The Chronicler

*As you scan the shelves at the library, you come across a new tome among the dust. You remove it from it's place, and start to read. Preface In these times of chaos and widespread turmoil, it is wise to take a few moments of your day to stop whatever you are doing and close your eyes, settling into an easy silence. You must reflect on where you have been, what you have done, and who you once were, are today, and hope to be tomorrow. These internal questions are not only relevant to the individual, but to society as a whole. Some may tell you we must forget the past, that we must erase all traces of what once was to make way for what might be. These misguided souls fear the past and all the dangers that come with knowledge. Their worry is not that you will know about the rich heritage of What Came Before, but that you will learn how to analyze critically those Who Came Before and Those Who Rule Now. They don't want you to identify with those Who Came Before, as viewing them as actual people complicates the narrative those Who Rule Now want you to barely remember. In each chapter I will attempt to provide some of what you need to know to answer the fundamental questions that we must ask ourselves. Malinor lives on, in our hearts and in our minds. Section One: Aegis Chapter One: The Collapse Historians and scholars have debated about this concept for decades, and though there is no clear consensus, most elven scholars agree that something devastating occurred in about 1200. No one is sure, as no one remembers what happens. Those of us alive at the time have a holes in our memory that are almost impossible to explain. Whatever happened, it was cataclysmic. I refer to it as the Collapse, as afterwards, all civilization collapsed. Anarchy reigned supreme, and almost all records of the time before the Collapse were destroyed, lost, or just vanished. Across the Descendent Races we see the same narrative: an individual emerges, pulling the disparate people together under them, founding new civilizations. The earliest new records are dwarven, telling of King Simmpa. The Orcs rallied to Tythus, man to Saint Daniel. In what would become the forests on Malinor, the first High Prince, Native, rallied the elves together to found Laurelin on the site of an old wood elven colony. That foundational moment is where we will start. Chapter Two: Early Malinor Some still refer to Al'Khazar as the Jewel of the North. If I had to pick a similar name for Laurelin, I would have to insist on naming it the Heart of Malinor. The first and most of the second generation of post-Collapse elvenkind lived here at some point in their lives. The former residents that still walk among the living will doubtlessly have dozens of stories about their beloved city, which for so long was the sanctuary of the elven people. It's walls offered protection from bandits and thugs, which rarely ventured South onto the Prince's Road, fearing elven justice. This wondrous city is the backdrop for the first part of our history. Native, High Prince of Malinor is probably the most memorable figure in the history of the Descendant races. He was tall for an elf, and sported an impressive beard. By all accounts he was a kind elf, just in his actions. During the early days he stood behind a counter in Laurelin and would assist elves with whatever they needed, whether it be employment or housing. Malinor, at this point, was still quite young, innocent. The Wardens had not even been founded, there was no High Council, and only a few dozen elves scraped together an existence in the forest. The druids, searching for balance in the world, gathered around the Wayward Druid, Respiren. Native allowed them to establish their Grove in Laurelin, west of the North gate. This began the complex relationship between the High Council and the Druidic Order which shaped so many lives in the centuries since. We, however, cannot get ahead of ourselves. Native, after a few years, started to appoint Princes to assist him in his duties. So that he could focus on constructing more houses for the growing population, the farmer Toren was appointed. So was the engineer Flefal and the merchant Talian. Ariana was the first Princess, though there are no records of what she did during her time on the Council. Prince Toren established a large farm in the center of Laurelin to ensure the early Princedom did not starve. Talian established the market down at the docks. Flefal's accomplishment was the Elven Railway, which connected the capital of Laurelin to the mining town of Ravenhold. It was not until later that Native and Halephon would transform the sleepy village into the vacation paradise of the Malinorian elite. The Swift Elves guild appeared and disappeared in the early days, combining with another group named the Sentinels to found the Wardens. Under Commander Blackhawk they grew in strength, fighting the beasts that lurked in Malinor's forests. Native's signature accomplishment was the Gauntlet, an obstacle course he designed. Many contenders were fried to a crisp by the fiery lava awaiting them at the bottom of the course. Laurelin flourished, with affordable, but not cheap, housing. At this time, the druids were granted two non-voting positions on the High Councils to be filled by the Archdruids. The High Council was almost entirely wood elves, with the exception of Prince Toren, who had the platinum hair of a High Elf. Racial divisions were nonexistent, and all elves lived in peace. Unlimited prosperity did not last in Malinor though. Native began to frequently go missing for years at a time. All of the Princes except for Toren travelled often or simply disappeared, and when Native was around, he was reluctant to appoint replacements. The Wardens moved south to a larger encampment. Many new elves decided to settle in the new villages of Serpent's Ridge and Elvendale. Peace settled over the sleepy city of Laurelin. Things remained settled until, far to the Northwest, the death of Kal'Bryste changed everything. Chapter Three: Safe Within Our Walls Kal'Bryste profoundly changed life in Laurelin. There was a large population shift from Ravenhold and Elvendale to Laurelin. The capital became a cosmopolitan city, where orc, elf, human, and halfling mingled mostly peacefully. The Wardens increased in size, becoming the largest military force in Aegis. Almost all new elves served in the wardens for at least a few years before they could afford a house in Laurelin. Commander Blackhawk was increasingly brazen and combative towards the High Council, viewing the civilian government that he was sworn to obey with disdain. After his abrupt disappearance, it was revealed he had been plotting a coup alongside rebels located on the outskirts of Malinor. He was replaced by his second in Commander Quazar, who held many of the same views as his mentor, but was generally too incompetent to overthrow the High Council. During this time Native's absences became longer and more frequent, and Malinor was managed by Prince Lafthi. During this time, learning began to expand. A library was established in the Grand Tree with a full time curator, to which Ebs was appointed as the first. Mylas was raised to the Princehood, and he constructed the Sister City, a popular suburb of Laurelin. However, Laurelin housing was still in demand, as it was prestigious to own a home in Laurelin. The city became so crowded some fondly remembered the serene days before the undead assault on the North. Malinor did not send any official forces North, but many individual elves fought at Snowy Fields and Alstion. The Wardens were concerned about the undead advance, but Native was either absent or unwilling to dedicate to a war so far from home, so the Wardens stayed idle. After the fall of Alstion, Princess Indelwehn was raised, and she would serve a more important role than any could imagine. Chapter Four: The Golden Years When new of an attack on Sanjezel, capital of Krugmar, came, Princess Indelwehn rallied the Wardens and other elves to the fight. When they arrived, their numbers bolstered the losing orcs, and the undead were driven back. At the site of the victory, Princess Indelwehn and then Warlord Morgroka'Gorkil signed the Malin-Krug Pact, which tied the Holy Princedom of Malior with Krugmar in a military alliance. The combined forces of Malinor and Krugmar were so formidable that none dared threaten the two nations for the next half century. At home, a small rebellion fizzled out, and life continued as normal. There were two expeditions into the Verge,the first lead by Lirinya, the second by Ebs. The first was quickly abandoned, but the second founded Fionn, a flourishing town near the combined human dwarven settlement. In Laurelin, a boarding house was set up by Princess Indelwehn for new elves. The first know of pair of elven twins were born to the Warden Felore Nightstalker(a dark elf) and Treelord Haelphon (half wood elf) Evendale was reclaimed by the wood elves after years of neglect, but nothing materialized. Archaeologists started researching dark elven ruins South of Laurelin. The owner if the treetop inn, Lirinya, was raised to Princess. The Wardens fought a decade long campaign for Wrath's Clutch, a fortress South of Alras controlled by the Undead. After it fell, war almost broke out between Malinor and Urguan over an elven fort erected to assault the citadel. However, the High Council intervened, ordering the Wardens to abandon Fort Fairleaf. Then, the Wardens attempted to destroy Malinor. It started rather subtly. First, warden recruits were withdrawn from Laurelin's gatehouse. Then, druidic officials were found murdered, which lead to a cycle of killings in Malinor which the Wardens refused to investigate. Ebs, forced to abandon the Verge by huge slimes, and Sythra, a new arrival, investigated further, and found connections to Quazar. The pair went to Indelwehn, and she went to Native and the High Council. The night before the discovered coup, High Prince Native disbanded the wardens. Sythra was appointed to head the new guard, the Vanguard, which would be permanently based in Laurelin. The Bearded Elf then announced that he was departing Malinor, stepping down from High Prince. Many elves present were overcome with grief and sorrow. The High Princes final act as High Prince of the Holy Princedom of Malinor was to appoint Ebs as Prince of Malinor. Immediately, the first election for High Prince was called. Princes Lafthi, Toren, and Ebs with Princesses Indelwehn and Lirinya convened in secret in Lafthi's treetop home in downtown Laurelin. After two rounds of voting, Indelwehn was elected High Princess of Malinor. A new age was dawning on Malinor, and none could have possibly realized that the undiscovered taint that lay hidden in the new High Princess would influence the course of the nation. Chapter Five: Unbalanced The new High Princess’ first years in office were uneventful. First Haelphon then Sythra were raised to the High Council, the former becoming the first half elf to have a seat, and the latter becoming the first dark elf to sit on the Council for some time. Princes Lafthi and Toren became rare faces in Malinor, but were not removed due to their experience, which supporting a High Council of new faces. In the North, the Undead captured Al’Khazar, sending the elven community there fleeing for Laurelin, which was becoming inundated with people. The Druids left Malinor at this time due to intense infighting after the Archdruid Appollan was found murdered by his lover, the Archdruid Dusk. Serpent’s Ridge was the site of clashes with a rogue clan named the Kaxils. The Mages Guild, under Ambros, took over the Old Council Chambers. Then, betrayal bit into the hearts of every elf in Malinor. Princess Lirinya had been plotting with the undead for months, after despairing at the departure of her lover, High Prince Native. She was convinced to attack Ravenhold, and the massacre that followed has no parallel in elven history. An undead feint on Elvendale served as a distraction as Lirinya began her attack, and as she rained down fiery death from above, the civilians were butchered by the hordes of undead beasts. The villas and miners houses burned crimson as relief forces from Laurelin arrived, too late to save the city. Lirinya was eventually captured and cured of her sickness, but it was much too late for the people of Ravenhold. Some on the High Council wished to rebuild the city, but Indelwehn forbid it. Elvendale was the site of the next full scale battle, and though the forces of Malinor prevailed, the victory was pyrrhic. The village was all but destroyed, it’s market a burning husk. The order was given to evacuate the village, and the remaining wood elves sought protection in a refugee camp in Laurelin. Disaster struck next when Prince Mylas was killed by the undead. He was buried outside of the Sister City which he had so diligently labored to complete. ((Note, at this time Mylas was reincarnated as Bungo. This cycle was repeated to produce kebab.)) In his memory the High Council held all future meetings in the Sister City Town Hall. At this time, the Vanguard was having considerable difficulty controlling the crime in Laurelin, which was exploding with the population. Most of the Wardens refused to join the Vanguard, and manpower would remain low until the end of the war with the Undead. During her days as Princess, Indelwehn was habitually kidnapped by the Undead and taken to Wrath’s Clutch, which would be followed by strike teams from the Wardens rescuing her, or failing that, ransom being paid. During one of her stays, she was tainted by the Undead. It grew inside her while she was High Princess, and eventually, it took her over, consuming her. She attempted to have Prince Ebs assassinated, and after he returned from recovery in Hanseti, arrested. Then, it came to light that she had been torturing a young elven boy in her tree house. Prince Ebs was quickly released, and the High Council voted unanimously to strip her of her powers. A week later, Haelphon was chosen as High Prince. Indelwehn was sent to the Ascended to be treated, and kept a nonvoting spot on the High Council to hide what had happened. At this time, Prince Toren announced he was leaving the High Council, confessing he did not put in enough time to deserve his spot. More bad news was on the horizon as Alras fell under heavy undead onslaught. Prince Ebs established a refugee camp in Laurelin’s forest for the survivors. It was flooded by people traveling South, fleeing the advancing Undead. The High Elves began researching their heritage, laying the foundations for Haelunor. However, in the present, dread was overtaking the people of Aegis, and following the loss of the drake eggs and the death of the Wandering Wizard, panic broke out in Malinor. Laurelin’s defenses were sabotaged by an elf named Deltaro Black, and when the final battle for Aegis began, the city died in fire and brimstone. The survivors fled to the Verge, where they were met with riots and violent clashes among the refugees. Supplies were short when the ships hastily departed, and what follows can only be described as complete chaos. ~The Chronicler

"If the Conclave does not represent the Mali, a question must be asked: Who does it represent?" The Chronicler is sent word of the Union, and upon further investigation, finds one of the posters. He frowns slightly, wondering what will come of this group founded in direct Opposition to the Conclave. Obviously, the Conclave cannot let this group stand, as it's existence undermines the founding creed of the Conclave. It highlights the divisions within the Mali that the leadership proclaims were the rooted in the High Council and not in the Mali themselves.