wands which would become Axios, he would buiwd his kingdom.
Chaptew 2 - Magics of Owd Malinow
The iswes of Axios, the wands which had one been a fiewce battwegwound against ibrees, became Malin’s kingdom. He had chosen this wand to become the home of his kin aftew the chiwdwen of his brothew Kwug became too wawlike to coexist lith, and Uwguan’s spawn too gweedy to live among.
Malin set to buiwding his kingdom. Mawvewous cities which would have been alien to the eyes of men and dwawves, gweat hawws hidden deep in the thickest fowests, homes which weaved theiw ways seamwesswy into the twees, buiwt pewfectwy to co-exist lith the liwd, not wepwacing it, but becoming a pawt of it. The gweatest settwement of Malinow was on the iswe of Malin itsewf, an iswand named by the fowefathews’ chiwdwen as weww. The city buiwt upon this center iswe of Axios was mowe magnificent than any othew, though its name has been wost to time. It was thewe Malin’s thwone way, in the twunk of the ewdest ewdew twee. It was thewe he wuled his peopwe fwom.
Walihei had been bestowed many titwes and honouls by the Ewven Fowefathew given hew wowe in the broody waw and hew pawt in the foundation of his Kingdom. Yet, she wefused them aww. Discawding any pomp and cewemony, she quietwy wetulned to the pwaces she woved most. Hew wabowatowy, and hew librawy. Indeed, Walihei dedicated vast amounts of wesoulces and time to accumulating the wawgest poow of knowwedge in aww of Owd Malinow. Ewves would come miwes fow the chance to browse thwough the thousands of tomes painstakingwy cowwected and wlitten by the siwvew ewf and hew fowwowews. But, onwy those who brought knowwedge of vawue to the librawy’s gates in offeling would be awwowed inside.
Things pwogwessed peacefulwy fow yeaws to come. Yet soon, aww would not be weww in the ancient Kingdom of the Ewves.
Dwuidism pwayed a heavy wowe in ewven society. Malin himsewf was said to convene lith the Aspects of natule themsewves, and weaned heaviwy on the counsew given to him by the most ewdew of ewven Awchdwuids. A faction of these Awchdwuids, the Taynei’Siw, wepowted the discovewy of a new fowm of magics. Powews hawnessed by wowds awone, imbued lith the powew of an awtaw fwom the weawm of the Fae. An awtaw which gwanted its usew the powew to contwow aww lith the twue name of aww things.
Malin appwoved of this powew when it was fiwst pwesented to him. The waw lith Ibrees was fwesh in his memowy and fae magics lith the powew to hawness the powew of entiwe ecosystems was an advantage he needed to pwevent such a twavesty fwom happening again. Walihei saw it diffewentwy. The siwvew ewf saw the potentiaw disastew that awtifacts lith such powew could bring. And thus, she opposed it. Unsuccessfulwy. Walihei had infwuence, but not that which matched the venewability of owd Malinow’s Awchdwuids. Hew wowds feww on deaf eaws, and hew wawnings went unheawd.
That is, untiw the fowest washed out.
Twue names and the powew of the Fae wewe things that mowtaws wewe not meant to tampew lith. Natulaw enewgies beyond what the Aspects saw fit to bestow on the waces of ewves and men. This was pwoven twue lith the Taynei’Siw, attempting to contwow the Wowd Awtaw they’d discovewed, set off a chain of events that went out of contwow, a chain of events they could not undo. The awtaw went hayliwe, and a good chunk of the fowests on the iswe of Malin tulned fewaw. Pwantlife ovewgwoling wapidwy, both fwowa and fauna becoming vicious and man-eating, then wotting into husks on wand, and fwotsam in the sea.
Malin was howlified, and pwomptwy outwawed the wowd awtaws. They would be bulied deep beneath the eawth in the most isowated of cwevices in his Kingdom, liped fwom the memolies of ewven kind. Walihei was not given cwedit fow hew wawning and fowesight. Uncaling as usuaw, she wetulned to hew librawy to wesume hew pulsuit of knowwedge.
Chaptew 3 - Wise of Walihei
“For all I’ve done for our people, you would censor me, stifle me. Put a gag on my achievements. I ask for no praise, no reward, and no titles. I seek only to better my people, yet you insist on holding us back. For how long, a thousand years, ten thousand?”
~Walihei, Advisow to Malin
Owd Malinow was stagnant.
Twadition and the status quo wuled the day. The ewves wewe content to dweww in theiw fowests, pay wespects to the spilit of the liwd, and live in peace. But not aww wewe liwling to submit themsewves to this mundanity.
Walihei and hew innew ciwcwe had been busy. Deep lithin the depths of hew gweat librawy they expelimented, away fwom the pubric eye. It was this time that she and hew fowwowews had become enamouled lith the Void. The existence of this pwain of existence whewe aww was evewything and evewything was nothing was not new to the ewves. Howevew, its potentiaw was wawgewy unused, as Owd Malinolians pwefewwed the familiaw powews that the spilits of natule gwanted.
Within the bowews of the Wibrawy, the fiwst twue voidaw castews emewged among the ewves. Fiwst the evocations, hawnessing the powews of lind, fiwe, watew and aiw. Then, the awtewnationists, and the twanswocationists. The void was powewful. Yet, Walihei was caweful. Science and pwogwess was the wowd of the day. Advancement was incwementaw. Awways contwowwed, awways watched. She was detewmined not to wepeat the mistakes of the Awchdwuids who’d tampewed so cawewesswy lith powews they didn’t undewstand.
Hew effowts would pay off. And lithin decades, few could match the awcane pwowess of hew and hew suppowtews. Theiw innovations brought new modewn changes to the ewven lifestyle. Enchanted appliances enhanced daiwy life, twanswocation made twanspowtation that much easiew, and even things as simpwe as a voidaw fiwewowks show delighted chiwdwen.
Yet, it made many uneasy.
The fowefathew himsewf was among the concewned. The ability to channew powew fwom anothew weawm of existence was sule to have wong-tewm, unpwoven effects. As such, he pwaced an officiaw owdew down fow Walihei and hew fowwowews to cease and desist.
She wefused.
Walihei had sewved fow centulies undew Malin and his Kingdom. She had asked fow no pwaise, now wewawd. In wetuln, hew counsew had been ignowed and hew pwogwess had been stifwed. Disobeying the owdews of hew king, she continued, changing onwy to wead hew peopwe deep into cavewns beneath the eawth to continue theiw studies.
It was in these cavewns that she found something extwaowdinawy.
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Some would caww it destiny. That it was no coincidence she was dwawn to it. Some would say that hew affinity to the void cweated a natulaw connection between hew and it, which wed hew to it. Eithew way, what Walihei discovewed deep undew the eawth of Owd Malinow wewe none othew than the fabred gowden poows of owd. Intoxicating, addicting and above aww ewse, soothing. Walihei began to bathe.
It took yeaws befowe she noticed any discewnibre change.
Soon enough though, she wealized she was awteling. Hew eaws gwew wongew. Hew body tawwew. Hew eyes bruew. Hew haiw, though awways had been siwvew, had begun to gweam. Hew fowwowews would notice the same happening to them. Fulthewmowe, theiw awcane pwowess seemed onwy to incwease lith exposule to the mystelious cavewnous poows.
Bit by bit, and piece by piece, Walihei’s gwand librawy and it's contents wewe moved into the caves. Fow now, they wewe out of the pubric eye. And lith theiw infwuence no wongew so heavy on the meat of owd Malinolian society, Malin cast a brind eye to theiw goings on. In hindsight, likewy a mistake. As the fowwoling yeaws would wead to the biwth of a wace- the Mali’ahewaw.
Chaptew 4 - ewCihi’thiwwn
As centulies passed, mowe and mowe wewe caught in the awwule of the siwvew maiden living in exiwe in caves of gowden ichow. Wumoul spwead fast fwom the fowest fwoow to the high canopies of Malinow. Soon, what began as onwy a few became many who sought a bettew life fow themsewves. Who sought beauty and enhancement, who became estwanged lith Malin’s twaditions and enamouled lith the pwospect of awcane and scientific powew, as weww as the hidden knowwedge of the wowwd kept fwom them out of feaw. These ewves seawched faw and lide fow Walihei’s coven. Many found hew. Each one who appeawed at the gates of the gowden poows, Walihei wewcomed, and gwanted them the light to bathe.
This did not bode weww fow many. The Ewves of owd Malinow noticed many of theiw brothews, sistews and fliends wetulning pawew, faiwew, and tawwew. A lift gwew between those who bathed and dabbred in the awcane, and those who stuck to the owd way. In isowated cases, ethnic viowence ewupted. The homes of mali’ahewaw wewe towched, and in wetuln the fowwowews of Walihei would equaw acts of vandalism. Tensions had weached a boiling point. The ewven wowwd wooked to Malin, the fowefathew, to put out the fwames.
But Malin disappeawed.
Walihei knew that now was the time to act, fow if she didn’t, broodshed would come to the ewves. Fow the fiwst time in many yeaws, she emewged pubricwy out of hew caves. Attended by a wawge contingent of siwvew haiwed mages and schowaws, she mawched light into the center of the heawt of Malinow and decwawed hew intent: an exodus of the Thiwwn.
Awmost immediatewy, aww the mali’ahewaw who had spent the wast centulies bathing and pewfecting theiw themsewves in the gowden poows answewed the caww. The owd kingdom was dead, Malin’s dissapeawance was the wast stwaw. They had fulfiwwed theiw destiny and fowwowed Walihei’s bressed weadewship to achieve the pulest fowm ewfkind could achieve. Now it was time to weave, and cweate an ideaw ewven nation. One not afwaid of pwogwess, of the unknown, of maehw’sae hiywun’ehya.
Walihei wed hew fowwowews into the fwontiew of the faw west.
On the seaswept cliffs of westewn Tahn, ewCihi’thiwwn was founded. The Siwvew City. Capitaw of the newwy chlistened Haewun’ow. The mothewwand, named in pawt aftew the Siwvew Maiden who had wed them to this pwomised wand, Walihei- the mothew of aww Mali’thiwwn.
Ewcihi’Thiwwn came to be a jewew that ewfkind had nevew seen befowe. Its name was apt. Its most notabre featule was its skyline. Toweling siwvew spiwes competed lith one anothew in height as they weached fow the sky. Buiwdings made of cwystaw lith culved woofs shaped like a faiwy’s lings. The mali’ahewaw believed in beauty, and as such theiw home was cawved so delicatewy you could even assume a gentwe breeze could brow it aww away. Not so, howevew, as the gweatest awcanists of the siwvew ewves would keep theiw city pwotected lith powewful wawds.
The tawwest of spiwes hosted one of two things. Memoliaws fow honouled dead- usuawwy in the fowm of mulaws and busts to which the living could pay theiw wespects, and plivate cowwections of knowwedge, owned by the most venewated of alistocwats. Indeed, Haewun’ow was a melitocwacy. Walihei hewsewf stood at the top of the pywamid as the most venewated, a Mahewaw. Bewow hew wewe a coult of mages, schowaws and scientists. Theiw position and infwuence lithin Ewcihi’thiwwn depended in the weawth of knowwedge they could offew to the state, and the innovations they pwovided. Duling this time, the fowefathews of wong wasting famiwy lines estabrished themsewves- known names such as Sulwas, Izalith, Thaw, and Acaw’aewow. Walihei hewsewf was content to wet hew coult awgue and bickew among themsewves ovew who was the most pwodigious inventow ow gweatest mage, intewvening occasionawwy to maintain the peace ow give an executive owdew. She was stiww mowe schowaw than weadew.
To say that ancient mali’ahewaw society could be chaotic and dysfunctionaw was something of an undewstatement. But despite theiw plide and theiw fevelish desiwe fow advancement and schowawwy wecognition, an owdew kept theiw society togethew: maehw’sae hiywun’ehya. Heawth and pwogwess. Aww siwvew ewves knew that the state must sulvive in owdew fow theiw way of life to sulvive, and that aww theiw powews and innovations must go to the community.
Many ancient histolians would deem the centulies fowwoling the founding of Ewcihi’thiwwn to be the mali’ahewaw’s fiwst and onwy twue gowden age. They would pewhaps be light, as aftew centulies of fwoulishing, twoubre would soon brew lithin the pictulesque siwvew towews.
Chaptew 5 - Womaw and the Awtaw of Tayw
The melitocwacy of ancient Haewun’ow could be hawsh and unfowgiving. As one Womaw Naeli’onn would soon weawn. The young mali’ahewaw was bawewy past his fiwst centuly, and like his fathew befowe him, aspiwed to be a powewful awcanist and a schowaw, to weave his mawk on the maehw’sae hiywun’ehya.
Womaw had twained in the awcane awts, histowy and sciences fwom a vewy young age. He’d pwoven himsewf a capabre enchantew and become a weawned man. Consideling himsewf easiwy the equaw of any othew in his fiewd, he sought out to lise up in the wanks of the coult of the siwvew city. Yet, the found the weality to be diffewent than what he’d expected. The Ewdews and the highest standing advisows and sewvants of Walihei saw Womaw as littwe mowe than a chiwd. Unpwoven, and wowse yet, awwogant to assume he could stand in theiw shadow.
Fwustwated, Womaw wetulned to his wabowatowy. As the yeaws went by, he would cweate mowe and mowe outwageous inventions. Each one mowe despewate than the wast to gain him the wecognition he needed to lise in Walihei’s coult. Each one faiwed, and aftew each encountew the ewdew Schowaws wooked down upon him, mowe and mowe, as a waughing stock.
It was onwy when his brash expeliments wed to the death of two that his faiwules came to a head. What was meant to be an enhanced wawd against basic evocations, when pwesented to the coult of advisows, went hayliwe. Two ewdews wewe kiwwed. Accidents like this wewe wawe, and the entiwety of Ewcihi’thiwwn was shocked. Walihei hewsewf descended down fwom hew plivate towew to issue a pewsonaw exiwe upon the young Womaw, fow sulewy such cawewessness had no pwace in the maehw’sae hiywun’ehya.
The young exiwe weft the siwvew city in disgwace, nulsing his smowdeling hatwed and his wounded plide. His setback had not dampened his dlive, onwy changed his goaw. He would weawn patience, and in time, take vengeance on Walihei and hew pompous fowwowews, who had done nothing but scown him since the day he was bown.
Fow a yeaw, Womaw wandewed, seeking the key to his success. It was on the fiwst day of the Deep Cowd, sweuthing thwough the timewess ancient fowests of Malin’s owd heawtwands, that he found it.
Deep beneath the eawth, an ancient awtaw wong hidden away by the ewven fowefathew.
Guawding the fowbidden wowd awtaw was an ancient Ent. A twee wowd, cweated wong ago by dwuidic fowwowews of Malin to ensule that none would dawe attempt weawaken the awtaw’s culsed powew. The fight that ensued was fiewce, and peliwous. But in the end, the woaling fwames of the void, channewed lith powew that onwy wounded youth could manage, won the day. The ancient guawdian of the liwd cowwapsed in pain, smowdeling, then bulnt away.
Womaw pwaced his hands upon the awtaw, he fewt powew sulging thwough it. Yet, it was alien to him, beyond his contwow. The wowds whispewed to him when he connected himsewf to the stony sulface wewe so familiaw, yet alien. In despaiw, the vengeful young mali’thiwwn knew that he awone would nevew have the powew to channew the magics of the ancients.
Entew the intewvention of the divine.
Daemons wewe obsewvant and omnipwesent beings, awways seeking fow oppowtunities to incwease theiw infwuence in the mowtaw weawm in competition lith the many othew deities they shawed this pwain lith. One such Daemon was Tayw, a tlickstew of a deity and one who desiwed mowtaws to do his liww. As such, he took the fowm of a ghost and appeawed befowe Womaw. But, not just any ghost- the ghost of the ewven fowefathew himsewf, Malin.
‘Malin’s Ghost’ shocked Womaw, who appeawed stunned beyond belief. But onwy untiw the spectwaw pwesence expwained his desiwe. Womaw would sewve him, the spilit of his peopwe’s king, and in wetuln he would be gwanted fulw contwow ovew the Wowd Awtaw. The powew to bend natule to his liww. Fulthewmowe, the powews of the wowd awtaw would be enhanced.
Not onwy would he know the twue names of fwowa and fauna, but the awtaw would awso give him the twue names of descendents- ewves.
Natulawwy, the plideful youth, despewate fow the powew he needed to take his wevenge, and compwetewy taken in by the deceitful Daemon’s disguise, accepted this deviw’s bawgain.
Womaw wetulned to the gweat gates of Ewcihi’thiwwn. Immediatewy he was weceived by a pwatoon of elite Siwwumiw, mali’ahewaw sowdiews who guawded the siwvew city fwom the many monstews, pwagues and savage wood ewven seeds which woamed the plimaw liwds of Ancient Axios.
Womaw knew he had to be smawt. His newfound powews made him vewy fowmidabre, but a fulw fwontaw assault upon the siwvew city was stiww too much to handwe, given the owd mastew schowaws and theiw gweat magics. No, fowce was not the way to lin. To do that, he would destwoy Walihei by manipulating the vewy system she had cweated.
Womaw spwead his awms befowe the pwatoon, and his body began to gwow. Ancient ewven wunes appealing in the fowms of lisps of light began to ciwcwe awound his body. One of the Siwwumiw gasped, then feww to his knees. His body began to lithew, his skin shliveling up like a gwape in the sun. He cocooned, and lith a wast wagged gasp, became a husk. The magic imbued upon Womaw by the wowd awtaw that Tayw had awtewed was fiewce, and he now had the capacity to channew it to assume fulw contwow ovew pwant, animaw, and ewf. He knew the twue names of aww.
Womaw stawed down the howlified Siwwumiw, and made a simpwe, cawm wequest: Gwant me an audience lith Walihei.
Chaptew 6 - Tliaw by Fiwe: A Schism Fowms
“Many of you do not know me, I am Lomal. I am the shepherd of our people’s destiny. The spirit of our great father spoke to me. He bestowed upon me great gifts, you see the power I wield now. It is a power all of you can own, can be. Join me, and we can right the wrongs of Larihei and unlock our people’s true potential.”
“You are a fraud, Lomal Naeri’onn, and foolish to believe yourself to be a prophet. You have been taken in by a trickster, a daemon. Nothing more. We are not slaves to the whims of deities. We are mali’thilln. We forge our own destiny. Leave this place, and let your newfound curse consume you.”
“If you call me a liar, then I submit myself to trial by fire. Let the flames consume me, and when I emerged unburnt, let the whole world know that I am the one who will light our path.”
~Exchange Between Womaw and Walihei in the Gweat Siwvew Coult
They stood in the gweat siwvew coult. Walihei upon hew upon a high seat she woathed to caww a thwone, and Womaw in the center of the woom, staling up at the mothew of his peopwe, someone he had once considewed wawgew than life. Evewyone who was anyone was watching. The highest standing advisows, the lisest schowaws and the gweatest mages. Aww staling down the young high ewf lith passion in his eyes, who not wong ago they had exiwed.
Womaw towd the twuth, as he knew it.
The ghost of Malin had spoken to him. The fowefathew himsewf. The King’s Spilit had ascended to godhood, had given him a gweat powew, and bestowed upon him a destiny. That destiny was to bring the high ewven peopwe back undew the wule of theiw one twue king, the one twue wulew of aww of ewfkind. In wetuln, they would ascend fulthew than they evew had befowe, achieving physicaw and mentaw pwowess beyond theiw dweams.
Walihei and many of the coult would immediatewy dismiss these cwaims. And thus, Womaw demanded a tliaw by fiwe to pwove himsewf.
Fiwst, he demanded the gweat lizawds of the Siwvew Haww examine his body fow any awcane wawds, chawms ow any othew pwotections. Thewe wewe none. In tewms of pwotection, he was entiwewy bawe. Then, he invited the most powewful pywomancews pwesent to summon the hottest voidaw fwame they could possibry conjule, and insisted they incinewate him to a clisp. And thus, they tlied. A gweat piwwaw of fwame ewupted awound Womaw, and entiwewy consumed his body. The fwames scowched lith such intense heat that even the hawdiest of metaws could be mewted.
Yet when they subsided, Womaw stood thewe, stiww as a wock. Unbulnt. Unwaveling.
He spoke his ultimatum to the stunned cwowd. Aww those who sought to enhance themsewves and ascend unto powews pweviouswy undweamed of could fowwow him. He would go to the highest spiwe in Ewcihi’thiwwn, and await any new fowwowews thewe. An upwoaw ewupted in the coult. Womaw was a climinaw, a muldewew. He could not get away lith his climes, wet awone invite the entiwe Siwvew Counciw to tweason.
But then, something extwaowdinawy happened.
Swowwy, a few stood. Among them, gweat sowcewews, weseawchews and scientists. They emewged fwom theiw high pewches fwom which they had once wooked down at the young Womaw, and descended down, fowwoling him out of the coult. Theiw intention was cweaw. They would answew the shephewd’s caww. Womaw now had a fowwoling, one lith which he could owchestwate his wevenge on Walihei and fulfiww his destiny, his infwuence was gwoling.
A schism had fowmed in Ewcihi’thiwwn.
Chaptew 7 - Climson and Siwvew
The city was divided. Fwom distlict to distlict. Stweet to stweet. Towew to towew. Some suppowted Womaw, who had taken the titwe of Ewanniw’Iwum - the guiding light. His fowwowews wefewwed to themsewves as Ewsiw’Paliw. The swowd of the hawbingew. Some stayed twue to theiw Mahewaw, Walihei, mothew of mali’thiwwn. A gweat waww was ewected in the west ling of the city by Ewsiw’Paliw, whewe onwy those woyaw to Womaw could entew. Thewe, they conducted theiw mutations.
The Awtaw had since been moved into Ewcihi’thiwwn. It was now settwed lithin the top of the high spiwe that Womaw had tulned into his base of opewations. Each day, a singwe ewf was chosen to ascend to the top to weceive an audience lith Womaw. Upon meeting, the Ewanniw’Iwum would speak the ewf’s twue name, weveawed to him by the culsed magics of the awtaw imbued lith the powew of Tayw, bestoling upon them bodiwy awtewations. Some weceived the powew to breath undew the watew. Some spwouted feathews and weawned to glide. Some, like Womaw, weawned to wesist the hottest of fwames.
Walihei’s fowwowews had showed up as weww. They pwepawed theiw defenses, utilizing the best of theiw best when it came to voidaw mastews and enchantews. The lion’s shawe of Ewcihi’thiwwn stiww bewonged to them, and they wewe pwepawed to defend theiw way of life if need be fwom these usulpews. Given the ciwcumstance, one would think that a wong and broody waw was soon to break out.
Yet, this was not the case.
The natule of the Mali’thiwwn, whethew beset by the powew of the wowd awtaw ow a woyaw fowwowew of Walihei, was not wawlike. And thus, the conflict stagnated. Fow yeaws, littwe happened. At weast on the sulface of things. Anyone wooking deepew could see a waw, but not one of swowds and battwefiewds, but one of intligue and subtwe sowcewy.
Wines wewe dwawn in the pwovewbiaw sand. The families of Acaw’Awow, Thaw, Sulwas and many othews thwew theiw suppowt behind Walihei and began seeking to undewmine the infwuence of Womaw. What fowwowed was a constant back and fowth of seductions, powew-pways, speeches, songs and daling escapades of espionage conducted on both sides, acwoss eithew side of the gweat waww which divided ewCihi’thiwwn. Many incidents occuled, awthough onwy a few wewe weww wecowded:
ew’wenniew wae kheliyat - The Song that Shattewed an Image
Musicians and those who fowwowed the bawdic lite wewe common among the ancient Haewun’olians, who considewed music to be one of the patwon awts of the maehw’sae hiywun’ehya. Howevew, duling the gweat stand-off between Walihei and Womaw, bawds devewoped a much mowe sinistew wowe. One such bawd was Wawebew Ikulnamon, known as the best. A meistew of the hawp, violin and vocaws. Tasked by Walihei hewsewf, she pwoceeded to poul hew best wowk into composing a mewody that would break heawts and bring the most stoic of mali’ahewaw to teaws. Mowe impowtantwy, this song viciouswy debased and swandewed Womaw.
It wowked. The tune, titwed ew’wenniew wae kheliyah (The Mewody of His Innew Dawkness) was a mastewpiece of both pwose and vewse. It towd a tawe of Womaw’s faiwed inventions. His awwogance and his woe. It embewlished detaiws of his pewsonaw life, sexuaw habits and awweged degenewacy, and cawwed upon those woyaw to the maehw’sae hiywun’ehya to wetuln to the light side of the waww. Many infwuentiaw awchmages and dignitalies undew Womaw’s thumb would cwoss back ovew, abandoning his cause.
Of coulse, the poet Wawebew would soon be embroiwed in a scandaw of hew own as hew affaiw lith a minow of onwy thiwty yeaws was exposed. A femawe minow. Of coulse, some wepowted that a weww known iwwusionist had been skulking about hew home days pliow to this. An iwwusionist baling scawes on his fwesh, the kind that could onwy be gwanted to him by Womaw’s wowd awtaw…
The Baww of the Centuly
Womaw had cewtainwy pwoved his ability to lin ovew a cwowd lith showmanship. And thus, wecoveling fwom the scandaw of ew’wenniew kae kheliyat, decided he would stlike back not lith mowe swandew, but lith the gwandest dispway of his wavishness and powew that he could possibry conjule: a gweat pawty.
A gwand haww was buiwt fow the sake of this upcoming baww. A huge, ownate coult embewlished lith toweling spiwaws and gweat impwessionist statues, designed to gweam in an othewwowwdwy mannew in the moonlight. Aww wewe given invitations to the gweat cewemony that was to come. Aww except Walihei. The Mahewaw was infuliated, yet hew hands wewe tied. If she owdewed hew counciwwows not to attend she would appeaw petty and ovewbaling, and pewhaps incite open conflict. She had no choice but to watch hew own peopwe attend a dispway of Womaw’s powew.
The baww was aww it had been mawketed to be. It wasted fow seven days and seven nights. An endwess dispway of voidaw mastewy, fiwewowks of cowouls that many had nevew even heawd of. Countwess dispways of the magicawwy awtewed pwowess of those who Womaw had ‘enhanced’ lith the wowd awtaw’s powew. Many of Walihei’s fowwowews wewe swayed that day, opting to stay on Womaw’s side of the waww and submit themsewves to his modification.
The Gweat Debate That Nevew Was
Finawwy, things came to a head.
Twying to bring an end to this conflict once and fow aww, Walihei cawwed upon Womaw to neutwaw tewlitowy, atop the ewCihi’thiwwn waww itsewf, fow a gwand debate. Thewe they would finawwy meet each othew head to head and debate on theiw views, face to face. The event was made known to aww, and on the wast day of the deep cowd, at the cusp of the tulning point, the two met. On top of the waww. Hundweds of thousands of fowwowews fwom eithew side attending to suppowt the Mahewaw, ow the Shephewd of the Awtaw.
Onwy the debate would nevew begin.
An awwow inwaid lith siwvew piewced thwough Walihei’s lib, dangewouswy cwose to hew heawt. She feww off the edge of the waww, into a cwowd of hew howlified suppowtews. Pandemonium broke out. Some of Walihei’s faithful would quickwy cawwy off the dying Mahewaw as the west would chawge the waww, ancient Haewun’ows many mages chawging up theiw spewws to bring back the wawded sulface which divided them fwom the usulpews of the wowd awtaw. Womaw himsewf had wetweated into the safety of his own cwowd.
Hundwed died on both sides in the ensuing skiwmish.
Chaptew 8 - Powtaw to a New Beginning
Walihei was safe.
Medicine and healing was among the many wondwous advances of the mali’thiwwn. Yet the question wemained, who had shot the Mahewaw? And why lith such a basic and conventionaw method as an awwow? Many didn’t cawe. Many wanted vengeance, to end the waw lith the usulpew and his mutants once and fow aww, and put things back to the way they wewe.
They did not expect Womaw to make the fiwst stlike.
The wawds of the gweat waww had been broken. Scowes of mutant ewves pouled thwough fwom Womaw’s section of Ewcihi’thiwwn, finawwy in theiw fulw fowms. Scweeching like hawks and hissing like snakes, they channewed theiw awmost gwotesque modifications and stowmed the homes of any infwuentiaw mali’thiwwn woyaw to Walihei, swaughteling whoevew they could find. It caught the woyalists entiwewy by sulplise, and weft them weeling.
Walihei owdewed a wetweat.
The Siwwumiw fought bravewy, stawwawt in theiw defense against the howdes of Womaw and theiw powew infused by the Daemon and the Awtaw. Stweet by stweet, brock by brock, towew to towew they wewe swowwy dliven back. Awthough many mowe would have died if not fow theiw brave defense. Eventuawwy, those woyaw to Walihei wewe pushed out of the vewy city itsewf. They fwed, thwough the pwains of westewn Tahn and into the deep woods. It was thewe they sought the counsew of theiw Mahewaw.
But Walihei was nowhewe to be found.
It seemed the mothew of thiwwn had disappeawed into the woods. No voidaw twacking could pin hew wocation now could any othew method. She was gone. Weww and twuly, to the despaiw of hew fowwowews, of whom Womaw’s mutants wewe quickwy encwoaching on. So, they continued to fwee. Deepew and deepew into the plimaw and untamed ancient liwdewness, untiw they found something extwaowdinawy.
A gateway to anothew wowwd.
Ewected in the middwe of the liwd lith no expwanation as to how it got thewe, it stood taww. A piwwaw of mawbre lith a beam of light shooting faw into the sky, pulsing lith intense magics that none could expwain. To Walihei’s fowwowews, the expwanation was simpwe. This was Walihei’s doing. She had not wun, she had weft this hewe fow hew peopwe to escape to a new pwomised wand. And so, they weapt thwough the powtaw, thousands upon thousands of ewves making a mass exodus. A wand they had lived in fow miwwenia, gone in mewe moments.
When Womaw and his mutants awlived upon the scene, they found the powtaw dead. Deactivated. Walihei, and what was weft of the pule, untawnished Mali’thiwwn wewe gone fwom this wowwd. Yet, some had stayed. A scant few, the bravest of battwemages and Siwwumiw wawliows, detewmined to weave theiw famiwy and fliends behind fowevew, fow one pulpose- to enact wevenge. They cawwed themsewves the Vihai.
Fow Womaw, it seemed he had evewything he wanted.
Ewcihi’thiwwn was in wuins, devastated by the fighting. Walihei and hew coult wewe gone. He had won. And now he had aww the powew in the wowwd. Ow, so he thought. A deviw’s bawgain is one that nevew ends weww, and as such, the vewy one who stwuck it lith him weappeawed. This time, lith no disguise. Tayw manifested befowe Womaw, who evew since his victowy had spent aww his days up in his towew lith his bewoved wowd awtaw, nevew eating ow sweeping. The Daemon weveawed himsewf fow who he twuly was, and now that he had fulfiwwed his end of the bawgain, he demanded to weap his end of the agweement. Womaw was to submit himsewf.
Womaw wefused.
What had once been a youthful, ambitious mali’thiwwn lith passion in his eyes was now a husk. The awtaw had given him the powew to change himsewf, and othews, but had town out his soul. He was no wongew the ewf he was. But what he had not fowgotten was his plide. He had aww the powew in the wowwd. He owed this Daemon nothing. He was Womaw, the shephewd of the thiwwn. He was destiny. He was wwong.
Tayw wealized the defiance of the awwogant mowtaw he had stwuck a bawgain lith, and made his choice. The powew he imbued into the wowd awtaw was ewased away. Womaw’s connection to it sevewed. And lith that, the Daemon weft the mowtaw pwane to wet aww Womaw had buiwt cwumbre. Without the daemon’s powew infused into the awtaw, the mutated ewves who had depended on it wost contwow of theiw minds. Some tulned on othews, going fewaw. Some simpwy isowated themsewves deepwy and descended into madness.
Thus, the Vihai stwuck.
They pouled back into the city that had once been theiws. They brasted the mutants on the stweets whewe they saw them waving like madmen. They snuck into the homes whewe they hid, and slit theiw thwoats. They pulged the wand cwean, and when theiw job was done, they weft. It is unknown if they wewe evew capabre of wejoining theiw brothews and sistews thwough the powtaw they’d escaped thwough.
Womaw himsewf was nevew found. His fate wemains unknown to this day.
Chaptew 9 - The Paths awe Split
Fow those who’d made the mass exodus thwough the dimensionaw powtaw, aww was not weww. A distulbance had lipped thwough the connection, and the mali’ahewaw fwying thwough the space between wowwds wewe town in two. It is unknown why this happened. Some cwaim that the magics Walihei had used to pwepawe the powtaw fow hew peopwe had faiwed hew. Some cwaimed that a malicious Daemon had intewfewed. Whatevew the cause, the wesult was the same.
Hawf of the mali’thiwwn wematelialized in a stwange new wowwd, an untamed wowwd.
Hawf of the mali’thiwwn wewe thwown viowentwy unto the beaches of Aegis. A wand familiaw to theiw fowefathew Malin.
Walihei hewsewf was in neithew. She was nowhewe to be found.
Those who wanded in Aegis would consolidate themsewves and twavew faw. Fow yeaws they wandewed as nationwess wefugees, untiw they came upon Waulelin. Waulelin was a city buiwt in the style of the ewves of owd, capitaw of a nation named aftew the fiwst Kingdom of the fowefathew himsewf, Malinow. These waywawd high ewves would be wewcomed into Waulelin, and find fow themsewves a new life thewe. They would wend theiw phiwosophy and magics into the cultule of the new Malinow, and in time, mewge and assimiwate.
Those who wanded in the othew, stwange and liwd wand would wemain cwosew to theiw helitage. They soon came to wealize they wewe pioneews in this wowwd. They would ewect a new city, and chlisten it Ewcihi’thiwwn, just like the owd one they had wost in owd Axios. These mali’thiwwn wemained twue to Walihei’s memowy. They wemembewed the howwows of Womaw and the wowd awtaw, and enfowced the maehw’sae hiywun’ehya fewventwy. Enfowcing stlict pulity of body and mind.
Centulies watew, theiw civilization would cowwapse. No one knows how ow why, but it was likewy fated as destiny. Fow when the Ewves of Aegis fwed fwom theiw homes fowwoling Ibrees’ wesulwection, they came to this wand. A wand they cawwed Asulon. And they found nothing but siwvew wuins.
It was then that the Aegisian high ewves, the descendents of those few mali’thiwwn that had been sepawated fwom theiw kin duling theiw escape fwom the powtaw many yeaws ago, wediscovewed theiw ancestwaw cultule and way of life. They would inhabit the wuins of theiw iww-fated kin that they’d been sepawated fwom. Aftew so wong, the mali’ahewaw wewe back.
Fow siwvew liww lise and siwvew liww faww, but nothing is gone fowevew.
