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THE LEAGUE |
Society of elves
following the theories of the light elf Artemidoreus seeking to understand the way
of the human race as the key to find back to Avá's
purity.
Principles of the "League".
After the fall of the Great Nothern Elven Empire
a group of elves
formed in the area which is currently known as the Ashmarian lands. One of the main
characters of this group was Artemidoreus, a light elf of great fame and wisdom. These
elves believed that the main reason for the failure of their race to create a perfect society was
to be found within their own nature.
Their beliefs in brief are as follows (compare also the elven
myth of the Cárpa'dosía): In the High
Goddess Avá they see the absolute good, but as the Dream is her exact reflection
it is evil by nature. The races are based on the four main elements and they influence the
Dream according to the element they belong to:
The Elves (Wind)
Air is transparent. That's why the elves float over the essence of
being like the Wind. They can't really change anything, just make it more beautiful, like the sea breeze fertilizes hearts and soils.
Elves enjoy being part of a system and living harmonically with it. Alteration
to a certain degree equals with destruction for them.
The Orcs (Fire)
Fire on the other hand is destructive. It burns everything that comes near it. The
orcs, who are based on Fire, can't create anything from their own. The only thing they can do is destroy and corrupt what's already made. Sometimes the fire races can purify the contaminated excellence or prepare the ground for renovation, if they destroy selectively what must be changed, like the Dragons often do.
The Dwarves (Earth)
The dwarves are made from
Earth. They are a solid base to build on and their creations last in time, but still they can't change the essence of beings. They are too materialistic to surpass their greed and follow an ideology without interest. They stuck to material possessions and miss the essence.
The Humans (Water)
Humans on the other hand are based on water. They are fluid and adaptable. They can alter any idol that is reflected on them. Just like water fertilizes the earth or corrupts what comes in contact with, humans can find light in the thickest dark and dark in the brightest light. They have a tendency to discover what's hidden and are capable of the noblest deed and the worst atrocity. Nothing remains of pure evil or pure goodness with them.
According to the mentioned group of elves gathering after the fall, the ambiguous nature of Avá's Dream is reflected mainly in the human soul, and also the idea that the Dream should become pure again just like the First and Only One. These elves therefore believe that only under human rule can there be formed a perfect society, since the Firstborn had their chance and failed. Excerpt from one of Artemidoreus's writings explaining the chances buried within the human nature :
"The human fragile bodies and their short life span affect them positively and spare them from the elven arrogance but can lead them to egoism and lust for power in the face of Queprur without proper guidance. They know that they are weak and temporary, so they want to leave their mark in the world; something that will give them immortality through glory. Their insecurity is their cause for their virtue, because humans know they are weak and they try to explore their resources the best they can. Their insecurity may be the cause for their downfall to evil as well. That's why the humans need all the other races in order to gain reliability and not to destroy their system. They need the Air races in order to acquire harmony, the Earth races in order to gain stability and resistance and the Fire races in order to find the power to correct their mistakes as well as Avá's." (Artemidoreus, "In the Course of Time")
This theory was greatly disputed among the circles of the few surviving high
elves. They couldn't see how humans were destined to take the lead nor how could this world be purified through flesh. Many Dark Elves considered that a blasphemy.
The supporters of this theory gathered around Artemidoreus and formed a society which would promote their cause. They named their organization
the "The League". These elves would pick a human tribe, the worst they could find, and provide them with certain circumstances in order to record their reactions. If they managed to overcome the difficulties,
they would be proven right.
Principles of the "Pure".
At the same time another rival society was formed by the Dark Elves. It was named "The Pure" and their goal was to destroy the League and lead the
elves once more to world domination. According to their beliefs, the
humans, as a Water race, were
destined to be corrupt and destructive and that with their self centered temperament were too unreliable and
not capable of ruling the world. According to the Pure only the
elves as the most gifted among the races had the right to judge over their destinies.
These two factions fought against each other for many centuries and the League was very careful with its moves.
The Cosmological Experiment of the "League".
[SW I] However, during the first Sarvonian War, when the Pure were busy fighting
for their cause, the League stayed away from the battles and instead found the human tribe they were looking for in
Kyrania. They were villagers living south of
the Hèckra, near the Centoraurian border, in the plains of Altheim. They
had been peaceful farmers until some day a band of rogues had killed an elven prince
who was their friend for many years. His name had been Tacunija and he had been passing peacefully on his way to Vontron in order to promote a truce between the races. The
elves soon retaliated with ferocity and the
humans had turned in the High Fores for salvation. Although they were in constant dispute among each other, they felt that a strong bond united them, the bond of Tacunija's curse, which
had predicted that they were to be purged three times by the element of Fire. They
had taken the name Firedamned - in their own dialect Helcrani
- and, because they had been constantly fighting for survival, they soon had
become great warriors. This tribe had also already adopted many elven elements, not only because they
had been friendly towards them till Tacunija's massacre but also because they were deadly foes after the murder.
Furthermore the Helcrani lived in very close contact to the dwarves,
whom they very soon incorporated in their society as well.
The humans found in Kyrania were a great opportunity for the League, since they provided both mortal disadvantages and unpredicted advantages. Indeed, this tribe very soon earned the respect of the
Goltherrhim. A short time before the Great War ended, a plague
struck Helcrah, the tribe's new homeland in the High Fores mountains. It was just when the
Helcrani and the Goltherrhim had
finally become friends. The Pure, who are believed to have initiated the plague,
thought to have extinguished the Helcrani settlements. However, with the help of their new friends in Goltherlon, many
Helcrani abandoned the mountains and sought refuge
in northern parts of the lands. Many elves and
dwarves came along. The League decided to intervene and mark a site
for them to build their new homeland. They planted it in an island between Centorauria and
Erpheronia, the Artapherana, the
Trees of the Elements, which glowed in the dark as a sign. The island, and the hill
where the trees were positioned took the same name: Efirhal. The city was named Milkengrad. There the three tribes lived
together; however, they were in constant dispute with each other. Nevertheless, they were fully incorporated in
Centorauria and in less than 200 years they took over the kingdom as the predominant
Centoraurian tribe. However, soon they plunged into a civil war and a few years later their neighbours allied against them because they felt that they were threatened by their rising power, and conquered
Milkengrad in 617 b.S. The city was burned down and the Curse was
fulfilled for the second time (the first was when the elves burned two
Helcrani villages and their residents so as to revenge Tacunija's murder). The destruction of
Milkengrad is also considered as another victory for the Pure. However, the
Helcrani managed to recapture their city and enslave the Turacanthian and Ashmarian invaders, who inhabited it after the Fall and the complete
annihilation of its former population. Despite the rivalry and hatred, they behaved kindly to their new slaves and during the Second Sarvonian War the Turacanthians took arms in order to defend the city and the fortunes of their masters, when the island was invaded during their absence in a campaign. This way they earned their freedom and the right to call themselves
Helcrani. The Turacanthians were granted land in the island west of Efirhal, where they live as
Milkengradian citizens until today in the citadel of Turacanth.
[SW II] At the end of SW II a special man from Erpheronia married the
Helcran princess Curogana and became king. His name was
Thar. He discovered there - with the background League's motivation of
course - the first seeds of a united Sarvonian continent. This ideal he would follow till his death.
Thar managed to equip the knowledge he gathered during his reign over
Centorauria. He was later proclaimed king of
Erpheronia and finally his genius managed to unite the
northern part of the continent into Tharania. The Helcrani had educated the man who later on accomplished their destiny.
After this outcome, the League was convinced that they were right about the human
nature and started infiltrating human societies promoting the idea of a united Sarvonian continent with the
humans playing the leading part. However, the facts
seemed to prove that a combination of all races would be most effective with the
humans being first among equals and another high elf, Lycoborne, improved the League's theory at this
point.
The League tried to pursue this goal during the centuries that followed. The formation of the Tharanian kingdom did not only stop the wars between the
human kingdoms in Nothern Sarvonia but also imposed a period of harmony and cooperation for all the races in it's territory. The League however did not stay idle;
the Pure were constantly trying to undermine Tharania and furthermore the third Sarvonian war broke out just when the kingdom obtained a solid
bias. And besides from all this, the League was still constantly working on trying to
establish a united Sarvonian Continent from Cap Strata to the Ashmarian Lands.
[SW III] During the third Great War, many members of the League joined the human and
elven armies in order to prevent the Coór'Melór from taking over the
whole Sarvonian continent. At this point it was decided that the presence of the League
should be kept secret, and thus there are no exact records that can provide scholars with the name of these
men, dwarves and
elves. However, it is considered certain that many of those who were fighting with Serveran at Alvang and Hegedorn would be listed in these archives, if there were any. Certain also is that the Pure where fighting alongside with
famous Saban Blackcloak when he decended to the Earthen Titan.
Members of the League were also advisors of Santhros,
the first Santharian king. They were proud to see that one man, guided only by his superior intellect, managed in his limited lifespan to conclude what took them centuries to understand. Although they revealed their presence to
Santhros, the League kept it's presence secret from the masses, until the time of
Mantheros, Santhros' grandson. Mantheros, the legitimate heir of the
Santharian throne was challenged by Staranos the usurper, his own cousin.
Mantheros was hunted by Staranos and found support only
in the south, where the people still remembered how the life under powerhungry
kings had been. The events happened this way, because Staranos was very powerful and feared by everybody in
Santharia.
Mantheros however, as all passages to the south were blocked, headed north in an attempt to find allies. The
Kyranians didn't even allow him to enter their territory. From Elsreth he left with a few hundreds of men and headed to
Centorauria. The Centoraurians almost arrested him and pursued him with their army. In
Erpheronia Mantheros found some support. He received reinforments from the
south, gathered an army in Jernais and rushed the preparations to fight against his cousin. Staranos on the other hand gathered a huge army in Tyr Throngolim. In this army participated regiments from all
Santharian nations except the Stratanians, the Avennorians and the
elves, who were wholeheartedly supporting
Mantheros. The
Centoraurians agreed to sent a great
faction of their army including most of their elite troops, the
Milkengradian Helcrani.
The League couldn't afford to let the dynasty of the wise king die. Staranos was too cruel and the kingdom would be ravaged by another great war. So, they had to manifest their existence. They sent
elven troops to assist Mantheros. At the same time Cumragane, the
human leader of the League, and descendant of the
Centoraurian kings, returned to
Milkengrad with a small army, where he revealed himself. However, the governor of the city persuaded the people that
Mantheros had no chance and that they would suffer Staranos' wrath, if they helped the legitimate king. Cumragane and his men were thrown
into prison.
As the usurper's army marched north through Caltheria to conquer the eastern harbors,
which were supporting his enemy's supply lines, the Centoraurians
with their army marched east to block Mantheros' retreat, while the Kyranians advanceed from the
south. Mantheros couldn't afford a battle before his Goltherrhim reinforments
arrived, so he retreated southwest towards Hèckra. Outnumbered and encircled,
Mantheros was in deep trouble.
However, Cumragane managed to persuade the Helcrani not to abandon their king twice, as they did with king
Curgan in 617 b.S. But as the army was almost
away, every Helcrani who was left behind took some kind of weapon and marched east. Actually this was an army of reserves and armed
non-combatants, like women and youths. However, a wave of enthusiasm was spreading on their way. Staranos' veil of fear was shattered. The
Santharians chose to fight and die - if
neccessary - for their righteous king. When they reached the battlefield the main body of the
Helcran army turned to Mantheros' side and along with them the entire
army group. Staranos was deprived of his whole army (except his personal guard), as nobody wanted to serve him any more. Now, Staranos was trapped. He managed to escape to
the Hèckra, but he was unlucky another time as the volcano erupted and burned him with his remaining supporters.
Officially the League was disbanded after this battle, but never ceased to exist. It was restricted to a very limited number of members, who until today look after
Santharia and the wellfare of it's people.
Nothing is known of the current status of the League or the course of their struggle against the
Pure and Coór.
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Information provided by
Curgan
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