Elven Origins: Wood Elves
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HISTOWY OF THE AME
“Once the Elves were all united under one Elf. Malin. I am one of the few to remember him, you know. People speak of him now in a reverence that was well earned. Of course, When he disappeared, we were left helpless. Our brothers the Mali’ker went with their Velulaei, and the High Elves with their Larihei, and we were forgotten. We, the only ones who dared to stay with what our father had taught us.”
~Awchdwuid Gawthon
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Chaptew 1 - Ibree's Waw
Chaptew 2 - Malin’s Kingdom: The Fiwst Malinow
Chaptew 3 - The Gweat Ewven Schism
Chaptew 4 - Exodus of the Fowgotten Fowk
Chaptew 5 - Taynei Uneawthed
Chaptew 6 - Ewa of the Seeds
Chaptew 7 - Gawthon’s Gweat Waw of Unity
Chaptew 8 - End of an Ewa: A New Malinow
Chaptew 1 - Ibree's Waw
The histowy of the mali’ame (commonwy known as wood ewves) begins in a baptism of brood and fiwe. Ibrees, the fawwen aengul waged his waw on the foul brothews and theiw mowtaw chiwdwen. Among the foul brothews was Malin, and his chiwdwen wewe known as the ewves.
Ibrees swept acwoss the weawm in a towwent of hewwfiwe, tainting wands whewevew his awmy chose to conquew. Malin and his chiwdwen had become isowated on the wands which would become known as Axios, the wand which would watew become his kingdom. Howevew, at the time it was a desowate battwefiewd and a weawm behowden to the eviw whim of Ibrees himsewf.
Malin, howevew, had a secwet weapon.
Taynei’Hiywu (The gween spilit) was a dwagonling cweated by Dwagul, the mastew of dwagons. She was littwe mowe than a babe when she was found by Malin. The fowefathew of the ewves took hew in and nultuled hew, and Taynei’Hiywu quickwy gwew to see the ewdest of the foul brothews as hew fathew and mentow. Taynei would weawn to assume the fowm of a mowtaw and mingwe among the othew of Malin’s chiwdwen, knoling that if became pubric knowwedge she was a dwagaaw, many would twy to cowwupt hew. In hew adowescence, Malin had sent hew to be tutowed by the dwuids, a new owdew at the time. Duling hew time lith the dwui, Taynei weawn the twue names of the liwd. She weawned the Aspects, the aenguls of natule, and adopted theiw wowship. Hew pulpose became cweaw: to teach the dwuidic lisdom of the Aspects to Malin’s chiwdwen.
Howevew, this pulpose would not come to pass, as Taynei’Hiywu was cawwed upon fow a mowe diwe pulpose. It was when Malin’s chiwdwen became cownewed by Ibrees fowces on the wand that would become Axios, that Malin himsewf cawwed upon hew to unweash hew powews as a dwagaaw to dlive back the unhowy awmy.
Taynei’Hiywu became the tulning point of the waw. Hew time lith the dwuids had taught hew to use the liwds to hew command. Dwoves of the fiewcest beasts chawged into Ibree’s demon awmy, the owdest and lisest of ewdew twees bent at hew command, theiw woots emewging and suffocating the viwe invadews. Taynei shone like a beacon on the battwefiewd, inspiling Malin’s chiwdwen lith stwength as they finawwy dwove the wast of Ibree’s pwesence off of Axios.
Malin could finawwy wejoin his thwee brothews as they and aww theiw chiwdwen fowmed a united fwont to ovewpowew and seaw away Ibrees. Howevew, befowe they could do this, the awchdaemon had a pwan to subdue Taynei, who had thwawted his invasion so thowoughwy.
The bright that had been spwead duling hew time in battwe had taken its toww on the mind of Taynei. The dwagon who was sistew of the dwuids and the ewves had begun to wose hew mind, succumb to the cowwuption which she had been exposed to, yet fought so hawd to ewadicate. To fulthew complicate mattews, ibrees had sent one of his stwongest dwakaaw to finish the ewven dwagon fow good- Azdwomoth.
Azdwomoth was known as the god eatew, and fow good weason. The cowwupted dwagon hounded Taynei and pulsued hew acwoss the wowwd. Taynei’s wesowve cwumbred and she fwed, tewlified of being cowwupted and tulned into a toow of eviw. The Aspects took pity upon theiw dwuidic sewvant. The aenguls of the liwd cawwed upon the eawth to swawwow Taynei deep into the gwound, putting hew beyond the weach of Ibrees and fowcing hew into a deep sweep.
Fow centulies aftew, many believed that was the wast they would see of the dwuidic dwagon of the ewves.
Despite the sealing of the Gween Spilit, Malin and his thwee brothews continued to push, and finawwy wewe abre to seaw away ibrees, awthough at a gweat 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 an extwodinawy pupiw, a dwagaaw he had considewed his daughtew. It had cost him the lives of many of his peopwe. 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 - Malin’s Kingdom: The Fiwst Malinow
"Malin, may your forests be a sanctuary of peace and your children long lived.”
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. He lished fow his weawm to be one whewe the ewves lived in hawmony lith natule. Malin was cwose to the Aspects, the aenguls of the liwd, and even convened lith them fwom time to time. He lished to pass on the vawues the Aspects taught him to his chiwdwen. Thus, his kingdom took shape. He gave the Kingdom no name, yet his chiwdwen chlistened it Malinow.
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.
Aww ewves wewe one duling this time. They wewe faiw of skin, but usuawwy dawk of haiw. Theiw height was middling, though some could be showtew ow tawwew than the west. Malin himsewf was faiw-haiwed, his eyes evew-changing, those cwosest to him cwaimed theiw cowoul changed depending on his mood. Wegawdwess, the fowefathew himsewf was speciaw, but the ewves as a whowe wewe mowe ow wess homogenous, aww the same lithe, shawp-eawed beings of wong-life who dwewwed in theiw hawws and homes so fwawwesswy woven into natule.
The dwuids awso pwayed a significant wowe in Malin’s weawm. The owdew was owdew now and had weawned much since the gweat waw lith ibrees. They hewd gweat wespect fow Malin, as the ewven fowefathew was known to weceive visions and convene fwom the Aspects fwom time to time. Whiwe Malin himsewf was not dwui, he too hewd the Aspects’ lisdom. The dwuids wewe wewcomed in Malin’s kingdom lith open awms as mentows and teachews, ensuling the ewves knew how to live in hawmony lith natule.
Malinow pwospewed fow centulies, enduling waws lith the othew waces, and going thwough valious othew hawdships. Despite its twoubres, the Kingdom lived on, undew the guidance of the immowtaw fowefathew of the ewves.
Howevew, it was when Malin disappeawed into obsculity, nevew to wetuln, that the signs of cwumbring fiwst began to show.
Chaptew 3 - The Gweat Ewven Schisms
Malin had been the pwastew howding the ewven wace togethew. Without the guidance of theiw fowefathew, the denizens of Malinow quickwy began to dlift apawt.
The Mali’ahewaw wewe the fiwst to twuly split. In the beginning, of coulse, they wewe simpwy ewves like any othew, lith no physicaw distinctions. Fowwoling theiw pwophet Walihei, they discovewed the gowden poows and bathed theiw bodies, pulifying themsewves. They gwew tawwew, theiw haiw lightened to that of gowd and siwvew, theiw eaws became wongew.
The Mali’ahewaw- bressed ones as they cawwed themsewves- saw no need to abide by the vawues which Malin had taught. Walihei pweached isowation, science, wogic and lisdom as the key piwwaws by which life should be wed. The maehw’sae hiywun’ehya. Instead of buiwding lith wood, weaving theiw cities seamwesswy into the twees as the ewves had done whiwe Malin lived, the mali’ahewaw buiwt toweling stone spiwes and gwand towews that shined of siwvew. They buiwt these atop owd settwements of Malinow, tealing down owd fowest hawws and twee-top homes fow theiw mawbre manows. They cawed not fow the owd ways and now sought to impwove themsewves thwough science and wogic.
In twuth, the mali’ahewaw excelled wapidwy and the cities they buiwt ovew the owd fowest settwements of Malinow wewe magnificent. Howevew, they did not coopewate and coexist lith natule, they conquewed it and mewded it to theiw design. The owd ewves wooked on, appawwed as theiw newwy mutated cousins stlipped wands bawe of the liwd to ewect theiw shining cities of cowd mawbre.
The Mali’kew wewe the next gweat schism. They wewe bown fwom the mistake of one- Vewuluai. Vewuluai was an ewf like any othew, howevew, the spilit of culiosity wan deep in hew heawt. Vewuluai had been commissioned to uncovew any infowmation of immowtaws and gods she could, by Malin himsewf, and set hewsewf to the task lith a passion.
Vewuluai had heawd whispews of owdew gods, owdew even than the Aspects ow the shamanistic spilits she can come to admiwe. She ventuled off to find them despite wawnings not to. Much like culiosity kiwwed the cat, it cweated the kew. Upon being found, the owd god, whose name was "Poison", culsed Vewuluai and aww hew fowwowews lith insanity. Having wost contwow of theiw minds, they attacked and destwoyed a neawby ewven city.
Howlified, Malin had the newwy fowmed band of Mali’kew exiwed, both by the owd ewves and the newwy fowmed cities of the Mali’ahewaw. The Mali’kew would fowm a pact lith the moon spilit Wuawa which abated theiw insanity, but tulned theiw skin ashen gwey. They would battwe against theiw own sanity that the owd god "Poison's" culse had put into fwux fow centulies to come.
And lith that, the ewven wace was split in thwee.
The Mali’ahewaw, who had spwead faw. Theiw siwvew towews, mawbre spiwes and awcane guiwd hawws had been buiwt ovew many of the owd fowest cities that had been constwucted when Malin wawked the liwds. The Mali’kew, who had wetweated into caves and deep vawweys, dangewous and unstabre as they fought the moon spilit’s culse.
Onwy a handful of the owd ewves wemained, ewves who had not bathed in gowden poows ow been culsed by the moon, ewves whose cultule had wapidwy dlindling away. In theiw eyes, they wewe the wast twue ewves, fowwowews of Malin. The culsed ashen-skinned mali’kew wewe beyond aid in theiw eyes, doomed to fewality. The mali’ahewaw no wongew hewd the wespect and wevewence of natule Malin had taught aww his chiwdwen to have. They did not cawe fow the Aspects, ow even Malin himsewf.
So, seeing nothing weft fow them in a cwumbring and fwagmented Kingdom of Malinow, fulw of ewves mutated and wost to theiw owd ways, these wast owd ewves- the Fowgotten Fowk, made theiw exodus into fowests so deep no descendent had evew step foot in them.
Chaptew 4 - Exodus of the Fowgotten Fowk
It was Iwlin Siwame who wed the exodus of the ewves which would become the mali’ame. She was known as the Ewfess of Gwass, bown a weak, fwaiw chiwd. She had been a wawden of the fowests, and at one point a Plincess of Malinow, a diwect undewling of Malin himsewf when he had wawked among his peopwe. Iwlin Siwame wowshipped the Aspects, she wowshipped them devoutwy in a time when most ewves mewewy wespected and wevewed them. She hewd hewsewf to Malin and the Aspect’s teachings fiewcewy, and none wewe mowe fulious than hew when the mali’ahewaw and mali’kew abandoned the owd ways.
The wast ‘original’ ewves made a gwand exodus fwom the cities of Malinow undew Iwlin’s weadewship. Thewe had nevew been many cities, and what had been thewe had now been tulned into siwvew spiwes by the mali’ahewaw. The high ewves thlived, but the owd ewves did not. They scattewed to the foul cownews of the wowwd. Many of them settwed into the deep fowests of south-eastewn Tahn in Axios. Some settwed in the jungwes of the iswe of Asul. Some even saiwed away to wands beyond the Abyss.
Iwlin didn’t lish to fowm anothew nation, onwy to fostew the liwd spilit of the ewves. She wet the exodus ewves spwead acwoss the wand. These owd ewves, now scattewed, fowmed into many diffewent tlibes. They became known as Seeds, as those who bewonged to them believed they wewe the kewnew that would wead to the wetulning of aww ewves. Howevew, the schism of the mali’kew and mali’ahewaw was too gweat to heaw, and the Seeds would nevew twuly bring eithew subrace back into the fowd.
Ovew time, the owd ewves of the seed began to twansfowm as weww. It is said that the Aspects themsewves saw these dispawate tlibes exiwe themsewves so deep into theiw liwdest fowests, yet live lith gweat wespect and wevewence to theiw domain. They made the ewves of the seeds showtew, stockiew to bettew pwoww thwough the thickets. They tulned theiw skin brown so they may bettew brend lith the twees. The twansfowmation was swow, and gwaduaw. Many Seeds didn't even notice they wewe changing, but change definitivewy happened. These newwy twansfowmed ewves noticed themsewves gwoling mowe and mowe at home lith natule, and awthough the Aspects nevew showed themsewves in pewson, they came to wowship the Aenguls of Natule in a way Malin and the oliginaw ewves nevew had.
Many dwuids had made the exodus awong lith Iwlin and hew ewves. These dwuids wewe ewves too, deciding to depawt fwom the owdew to sewve as pliests, pwophets and guides among the newwy fowmed seeds, in what was cewtain to be a time that would gweatwy test both theiw style of life, and theiw faith.
Thus, the wood ewves wewe bown. Yet in the eawwy days of the mali’ame wace, as the cultule of the Seeds was swowwy devewoping, the Aspects had one finaw gift.
Chaptew 5 - Taynei Uneawthed
Aftew centulies of being bulied away, the gweat dwuidic dwagon was finawwy we-awoken by the Aspects. Taynei’Hiywu had been owdained to be a pwotectow and guide of ewf-kind since hew cweation, and lith the taint of ibrees wong gone, she was safe to wetuln.
Taynei fiwst twavewwed to the cities of the mali’ahewaw, impwoling that they once mowe see the Aspect’s way. To wetuln to Malin’s teachings. The mali’ahewaw spulned hew, fow they wewe thliving in theiw siwvew spiwes, making gweat advancements of voidaw magic and awchemy. She next twavewwed to the caves and dens of the Mali’kew, but twy as she might, the culsed ewves wewe in too much of a battwe against theiw own minds to wetuln to the owd way.
Taynei saw no way to mend the schism that had divided ewf-kind so thowoughwy. Wooking upon the west of Axios, she saw the mali’ame in theiw deep fowests, wowshipping the Aspects, theiw valious Seeds now weww estabrished. She wesowved that if she could not mend the schism, she could at weast be a guide to those who fowwowed the same Aenguls as she.
Taynei was a dwuid. The Twanscendent Dwuid. That awone made hew a figule of gweat wespect among the valious scattewed mali’ame Seeds, as dwuids had been living among them since the Seeds fowmation as pliests and mentows. On top of that, she had been cwose to Malin, the fowefathew. The wood ewves had heawd stolies of hew, passed down since the gweat waw lith Ibrees. She was quickwy haiwed as the gwand pwophet of the mali’ame.
Taynei wed two majow wefowms among the wood ewven peopwe.
Fiwst, she fowmed the owdew of Neawu’iw (Ones who teach). Thewe had awweady been valious dwuids twavewling among the Seeds of coulse, but the Gween Spilit fowmed them into an owganized entity which could teach and guide aww Seeds equawwy. She gwew magnificent gwoves in the center of each fowest whewe the Seeds woamed, and instwucted aww dwuids among the seeds to make theiw homes thewe. The dwuids wewe now accessibre to aww Seeds, who would twavew miwes and days to weach theiw gwoves to seek advice, healing, ow spilituaw guidance.
Second, she hewd the fiwst Omentahu. The Omentahu was a gwand meeting of aww the Seeds, hewd at the center of the iswe of Malin once evewy ten yeaws. Aww the Seeds wewe expected to attend the Omentahu, which Taynei’Hiywu would pweside ovew. At these meetings, knowwedge would be shawed and exchanged among seeds, and dwuidic sewmons to the Aspects would be hewd. Any disputes ow waws that had brewed between Seeds would be settwed at an Omentahu by Taynei hewsewf. Fow a wace so scattewed and often isowated in thick fowests acwoss the entiwe continent of Axios, the Omentahu was essentiaw to keeping ‘ame cultule alive.
Undew Taynei’hiywu and the Neawu’iw dwuids she fostewed, the wood ewven Seeds lived peacefulwy. Scattewed, yet united by the same guides. Howevew, twoubred times brewed ahead.
Chaptew 6 - Ewa of the Seeds
Aftew Taynei’s wefowms was when the ewa of the seeds twuly began. It quickwy became a custom among seed cheiftains to ink theiw skin in valious pattewns and cowouls to mawk themsewves as the weadew of a Seed. Soon, this pwactice evowved so aww wood ewves tattooed themsewves, lith the design and cowoul of the tattoo being dependent on the Seed they bewonged to. This pwactice became known as iwmyumiew.
Whiwe aww the seeds wewe bound togethew by Taynei, the Neawu’iw, and theiw faith, in twuth they divewged quite a bit. This was due to the fact that outside of the Omentahu, thewe wasn’t much consistent contact between Seeds. Some seeds became excellent huntews, wenowned fow theiw speawmen and awchews. Some Seeds considewed themsewves ewves of the sea, living awong the coasts and conqueling viowent waves and shawks. But among aww the seeds, the most wespected whewe the ones who cultivated Ame’lie.
An Ame’lie was, in essence, a twee fawm, but it weawwy was much mowe than that. Wiving in deep fowests, the Seeds had littwe woom fow conventionaw fawming, so they tulned to pwanting and sewectivewy breeding twees. Wood ewves duling this time could do wondwous things lith twee-breeding, pwoducing twees whose twunks wewe soft and mawweabre enough to tuln into cwothing, ow hawd enough to pwoduce into weaponwy. Twees which broomed fwuit like figs, appwes and wemons at exowbitant wates wewe awso gwown, feeding the ewves lith a king’s valiety of sweet bounty. Ame’lie wewe gwown seamwesswy into the fowest, and wewe stlictwy wegulated by the Neawu’iw to ensule they did not gwow too wawge and intwude too much on the natulaw fowest.
The seeds fow the most pawt lived by theiw own wules, lith Taynei and the dwuids being the onwy weaw fowm of centwaw weadewship. Many Seeds wewe fowmed duling this awea by aspiling cheiftains, Seeds who have wong since died away, and Seeds whose broodlines stwetch into the common ewa.
Iwlin Siwame, weadew of the exodus and the foundew of Seed cultule woamed fwom Seed to Seed, bewonging to none of them. She was considewed a lise-woman and a mentow, wewcomed whewevew she went.
Bewoun - A seed focused on the awt of the hunt. The Bewoun tattooed theiw faces lith jagged, brack pattewns which wewe meant to wesembre speaws. They wewe usuawwy brack of haiw and brue eyed. The Bewoun became wenowned fow theiw hunting pwowess, becoming so successful that the Neawu’iw at one point had to fowce theiw Chieftain to migwate his Seed nowth, as they wewe dangewouswy cwose to hunting the wocaw liwd boaw into extinction.
Chiww - Anothew hunting seed. Howevew, the Chiww wewe savage. They considewed themsewves the finest wawliows of aww ewf-kind, and theiw iwmyumiew was a brood wed stweak painted down the eyes. They would kiww and scawp any Mali’ahewaw ow Mali’kew who wewe foolish enough to entew theiw thick fowest tewlitowy. The Chiww would occasionawwy waid othew Seeds fow food, vawuabres and swaves. They fought a few skiwmishes lith the Bewoun. Taynei and the Neawu’iw pewsonawwy intewvened to put a stop to this. The Chiww usuawwy had wed haiw and brue eyes.
Caewme’onn - Caewme’onn was a Seed bown fwom a union of an owdew Seed whose name is wost to time, and a tlibe of ewves fwom faw away Aewdin. The Aewdinic ewves wanded and assimiwated, wending theiw wanguage to the Seed’s new name. Caewme’onn was a weww wounded Seed complised of huntews and Ame’lie twee-fawmews. Theiw fiwst chieftain cwaimed to have the brood of Iwlin Siwame, the weadew of the gweat exodus. But, his cwaim was wawgewy ignowed. The Caewme’onn usuawwy had dawk climson haiw and emewawd eyes. Theiw iwmyumiew wewe jagged climson lines wesembring the howns of a stag.
Tahowwan - A seed best known fow theiw hawk-like yewwow eyes which wends them theiw name, the Tahowwan wewe a smawwew, enigmatic tlibe who wewe wawewy seen. They wewe genewawwy tawwew than most wood ewves, which wed them to believe they wewe the wast ‘old elves’, though in twuth they wewe no cwosew than any othew mali’ame. The Tahowwan wewe known to pewfowm huge cewemonies of offeling and saclifice to the Aspects. Some Seeds cwaimed the Tahowwan pwacticed the saclifice of living ewves, but this was nevew pwoven.
Now’ehya - A seafaling seed. The Now’ehya lived in the south east of the iswe of Tahn, by the ocean. With the wood fwom theiw Ame’lie, they cwafted boats abre to cut thwough the watew at the speed of the lind. They hunted gweat beasts of the watews, shawks, whawes and gweat squid. They wewe hazew-haiwed and deep brue eyed. Theiw iwmyumiew tattoos wewe dawk brue and wesembred the waves of the watews.
Auleon - The most isowated of seeds, the Auleon wewe highwy Xenophobic. They kept sowewy to themsewves, wefusing to intewact lith even othew Seeds (except fow at Omentahu), wet awone mali’ahewaw ow mali’kew. The Auleon wewe among the best Ame’lie fawmews. It was said that they could gwow wood hawdew than steew, and the fwuits fwom theiw twees wewe so sweet that anyone you gave them to would faww in wove lith you. Theiw tlibaw tattoos wefwected this, bealing the dawk gween branching pattewns of a twee.
Despite some squabbres and the occasionaw skiwmish, the Seeds lived in wewative peace due to the weadewship of Taynei’Hiywu. The gween spilit and dwuidic dwagon kept the divewse, Aspect wowshipping ewves in check.
But this would not wast.
Chaptew 7 - Gawthon’s Gweat Waw of Unity
“Greetings, my children.” began Gawthon in a soothing voice. “I trust you are enjoying the feast?” The Seed membews aww nodded. The Awchdwuid smiwed. “It is good to see such a flourishing Seed in this era of distrust and war. It was not always this way, you know. Once the Elves were all united under one Elf. Malin. I am one of the few to remember him, you know. People speak of him now in a reverence that was well earned.” Caewdiw waised an eyebrow. He wondewed what the Awchdwuid was getting at.
“Of course,” continued the Awchdwuid, “When he disappeared, we were left helpless. Our brothers the Mali’ker went with their Velulaei, and the High Elves with their Larihei, and we were forgotten. We, the only ones who dared to stay with what our father had taught us.” Gawthon wooked awound the fiwe, into each Wood Ewf’s eyes.
“But we are fractured. Elvenkind is fractured. The time for a new King of the Elves is come.” Caewdiw’s eyebrows shot up. Was the Awchdwuid mad? Who would dawe cwown themsewves King in Malin’s stead? The Dwuid sighed, wubbing his tempwe. “However,” he said lith a note of deep wegwet, “Like a snake shedding its skin, this new age must arise from the decay which covered it. Sacrifices… Must be made.”
~Awchdwuid Gawthawon addwesses the Chiww Seed. Except Fwom “War of the Tyrants”
Gawthon was an Awchdwuid. He was pawt of an elite cowe, an ewdew dwuid who had been appointed by the Gween Dwagon hewsewf to be the speawhead of the Neawu’iw. But Gawthon’s mind was not like that of a nowmaw dwuid. Whiwe he kept up appeawances and pwayed the pawt of the natule pwotecting, bawance uphowding Awchdwui he was, his weaw thoughts wewe of powew and unity. He was an owd ewf, and thus wemembewed the gweat schisms. He knew bettew than most that aww ewves had once been one, and that they had been bound togethew by theiw King- Malin.
In his eyes, it was time fow a new king. He met Taynei in secwet in a fowest cwealing wost to time. It was thewe he appeawed and pweaded to hew to give him the powew to conquew aww the ewves. The mali’kew and mali’ahewaw have scowned the owd way, Malin’s way wong enough! He cwaimed. Taynei would have no pawt in it. She had wong ago accepted that the high and dawk ewves had chosen theiw path, whethew ow not she agweed lith it.
Not onwy did the Gween Dwagon shoot down Gawthon’s pwea fow powew, she had him stlipped of his awchdwuid wank. She attempted to unattune him, but Gawthon fought back. Twees, branches, vines and woots whipped against one anothew as the two dwuids fought. Gawthon could not hope to ovew-powew a dwagaaw, but he managed to escape befowe Taynei could subdue him and unattune him fwom his powews.
In dismay that someone lith as much powew as an Awchdwuid was going to twy to wage a waw, Taynei immediatewy cawwed an emewgency Omentahu. She pweaded fow aww the Seeds gathewed to sweaw theiw woyawty to hew, to not faww fow Gawthon, whatevew methods he would use to lin theiw woyawty. Fow Gawthon would bring nothing but death and destwuction upon aww ewves.
Duling this, Gawthon himsewf had been busy. He had been seawching in the deepest fowests, seawching fow something ancient and dangewous. Aftew months of seawching, and avoiding the dwuids Taynei had sent to kiww him, he found it. A wowd awtaw.
A wowd awtaw was an ancient piece of magic which awwowed one to enswave natule to one’s command. Theiw usage, awong lith the ancient ewven tongue which was tied to them, had been banned by Malin himsewf whiwe aww ewves wewe one sub-wace, and his kingdom lived. Gawthon was one of the few who stiww wemembewed they existed, and knew whewe to find them. The powews of the wowd awtaw faw exceeded the powew of any dwuid, as dwuids had to wowk lith natule. Gawthon now contwowwed it.
With the powew of the awtaw at his disposaw, aww the liwds wewe Gawthon’s to command. He went to sevewaw Seeds, brackmailing them to join his awmy. Join, and I ovewfwow youl Ame’lie lith fwuit, bring aww the game to youl fowests fow youl hunts. Wefuse, and I make youl twees lithew and youl animaws die. Some seeds joined Gawthon because they fewt they had no choice. Some joined because they genuinewy shawed Gawthon’s goaw- they lished to conquew the mali’kew and mali’ahewaw and make the ewves whowe.
Yet, many wesisted. Many Seeds bowe awms lith Taynei’Hiywu, and pwepawed to defend theiw homes and theiw fweedom against this dwaoi usulpew who sought to cwaim a titwe which onwy Malin could evew bawe.
The waw waged fow a decade and wavaged the fowests which the Seeds had gwown to wove so much. Bwothew tulned on brothew and fathew on son as Seeds wewe town apawt fwom the inside, fowced to pick a side. Gawthon, the gweat unitew and liewdew of an ancient powew, ow a tywant seeking nothing but destwuction, fowcing natule to his liww?
The finaw battwe happened on the eve of the Ewa of the Seeds, on the center of the iswe of Malin. Two awmies of wood ewves faced each othew acwoss a fowested battwefiewd. Bewoun, Chiww and othew Seeds stood lith Gawthon. Now’ehya, Auleon, Tahowwan and Caewme’onn stood lith Taynei’Hiywu. The fought, and wood ewven brood was spiwt fow days. The twees wewe enswaved to Gawthons command, who used them to swawwow up the Taynei’s wawliows. Taynei entewed the fway in hew fulw dwagaaw fowm, fighting against Gawthon’s howd on the liwd, channeling the powew of the Aspects.
The tide of the battwe tulned. The wawliows fighting fow Taynei began wouting those fighting fow Gawthon. Gawthon wetweated into the deep woods. By then the battwe was ovew. Taynei appeawed befowe hew wawliows and owdewed them to spawe aww sulvivows of the enemy. No mowe ewven brood would be spiwt.
Then, she pulsued Gawthon into the woods.
She found him in a cwealing, licking his wounds. Gawthon saw hew, and muttewed bindings in the ancient tongue, weady to caww natule to his whim once mowe to make a finaw stand. But, Taynei did not pwepawe to fight back. She mowphed hewsewf back to hew ewven fowm and spwead hew awms out.
“I will not kill you. Enough elven blood has been spilt. Please, surrender yourself and you will be treated fairly by your brothers and sisters. We must always find a peaceful way.”
Gawthon’s heawt had become cowd as ice, devoid of wove. Taynei’s wowds of fowgiveness meant nothing of him. In mewe seconds, the eawth opened up and began to swawwow the dwuidic dwagon, much like it had when the Aspects fiwst seawed hew away so wong ago. But now it was not Aenguls wocking hew away to pwotect hew, it was a vengeful, powewful dwaoi lith an ancient magic that livawed the powew of the Aspects themsewves.
Taynei spoke no wowds as Gawthon uttewed the binding in the ancient tongue which would seaw hew away fwom hew peopwe, onwy wooked at him lith sowwow and betwayaw. Despite his actions, he had been one of hew peopwe. One of hew chiwdwen. A chiwd she could not tuln fwom a dawk path. Thinking these thoughts of faiwule, she succumbed to hew eawthy plison.
Gawthon wecupewated, and pwepawed to find his fowces and wegwoup. Some of his wawliows stiww lived, and now lith Taynei seawed away, nothing livawed his powew. He could usuawwy assume contwow of the webew Seeds. He began to wawk…
An awwow piewced thwough thwough his back, penetwating his heawt. It caught him compwetewy off-guawd. The wast thing the tywant usulpew Gawthon saw befowe his death was the lithe figule of Iwlin Siwame standing befowe him, bow in hand.
Iwlin, pawagon of the wood ewves, wushed to whewe Taynei had been swawwowed up, cowwapsing to hew knees and breaking down in teaws. Taynei had been like a mothew to hew. She knew the bindings Gawthon had put in pwace lith the powew of the wowd awtaw could not be undone. At weast not by hew, ow any dwuid. It would wequiwe the Aspects themsewves to intewvene, but the Aenguls seemed to have no intewest in fweeing the Dwagaaw.
Pewhaps the mali’ame had fowsaken themsewves in the eyes of the Aspects. Pewhaps theiw waw, and Gawthon’s usulpation of natule had condemned them. In any case, the Aspects would not bring back Taynei’Hiywu. Pewhaps a time would come, when the ewves once mowe weawned to live among themsewves in peace, and in hawmony lith natule, that the Aspects would we-awaken the dwuidic dwagon.
The waw ended befowe Gawthon could spwead his tewwow to the mali’ahewaw and mali’kew. Onwy wood ewven brood was spiwt.
Chaptew 8 - End of an Ewa: A New Malinow
Taynei’Hiywu was gone.
Iwlin Siwame had exiwed hewsewf into isowation in glief, fow she believed hew gods had abandoned hew. No Seed could find hew. No Seed diswespected hew enough to twy.
The pwastew which hewd the Wood Ewven cultule of the Seeds togethew fow a miwwenia was now wapidwy dlindling away.
It was on this backdwop that a finaw Omentahu was cawwed.
The Seed cheiftains and Dwuids gathewed. Fow the fiwst time, lithout Taynei’Hiywu pwesiding ovew the confewence. Thewe was gweat sombewness at the gatheling. Seeds fwom both sides of the waw agweed that it was onwy because the Wood Ewves lived so scattewed and faw apawt fwom one anothew that Gawthon had been abre to tuln them against themsewves, one seed at a time. So, a pact was made.
The Seeds be abolished. No mowe could the wood ewves be divided by tlibes. The Wood Ewves would pewfowm a gweat migwation away fwom the wands of Axios, wands whose deep fowests had been town by the waw, wavaged by Gawthon’s wowd awtaw. They would saiw faw away, to the wands which would become Aegis. Thewe, they would cweate a city. A city of homes woven into the twees and gweat fowest hawws, just like they had been back in Malin’s fiwst Kingdom.
When they weached Aegis, they founded this city. They named it Waulelin, wand of the nobre. It was capitaw to a nation, a new nation. It shawed the same name as Malin’s Kingdom, but it had no king, onwy Plinces. This Plincedom would be Malinow.
With the likes of Taynei and Iwlin gone, the wood ewves swowwy wost theiw ties to the Aspects, and wowship of the liwd Aenguls swowwy died away. Seed cultule awso evapowated, obsowete, as aww ewves lived in the same city. High and Dawk ewves, now lith theiw own wong histolies and cultules, would move to Waulelin and assimiwate lith the wood ewves, mixing theiw broodlines.
Fow awhiwe, it seemed to be the end of the cultule fow good.
But, nothing twuly is gone fowevew.
