(OOC: I am learning all this, and this is my way of getting a more firm foundation in the history of the drow and thus of my character. Being new to the topic, it is near certain I will get something wrong. If i do please send a PM and Siara will insert a correction. Please note though, this is the history of her people and their relation to the other elves seen thorugh drow eyes, so she is not going to treat the other races of elves well in her musings. Siara has a lore skill of around 45 (without buffs) so she likely to pass any lore checks some might require, but feel free to PM me with any corrections or concerns.)

I have visited the arcanist guild library in the day. The light of day still bothers me, glaring and fierce in the midday, oddly I must respect that. Furthermore, I would have to say that even the little daylight streaming into the library is not flattering to the building’s interior. It is not that building’s interior is poorly crafted,.. for surfacers, on the contrary I find the environs of the library pleasant enough, pleasant but for one thing. The dust. It is everywhere. It floats through the soft beams of late afternoon light coming through the windows, floats in it like….. mushroom spores, a thing to avoid in my world. It is in the air, on the books, clouds of it sent into the air if anything is disturbed. How can one do research in conditions like this?

I do not like it. I wonder, I assess, I check for toxins floating in the midst of those innocuous seeming dust motes floating in the sunlight. I have yet to find anything noxious, yet I still feel it should be cleaned, all of it. Leaving aside possible toxins floating among the dust, what about diseases? Surely, all that dirt harbors a copious number of pathogens. I am forced to admit that my people are not so hardy in resisting toxins and disease as most surfacers, and so we have cause to worry. I cannot understand why the guild does not clean the libraries. An answer it seems is that some members, perhaps all except me, seem to like the idea of browsing through ‘old dusty tomes’. Really? Can’t we have old tomes that are clean? I cringe every time I dirty my gloves.

Anyway, one must adjust, rethink, retool, and move forward. I now bring one of our slaves to clean a bit, and I have taken to doing my research at night. Moonlight hides much of the dirt and, though one should not delude one’s self about such things, it puts me at ease. It is more flattering to the interior as well, the play of shadows and moonlight is nearly beautiful. I will work on my dust issue at another time.

Miyeritar, Ilythiir and Aryvandaar the topic at hand. Mysteries abound and I will have to take this journal with me on my travels as I try to sort those mysteries out. The story of these three kingdoms begins with references to a place called Tintageer. On the exceedingly rare occasion that one comes across a reference to the place it is obvious that it exists on another plane. And so we have our first mystery, which plane? At present no idea. One can speculate that it was, or is, in the fey realm, given the fey heritage of our people.

Because of a cataclysm, gold and moon elves were forced to emigrate to Faerun(implied that it was caused by use of high magic in lore surrounding the sundering to follow), a cataclysm that flooded a city already nearly destroyed, presumably by a war. I really can’t say if Tintageer was a city, a kingdom, a realm, a world. I don’t know. At any rate as walls of water descended upon her city a sun elf priestess of Angharradh named Bonnalurie cast a mythal to transport the last of her people to Faerun. With her came a sun elf prince by name of Durothil and Sharlario Moonflower. These two will become important later in this study. The reference says she cast the mythal, or rather channeled it, but that the magic consumed the life forces of many of those present. I find both points interesting, one that she initiated the magic, presumably without a ritual and two that is consumed the life force of her fellow elves.

This mythal magic seems to voraciously consume life more in line with what is called dark magic than what is said of high magic. And why does it take some and not others? What decides? Or better yet who decides? In the casting can one ‘channel’ the energies to remove one’s enemies? This magic and the ones that wove it long ago, become more and more interesting and I find my biases increasingly misplaced concerning my people and the gold elves in particular, a development I find very disturbing. Even worse as I continue to investigate these matters I find more and more evidence to support the notion that much of what I held to be true is likely not.

Back to my people: The tales of Tintageer are tales of gold and moon elves, but what of my people? Presumably prior to the destruction of Tintageer elves were already migrating to Faerun. For certain a type of elf unknown to me called a green elf (perhaps an ancestor of wild and/or wood elves?) had already come to these lands. However, I have found nothing to indicate when my people, the so-called dark elves, the Ssri-tel-quessir, migrated.

In one reference my people are thought to be a particularly successful tribe of the mysterious green elves. Another states that the first eladrin to settle in faerun were the green elves (possibly including the dark elves), the avariels (winged elves), and the Lythari. It seems that all elves in that time were eladrin, elven angels or some such, though the term is used for non-celestial elves as well. Henceforth when I use the term eladrin it would be best to think of it as meaning ancient elves. I see no evidence that the first elven immigrants to Faerun were celestials. In fact the evidence suggests beings with starkly different dispositions than one would associate with celestials, details to follow.

The green elves, with the noted exception of the Ilythiiri, assuming they were once green elves of some sort, appeared to mainly travel Faerun in small bands and did not establish a kingdom until much later, after the dragons had been overthrown. Many also appeared to serve the dragons in one capacity or another, from slave to trusted advisor.

At first I thought that the Lythari was some variant of Ilythiiri, but apparently not. It appears to be the name of a group of lycanthropic elves that worshipped Selune of all deities. Presumably they were ‘good’ werewolves. I laugh and I suspect this is propaganda from the gold or moon elves, but to what end I cannot yet discern. These too appeared to simply roam about without establishing a kingdom.

Nothing is said of the avariels until mention is made of the dracorage mythal which I will address later. Whether they roamed about as the others or established a kingdom I cannot say. One could conclude that they did not cooperate in any way with the dragons, since, contrary to the green elves, none are ever mentioned as either trusted advisor or slave. They appear at the time of the casting of the dracorage mythal and then are gone.

Of my people, the Ilythiiri, most sources state that ilythiir was already established when the Tintageer refugees arrived. However, I must remain open-minded to the fact that a few sources indicate no elven kingdom was established until the coming of the Tintageer refugees. Until I find more proof I will maintain that this is gold elven propaganda, a narrative meant to reinforce their claim that sun elves should rule all elves.

The more common history states that when the ragged band of sun elf refugees from Tintageer, along with the one moon elf, Shalario, arrived in Faerun, they found a land dominated by dragons except for a kingdom in the south, the dark elven kingdom of Ilythiir. Their mythal transported them to the north of Faerun so who can say when they learned of Ilythiir. I suspect that when they did hear of it they were not happy about it. Ilythiir was already established, already strong, meaning they had forced the capitulation of the dragons in some way. There is even grudging acceptance in their own records that the capitol of Ilythiir, Atorrnash, was a center, even a beacon of elven culture and learning in the new lands of Faerun. All with no mention made of how my people had arrived on faerun or how they had managed to create such a home in a land dominated by dragons. I admit it gives me a sense of pride to know my people accomplished this.

It not only is difficult to find a record of my people’s migrations to Faerun, it is difficult to determine if they even did migrate. The timing of the migrations is murky at best as well for all of the elves/eladrin/whatever. The mists of time indeed. I found a source that gives the first records of eladrin/elves to coming to Abeir-Toril during the dawn ages, perhaps even at the beginning of the dawn ages (roughly -30,000 DR). Most records of the elves at this time refer to them as Eladrin. I still don’t know what to make of that. If my ancestors were Eldarin too, then we would be descended of celestials, a very difficult notion to accept.

Of all the migrations to Faerun the only certain dates are given for the survivors of Tintageer. They arrived near to the end of the dawn ages (roughly -25,000 DR), and are often credited with ending that age. I find I must agree for it seems clear that those survivors and/or their descendants crafted the dracorage mythal that ended the age. Again my grudging respect.

The dawn ages are the time when dragons and giants ruled faerun, ruled and fought many wars with each other. The dragons eventually prevailed, a testament to their power. It seems the two worlds Abeir and toril were still one in some references but separate in others. I am inclined to think the elf migrations occurred after the division of the two worlds. However, apparently there are elves on both worlds so perhaps the first migrations occurred even further back in history before the two worlds were divided? My research into that mystery has gone nowhere. Perhaps I will need to pay a visit to Abeir?

There are a few other items of note surrounding the arrival of the Tintageer refugees. It is claimed that when Shalario Moonflower visited Atorrnash he found the Ilythiiri worshipping Vhaeraun. Strange enough but some records indicate some worshipped Ghaunadaur as well, though other sources report the worship of the slimy Lord beginning much later in history. Strangest of all, there is no mention made of Lolth, or Araushnee. There are records stating that Lolth was called Araushnee before she cast down by Correlon. I am not sure I accept that, but if some call her that I must look for that name as well, but I have not seen it.

On a personal note, it is unfathomable to me how any of my people can venerate a deity like Ghaunadaur, though some still do today. His aims appear to be to destroy all we find beautiful, including ourselves, to raise slimes above us, absolutely intolerable, and bring about some sort of cosmic annihilation of everything, just what would we find to play with to amuse ourselves after that? I like having the world as it is. What would I exploit on a devastated slime world? How could one find pleasurable pursuits in such a world? While not the crusading sort I would happily cull any of my people that worshipped this….thing from our racial tree.

As I look out of the library window, over a moonlit bay, I see breathtaking beauty. As I watch my slaves clean in my corner, carefully removing dust from the told tomes so as not to damage them, my desire to preserve this beauty, the beauty of my slaves, the beauty of my consort, the beauty I see around me stirs deep inside me. I would fight hard to preserve Haven, just as I strive hard now to repair and rebuild my old home, Ched Nasad, to its previous beauty. Perhaps I will find in these stories power to beat back the shadows that claim my old home, power to shape rock itself with magic to restore the shattered stone webbing and wondrous buildings that were once my home? My ancestors or at least my gold elf cousins held such power at one time.

I take my tea
He bends a knee
So deep in thought
I noticed naught……

I did notice in time. Time for a study break………
And back to my studies. I find I have a hard time simply relaxing. Reverie comes harder to me than to other elves in Haven, and so on occasion I sleep. I wonder about the differences between my people and other elves. It seems possible that we were all one people at some point, but then came Corellon and Araunshee/lolth. In the end, is the thing we have most in common now that we are all pawns in the games of gods. I tire of deities and the gratitude they demand of us. It seems that in the murky past of my people there may be an even deeper mystery. It seems the revelations I have already come across are not astounding enough, there is more.

It appears that the mysteries surrounding my people run deeper than disputes between deities we are familiar with today. Quoting from one source concerning the factors at play leading to the crown wars (much to be said about these wars later), “These wars, while partially inspired by the cruelties of Ilythiir,[16] were in large part the result of the eladrin’s intrusive attempts to convert the green elves of Ilythiir away from their heretical nature worship to the veneration of Corellon.” Once again the Ilythiiri are equated with green elves and I find hints of what would become a common theme, the crusading nature of the gold elves. There is also the implication that the elves of Aryvandaar were eladrin while the elves of Ilythiir were simply elves. Was that simply gold elf pride or is there something to it?

The thing that really caught my eye was the reference to nature worshiop, the essence of which is not made clear. Was it Rillifane? Was it Silvanus, the human nature deity, Mielikki, or deities of which we have no record? Other beings from the fey plane referred to very obscurely, if at all? We only know that whoever these deities were the gold elves of Aryvandaar did not like them, because they were not Corellon. To investigate further, I have purchased a slave that is a druid of Silvanus to explore this nature worshipping thing further. We will see what I find. It would seem that druids would have a record of other nature deities, but perhaps what I really need is a bard. There is equal motivation I am sure to obscure and obliterate references to other nature deities among the various druidic sects.

Another deeper mystery concerns a gap in the narrative that lingers in my readings of these events. I am unable to shake the notion that I am missing the real story. It centers on this. There is no record of my people being in Tintageer, yet the gold elves in particular seem to have a visceral dislike of the dark elves. They say it is because my people worship lolth. However, clearly their prejudices were ingrained long before the Ilythiir turned to Lolth, and it is likely my people turned to her because of gold elf aggression and the biases of Correlon. Where there is such circular logic, there is smoke, and where there is smoke there is a liar.

At this point I find I must offer pure speculation as to when my people came to Toril. My people of all the elves carved a kingdom from the dragon lands without the use high magic (at least according to the elven scribes of today), demonstrating enormous capabilities still largely undefined. Such accomplishments take time. Could my people have been the first to come to Toril? There is the possibility that the first elves came to Toril as slaves. It is said the mysterious Sarruhk traveled the planes and took slaves.

Did the Sarruhk take my people? Did they change my people, essentially creating the dark elves? Did my people find a way to over throw their masters? Did my people then use the secrets of the Sarruhk civilization to subdue the ambitions of any dragon upon their kingdom? Would they have turned to darker elven powers and turned from Corellon after he had abandoned them to their fate? Would Corellon have sent the eladrin many millenia too late to find a race of dark elves more powerful than they could have imagined, a race that did not need them or him? And did they hate the Ilythiir for that, for challenging their deepest held prejudice that they were the natural leaders of the elves?

Ilythiir was an unavoidable argument that elves did not need gold elf leadership. If all these speculations hold then ilythiir had to be destroyed, the dark elves and their allies the green elves with the kingdom. At least it is a reason, and not blind hatred. I find I cannot believe the gold elves to be blind in their ambitions after these studies. I feel that they like me would need a reason. True they might have originally hated Vhaeraun as much as Lolth. It seems unlikely that my ancestors would be so powerful and yet know only of Vhaeraun the son, and not the mother Lolth That seems a bit patched together to me, and not patched well. I have come to expect better of the gold elves.

I suspect Ilythiir worshiped these mysterious nature deities. Perhaps they were Seldarine too, and there is more to the divisions among the deities than we know. That is a statement likely to be more true than most of us would like it to be. Without Vhaeraun and lolth to blame then what was the motivation for their aggression? My speculation begins to make more sense to me. And it seems there are deities referred to as the forgotten Seldarine. I will have to look into this more.

At this point in the histories a pattern emerges. The gold elves are determined to rule all of elf kind and impose the worship of corellon. Various races of elves challenge one or both precepts. The gold elves go to work on them. First they sow dissention to divide their enemies, while they maintain a practiced composure, giving the outward appearance that they are patiently waiting for the other elves to see reason. As their enemies weaken another more dire threat emerges (with a consistency that suggests the gold elves themselves bring about this threat). Suddenly, all elves must band together to face this threat with gold elves leading of course. Often they lead from the back. The crisis deepens to threaten all of the elves. The gold elves plan and cast high magic, a mythal, always out of necessity. Many many elves die, some consumed by the mythal itself. When all is done the gold elves and their kingdom(s) are relatively well off, and those that caused troubles before the crisis are decimated.

There is a pattern to my people’s actions as well. They never believe the gold elf lies. They are never involved in the casting of a mythal (thought they are victims of some) or some perilous ill-conceived last stand defense; are never fodder in gold elf armies, and never do the grunt work of the gold elves. It seems all of that is what moon elves are for, and to some degree the green elves. What also can be seen is that when the dust settles none but my people are in position to oppose gold elf ambitions.

The first instance of this pattern occurs not long after the refugees arrive, and the avariels pay the price. It seems clear that the original settlers of Faerun were the green elves, the avariels, and Lythari. Either my people are deliberately not mentioned or they were a tribe of green elves that evolved into something…..better. What is certain is that of all these elves only the Ilythiiri, my people, remain. To be detailed later, there is clear evidence that the green elves were in conflict with the gold elves and their moon elf lackeys. I can find nothing about the Lythari concerning whether or not they were in conflict with the gold elves. I suspect they were and are now gone because of their defiance, but I have no evidence of it. I suspect the same of the avariels.

Time for more tangents and more mysteries. Little is said about the Lythari, but their absence from the narrative is telling in itself. Of the avariels I could only find one reference and I had to go to Candlekeep to secure it. Again I am forced to return to the ancient history of Aryvandaar and in particular one Lady Vyshandria Amarillis-Moonflower. She is called the high sorceress of Drake’s Peak. I have no idea what peak that might be or what significance might be found in the title, more mysteries. I would point out here that it is very odd that Bonnalurie is never mentioned after the casting of the portal mythal. Perhaps she died casting it? Perhaps something else befell her. However, there is more about the prince Durothil as we will see.

Back to the Lady Vyshandria, she seemed to have discovered something, something about dragons, and it is suggested that this discovery formed the foundation of the dracorage Mythal. One very obscure reference suggests her discovery might have been the Scales of the World Serpent, whatever that is. Whatever she found it seems to have been Sarruhk in origin. Perhaps the Sarruhk and the dragons fought each other? The time line is murky though and dragons may not have been around during the years of the creator races.

Once again back to the lady, another reference suggests that this knowledge allowed her to re-establish Arfaertel’Selutaar, the art of elven high magic, the art of mythals. So presumably once they entered Faerun the gold elves did not at first have access to mythal magic. This is very important for it seems she crafted the dracorage mythal, and needed what she recovered from the Sarruhk ruins to do so, implying that the Sarruhk had access to this sort of magic and perhaps had mastered it to a degree the elves had never known, even in Tintageer. Note to self. I will explore any Sarruhk ruins I hear of in the future to test my theories.

Another diversion before we return to the story of the avariels. There is a possible alternative narrative that should be considered as we proceed.

It seems certain that when the gold elves arrived on Toril they did so bereft of their high magic, and under serious threat from the dragons. Furthermore, it seems that at first the Tintageer refugees were subdued by the dragons. It is also certain that to the south my people enjoyed life free of dragon control. What is more likely? That the lady found some lost vastly powerful artifact in the ruins of a long dead civilization or that they reached out to their southern cousins? Pressed with the need to escape dragon influence I would take the certain path .

I suspect they turned to my people for aid. Likely they would have found the dark elves to be abominations, but also could well have been amazed at the power the Ilythiir wielded, power enough to hold armies of dragons and giants at bay. We know Shalario Moonflower paid a visit to Atorrnash, soon after the refugees arrived. It would have been him, the only moon elf among the refugees. No self-respecting gold elf would have gone begging of the Ilythiir. Is it coincidence then that sometime after her kinsman’s visit the Lady Vyshandria Amaryllis Moonflower paid a visit to Sarruhk ruins and found the power to fight the dragons? Moonflower indeed. Who directed her to the Sarruhk ruins? If the Ilythiir used Sarruhk mysteries to hold back the dragons, then one way or another (by offering overt help or by providing the example) they would have shown the Tintageer refugees the way.

Then at this point the gold elves contrived some ridiculous, nigh improbable treasure hunt to find the secret in order to hide dark elf involvement. Why go through all of this? It seems exceedingly important to the elves of today and also the elves of the past to maintain that the dark elves/drow have no high magic. How could they if Corellon controlled magic? Additionally, if the dark elves held such power how would the gold elves convince all the oher elves that they should lead all elves?

As this study continues there will ample examples of dark elves, usually with green elf contribution not only possessing high magic, but often seeming to be masters of such magic, skilled even above the gold and moon elf mages. One can even make a case that the gold elves turned to consorting with dark powers in a bid to catch up to dark elf abilities. Many would be shocked to read this. I am a bit. I also feel that I can make the case.

The night gives comfort, the silence too, the moon beams through the windows as well, and the play of moonlight on the water is spectacular. We Ilythiiri deserve to have the beauty of the surface world open to us. Not that I want to give up the underdark, for it has its unique beauty too. I do think though that from this time forward I will have a presence in both worlds.

As I learn more I wonder at the so-called crimes of my people that caused us to be banished to the underdark, and I wonder at the similar actions of the gold elves and how those actions seem to have been forgotten. At first I thought it was because their crimes were solely directed at my people, but I know now that is not the case. How is it that the crimes of people remain fresh in the minds of the surfacers while the crimes of the gold elves, and to some degree the moon elves, have been forgotten?

Increasingly it seems the major crime of my people is that they exist. We didn’t have the good grace to let ourselves be extinguished by the gold elves that presume to rule over us all, to all our benefit no less. Perhaps if we had faded into history like the avariels and the green elves we would be accorded some measure of acceptance by our cousins. Perhaps that is the only way we could.

In thinking these thoughts, it gladdens my heart that we do exist. That more than surviving, we thrive, to the eternal embitterment of our gold and moon elf cousins. It cheers me that our very presence causes such gall in our cousins that our very presence is in effect a torture to them. Acceptance? I don’t want it. I want something else altogether. To get it though I must learn all I can.

At this point I once again must give grudging respect to a gold elf. Shattering. According to the records, more myths actually, this Lady Vyshandria Amaryllis-Moonflower accomplished many things in her life besides the crafting of the dracorage mythal. If all the stories are true then any Ilythiiri would have been proud to have done the same. Besides challenging the dragons and finding a source of immense power and knowledge, she also seduced an well-placed elf (no race of elf given) that was the favored councilor to a powerful gold dragon ruler, King Orchtrien, Overlord of the northern Gold Dragons and King of the southern Gray Mountains. It should be noted that implied in the tale is the notion that elves were existing well with the dragons even achieving such roles as favored councilor, not exactly the sort of subjugation implied in the tales told of the time, more discrepancies.

While her achievements to then were extraordinary, the true genius of the Lady Vyshandria was in what she did next. She clearly did not get all she needed from the councilor for she next seduced the dragon king himself, all while she crafting the mythal in secret. She seduced a gold dragon king. Did she thereby steal some component from the great gold wyrm to complete the mythal? I think it likely. I am in grudging awe.

The records of course don’t tell it that way. They attempt to claim the gold dragon king took her as his, suggesting it was against her will for presumably she loved the elven counselor. Really? Could anyone believe that of a gold dragon today? I thought not, and there is no reason to suspect gold dragons were rapists that far back in history either. That narrative does make the story of the elves seem better though doesn't it? I do wonder why they did not change history to state that the dragon they rebelled against was a chromatic dragon instead of a metallic one. Why leave an opening for doubt? Perhaps it was their arrogance? Again how very like my people.

I sit and smile looking out my window in little reading nook. Already I can hear the protests, gold elves and others of the ‘good’ side protesting that my biases lead me to paint the gold elves in a very unflattering light. The protests would not end there. My people would also protest my theses, perhaps even more vehemently than the gold elves and those that would defend them. Why, some might ask, would my people protest? It is simple we have our biases too. Those biases maintain that all the other elves are weak in a variety of ways, so weak they must be saved by Corellon. The story of the Durothil prince shatters those biases.

The Ilythiiri narrative seems a pleasant fiction now too. According to our dogma, one would expect that the weak gold and moon elf refugees would perish quickly in lands that may still have been inhabited by the remnants of the first inhabitants of Toril (the creator races), was certainly inhabited by numerous powerful dragon kingdoms, and was perhaps still menaced by the remnants of the great giant kingdoms. All of these races are exceedingly powerful. One might think that our gold elf cousins would not be able to survive such obstacles that they were too weak, but one would also be wrong.

These elves defeated a dragon named Mahatnartorian and established a kingdom in the north, a kingdom that would one day rival the kingdom of ilythiir when it finally matured into the kingdom, nay empire, of Aryvandaar. Likely defeating the red dragon ingratiated the gold elves with the Gold dragon king, Orchtrien, and set the stage for placing the Lady Vyshandria in his court. However, the time lines get muddled here. All we know is that this occurred before the casting of the dracorage mythal.

This chapter is the story of Prince Durothil, and another story of legend, for he is credited with destroying the great red dragon and in the process saving his erstwhile companion and ‘friend’ Shalario Moonflower. The usual reading of the legend states that he managed to ‘befriend’ a silver dragon that he raised from an egg, eventually becoming the first dragon rider.

To those that think me biased and dragging the whole of gold elves through the mud based on inconclusive supposition surrounding the story of Lady Vyshandria (or alternatively give gold elves too much credit), then let me add this. I wondered at how this prince acquired a silver dragon egg. These are not easy to come by. Surely the mother would have had something to say about it. In my research I found that the actions of Prince Durothil were not so clear, or so ‘goodly’. This story is taken from the gold elves themselves and shows, convincingly, that the nature of the gold elves, at that time, was more akin to what the drow are today. And if it is true that the Ilythiiri at the time were contently worshipping nature deities and creating cities like Atorrnash to be centers of culture and learning, then the dark elves were more akin to what the gold and moon elves of today strive to be. If true neither race is likely to be happy about the telling of it.

When one digs deeper into the story of the prince one finds there are references stating that prince Durothil, the sun elf prince of Tintageer, had actually formed an agreement with the red dragon Mahatnartorian that he is said to have killed. Furthermore, the red dragon had helped the prince acquire a silver dragon egg. It is likely the red dragon also taught Durothil how to tame the dragon to be his steed. Given dragon history being used as a steed was likely the ultimate humiliation, and so was likely beyond the abilities of prince Durothiil unaided.

In return the prince would offer a sacrifice to Mahatnartorian. That sacrifice would be none other than Shalario Moonflower, the famous moon elf that also escaped the destruction of Tintageer. Some sources state that the sacrifice would be to Ghaunadaur, presumably so the dragon would receive a boon from that abhorrent god. Other sources say the sacrifice would be to Moander, another repugnant deity. I admit I had to re-read this multiple times. I have not found any more details regarding how this would transpire and what the red dragon would gain from the sacrifice. Whatever they were it seems Durothil was complicit.

As shocking as it was to find that ilythiir did not at the time worship Lolth that paled to finding hints that this sun elf prince Durothil might be tied in some way to the slime bucket, I mean slime lord. Whether he was or not, this we know. He sought to sacrifice a powerful moon elf ally to a dragon, so the dragon might give him to Ghaunadaur. In return the prince received a silver dragon egg, so that he might then enslave it and make it his steed. These are deeds the likes of which would make any matron mother green with envy. Yet it seems that is what this prince did. Astounding. Of course the deity sacrificed to might alternatively be Moander referred to as the dark bringer. Another repugnant god, and either way my astonishment holds.

The records state that it was 25 years from his receiving the egg to the events surrounding the sacrifice. That cannot be long enough to grow a silver dragon to the size required of a dragon rider. This Durothil prince was the first dragon rider apparently. Much of this does not make sense. Some very obscure records suggest he kept the dragon in a demiplane or on another plane in state that would amount to constant torture to any dragon of today. I will have to confirm the veracity of these stories, but it is likely the dragon was kept in a place where time ran faster than on Faerun in order to raise to the size needed to take a rider. This might confirm these stories of the prince. If he can treat a silver dragon in such manner, then why deny all the rest about him that seems dark. Whatever the outcome of those studies, this Durothil was not weak in any way as my people would have it, nor was he ‘good’ as I understand the concept and as the gold and moon elves telling the tales would have it. He may have been overly ambitious, but then my people have never seen that as a character flaw.

Then another mystery. Instead of the sacrifice Durothil attacks the red dragon and both dragon and prince are slain in the battle along with Durothil’s silver dragon mount. What could possibly have gone wrong? I cannot say. I have found no records. I can speculate though. This I know. Any deal involving a very powerful red dragon and one of two thoroughly malign deities would be a delicate thing, perhaps only deals with devils would be trickier. This is pure speculation but I don’t think it far-fetched that the great red wyrm had it in his mind to deceive Durothil and on the day of the sacrifice ensure the prince and his silver dragon were sacrificed along with Shalario. What greater boon would the dragon receive? It is important to remember that these two elves were not simply elves. They were Eladrin, elf angels. What might Ghaunadaur or Moander have done with such a sacrifice?

However it happened, the result of the battle is that Shalario Moonflower lived, and not long after that Shalario is leading a rebellion against the dragon rulers of Faerun, and joining him was the aforementioned Lady Vyshandria Amarillis-Moonflower. Moonflower. Moonflower. Wouldn’t it be something if the moonflowers had somehow managed the whole thing red dragon/sacrifice thing to rid themselves of a meddlesome gold elf prince and insinuate themselves in the court of a gold dragon king? Having moonflowers sit on the throne of Aryvandaar would give credence to this hypothesis. And sure enough the first ruler of Aryvandaar was…… a Durothil, but the second was Shalario himself, and rulership alternated between Durothil for the gold elves and Moonflower and Amarillis for the moon elves. Hmmmmm? Indeed.

All of this and Aryvandaar, much less Miyaritar, is not yet established. There is little said of Ilythiir still. Of Ilythiir we can only speculate. One wonders what the lore that could have been found in the libraries of Atorrnash (the center of elven learning on Toril) regarding the perspective of my people about all of these events might have revealed. Conveniently for some that library and the lore it held are lost. All we know of the time period and events in the south is that a great Yuan-Ti kingdom, Mhairshaulk, fell under to the repeated and reportedly furious assaults of ‘great wyrms’, dragons, perhaps as part of the rage of dragons. Notably, the kingdom of Ilythiir in the south was not troubled by the dragons, or if it was, then it was easily dealt with. Very intriguing, that must be a fantastic story.

There are still a few very intriguing events that happened prior to the formal establishment of Aryvandaar, required since Miyeritar splits off from that empire. In one my people presumably have no hand, but in the other my people do have a hand. Both events leave me asking many questions.

The time line to Aryvandaar the first to the two events:
-24720: “A group of less than scrupulous circle of Conjurers and Binders open a gateway to the Unseelie lands in an attempt to gain power of (over?) their ancient rivals.” That is all that is said of the opening acts of the war with a group called the shadow fey. This is prior to confrontations between Ilythiir and right at the beginning of the establishment of Aryvandaar. As I see it the ‘rivals’ are not the shadow fey. The shadow fey are the instruments. At the time only gold and moon elves are involved, so the unscrupulous circle is likely to be moon elves seeking to gain power over gold elves or rival families of gold elves. I suspect the later. Unless there is a mysterious third party involved, perhaps the Leshay which we will deal with later?

This leads to a dark fey army of the Queen of Air and darkness assaulting the budding gold/moon elf kingdom. The Queen of Air and darkness is none other than Auril. It would be very interesting to know who called her and her services, and what Auril received for services rendered, for summoning the army of a goddess cannot be easy.

-24583: An enormous battle between the shadow fey and the tintageer refugees. This is roughly 500 years after the dracorage mythal. It is extremely unlikely that the gold and moon elves would have been able to build from roughly 50 survivors into a nation of the sort able to rebuff the shadow fey army if the in addition they had suffered as everyone else had during the rage of dragons. These two events would be the death of most nascent empires, and yet they survived both and emerged seemingly stronger. Impressive.

While that is speculation, what we know is this. A dusk knight, one Ameryllia Vyshaan slays the dark prince, Arachinlaar, leader of the shadow fey army and the elves win. This is the first mention of the infamous Vyshaan family I can find. Is Ameryllia a scion of Lady Vyshandria? Did these events lead to the establishment of the family Vyshaan as a noble family of note?

There is no record of the family this far back except for Ameryllia and the similarities of her name to the Lady Vyshandria Amerillis Moonflower, nor is there anymore mention of the Lady Vyshandria. A large question is why this person suddenly emerged with the power to repel Auril’s chosen and Auril’s army. In nearly every case the hand of a greater power is involved when mortals succeed against deities, though which one? In time the Vyshaan clan is thoroughly beholden to dark powers. Did that association extend back to this Vyshaan, Ameryllia? Or even further back to Lady Vyshandria herself?

Another similarity is that this Vyshann then disappears from the histories in a manner similar to the Lady Vyshandria. The name Vyshaan does not reappear until thousands of years later.

What happens next is much more mundane than battles with the Shadowfey. The year is -24500. The sun elves establish the city of Occidian, and the Moon elves the city of Sharlarion. Both are reported to rival the magnificence of Atorrnash. I laugh. Clearly the sun elves and moon elves were jealous. Occidian and Sharlarion seem to be the binding center of a budding new kingdom that will eventually become the empire of Aryvandaar, which will in turn give rise to Miyeritar.

The family Moonflower rules Sharlarion (as it is named after Shalario) and it appears the whole of Aryvandaar including Occidian, for Shalario Moonflower holds the title of coronal. Something is amiss. How did he get power? It seems the moon elves are in charge, though presumably a sun elf by name of Vyshaan saved the city and the budding kingdom from doom at the hands of the shadowfey. One would think the victorious side would reap the greater prize, rulership.

It is important to remember that in some texts Shalario is referred to as a pirate prior to the destruction of Tintageer and was saved only because he was in the right place at the right time. Being ruled by such an elf and such a family must have galled the gold elves. It could not have been easy. He had to have had help, but from where? Could it have been a pact with a dark power happy at the sacrifice of prince Durothil, a silver dragon, and a very powerful red dragon? Could it have been an alliance between the Moonflowers and an unnamed power in Ilythiir? By this time Sharlario had visited Ilythiir, and a crafty mage by the name of Ka’narlist had sent a scrying device disguised as a gifted dagger back to Sharlarion with him. Could it have been that there were ties between the moon elves and the Shadowfey army that had to be respected by the sun elves?

A high mage Kethryllia Amarillis, a sun elf it seems, forged a sword called Dharasha, destiny, reputedly very very powerful. She and her sword are presumably quite important for the future developments of my people, for some histories report that her actions bring the attention of Lolth to Toril.

It is the year -24446. The first record of confrontations between Ilythiir and Aryvandaar: My people try to split the sun and moon elf union, by trying to extract exclusive trading rights with the sun elves, isolating the rising mercantile power of Sharlarion. Did my people recognize the penchant for power and manipulation in the sun elves that seems to be the exclusive to my people today? A Lord Ka’narlist leads the Ilythiiri effort, a jaluk, a male. My people have always been dominated by females, jalilen. This is a mystery and Ka’narlist is a mystery as well.

In the year -24400 Ka’narlist summons a fiend Haeshkarr to raise an orc horde and punish the gold elves for supporting the moon elves over their overtures. Occidian is destroyed. Sharlarion, however, prevails, destroying the orc horde and banishing Haeshkarr. It appears Kethryllia Amarillis using the sword Dhashara is instrumental in defeating the demon and the horde. This Kethryllia follows the defeated Haeshkarr, back to the demonweb pits and the abyss, gaining Lolth’s attention. Her reason for doing so was not righteous justice, or any such nonsense. She did it for love. Haeshkarr had taken her love with him as he was banished back to the abyss.

Kethryllia succeeds, but somehow the scrying dagger that Ka’narlist had given to Sharlario Moonflower had come into the possession of Kethryllia. It is postulated that Lolth found Ka’nalist by tracing the magic of the scrying dagger back to Toril, then to Atorrnash, then to Ka’ narlist, the ruler of Atorrnash, and so change the fate of my people. So the sun elves would hold that they are responsible for the Ilythiiri coming to worship Lolth. An outlandish claim, but also one I cannot disprove.

Upon her return from the abyss, Kethryllia is named Iyilitar, roughly queen. This means that rulership of the nascent kingdom now passes to a sun elf. One wonders if it was worth the price of the city of Occidian to remove the moon elves from the throne?

Even so the trickery is not over for the Durothil clan survivors protest, claiming Lord Orhtollis is the true and rightful king, exceedingly pretentious given the events leading to this, specifically their failure and Kethryllia’s success. Apparently they made a compelling case for Kethryllia abdicates for Prince Bordarom Durothil. Something is missing here. Many things are missing, but Aryvandaar is now established.

One wonders if the Durothils had a hand in having Kethryllia’s love taken to the demonweb pits? One wonders if Kethryllia didn’t abdicate to ensure that, or something worse, didn’t happen again. Perhaps the Durothils and the Ilythiiri, or maybe only Ka’narlist, had been working together all along?

A couple of side notes:
A named demon is called from the demonweb pits to wage war against the survivors of Tintageer, and presumably Lolth who ruled that layer of the abyss didn’t know. It was likely done by Dark elves, presumably the portfolio of Araushnee before she became Lolth and the goddess didn’t know. Those same dark elves were reported to worship Vhaeraun (her son) and/or Ghaunadaur (her one time ally) and she didn’t know. It wasn’t until some slip of a sun elf invaded her realm with an enchanted sword and dagger that her attention was drawn to Toril. I find this difficult to believe. Or else Lolth is not so powerful as my people believe.

To date this is all I can find of Atorrnash. It was a city in Illythiir. No other Ilythiiri city is ever mentioned in records I have found. It was located on the east coast of the shining sea. The precise location is not known, since the city was destroyed in the sundering to come, but it was likely to be off the coast of Lapaliiya, or the Shaar. The one clue is that it was located on a narrow bay called the bay of the banshee for the mournful sound the winds made, but that bay was apparently also lost with the city for no such bay exists today.

Please delete. I did it again. Many appologies.

After Aryvandaar and Illythiir a number of other elven kingdoms were established. It seems to me that they are formed for only one of two reasons. The first is to escape the oppression of the sun elf drive to convert everyone to worship of Corellon and submit to their rule. The second is to either contain and/or challenge Illythiir. If the reason for the formation of a new kingdom is the first one, then it is usually undertaken by green, dark, and ghost elves, with moon elves sometimes helping. If the reason is the second it is usually undertaken by the moon elves only, with occasional help form gold elves.
The list of other elven kingdoms:
-23690 Shantel Othreier: Moon and gold elves. Moon elves from this kingdom go on to found Ardeep. This is really just an expansion of Aryvandaar and might be the result of certain gold elves losing in the game of houses and going on to form their own kingdom. Eventually the rulers of Aryvandaar will lay claim to the throne of this kingdom. Even so this kingdom is usually an ally of Aryvandaar.

-23200 Ilythiir: Yes Ilythiir. One ‘respected’ source lists this as the date Ilythiir was established. I find this simply more evidence of gold elf attempts to diminish the accomplishments of my people. This is obviously false for if true then the entirety of the gold elf narrative that tries to foist all blame onto my people would fall apart, since they would not have existed, leaving them to shoulder all of the blame.

-23100 Syorpiir: Moon and gold elves. Established along the border with Ilythiir. This is clearly an attempt to contain Ilythiir while Aryvandaar continued to expand by founding other elven kingdoms.

-22900 Illefarn: Green, moon and dark elves. Yes dark elves from Aryvandaar no less. I was shocked to see it. There is no record I can find detailing how they arrived in Aryvandaar. (Though much later refugees of some sort of Eilistraee inspired, failed, revolution migrate to Aryvandaar only to become disenchanted with the gold elves in turn). The Illefarn elves were all disenchanted by the social order set down by the hardline Durothil rulers of Sharlarion. It is not hard to guess at the nature of that social order. Supposedly star and ghost elves join them. I will need to research these two types of elves. I have never heard of them before.

-22500 Orishaar: Moon elves establish another kingdom abutting the borders of Ilythiir. Another Moonflower, Duchess Allejandra, establishes provinces of Orishaar, Orlothia and Shaarril in the south fo the kingdom in order to harvest rare timber and spices needed in the north. Clearly their purpose is to aid in containing Ilythiir and also in breaking the Ilythiir monopoly on rare spices from the south that all the elven kingdoms crave. I will need to look into the nature of these spices/herbs.

-21400 Thearnytaar: Green elves driven from Aryvandaar by gold and moon elf prejudice. I see a pattern developing.

-21156 Sharandar: Green/ghost/moon elves of Aryvandaar escaping Gold and moon elf prejudice. Note this is occurring millenia prior to the establishment of the Vyshaan family that has been made to shoulder all the blame for the shortcomings of the gold elves of Aryvandaar, and the Durothil family, the likely culprits, are still a formidable family in gold elf circles to this day. I am impressed.

Another theme emerges these elves use high magic, this time using a theur-crystal to create a fortress. They shape rock with this magic. This sort of magic could be used to restore Ched-Nasad. I am sure it is tempting to say that the moon elves were the ones to cast the high magic, since green, ghost, and dark elves are not supposed to have the ability to cast such magic, but repeatedly in these histories I find evidence that this is not the case and further that in many instances it was green/dark elves casting the high magic upon the founding of a new kingdom and as needed after.

-21000 Eiellur: Green elves. The usual story, escaping prejudice ect. Of note Aryvandaar trade caravans go missing. Arcane trackers can’t determine who took them. Arcane trackers, another thing to investigate. And I can guess who took the caravans and evaded the trackers. Another theme emerges, the gold elves of Aryvandaar continually attack trade caravans to instigate hostilities between the other kingdoms to either destabilize a kingdom or two for conquest at another time or to instigate hostilities between the other kingdoms and Ilythiir.

-18800 Miyeritar: Green and dark elves. My people. Miyeritar is established by the dark elf clan of Olriith, led by lady Halang’dara. There were 20 other dark elf clans and a number of Green, moon and…..ghost and star elf clans. Once again the enigmatic ghost and star elves appear. While the moon elves sometimes associate with the dissenters they are more often in league with the gold elves, the dissenters always seem to be a minor element. The green elves are sometimes with the gold elves, sometimes with the dissenters. The dissenters are the dark elves, either alone or with ghost and/or star elf allies. I have yet to find evidence of the dark elves at odds with either the ghost or star elves, until after my people are cursed and sent to the underdark by Corelllon. During this time frame it seems ghost and star elves were allies of my people and it seems that for their support they have been exterminated, at least from Faerun.

The elves of Miyeritar make much use high magic to create many wonders and establish Miyeritar as the ‘CENTER’ of elven high magic and learning. Clearly my people were not only capable of casting high magic they excelled at it. Miyeritar was in nearly every way a rebuke of sun elf prejudices. It is no wonder then that almost from its inception, Miyeritar was beset upon by Sun elves. One does wonder if Miyeritar had connections to Illythiir and if it eventually was to be a check on Aryvandaar aggression as Orishaar and some other kingdoms were obviously established as a check on ilythiir expansion.

-17800 Keltormir: moon and green elves again seeking to escape the prejudices of Aryvandaar. Yet there is another reference indicating that an iyilitar (ruler) of Aryvandaar named Fel’garron Niedre held a conference/gathering/celebration of some sort that was supposed to promote unity among the elven people in the year -20081. Oddly the record states that he excluded Keltormir. Perhaps the author was trying to account for the fact that the keltormiiri were not present and did not realize the kingdom did not yet exist. However, there is another report that in -18860 anther wave of green and dark elves leave Aryvandaar to Illefarn, Ardeep, Shantel Othreier and….. Keltormir. So……? Not very good scribes.

In the time line I present I will place the establishment of Keltormir at -17800 until given other evidence.

There is another huge discrepancy in the historical time lines I have studied. The sundering occurs either close to the time that the dracorage mythal was activated (around -25000) or around the year -17000. I will go with the later date. Purportedly, the whole reason for the sundering was to establish a place free of dark elf influence. That reason seems more plausible in -17000. In -25000 Illythiir likely did not even care about a nascent sun and moon elf kingdom that did not even have a name, and so would hardly be a threat. Recall Shalario Moonflower himself visited Ilythiir around that time and might have fostered diplomatic relations and perhaps even acquired help in dealing with the dragons. I admit I feel the warm glow of pride to know that the sun and moon elves had to go to such extraordinary lengths to free themselves from the threat my people posed.


((OOC: Editted for purposes of flow. Applogies to any readers still muddling through all this with me.))

Reduced to ascertaining the history of my people from the weave of Aryvandaar’s history I must set aside my prejudices regarding Aryvandaar and the gold elves or I make the same mistake my people have made over and over. Our history, something like a shadow weave to their weave. I set aside my prejudices and this is what I see.

The weave of Aryvandaar as I see it. The gold elves it seems have wrought the history of my people, at least on Faerun. There is a deep enmity between our peoples, but its source is likely not the standard narrative offered to explain it. The usual narrative being dark elves were quick to turn to abyssal or infernal powers to serve their ambition to the detriment of the gold elves and all elves. It is implied that they should have turned to Corellon. It is also implied that the good elves, of which the paragons are the gold elves, would not appeal to demonic, infernal, or other evil powers to serve their ambition. It is even implied that they do not have such base ambitions. This all is proved false by their own words.

It seems that there is little to distinguish a drow house and their ambitions from a gold elf house and theirs. The Durothils and others turn to evil powers at every opportunity to serve their ambition and their ambition matches that of any drow house of note, exceeds it if I have to be honest.

The history of Aryvandaar is the history of ambition. Their ambition is to first establish gold elf rule over all elves, over all the land. To that end Aryvandaar should be ascendant in Toril, the gold elves should be ascendant in Aryvandaar. Then the unstated objectives take hold, in which the Durothils are ascendant among gold elves, and then that certain factions or individuals are ascendant in clan Durothil. These simple objectives explain much if not all of Aryvandaar history up to the ascendancy of the Vyshaan clan.

Certain moon elf clans threatened for rulership of the kingdom. However, only the dark elves challenged the notion that Aryvandaar should rule all, with perhaps the ghost elves and star elves. Likely the avariel also challenged that idea and were exterminated. That could well be the source of the enmity between gold and dark elves.

It could but it isn’t the whole of it. Very often before the creation of Miyeritar the gold elves and the dark elves cooperated. There are explicit details of trades such as dark elf death lances for limited war mythals from the gold elves. It is even possible the gold elves re-acquired high magic from the dark elves after being ousted from Tingtager, and therefore from Faerie. Both gold and dark elves consorted with any dark power that would help them, they shared similar strategies and tactics. There are many instances of gold elves dealing with fell powers only some of which I have described. And yet at every turn when gold elves declared their superiority the dark elves proved that declared superiority false.

The establishment of Miyeritar it seems to me changed everything. The gold elves were adamantly against this action to the point of fanaticism. It was a rare moon elf ruler of Aryvandaar that regretted the prior treatment of the dark and other elves that allowed the formation of the kingdom. The first thing the dark elves did was cast high magic to create cities, libraries, towers, and fortresses of power. These works were at least the equal of similar works in Aryvandaar, and likely exceeded them. What is certain is that the Iyilitars of Illefarn and Aryvandaar (Likely Shantel Othreier too) were opposed to the dark elves’ castings. My reading is that there was more opposition to the use of high magic than the establishment of the kingdom itself. Why?

First Atorrnash was the center of elven learning, magic and culture. It had to have galled the gold elves for Millennia. Clearly Occidian was established to prove that when gold elves created a center of elven learning, high magic, and culture it was better. The problem of course was that it wasn’t. That conclusion is not written anywhere, but it follows from the fact that nowhere is it stated that Occidian exceeded Atorrnash. I repeat, no where. Given what I have learned of the gold elves I find it impossible for them to refrain from trumpeting gold elf superiority if they had succeeded. That character of the gold elves is woven in their history.

Then to as insult to injury Miyeritar was established, and by all accounts the wonders of the kingdom exceeded, far exceeded what had been wrought in Occidian and Shalarion. It wasn’t just the establishment of the kingdom though that provoked truly irrational hatred of the dark elves. The fever pitch of gold elf hatred was revealed when high magic was cast in Miyeritar. And why wouldn’t it? Their patron god, Corellon, was the god of elven magic and yet the dark elves were displaying skill that exceeded theirs. This was a challenge that could only be answered by holy war.

From the moment it is established Aryvandaar, and in particular the gold elves of that kingdom, attack Miyeritar in a manner that displays their fear. They attack the high magi of Miyeritar. For its existence a campaign of assassination was directed at the high magi of Miyeritar, not Illefarn, not Ardeep, not Keltomir, not Shantel Othreier, only Miyeritar. Aryvandaar held that all of these kingdoms would eventually bow to the greatness of Aryvandaar. So what was different? Dark elves? Dark elves were among the founders of Illefarn and Ardeep too. The two differences I can discern are that dark elves ruled Miyeritar with moon, green, ghost and star elves among their subjects, and Miyeritar became the center of elven culture, learning and in particular high magic.

The elves of today would like to find that my people oppressed the other elves in Miyeritar in ways too horrible to imagine, justifying the actions of the good and noble gold elves against my people. I have found the opposite in their own histories written by their own scribes. Miyeritar was a kingdom of learning and tolerance. It also likely did not venerate Corellon as the gold elves would wish. I have yet to determine what deities were worshipped in Miyeritar.

I barely notice my days. I am always rushing to the library so consumed am I with what I am discovering. I have had some interesting comments about the glasses I wear to help me deal with the bright lights of the sun and various personages that runaround Haven alit, Kara Fields chief among them. I am discovering, not simply learning, for what is written cannot be considered much more than a poorly executed varnishing of elven history, my people’s history, my history.

My conceits have been bent unrecognizable then broken. I no longer accept the stories I was taught of my people’s history, but I in no way accept the histories I am reading either. Where once the notion of a great refuge called Evermeet specifically created to keep my people out filled me with a secret rage, no longer. Where once I would hiss at the name, rejecting that which rejected me, now I laugh, for we all seem to have been shockingly misled.

The Sundering more than anything reveals the hidden motives of the gold elves, and so offers a rare glimpse of the true history of my people. How is the sundering viewed today? It is considered a great act of high magic, evidence of the superiority of elven (non-Ilythiiri) high magic. It is responsible for creating the elven sanctuary of Evermeet, nearly universally considered a great act of good, playground of the blessed of the Seldarine and the fey. It must come as no surprise that I see it very differently, and I do. It drives home the notion of elven, and in particular gold elven superiority with every day of its existence. What might surprise, is that I agree. However, I suspect I am the only one with the reasons I have for thinking so.

A mere thousand years after the establishment of Miyeritar, the gold elves pushed all the elves of Faerun, excepting my dark elven ancestors, to come to the gathering place and work a great mythal, now called the sundering. It is important to note that the gathering place is considered a holy place, being the first place on Faerun where Corellon revealed himself to the green elves. I will leave aside the implications about religion and the history of the green elves for now and point out the following; it is acknowledged that Corellon and Angharradh had a hand in the casting (so it wasn’t all the work of elves), and placement appears to be very important in casting mythals of this kind of power. I think it was important to have something Corellon affected in the casting. It will be important later when give my thoughts on the hand the Seldarine and the dark Seldarine had in all of this.

The gathering place is located in what was once Miyeritar. Perhaps that also contributed to the ferocity with which gold elves hated the dark elves of Miyeritar, an important distinction because I don’t think they hated all dark elves with the same passion at that point in time. Perhaps the gold elves being the chosen of Corellon felt they should control such a place.

At the time of the casting protection from the depredations of the dark elves is given as a major reason and the most prominent prod to get the cooperation of the other elves. At the time there is no evidence that the Miyeritari were affiliated in anyway with Ilythiir. It is likely they were refugees from the internecine struggles in Ilythiir and had no great love for the kingdom. In fact, the Olriithi house that is elected to rule the kingdom is reputed to be descended from the Ilythiiri leaders that worshipped Eilistraee and had rebelled against Ka’narlist and his demon hordes. The Aryvandaaran prejudices didn’t sit well with them either, and so they left to establish Miyeritar. Yet no dark elves were invited to the casting. From their own histories, by the hand of their own scribes.

“The dark-Elven followers of the goddess Eilistraee found in this a particularly poignant irony, but their voices were drowned by the insistent chorus of Gold elves seeking a return to the glories of Faerie. There were also protests from those who studied the ancient lore, for they were made uneasy by the tales their ancestors had passed down through the centuries. The story of lost Tintageer, destroyed by a spell so powerful that its wake could swallow a mighty island, was told as a cautionary tale in every village. But most of the elves thought of this as little more than a legend.”

The gold elves wanted a return to the glories of Faerie….where they ruled first among elves, and their patron Corellon ruled the Seldarine. It doesn’t say seeking an island refuge free form the taint of the dark elves…..the reason they give to all the other elves…..

The idea of excluding dark elves because of the threat they posed seems contrived. In all the various histories and time lines I have found, I have found nothing to indicate anything but cooperation between Aryvandaar and Ilythiir, to the detriment of all the other elven kingdoms. The only clash between the two being the attack lead by Ka’narlist upon the cities of Occidian and Sharlarion prior to the establishment of Aryvandaar.

Rather Aryvandaar just keeps getting stronger and their focus seems much more focused on bringing Illefarn, Ardeep, Shantel Othreier, and perhaps Keltomir under their rule, even to the point of sending Aryvandaaran troops to take sides in an Illefarn civil war. The two kingdoms may have taken opposing sides in the civil wars of other kingdoms, but I cannot find evidence that Ilythiir directly threatened Aryvandaar.

However, the other elven kingdoms were becoming a problem, and an impediment to the return to past glories of Faerie, because the focus of their founding was to reject either Aryvandaar or the Durothils that lead the kingdom. Around the time of the establishment of Miyeritar a plot to bring Illefarn to heel was falling apart. One also gets the impression that the campaign of assassinating the high magi of Miyeritar was doing nothing to weaken the kingdom or tarnish its reputation as a center of high magic and learning.

What if something could be done that weakened the other kingdoms, and struck at Miyeritar’s ability to use high magic and that of the other kingdoms too? What if Ilythiir suffered a severe blow such as killing Ka,narlist and the destruction of Atorrnash (along with all it represented). What if you could recruit the help of those same intransigent elf kingdoms to contribute to their own downfall? What if you could at the same time remove the hated moon elf clan, moonflower, from the throne and place a Durothil upon it? If one could do such things that one could go a long way to restoring the order of things as many gold elves saw them, and set about restoring the lost glories of Tintageer.

The sundering did all of that. I am in grudging awe of the Durothils. And I wonder that my Eilistraee worshipping ancestors were able to challenge and cause fear in so great a kingdom and so powerful a house in a manner that presumably our more conventional ancestors in Ilythiir could not.

one would think i would learn, but i am embarrassed to say I have done it again. Please delete.

I can hear the angry retorts to such a statement already and no one yet knows of my theories. So here is my evidence, a rough draft of my case that I will need to hone and polish for I do intend to take these findings public at some point. With a certain spin it will certainly sell well in the underdark, and I wouldn’t mind being a personage of note in the underdark. It could well advance my plans.

The sundering most certainly weakened the other elven kingdoms that concerned Aryvandaar, kingdoms they intended to rule. Illefarn, Ardeep, Keltomir, Shantel Othreier and even Orisharr, all had extensive coastlines. Aryvandaar did not. I suspect they would have been pleased if Miyeritar had coastal communities as well. As would be expected some of their most important cities of the coastal kingdoms were located along natural ports to establish trading centers, trading centers Aryvandaar needed to use as well.

Then Faerun is Sundered and the destruction is far far beyond anything my people have ever managed, a demonstration of elven power for all to see into history. Just imagine the outcry if my people had wrought destruction on this scale? And….well it is best said in their own words.

“Half of the coastal forest communities of Ardeep, Shantel Othreier and Keltormir are destroyed and hurled into the sea. The coastal cities of Ardmantor, Ursyllashyr, Silversgate, and Quentallis are completely annihilated resulting in the deaths of over 500000 Moon, Green, Gold, Star and Dark Elves. Many other cities without mythal protection are severely damaged with the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. Many question the wisdom of the Ar’selutaar, and more than a few are assassinated in revenge for the mighty art they have wrought.”

The destruction continues.

“A violent series of earth quakes and a huge tsunami sweeps away the port cities of Attornash and Aelaviir, along with countless other cities, towns and settlements. High Queen Calantha and most of her court a killed when the Queens Crystal Palace explodes destroying 1/3 of the city of Myth Lurue, despite the Magi’s extra protections. Orishaar’s new High Queen, Yvetth Hawksong decrees that she will rebuild Aelaviir, making better and grander than before. The surviving Ilythiiri retreat south to consolidate their losses.” Aelaviir is a leading city, likely the capital of Orishaar.

Of Note:
1) The surviving Ilythiiri retreat south to consolidate their losses. This implies that the Ilythiiri heartland is south and likely east of Attornash. One must wonder what other wondrous cities existed in Ilythiir.

2) Ka’narlist Hune is killed, finally, he is what nearly 10,000 years old and likely older being an accomplished dark elf when Shalario Moonflower visits him?

3) The surviving Ilythiiri form the alliance of Laranlors. Pray tell what is this?


On to my next charge. What is the proof that the sundering re-worked the weave to the detriment of the dark elves? Once again it is best stated in their own words.

“By invoking the Ever’Sakkatien to concentrate the Weave in a single location, our ancestors might inadvertently have lessened the strength of the Weave elsewhere in this world, producing consequences that continue to haunt us today... By concentrating the Weave on these fair shores, did they deprive themselves and their descendants of their natural connection to the Weave elsewhere on Faerûn? I submit that we must ponder these questions and consider the possible cost when we seek to erect new defences for our beloved Evermeet.”Grand Master Laeroth Runemaster.GHoTR.


Inadvertently? I highly doubt that. Corellon selected a moon elf to give the prophecy of Evermeet. If the tales are to be believed an avatar of his went so far as to sire the prophetess, Oluvaera Moonflower. He helped to select the gathering place. He participated in the casting. Given all that is said of him he had to know, had to want that outcome, or else he is an idiot deity. If he knew then why do it? It is simple eventually high magic will only be cast in Evermeet because of the changes to the weave, and dark elves are banned from the island. In effect taking the craft from them. It had to become more difficult for dark elves to cast high magic after the sundering, although it didn’t completely take the craft from them. That came later.

Notes:
1) This is more evidence that high magic may be defined as a permanent alteration of the weave instead of simply tapping it for a moment of magic.


2) I suspect the Durothil and their allies held their Selutaar back. If they hadn’t the practice of high magic in Aryvandaar would have been crippled for centuries, perhaps millennia to come. That was clearly not the case.


3) The focus of the casting was not a gold elf, not a moon elf, she was a wild elf (green elf? ) named Starleaf. She was the only one of the assembled high magi to survive the casting and then disappears into history, much like Oluvaera Moonflower. The greatest green and moon elf magi disappear upon the casting or shortly afterward. Hmmmm.

4) It seems this greatest of elven mythal castings was dependent upon a green elf, not a moon elf, not a sun elf, a green elf, does this imply a more innate ability for high magic in green elves and likely their often allies in magic, the dark elves? Perhaps it was an advantage that might have been overcome by reworking the weave so it was weaker where dark elves cast.

5) One wonders if green elves would have been banned from Evermeet too if they could have used another as a center, since at the time green elves were viewed with disdain equal to the dark elves.



Next comes my findings to support the charge of selectively killing the high mages of the other kingdoms.

Thousands, of high magi were called from all the elven kingdoms. And they were all killed. It is possible my people suspected and refused to send their high magi to their doom, thereby provoking or further stoking the gold elves ire, which they then fanned into unthinking hatred in all elves. Alternatively, it is also possible the dark elves had already been targeted for obliteration by the gold elves and this was simply a way to bring all the other elves in line with their goals.

What is certain is that after the sundering high magic is more concentrated in Aryvandraaran and Ilythiiri hands, and the other elven kingdoms begin to fall to the two powers, and in the quote earlier there was even a campaign of revenge against high magi after casting the sundering. One would think the campaign of revenge would be more prominent in the kingdoms that had suffered such great losses in the sundering, and less intense in Aryvandaar which emerged relatively unscathed. A bit of propaganda after such an immense tragedy would go a long ways toward securing high magic into the eager hands of the Aryvandaarans to use in future campaigns.



The most provocative charge I make is likely to be the one of replacing the misbegotten moonelf coronal that sat opon a throne meant for gold elves, the wierwood throne of Aryvandaar. This is more complex, and requires going back a bit in history.


The gold elves had a problem. The Moonflowers sat on the throne. A gold elf clan the Neidre had sat the throne earlier, having previously wrested it from the Durothils. The Neirde were discredited for consorting with demons and secretly worshipping Moander, opening the way for the Moonflowers. That is rich given the history of the Durothils prior to and after this event. Imagine the political struggles behind the scenes between the Moonflowers and the Durothils sought to fill the vacancy. I am not certain how the Moonflowers prevailed. Perhaps some of the taint fell on the Durothils, as it did on houses allied to them and the Neirde, The Vyshaans, the Dlardrageth, the Carulnober and the Le'Quelle? The latter two along with the Neirde themselves are still prominent gold elf families in Evermeet.


For the full picture a little history of Shantel Othreier must be introduced. The struggles between the Moonflowers and Durothils were also playing out in Shantel Othreier. During the siege of Fhaorhaven in that kingdom a legion of Aryvandaaran spell swords appear taking the side of the Durothil leader, Ayaga the lame, against the rebel city. The future leader of Shantel Othreier, Korinnialass Moonflower, and her moon elf army arrives in time to see a large group of sharn banishing a horde of devils and yogoloths. The besieging forces and their Aryvandaaran reinforcements apparently were swept away earlier in the battle in what is called a 'giant tornado'. All very odd for a plethora of reasons not least of which the Sharn were not supposed to exist until the destruction of Miyeritar, millennia later. A great big Hmmm.


What does this have to do with Aryvandaar and Miyeritar?
“Disgruntled survivors of the siege of Fhaorhaven manage to sneak into Sharlarion and unleash a stolen key stone and war mythal upon Durothil keep.”


Managed? Oh yes with help no doubt. Disgruntled survivors? The narrative is vague but suggestive that it was rebel moonelves that released the war mythal. That might be believable except that the moonelves, and the so the moonflowers, won. Because of the 'giant tornado and presumably the Sharn, the city itself was 'untouched'. The moonelves would likely have been having massive celebrations. The disgruntled would be the Durothils and other sun elf clans all closely tied to their parent houses in Aryvandaar and certainly upset at this turn in their fortunes. A 'giant tornado' sounds like high magic to me. It sounds like something the gold elves would want to mitigate in future campaigns.


Why would the Durothils attack their own keep? Because the Durothil clan was not wiped out by the mythal. Instead the Moonflowers were, leaving only one survivor. The moon flower coronal that had granted Miyeritar its independence was wiped out along with her court. There was only one survivor of the Sharlarion Moonflowers. Princess Oluvaera, “a precocious 12 year old”, said to have been the result of a liason between Dallandyra Moonflower and an avatar of Corellon himself.

The gold elves had to have hated that, but they couldn’t kill her yet. She had a role to play. She still had to set in motion all the events that would lead to the sundering, and the gold elves did all they could to help her. Then on the day of the casting of the great Mythal, the sundering, Oluvaera Moonflower “disappears”. Of course a Durothil assumes the throne there being no moonflowers left to succeed her. The newest coronal is Prince Puavaal Durothil, Duke of Occidian.

To those that would shout down my words for daring to be a dorw and impune the glory of elfkind. Go ahead and tell me I see nafarious motives where there are none, because I am drow, traitor. Go ahead and dismiss what I say, because I am drow, tainted. Go ahead and duck behind the blind certainty that Correlon and the gold elves are the pargons of all that is good in elfkind. I will retort that you have been persecuting my people for millenia while all you fear is at the heart of your belief structure, and know that I will be laughing while you agonize over what I have said.

It is failing of my race, one never to disclose publically, that we do not have the robust constitution of the surfacers and so we take ill more frequently. It has been my sad lot in the past weeks to have caught a ‘cold’, presumably a bad one. As I recover I can return to my studies, for they call to me. The revelations regarding my people, and the other elves is too compelling for me to leave away from for long. And so, back to it.

In the aftermath of the sundering it seems clear that Aryvandaar in general and the Durothil in particular would be unopposed in bringing Miyeritar to heel. In particular, Ilythiir had suffered massive devastation, enough to warrant a retreat to the Ilythiiri core lands. Perhaps more importantly the greatest threat to Aryvandaar, one Ka’narlist Hune, had been killed. I have since found another report regarding these events.

“On the very eve that High King Ka’narlist is preparing to lead an army of Dark Elves, Demons and their slaves against the realm of Aryvandaar to the north, Atorrnash is destroyed during the changes and earthquakes following the Sundering. The mortal body of Ka’narlist and his armies are swept away by the terrible floods, and the wondrous city of Atorrnash is reduced to legend.”


Coincidence? I think not. I might be blinded by loyalties to my race, but I suspect the army Ka,narlist raised posed a grievous threat to Aryvandaar and the other elven realms, such a threat that extraordinary measures were required to end it. Speculation? Certainly. Justified? Most likely. The Sundering had its beginnings in the vision of one of Corellon’s offspring. His hand was in it from the beginning, likely as an answer to moves made by Lolth through Ka’narlist and his army. By the time of the Sundering it seems clear that Ka’narlist had given up Ghaunadaur for Lolth. The only question is did Corellon know of the other effects of the Sundering? Did he also see it as a means to advance his favorite gold elves over all the others, to replace a moon elf dynasty in Aryvandaar with a gold elf one? I suspect he did.

An ongoing civil war in Shantel Othreier impacts the history only tangentially, and only because we begin to see the rise of the Vyshaans. One Rilvo’saar Vyshaan leads an Aryvandraan army to oppose the conquest of their allies by the aforementioned Korinnialass Moonflower. Once again the ambitions of the Durothils and the Moonflowers shape the elven realms. I suspect they sought to extinguish the Moonflower line in Shantel Othreier as their main goal, but it seems they fail.

Concurrent to those events war had come to Miyeritar. There is no reason given, no pretense. It is only reported that Sunkyrrin Durothil and her troops are forced to surrender to Shilvanthor Olrythii, who then puts the Durothil woman to the sword. The woman is not the coronal of Aryvandaar, and though important, her relationship to the Coronal is not given excepting that she shares his family name.

Note: no details have been found of the transition from Filraen Olrythii to Shilvanthor, if one actually occurred. It is only stated that Shilvanthor was of Miyeritar, not that this Olrythii ruled Miyeritar.

Forces from Ardeep and Miyeritar arrive in Shantel Othreier to help the Moonflower Coronal resist the forces of the gold elf remnants and Aryvandaar. The moon elves seem to have shifted loyalties away from the gold elves and to the others, green, dark, ghost, and star elves. This alliance prevails against the gold elves and the civil war in Shantel Othreier ends with Korinnialass Moonflower leader of the united realm.

In effect, this means that Aryvandaar was prepared to quickly take advantage of the changes wrought by the sundering by invading and conquering Shantel Othreier and Miyeritar. Should they have fallen it is likely Ardeep and illefarn would soon have followed. Instead the Moonflowers and the Durothils appear to be mortal enemies, and Aryvandaar is isolated in the north, licking its wounds, wounds due in large part to Miyeritar. At this point my people failed. They should have pressed their advantage and destroyed Aryvandaaran power in the north. Instead they imposed trade sanctions on Aryvandaar. Trade sanctions…….

Still it remains in the histories written by their own hands. My people thwarted the gold elves ambitions at a time when the gold elves thought themselves within reach of their ultimate goal to rule all. Already hated with unmatched intensity by the gold elves, this setback must have taken that hatred to a frenzy, a war to the death, one race would prevail and the other would be exterminated. Overly dramatic? Maybe, though I do not think so.

I sip my tea and recover my constitution. Chicken soup was recommended. Granted, my initial response was a raised eyebrow. Do we not have clerical magic, curative magic? Oddly enough it seems that ‘colds’ are resistant to that sort of intervention. One well-meaning sort declared that I had to ‘balance’ my mind, body and spirit with a restorative cup of soup. Balance? In my mind balance is inertia, immobility, the inability to reach out and take what you need. Still, I have yet to find something to reach out and take that will cure this thing. Even so, I will not concede the argument and accept some sort of ‘balancing’.

Returning to the histories, this next bit is quite interesting. After the sundering, after invasions and thinly veiled ‘help’ in a civil war, it is likely that as they licked their wounds the Aryvandaans felt they needed to restore their reputation among their fellow elves. Maybe after nearly pushing their moon elf allies into the arms of their enemies the gold elves felt it was time for some kind of rapprochement? Being the noble sort, a little jest for my amusement, being of the noble sort the gold elves made the first move.

In -17234, the lore lords of Aryvandaar, whatever they are, are reputed to have been shocked and distraught by the sundering to the point that they embark upon a most interesting form of penance. The result of which is they summon and sacrifice an elder treant to create the Sorrow Wood, a grove of trees in the high forest that retell the history of the elves, to “bare mute witness to the triumphs and follies of the people”. Follies, not sins. I commend them on reminding others of their brilliance even as they ask for…..forgiveness I guess. Today I can easily imagine that only one of my race would openly declare their triumphs as they sought to make amends, brilliant, make it seem an extraordinary act of grace on their part, all the while declaring their superiority.

Other references say the impetus behind the creation of the Sorrow Wood was to inform later generations of the deep regrets many elves had over the history of the people to that point. It seems that to a being, all the historians believe this. I have found nothing to question the creation of the sorrow wood as being anything other than an act of contrition. However, I do question the reported history.

This is a mere 27 years after Aryvandaar invaded Miyeritar and Shantel Othreier and lost, surprisingly, I imagine, to those that recorded the history. It was also 250 years after the sundering. I wonder what they really regret, the sundering? Or the fact that they were not in control of the north 250 years later and poised to conquer all of the elf kingdoms? If it was the sundering should they not have embarked on their acts of contrition earlier? I am not convinced, and frankly I feel disdain for those historians that were, and are to this day.

My bias? Perhaps, but I don’t think so. There was never a choice to cast the sundering or not. The choice was to obey Corellon and cast the sundering or defy him. Not a choice really, so how could one regret that without questioning their belief in Corellon? There is not one shred of evidence that gold elves ever questioned their relationship with Corellon.

However, one could regret the failure to conquer and unify the lands of the “people”, when it was the expected path to glory for Aryvandaar. Notably, after the failure to conquer Miyeritar and Shantel Othreier, Aryvandaar would be in the precarious position of being opposed by an alliance of Miyeritar, Shantel Othreier, Ardeep, and Illefarn, all of whom saw the gold elves and the Durothils in a suspicious light at the least. It was time for a public relations campaign, and I believe the creation of the sorrow wood was part of it.

Almost certainly it was also an attempt to win back the moon elves. I suspect it did, though I cannot understand why they would fall for this. Still a reader might suspect my motives, but I see malevolence when it is present. It is my upbringing. Sacrifice an elder treant? I wonder what would be said of my people if they attempted such a thing? I imagine my people could never construe the act as an act of contrition, so bravo to the gold elves, and lessons learned, at least for this Ilythiiri.

After initiating a propaganda campaign what else must be done? With Miyeritar to the south one would secure the other borders. And tada. They do. In -17217 Coronal Puavaal Durothil orders the building of the “Watchers of the North” a series of towers to secure the northern border. Of course with that border secured one may mass more troops on the southern border with Miyeritar. Meanwhile my ancestors seemed content to inflict trade sanctions upon Aryvandaar.

Next in order before any new campaign of conquest was to secure the gold elves position in Evermeet, and secure the place of the Durothils among them. How could they advance the idea of gold elf/Durothil superiority if some moon elf reigned over the homeland of the elves? This was done in -17208, when Coronal Puavaal Durothil called high magi from ALL the realms to raise the capital city of Evermeet, Leuthilspar, the “new capital of their collective dreams”.

Lovely that. It sounds very collective and whatnot. Of course there was the not so small proviso that dark elves could not be part of the casting, or part of the dream, or present at the creation of the city for the creation mythal that created Evermeet banned dark elves from the island where the new capital was raised. Furthermore, is this not a declaration that the future of ‘the people’ did not include a future for the dark elves, hence that the dark elves would not exist in the future. One wonders how all of this was received in Miyeritar? It is with great pride that I declare that it is the future and we are here.

It is also important to remember that this is just a few centuries after the Sundering. Recall that in the Sundering many thousands of high magi from all the realms lost their lives, to the point that casting high magic was a difficult endeavor. How could one secure the throne in Evermeet? Be the first to use high magic to raise a self-declared capital city, and make sure it is your high magi that do it. If, as I suspected, the Durothils had not sent their high magi to die in casting the Sundering, they would have the high magi to raise the city and secure the throne. Clever. These are plans that run very very deep.

I have not yet come to the crown wars, and still there are events occurring in the other elven kingdoms that must be considered before I come to that. Little is said about Miyeritar until the first crown war. It seems the prior battles sufficiently rebuffed Aryvandaar’s efforts to annex the kingdom.

There is news of Ilythiir though. If Ilythiir was severely damaged in the Sundering (for now I take it that it was, likely beyond simply the loss of Atornnash) then my people recovered quickly,….perhaps. Their response to a threat seems to imply they had been severely weakened. Not 500 years after the sundering it is reported that three of the four kingdoms between Ilythiir and Keltomir are attacked by raiders from Illythiir with unusual savagery. Thearnytaar, Eiellur, and Syorpiir start talks to unite against the threat of Ilythiir. In response, Ilythiiri spies and assassins kill their leaders and frame opposing heirs sowing chaos among the three kingdoms. It is also reported that Ilythiir’s influence in the assassinations is not discovered for centuries, presumably their influence in the raids is well known and accepted.

I suppose it all sounds good to most historians, except that once again this ‘story’ makes no sense. Eiellur and Thearnytaar were essentially green elf kingdoms and so likely to be allied with Ilythiir. Foremost though is the idea that if you want to eventually take them over or extract concessions attacking all three while waving your flag is a sure way to make problems for yourself. Worse still it would drive those three kingdoms that likely were friendly into the arms of the fourth kingdom lying between Keltomir and ilythiir, Orishaar, Ilyrhiir’s long-time enemy.

I cannot imagine that the Ilythiiri were so mindless that they embark upon a campaign to unify those three kingdoms (and likely all four) against them. If the Ilythirii were that mindless, then they would have long ago lost to the Durothil led Aryvandaari. I sense another hand at work, either Orishaar or their patrons in Aryvandaar, likely both. Aryvandaar had been using the tactic of dressing up as Ilythiiri dark elves to go sow chaos in other kingdoms for millennia. Why would they not be doing the same here? It would fit with their reduced capabilities and their usual long plan to eventually subdue all the parties that they incite to warfare. I have no proof, but it makes more sense.

Notably, those three kingdoms appeared to be less affected by the Sundering in that their cities are not listed among the elven communities lost. Therefore, they had the strength and means to exploit the destruction wrought upon Ilythiir.

In addition, Orishaar is strangely not part of this alliance to take a war to ilythiir; strange because Orishaar is the long-time enemy of Ilythiir. Normally, an implacable enemy would leap at such an opportunity, unless they have other plans. It is true that Orishaar was severely damaged by the sundering. Perhaps they fomented this war to tie down Ilythiir while they rebuilt? Perhaps they had larger plans that included the first objective?

The assassination campaign would be the response of Ilythiir. That my people used a campaign of assassination suggests that they might have been still severely weakened after the Sundering. They could not mount their own invasion to exploit the situation. Even so, they were strong enough to resist the border incursions from Syorpiir, a moon and gold elf kingdom. I can see the frustration written on the faces of the gold elves that devised this plan and it pleases me.

In -16997 DR Thearnytaar was caught looking the wrong way. While they fretted over presumed “Ilythiiri raids of unusual savagery” Orishaar invades and conquers them, likely in savage fashion. In so doing they acquire the first piece of the budding Orishaar empire. It is reported that the moon elf nobles welcome their southern cousins with open arms while the green and dark elf nobles are stripped of their power and lands, and then chased form the lands they called home. Recall Thearnytaar was established by green elves seeking refuge from Aryvandaaran sun and moon elf prejudice, so it is likely that the majority of nobles were of green and dark elf ancestry. Recall also that Thearnytaar was one of the three kingdoms incited to war against Ilythiir. Now we see the plot exposed. Or rather I do.

Whatever one makes of this the moon elves cannot blame all their racist actions on gold elves in general and the Vyshaan gold elves in particular. The histories seem to suggest that the real villain was, once again, Ilythiir, and Orishaar’s actions are regrettable but ultimately correctable, as if the kingdom was the equivalent of an errant child. In time the people could rein Orishaar back to the path of good. Not Ilythiir though, the dark elves are as always irredeemable. Aye, and thankfully so.

In -16875 Illefarn embarks on the building of the song portal network countering the Aryvandaan portal network. The Coronal of Aryvandaar, Romlynnda Durothil forbids use of the Illefarn networks. Understandable as that network is a direct challenge to their power. However, she restricts its use to military, nobles and merchants, forbidding it to Aryvandaaran commoners. That is passing strange indeed. Why use it at all if you have your own? Apparently the military, nobles and merchants could be trusted to use the network of an opposing power in the proper way. Something is amiss……or perhaps not. The Merchants, nobles, and military are largely comprised of gold elves and the moon elves. The loyalties of both were well established. Ranked among the commoners would be the green, dark, and ghost elves. The gold and moon elves would report the extent and weaknesses of the rival network, where the ‘commoners’ might use it for clandestine activities.

-16800 DR A great triumph of the elven people as The War of the Three Leaves comes to an end. Thearnytaar, Eiellur and Syorpiir declare peace among themselves, mediated by ambassadors of Illefarn and Coronal Adelindor of Keltomir. Peace is had, and Orishaar withdraws from Thearyntaar in return for recognition of Orishaar’s suzerainty over it. It seems the Aryvandaarans were present in the form of Vyshaan and Dlardragethan backers of Orishaar. However, it is also reported that both families were not happy with the withdrawal of Orishaaran forces. I laugh. Of course they were not happy. I suppose the only question remaining is whether those forces were to next annex Keltomir or Eiellur? Almost certainly the invading Orishaaran forces would have turned to Ilythiir eventually.

Going forward it is important to remember that we coming up to the time when the Vyshaans supplant the Durothils as the leaders of Aryvandaar. The war of three leaves could have had three agendas motivating it. This is pure speculation but I see the web of plotting like this.

The Durothils initiated it. Aryvandaar is weakened and humbled after failed campaigns in Miyeritar and Shantal Othrieir. The last thing it needs is an emboldened Miyeritar forming a strong alliance with a rejuvenated Ilythiir. So start a draining war. Perhaps the three kingdoms succeed, then Ilythiir is no longer a worry. However, it is more likely they only serve to keep ilythiir weak with constant border skirmishes.

The Vyshaan and Dlardragethan families clearly have strong ties in Orishaar. They see an opportunity to make Orishaar much stronger, to form an Orishaaran empire. Such a piece to play would certainly make for potent backing to the eventual challenge to the Aryvandaaran throne, to supplant the Durothils with the Vyshaans.

The Ilythiiri respond with a campaign of assassination that turns the three kingdoms against each other by ensuring blame for each assassination falls upon one of the three kingdoms fracturing the alliance.

The Durothils would first see their three pawns turn upon each other, and their plan fall apart. Then they would see the Vyshaan backed Orishaaran move invading one of the three kingdoms. They would not have the force of arms to push back the Orishaarans, nor would they want to take arms to protect mostly green and dark elves from a kingdom of moon and gold elves that largely supported their objectives.

The obvious way out is to negotiate a peace. With their reputation for fair dealings shredded they turned to Keltomir and Illefarn. Peace is had. The Durothils and Aryvandaar nod their head sagely so everyone knows they were instrumental in securing the peace. The upstart Vyshaan and Dlardragethan families gnash their teeth, their plans thwarted, and seem to behave in a very unelvish manner. Most importantly of all, the main objective of embroiling Ilythiir in war slowing their recovery is achieved. Certainly all during this time the Durothils are gathering strength for the next confrontation. Well played.

In Miyeritar the succession is murky, but we suddenly find a Lord Selakiir (Olriith?) sitting on the throne. He marries the daughter of Illefarn’s coronel, and everyone is happy excepting ‘certain sun elf noble houses in Aryvandaar’. It is not difficult to guess which ones were upset.

I can still find nothing to add to those missing years in Miyeritar. Instead I am backtracking a bit before continuing the timeline.

In -16875
Illefarn embarks on the building of the song portal network countering the Aryvandaan portal network. The Coronal of Aryvandaar, Romlynnda Durothil forbids use of the Illefarn networks. Understandable as that network is a direct challenge to their power. However she does not restrict all of Aryvandaaran citizens. She allows its use to the military, nobles and merchants, forbidding it to Aryvandaaran commoners. That is passing strange indeed. Why use it at all if you have your own network? Apparently the military, nobles and merchants could be trusted to use the network of an opposing power in the proper way (spying). Something might seem to be amiss, until one looks deeper. The Merchants, nobles, and military were likely mostly comprised of gold elves and the moon elves. The loyalties of both were well established. Ranked among the commoners would be the green, dark, and ghost elves. The gold and moon elves would report the extent and weaknesses of the rival network, whereas the ‘commoners’ might use it for clandestine activities.


-16751
In Miyeritar all is happy….or not. Lord Selakiir and his wife celebrate the birth of quins. This is an unheard of event and thought to be a sure sign of Corellon’s blessing of the royal family. This is the first I have heard of dark elves worshipping Corellon, and even of anyone in Miyeritar worshipping Corellon. There are instead references to Eilistraee and various unnamed fey and or nature deities being worshipped in Miyeritar. In any event, to honor the event Coronal Selakiir decides that the Seldarine’s blessing is a sign for him to take complete control of Miyeritar and so he dismisses the rulers council. How very…… sun-elf like.

-16600
151 years later the ruler’s council, apparently not disbanded despite royal decree, mount a bloodless coup replacing Selakiir with his nephew the darksong knight Omareth Olrythii. The new coronal is much diminished in power. The blessing of Corellon indeed. Much good it did Selakiir. One wonders what the fate of the five scions of Selakiir was? A pattern emerges though, a very simple one, but also a very deep one. As elves embrace Corellon they seem to be taken with a lust for power, a lust for power that compares well to receiving the ‘blessing’ of various entities of the ‘lower’ planes. I find no more references to Selakiir Olrythi, his Illefarn princess bride or the quins. One wonders what Illefarn felt about all this? Yet another question to which I can find no satisfying answers.

-16614
It is not well reported, but I find this significant. Aryvandaar sends its fleet to hunt down the pirates of Orishaar and Ilythiir. This is the only time I have seen Orishaar and Ilythiir in a conflict as allies. I can only see them as allies to seek revenge upon Aryvandaar in general for the Ilythiiri and the Durothil in particular for the Vyshaan and the Dlardrageth families thwarted in the prior peace process to end the war of three leaves. In typical Aryvandaaran fashion the conflict ends with them employing high magic to destroy the pirate fleet and their “nigh impregnable fortress”. One wonders what the collateral damage was in this use of high magic?

Fittingly and also suggesting alliances between Ilythiir and some factions of gold elves, in response to the destruction of their pirate ships Ilythiir invades Shantal Othrier and takes many of their citizens as slaves. Presumably, Shantal Othreier represents the nearest expression of Aryvandaaran power since Orishaar is apparently now their ally. However, the prior events in that kingdom suggest that they would be more natural allies of the opponents of Aryvandaar, and such an invasion would cause Shantal Othreier to run into Aryvandraan arms. Not good strategy.

The same report says that the slaves taken are sold back to Aryvandaaran slavers to eventually work the Graypeak mines. It is said the mine owners grow “frighteningly rich and powerful supplying weapons, mercenaries and magical devices to both sides of the war whilst using their profits to purchase more slaves to create more weapons to perpetuate the wars” and gain more wealth and power. No war is reported, only fleet action against pirates and border raids in Shantal Othreier. What war? What sides?

It is not recorded but this smells of an alliance between the Vyshann and the Dlardrageth on one side and unnamed Ilythiiri on the other. Would all that wealth and power manifest 1000 years later when the Vyshaan supplant the Durothil on the Wierwood throne? I suspect it did. A clever play by the unknown Ilythiiri, divide and conquer, and kudos to the Vyshaan also.

Aryvandaar is doing well. Miyeritar is riven politically and perhaps religiously, they have decimated a threatening fleet comprised of Ilythiiri and Orishaaran forces. Little is said about what is happening in Aryvandaar during these years, however they appear to be positioning themselves well. The high magic used could well have been a test of new magics to aid their ambitions. Perhaps once again the Durothils have had the best of these encounters.

As I head back to the underdark, I am continuing my studies and hope to find more about the Miyeritari and Illythiiri side of these histories. I have little hope though. I have found very little of our history preceding the descent, and I suspect what there is would be guarded jealously by the very powerful Drow noble houses. And yet there is hope, or opportunity rather. It is well known, though poorly documented, that noble houses have fallen and in such happenings things are lost, and in the recent history of Ched Nasad all of the noble houses fell. What I desire might be found in the detritus lying at the bottom of the cavern of Ched Nasad that was.

Another note: My divination skills are not well developed. I may have to find a capable diviner to aid my efforts in these matters. Until I do, I will rely on my skills. This should be fun.

-16536
Illefarn and Ardeep combine forces to thwart an enormous orc horde, called the green tusk horde. Dragon riders, griffon riders and high magi from Aryvandaar join with illefarn and Ardeep to repel the horde. It is the first time in 500 years the three kingdoms have united against a common foe. By my reading of the histories one must go much much further back to see these three kingdoms united. I am clearly missing something.

It is also pointed out that noticeable by their absence in the combined armies to resist the horde were the forces of Tiru’telardon and Occidian, the noble seats of those houses loyal to the opponents of the Durothil clan. Once again much becomes clear. The Vyshaan and the Dlardrageth clans were certainly behind it. I would not be surprised if they created the horde themselves to weaken their enemies.

It is not pointed out, but also noticeable by their absence are the armies of Miyeritar.

-16400
The coronal of Aryvandaar is trampled by huge rhinoceros like animals they had apparently been hunting. Sharlarion goes into a long morning. After 100 days of mourning the council of electors chooses the popular but politically weak Prince El’pellen Durothil to be the 20th ruler of Aryvandaar. The council is reported to be dominated by Vyshaan sympathizers. We will see what it takes to supplant the Durothils later, to do so goes against much elven tradition and had to be done carefully. It seems swords of rulership are involved. This is another early step in a very long, very deep plan. They needed a weak Durothil on the throne.

-16360
In Miyeritar, Coronal Omareth Olrythii announces establishment of a new city dedicated to the peaceful pursuit of magic and learning with no interference from military, guilds, noble faction or temples that dominate Miyeritaran politics. It becomes the famed city of Faer’tel’miir, the renowned center of learning and the arts. It all sounds quite innocent, nice and good. However, that is exactly the first step I would take to break the hold of a council of rulers. In essence he ensured they would have no influence on the dealings in the city by limiting the influence of the military, the guilds, the nobles and the temples, in other words the power bases of the members of the ruler’s council.

-16245
The Coronal of Miyeritar and his eldest son are killed “during a rockfall whilst climbing Mount Evendim”. The historians seemed surprised that their bodies are seized by a great green wrym suddenly emerged from 300 years of slumber. Once again I am not one to believe all this being pure coincidence. There are a number of suspects in Aryvandaar and Miyeritar at least, and perhaps wider afield as well. The grandson of Lord Omareth, Pharius Olrythii succeeds as the “titular” ruler of the Sapphire woods. The ruler’s council strikes back.

This is pure speculation but I would suspect that an odd set of alliances are being formed. The power grab by Selakiir Olrythi feels like a Vyshaan thing to do. The actions of the ruler’s council feels like a Durothil tactic. Are both kingdoms taking sides and seeking allies in the other kingdom? The political machinations in both kingdoms must be at a fever pitch, yet sadly I can only infer what I think might be happening. Would that I could find more in the histories, for I suspect there is much to learn in them.

-16237
Once again events in Illefarn and Aryvandaar reflect upon the history of my people. A flight of dragons threatens Illefarn, even to killing the Coronal of Illefarn. One Shashanta Stilmyst is elected Coronal given there are “no ruling nobles of talent left within the capital, Sarthandor”. Concurrently, an extension of the dragon flight threatens Aryvandaar. It is stopped, but not without significant losses, including the Coronal’s eldest son and heir, Gethren Durothil. Even worse the Durothil family blade, the ruler blade, brought from mythical Tintageer, is lost. Without that blade the Durothil’s claim to the throne is severely weakened, and their opponents become much more vocal in court.

In summary: A weak Durothil on the throne, gives the family blade to his eldest son, who then goes and gets killed losing the blade. I would suspect the eldest son was something of a hothead, and the enemies of the Durothils used that knowledge exquisitely.

One wonders, what would prompt a flight of dragons to commit suicide by attacking those elven kingdoms? I will try to determine if the king killer star had returned at that time, but I doubt it. There are very deep currents in this plotting that I cannot yet discern.

-16177
The burning heart. The Miyeritari plateau is subjected to an unusually long and severe drought. Wildfires break out and a large swath of central forest is ravaged. In the aftermath large grass plains replace the forest. These pastures in turn become an integral part of Miyeritar’s Moonhorse and Auroch breeding program.

I admit I take pride in my people’s adaptability. However, one wonders if the devastation was not the result of some precursor to, or test of, the high magics that would cause the dark disaster nearly 5000 years later?

Aboard the slave ship to Skullport, as passenger not slave, I have plenty of time to continue my studies. The view from the decks is very appealing. I love to watch the enormous sky and ocean waters on the surface. However, it is cold above decks, very cold. Even in my favorite sable cloak I cannot keep warm. I must use magic, but I do not want these slavers to know my abilities. I know they watch me, and I know they fear Vaseyl. They wonder about us, and that is part of my plan. Anyway to my histories.

-15944
A young Vyshaani lord, the infamous Ivosaar, joins the hidden society of the sacred sun, a group dedicated to the overthrow of the Durothils and opposed to worship of Corellon. Whoever is pulling the strings in Illythiir is a master, and my people have clearly learned from millennia of the Durothils constantly winning in these games. Yes I think the Illythiiri are behind the rise of the Vyshaans. I do not think this family could supplant the Durothils without a great deal of help, and the Vyshaan would have ample opportunity to form alliances with Illythiir while scheming in Orishaar.

-15791
Things are good in Mireitar and the populace moves to establish more cities and citadels in the more untamed areas of the plateau. One of those citadels is named Kraanfhaor, established by the Melarn clan of Faertelmiir. Q’arlynd Melarn’s family……. I long to find some history of my family.

-15632
The war of green death. Forest orcs and goblins pour out of the dragon’s teeth mountains and fall upon Miyeritar. Lord Pharius unites the clans to defeat the horde. In the Arvandaaran histories it is reported thusly. “Bred up and then unleashed by forces loyal to house Vyshaan, a horde of forest orcs and goblins numbering more than 500000 pours through the dragon’s teeth from the wild forests of Pellandfaar”. Well what do you know? It is possible every flight of dragons and horde invasion has one elf faction or another behind it? I tend to think so.

The Aryvandaaran history reports the salient facts. The attack of the horde “severely weakens Miyeritar’s eastern defenses for the next 500 years as a generation of Dark and Green elf border runners and their villages are wiped from the face of Faerun.” More of the familiar pattern.

-15615
There are scattered accounts of Ivosaar Vyshaan coming across a “unholy text” called the “The book of keeping”. I should like to find this same book I think. It is reputed to deal with the summoning and binding of demons, always useful. Little is said of what transpired with his research into the text, except that he left not long after with a very well equipped army and returned 300 years later much changed. Waif thin with straggly white hair and pallid skin when he left, he returned a “towering being of awesome might and power”. It is later understood that he was the first of the Daemon Fey.

It seems I am supposed to believe that the good citizens of Aryvandaar did not understand what this transformation meant. For in all the events that follow it is the Vyshaan that duped the good gold elves and caused all the problems. Only very twisted gold elves would do what the Vyshaan did. I don’t believe it. Much as I welcome the opportunity to ridicule the intelligence of the gold elves, I cannot believe that they did not understand what changes had been wrought in Ivosaar Vyshaan. Rather I think they welcomed those changes, and that welcome facilitated their toppling of the Durothils and taking the throne.

-15456
While Isovaar was away becoming a Daemon Fey, In Miyeritar there was change in rule. Pharius Olrythii, aged and ailing, abdicates in favor of his grandson, Isylmyth Olrythii. The new coronal is described as effete and as a grand high mage. What significance that caries I can not say. The retired coronal moves to Faer’tel’miir to continue his studies of high magic with the Gorralaen High mages. The Gorralaen high mages? Who are they? Just another thing I will have to research.

-15300 DR
Only two years after his return to Aryvandaar, Ivosaar effects a bloodless coup assuming the weirwood throne and exiling the Durothils, the Moonflowers, and their followers. It is a piece of irony that many of them take refuge in Illefarn and yes, Miyeritar. It is a greater irony that the Durothil and Moonflower exiles become some of the most vicious opponents of Aryvandaar in the coming years, committing heinous crimes against the sun elves. That is saying something since it implies they were even more cruel and ruthless that Illythiiri.

It is reported that the new coronal, Isylmyth Olrythii welcomes the Aryvandaaran exiles warmly. It is also reported that the 12 clan lords of the ruling council exhibit greater caution. Something was not right with Isylmyth. Was he a Durothil tool, part of some grander scheme that was ruined by the Vyshaan coup? It is also noted that many of the gold elves settle in cities along the northern border, whether by accident or some grand design I cannot determine….at the moment.

–15300 DR
The elf Vyshaan clan rises to power in Aryvandaar under Coronal Ivósaar Vyshann, the great-great grandson of Origath Vyshaan, and a distant relative of Orishaar’s high queen. Whilst they are unassailable within their own realm, they still harbor paranoid fear over Orishaar’s High Queen Emellin Moonflower’s own claim the throne of Aryvandaar.

Whaaat? I need to find a history of Orishaar when we arrive in Waterdeep.

I have come across some documents retelling the history of Orishaar. Those documents reveal some very interesting tidbits concerning elven histories. The histories suggest that my notion that Orishaar was established to break the monopoly Illythiir held in rare plants, spices, and timber, some of which are components in their magics (subjects still to be researched) is valid. They further confirm that the Vyshaan and Dlagdardeth families used Orishaar as a power base to eventually take the Aryvandaaran throne. They also provide a much clearer picture of the early Vyshaan rise to power. Unfortunately, I am still left to speculate on the relationship between the Durothils and the Vyshaans. I still suspect the Vyshaans and Dlagdardeth families were first instruments of the Durothils, but over time they decided to supplant their masters.

More to the point I have found out why the Vyshaan after taking the weirwood throne in Aryvandaar were concerned about the Orishaaran royal family. In short they had Vyshaan blood in their families along with Amarillis and Moonflower blood. The interesting part is how that came to be. Queen Bellen is the first Amarillis ruler after the Moonflowers are ousted (yet again). As usual the Amarillis family holds views closest to the Durothils and often supports the Durothils in Aryvandaar. Far back, nearly to -21000DR we see a Vyshaan power play.

-20900 DR
Queen Theantha Moonflower passes to Arvanaith (Arvandor I assume, but will explore possibility that in the distant past there was another afterlife available to the elves). A council meets to elect the next ruler and the best candidate is the teenage princess Bellen Amarillis.

-20850 DR
Queen Bellen Amarillis is instantly the most sought after marriage match in all the elven realms, and an endless parade of suitors seek her hand. Her mother the Regent Duchess Carrilngula Amarillis of Ardeep, sends her daughter north in hopes of finding a suitable husband amongst the notable lords of Ardeep and Shantel Othreier (pointedly not in Aryvandaar?). On her way she is kidnapped by a Sun Elf noble (a Vyshaan of course) who whisks her off to old Occidian to force her into marriage. It would seem given sun elf sensibilities today and the dictates of Corellon that such a thing could not happen, and yet……


-20808 DR
Queen Bellen returns to Orishaar with her new husband and claims her rightful place as High Queen. They say she ousts mother and alienates many merchant nobles and cousins alike. Presumably the mother was the regent though it is never said.


-20645 DR
Queen Bellen elevates her husband, Origath Vyshaan (of course her abductor/husband is a Vyshaan) to the status of co-ruler as she goes into retreat while raising her 4 children. It should be noted that unlike the other elven realms Orishaar is ruled nearly exclusively by queens up until the end of the kingdom. Lord Origath is not stupid. It is reported that he rules with a light touch, not wanting to upset the ever circling claimants of the other two royal families (Hawksong and Moonflower, both moon elf clans). I would assume that he sought to patch up relations with the merchant clans as well, especially given that Vyshaan power in these early days seems to be based on mercantilism.

The ocean is endless, and this is but a small part of the whole I am told. I wonder if any of my people have sailed the ocean as I am. As we journey mile after mile I wonder if my brethren have ever really understood what it would mean to conquer and rule the surface. Even in the histories of Aryvandaar, assuming they conquered all of the elven kingdoms the majority of the world would remain, yet there is no plan offered regarding how this might happen.

What we do know is that the Imaskari empire could not conquer the world. The elves could have perhaps if they had unified. When we get to the end of the crown wars we see the Aryvandaaran and Illythiiri armies are immensely powerful, and could have challenged the dragons and giants the preceded them. Either the giants or the dragons could have conquered the world if only they did not have to fight each other to do it. The only empire that might have conquered all of the Faerun is the Sarrukh, the reptilian creator race, and they are reputed to have created the nether scrolls. No people today have that kind of power.

Before I return to the timeline where I left it there are a few more items of note in the Orishaaran histories. To me the most interesting was the very first, and it has nothing to do with elven politics. It speaks to what the elves were before the Tintageer refugees arrived in Toril.

-21999 DR
“Moon and Green Elf migrants move north within Orishaar, establishing the settlements of Ar’telforlynn and Harlonbyra. Moving deeper into the rain forests they encounter primitive (sic) tribes of Moon and Green Elves who speak neither their language, nor share many of their beliefs or customs. (It is doubtful that they encountered moon elves, since moon elves reportedly all came from Sharlario Moonflower in roughly -24000 DR, and it is doubtful moon elves would be in this state 2000 years later). Through magic the new comers learn that these isolated clans have lived here as long as there has been sentient life on the planet they call Kaalariinth.” This says that all elves may not have come from Faerie, some elves may have been in Toril from the very beginning. Elves may have been a creator race.

But for this entry all evidence of such has been expunged, begging the question to whose benefit? Illythiir would likely not care if this was revealed, since that is their history presumably. However, it would be extremely damaging to the Sun elves that seek to claim all of Toril as their own when there is a native population of elves that had nothing to do with Faerie and Tintageer that already lived there. Having never been subject to the sun elves, having never worshipped Corellon, asserting rulership over these elves is nothing but a power grab. It cannot be dressed up in a manner pleasing to all the other elves that like to think their efforts in the world are guided by good intentions. Rather those efforts would have to be seen as no different than the actions of their dark elf kin, destroying one of the pillars of their claim to rule, namely they are not dark elves. From my reading it seems that but for skin and hair coloring we are the same, except that the years in the underdark have made us, the Ilythiiri, more.

Along with the revelation concerning elf origins there is yet another ethnic cleansing, likely bordering on a genocide.
-20200
Orisharran Queen Baerlynn Amarillis (daughter of Bellen and origath) drives out dark and green elves from their ancestral lands to claim them. The refugees go to Illythiir, are reported slaughtered by the Illythiiri (more likely turned into soldiers). A guerrilla movement manifests in the misty vale and Illythiir moves. Lord Mantorax Baenre brings his forces to the border with an expansionist Orishaar and fortifies it. Another Illythiiri house found in the histories, house Baenre, a very prominent house indeed.

The orishaaran histories provide a glimpse into the machinations of the Vyshaan in Aryvandaar. It seems strange that one must read the history of a second kingdom to get the desired plottings in the first. Here is more evidence to support my suspicion that the Vyshaan source of power was mercantilism.
-18356 DR
Queen Everlynda sends envoys north to Aryvandaar to establish trade relations with their up and coming northern neighbor. The exotic fruits, herbs, fabrics, gems and furs guarantees a ready market. In turn they are offered favored trade status by Aryvandaars minister of trade, one Atherlon Vyshaan, the grandson of one Origath Vyshaan.


Next is perhaps evidence of the Durothils reasserting their power in Orishaar by placing their sometimes ally, a Moonflower on the throne? Are the Amarillis’ too entwined with the Vyshaan now? Mysterious illness indeed. Alternatively the many dark and green elves that had been forcibly expelled from their lands might have called the disease in revenge. The Amarillis clan is targeted, who are by now the strong allies of the Vyshaan.
-18244 DR
Queen Everlynda dies suddenly from a previously unknown plague that sweeps through the settled districts of the realms all about the Sun Sea and Illythiir. The disease, which rots a victims lungs from the inside, kills 10% of all those living within towns and cities whilst killing virtually no elves who lead a nomadic life style. Such is the devastation amongst the Amarilliss clan, that there are no suitable candidates to pass the crown onto. The clan nobles crown the next closest claimant, the High Mage princess Calantha Moonflower, reluctantly agrees to become Orishaar’s next high queen.

More treasure. More evidence of an alliance between Ilythiir and Orishaar. It is mildly surprising that Keltomir entered the alliance.
-17190 DR
Lady Fionolla (Of Keltomir) marries Queen Yvetth’s eldest son, Prince Kamalliyn Hawksong of Orishaar, bringing the two realms closer together. The two then travel to Illythiir via swanship to New Attornash for diplomatic talks with their large southern neighbor. An unlikely alliance of convenience begins to form up as the two realm work together to destabilize the slowly forming realm made up of Syorpiir, Eillur, and Thearnytaar . This is part of the buildup to the War of three leaves, which begins in -17100 DR., and ends in -16800 DR.

Hmmm. This seems pure propaganda, suggesting cassius belli for Orishaar to war with Thearyntaar, instead of being the power grab it really was. All the other histories report that at the time of this conference Orishaar has already invaded and defeated Thearyntaar. It was at this conference that Orishaar was made to withdraw from Orishaar.
-16998 DR
In an attempt to bring peace to the warring realms, High Queen Yvetth hosts a peace conference upon the island of Harnost. The leaders of Syorpiir and Eiellur are present, but the Araegisses of Thearyntaar refuses to attend. Sometime during the meeting a sky ship bearing Thearyntaarii colors ploughs into the conference hall killing all within, including the High Queen and her attendant counselors and body guard. In retaliation the Araegisses of Orishaar, declares war upon Thearyntaar, while princess Kitara Hawksong is crowned the 10th ruler of the realm.

The strange story of the pirates from a different perspective. In the Aryvandaaran perspective, their fleet used high magic to destroy a pirate fleet of Ilythiiri and Orishaaran origin and their fortress on the island of Harnost. Clearly the Orishaari saw these events differently.
-16614
Admiral Hethrass Shyr leads the Coronal’s new fleet of clipper and swan ships against the pirates dragon ships. The pirates are again said to be comprised of moon, green and dark elves of Orishaaran and Illythiiri origins. In this version they track down the fleet to a city 50 miles north-east of New Attornash. The siege lasts 100 days until High Magi from Ketallass unleash a tsunami that wipes out the pirate fleet and their fortress. Ketallass is the capital of Keltomir.
This is all very strange. Orishaaran attacking Orishaaran. The very different versions of the events with the pirates. The histories brush over these events but there must have been something of note that happened since so much effort is made to twist the telling to differing political ends. What that is I cannot say.

Skullport as always provided in abundance if one knows where to look. I have acquired a few choice tomes to add to this ever-growing history of my people. I find that as I write this I have come to view all the elves as my people, for in truth they are not much more different than I and my people. It must be said though that I still prefer my people to them and our customs to theirs, but the divide between us that once seemed insurmountable seems almost trivial at this point.

Even in the gods we worship I find common ground. Sometimes it seems to me that the major difference between Corellon and Lolth is that Corellon won. I suspect that they both had similar goals. I am quite certain that no other elf, likely no other being, would agree with me, but I believe it to be true. Corellon was patron of the gold elves and wanted them to rule all elves. He also wanted to rule the sphere of magic. Araunshee was patron to the dark elves, wanted them to rule all elves and wanted to rule magic. In some important aspects they both differ from the other gods in the pantheon. They are both very driven, and very ambitious, determined that they and the elves they champion should win. Someday I have to expand my arguments and see how they hold against the priesthood of both religions.

Anyway, back to my timeline, I will leave the religious arguments for another day. The Vyshaan have taken over Aryvandaar and the wars of five crowns await. Now the fun begins, but first some more prelude in which the Vyshaan pretty much do what might be expected of a sun elf royal family, exploit, exploit, exploit, just like an Illythiiri royal house.

-15243 DR
The Vyshaan get right to work where the Durothil left off, though with somewhat more brutality and somewhat less subtlety. Kellathil Vyshaan, Ivosaar’s son, riding a bronze dragon kills the coronal of Illefarn (Coronal Rushay). Why? Unknown. Then again there is the demon blood. I suppose Corellon could have been blind to what these Vyshaan were doing in his name as the historians would have us believe. I find the idea insulting to any thinking beings intelligence. If he could be so easily duped my people would have defeated the gold elves long ago.

-15174 DR
While all is astir in Aryvandaar because of the Vyshaan ascension, Miyeritar enters a golden age. Peace, prosperity, flourishing culture, grand advances in music, culture, the arts, and in particular high magic, all this and more are occurring in Miyeritar. While this is often espoused to be the elven ideal, something all the ‘good’ elves would give their lives to protect, I would imagine there were two very important problems in Corellon’s eyes: the dark elves rule, and Corellon is not the primary deity worshipped. These are the same problems the Vyshaan and Aryvandaar found with Miyeritar as well, and the gold elves and Aryvandaar are proxies for Corellon’s power in Faerun. Something had to be done, even if it meant Corellon championing the cause of the first Fey’ri in Faerun.

As an Illythiiri I have to smile. At one time it seemed that the surface elves were so very different from us, that they did things so completely different that I might never understand their motives. Obviously that is not true.

-15100 DR
In one of the tomes I purchased in skull port there is an entry detailing the establishment of the Vyshaan stronghold, Veldaoresk. It is located in a hidden valley at the foot of a mysterious high mountain, to the south of Sharlarion. Are there truly so many high mountains south of Sharlarion? It must be in the starmounts. I will look for this place. It is in the high forest, ‘situated upon three granite tors at the center of a vast and ancient volcano. Apparently the approaches are well hidden and were at one time heavily guarded.

The revelation though is the sponsor of the Vyshaan. An entity called the branded king, Malkizid, a fallen solar that once served the seldarine and Araunshee (lolth) in particular. Why the branded king? Because the layout of the stronghold apparently mirrors a city found in the branded king’s realm. He was reputed to have been seduced by Araunshee and cast down to the hells when Araunshee’s rebellion failed. A scheming power of the lower planes, yet another one, who could have guessed? One wonders how far back his influence can be traced, and what motivations may drive him.

-15064 DR
Ivosaar Vyshaan dies. Ilythiiri assault his summer palace, they destroy the central tower of the palace along with Ivosaar’s body. The loss of the body is apparently important because there is speculation in the histories that Ivosaar did not die, but needed it to appear that he did so as to hide his unnatural longevity. The speculation continues to suggest that Ivosaar continued on as the de facto ruler of Aryvandaar, but from behind the throne.

I find this all to be a bit much to swallow. The Aryvandaarans were some of the most accomplished elves of their day, and somehow they missed that Ivosaar was lost for 300 years and returned much changed, and further that he had to fake his death to hide his taint? Perhaps we Illythiiri are more sensitive to these things, but we know demon spawn when we see them, and unless powerful Illusiions are part of the disguise then demon spawn always stand out. Even then it is trivial to use magics to discern their presence. These elves had much more powerful magic than we do today. What I do know is that given the power of the Aryvandaaran elves I find it laughable that they could be so deceived. Again. I think they knew, and I think they approved, further I think they embraced the Vyshaan because the Vyshaan gave them what they wanted, a sense of supreriority. Supposedly Ivosaar assumes the identity of Helvaasth Tragoran, Sharlarion’s grand high mage.

-15023 DR
The Miyeritari coronal Isylmyth Olrythii along with all of the grand magi of the 12 cities raise the hidden city of Vael’chelaar. Reputedly, the mythal cast on the city is one of the mightiest ever cast. It is to be a bastion against Aryvandaaran aggression. One of the reasons for the creation of the city is the ‘visions’ Isylmyth is having concerning the coming doom of Miyeritar. It is tedious to point out that dark elves are casting high magic with profound proficiency and not under the auspices of Corellon, and yet today’s scholars would have us believe my people are incapable of doing just that.

It should be noted that much later in history this city will be transported, or partially transported to another plane. While I had not intended to include it here, the star elves (mithril elves) had also moved a city to anew plane. Is this yet another example of the connections between dark elves, green elves, ghost elves, and star elves? The building of the city seems awfully prescient, and as we now know Isylmyth Olrythii is known to have visions.

-15004 DR
Isylmyth is driven mad by his visions and so abdicates for his daughter Filfaere Olrythii. That is what is written. This is the first ‘mad’ ruler to abdicate their throne in all the histories I have read. Most often they should abdicate but hang on to the point of ruining their kingdom. Of course, I feel there is much more to this than I am reading.

Here is the most amusing part. From the Miyeritari histories, Filfaere’s very first act (that is what they said) is to marry Prince Allaghon Moonflower of Ardeep, over the vehement protestations of coronal Ivosaar Vyshaan. That’s right the one that was supposed to have died 19 years earlier. Well at least the Miyeritari are not idiots like their kin in Aryvandaar. The Aryvandraan histories report Riilvas Vyshaan being upset. Delicious. And why was this her first act? She must have known about the Vyshaans kidnapping the Orishaaran queen as she sought a suitable husband thousands of years earlier and forcing her marriage. We will see that kidnapping royal brides is a recurring theme for the Vyshaan clan. Furthermore, it seems most of the royalty of the other elven kingdoms did not consider the Vyshaan spawn acceptable mates for their royal kin.

And finally this. ‘Looking for a suitable bride for his wayward son, the Sable Shadow King, sends ‘envoys’ to Orishaar, and Keltormir with instructions of not to return without a bride for the Ar’coronal.’ Riilvas is called the sable shadow king? That is the first I have heard of that title and I can nothing more of it.

I can find no more information on Isylmyth and Filfaere Olrythii. This is recorded however. When Isylmyth did assume the throne the description of him was not flattering and hinted as his being a weak ruler. Furthermore, when Isovar took over Aryvandaar in 15300 the Durothils, Moonflowers and their supporters were reported to have fled to Miyeritar where it seems only Isylmyth welcomed them openly. Those sun elves did settle in a border region that proves problematic for the Miyritari in the wars to come.

I speculated that Isylmyth was a tool of the Durothils. Now I believe he was a tool of Corellon primarily and the Durothil or Vyshaan secondarily. The net effect of his rule was to weaken the Miyeritari considerably, because of decisions based on his -visions-. Because of them one whole city was lost, reputedly a powerful city, removed from Faerun and the coming war. In addition, traitors were settled in significant numbers on the borders with Aryvandaar, and now his daughter will further weaken Miyeritar. All because of visions. Visions from which deity? I think it is easy to guess.

-14904 DR
Not long after assuming the throne Miyeritari Coronal Filfaere “calls an extraordinary meeting of all the clan lords in Myth Olriith, at the meeting she reads to them her father’s last predictions of Miyeritar’s destruction. Deeply disturbed by what they hear a large number of Green, Ghost and Dark Elven clan leaders begin preparing their people to leave. Their scouts and magi begin searching for a new homeland far away from the machinations of the northern elves.” They prepare to run away…….. deeply disappointing to me. There is something to be said for fighting for survival. Running… Sometimes you can’t run far enough. Green, ghost, and dark elves prepare to flee. What about the moon elves that lived there? What about the recent immigrant sun elves? It seems they didn’t feel the need to flee.

Of note, Filfaere Olrythrii is a priestess of Eilistraee, and she is deeply afraid of what Corellon’s chosen will do to them. By all accounts they did not worship demons. Corellon’s chosen did, something to ponder. By all accounts they led ‘ideal’ elven lives, not expansionist, dedicated to culture, learning, the arts, the magical arts. All those things Corellon supposedly holds dear. And yet they are afraid of Corellon’s chosen. There is a lesson here. Don’t believe a damn thing any deity tells you, and never give heed to their followers. And lastly it is fine to pursue culture, learning, art. I love all those things, but you better be able to do more than simply run away.

The deepest lesson though is that much can be accomplished with religion and visions. In their first conflict Miyeritar destroyed the Aryvandraanans. The outcome will be very different when the crown wars ensue.

-14890
It seems that when things are ready, coronal Filfaere abdicates in favor of the darksong knight, Akorrdia Olrythii, and leads 10000 dark, green, and ghost elves east across the great star sea and into the mists of history. Still no moon or sun elves. It further maintains that their leaving is erased from the histories to keep them safe. Obviously, the erasure was not complete, but I am also left to wonder safe from what? What would pursue them into the ‘mists of history’ to kill them and why? Were the sun elves so maddened that their goal was to kill any and all dark elves? Green elves too? Ghost elves too? Star elves too? Even so, it angers me that they fled.

-14800 DR
A clan moot of religious leaders. I don’t know what this is but it drew religious leaders from across the realms to rededicate the original temple of Corellon at the gathering place within the misty vale on the outskirts of Auglathla, Miyeritar. Yes Miyeritar. Miyeritar does not follow Corellon, some do, but the leading religion as best I can see is worship of Eilistraee. Worse it seems that the dogma maintains that the Gathering place is ‘the place where Corellon first appeared to the Green Elves and lead them out of slavery and ignorance’. Not the green and the dark elves? And did not the gold elves drive the green elves from Tintageer to Faerun and ignorance and slavery at the behest of Corellon? Were not the dark elves of Illythiir free from bondage to the dragons and far from ignorant for thousands of years before the gold and moon elves appeared, bringing Corellon with them? This is on Miyeritari soil, first the sundering was cast there and now this. My dark elf kin should have removed all the Corellon lovers and razed the temple for the insult.

I must allow though that the temple must have been beautiful. It is described as a “mighty 11 columned theurcrystal cathedral with its interwoven tree branch dome of faceted multihued windows is regrown for the spiritual glory of all the people of the Sun, Moon and Stars.” The stars? Are my people included among the people of the stars? Or are my people not included, again, even though the ceremony is performed on dark elven ground? And the green and ghost elves? Are they moon elves, star elves, or are they not included either?

-14778 DR
While the larger questions are important it seems there are at least two very mundane reasons for calling the clan moot. The first is to allow Ar’coronal Riilvas Vyshaan to remove high ranking troublesome priests. He sends the priesthood of Corellon in Aryvandaar to Miyeritar and replaces them with priests and followers of Labelas. The second, was to hide the movement of Vyshaan agents that go on to assassinate Coronal Filfaere. A slight problem here since Filfaere was reported to have left for the ‘mists of history’. Was this part of the cover to hide the fact that they had left years earlier? Or was it only a mistake?

Elendar Olrythii the coronal’s brother and high priest of Corellon is elected to take her place. An appeal to Corellon as Aryvandaar drifts from him? Maybe? If so it was misplaced. Corellon would never raise a hand against his precious sun elves no matter what they did.

Missing from the Miyeritari histories, but present in the Aryvandraan histories is this footnote on the event. Miyeritarran dusk knights send a stern warning back to Sharlarion in the form of the heads of every member of the city’s trade delegation and the headless bodies of all spies they can find, apparently in retaliation for the assassination of Filfaere. Now that brings a smile.

From this point on there is a wealth of history concerning Miyeritar and the other elven kingdoms. For these notes I will only point out highlights I find interesting and note general trends. In general, it seems that all the kingdoms are distrustful of Aryvandaar. Shantal Othreier is rulled by the Durothiils and the moonflowers likely in hopes of using the throne in that kingdom to retake the weirwood throne in Aryvandaar. Illefarn, Ardeep, and Miyeritar are subjected to various sorts of tricks. The pull between Aryvandaar and Shantal Othreier seem to keep the natural allies, illefarn, Ardeep and Miyeritar from forming a formal alliance along with the usual sorts of tricks.

In Ardeep the Laranlass Arafel Mrhulaedir is murdered by Vyshaan agenents and Illythiir is blamed. The new Laranlass marries into the Vyshaans, giving them influence on the throne. In response Shantal Othreier conquers southern Ardeep.

Eshcalon Moondark is elected laranlor of Ardeep. In a fit of anger Riivas Vyshaan threatens war but is forced to back down as Miyeritar, Keltomir, and Shantal-Othreier support the new Laranlor. No Illefarn. Interesting, but it is also part of the pattern of constantly shifting alliances in the buildup to the crown wars.

Keltomir seesm to want to remain neutral and the four elven kingdoms in the south try to figure out how to deal with Illythiiri aggression. All the while the ages old trade of slaves form Ilythiir to Aryvandaar in return for magic continues.

An interesting note comes from Orishaar in the far south.
-14702 DR
Queen Amberlinn and her husband Murtanaor Olryth a prince of Miyeritar of dark/moon elf origins. The assassins are tracked back to Illefarn. I can’t imagine anyone believes the trial ends there and does not track back to Occidian or Sharlarian in Aryvandaar. Recall the Vyshaans claim the throne in Orishaar though a marriage long back in time in which they kidnapped the bride. This is much more recent and the queen apparently chose the Olrythii prince, a clear threat to Vyshann plottings.

The Aryvandaaran histories report that the assassins are ‘radical gold elves from house Marstarym’. This seems to be an attempt to play the same old Durothil games, but it is not effective at all and mistrust of Aryvandaar seems only to deepen at the news. The Vyshaan are not nearly as subtle as the Durothil and perhaps the Moonflowers. In fact the Vyshaan seem to behave in a manner many surfacers believe is reflective of how my people behave.

-14700 DR
The Vyshaans are not the Durothils. Coronal Riilvas Vyshaan begins to attempt to annex Miyeritar by diplomatic means. This means Aryvandaaran historians find evidence that the Vyshaans are related to the Olrythii ruling family in Miyeritar. Using this he claims rulership over Miyeritar. Ahhhhh. One wonders why pages were wasted to record this. Needless to say the claim was laughingly rejected by the 12 Laranlors/Laranlars and the coronal of Miyeritar. The coronal of Illefarn steps in to guarantee the sovereignty and independence of Miyeritar, backing his cousin the dark/moon elf coronal Sethmor Olrythii. A slight problem there as the Miyeritari accounts say that Elendar Olrythii is still coronal. Maybe it is a mistake? Maybe it is indicative of deeper plots. I cannot tell at the moment.

-14628
The personal tower of the Laranlor of Illefarn explodes killing him and his queen. The killers are tracked back to Occidian where they are trapped and release some form of war mythal that destroys them (apparently) and everything in a 1 mile radius. Nothing unusual so far. The interesting part is that Ivosaar (yes him not his puppet Riivas) is outraged and orders the arrest and execution of all involved.

This is how I see it. Isovaar tricked potential rivals into killing the leader of illefarn that was constantly winning the diplomacy war. Then he feigned outrage so that he could say to reluctant allies that it indeed appears that gold elves were causing some of these troubles but they were rebels. Isovaar purges all the ‘rebels’/rivals and continues on. Either that or Isovaar really was outraged because the idiots were supposed to frame Illythiir but the trackers were there in Occidian.

There is a change in tone in the histories, noted here if I have not remarked upon it earlier. The histories at this point always take care to report the ‘regrettable’ actions of Aryvandaar as the action of the Vyshaanti and not the action of Aryvandaar as whole. Trying to give life to the lie that all of Aryvandaar was essentially ‘good’ and decent and unfortunately were deceived by the Vyshaan. I will continue to report the actions as that of Aryvandaar. I firmly believe that the elves of Aryvandaar were not ignorant of the actions of the Vyshaan taken in their name and in fact condoned them. They had lost the first wars with Miyeritar, and Miyeritar was becoming the leading light of elven culture and magic. Both events must have been intolerable to them, and the sun and moon elves of Aryvandaar I am positive wanted Miyeritar humbled at the least and destroyed at the best.

I also believe that had the Durothils won in the first wars with Miyeritar, the Vyshaan would never have ascended the throne, and the Durothils would rule still. Unreported by historians but likely to have occurred I feel that anger over that defeat and all the rest opened the notables of Aryvandaar to the Vyshaan arguments. It takes no imagination to reconstruct those arguments. In essence, the Durothills were weak and had allowed those awful lesser elves to flourish and dim our light, threatening our rightful place as ruler of all elves.

Back to the histories. In the build-up to the crown wars I will report some of the many details of the machinations of the Vyshaan. It seems a key their plotting is to place a crony on the Miyeritari throne. Jalynfein the last of the great Olrythii line. A red dragon attacks the coronal of the time Elendar, Jalynfein’s older brother. Though he is not killed Elendar is so severely injured that he cedes control to Jalynfein. Jalynfein then marries a Vyshaanti woman Amberlinna Auglamyr.

The wedding is attended by many notables from both realms, including the elder lords and ladies of the 12 great houses of Aryvandaar, but noticeable by their absence are many of the clan rulers of the 12 cities of Miyeritar. Amberlinna Auglamyr will go on to wreak havoc all over the elven kingdoms including the burning of many forests and blaming it on the Ilythiiri, important because that is the reason given for the descent. The Lady Amberlinna eventually moves Aryvandaar troops into key positions in the royal guard and capital guard and eventually she is in fact the ruler of Miyeritar as Jalynfein is seen less and less.

A few notables in illefarn:
-14462 DR
The coronal in illefarn Mhaomiir Ildacer marries Alanael Nasadra a noble of Miyeritar. Aryvandaar objects having offered one of their own for his bride. Relations flourish between Miyeritar and illefarn. Notably trade is facilitated by a song portal network established by Illefarn’s and Miyeritar’s Spell Singers and Song Knights. Established? By Mireitar? I thought it was Illefarn alone that did it.

I have found the Nasadra, but still no sign of my house.


-14400 DR
The Illefarn ruling couple, celebrate the birth of triplets, two boys and a girl, a sign said by many showing great favor from the Seldarine. I have to laugh. This would be the kiss of death in Miyeritar. Recall Lord Selakiir Olrythii in -16751 and his wife had quintuplets, reputedly a major blessing of the Seldarine. A short 150 years later he has tried to oust the ruler’s council and failed and his family branch of the Olrythii clan is gone, including him and his five blessings. It remains to be seen what the favor of the Seldarine means to Illefarn.

The next step in the build-up to the crown wars is to retake the two cities in the north that Aryvandaar had lost to Miyeritar when they had lost in the first conflicts between the nations. How better than to attack those cities in the guise of Miyeritarans, killing gold elves (who had previously rebelled against the Vyshaan), then in a fit of righteous anger come to the defense of those elves, and demand the return of the two formerly rebellious cities. Of course with the cities in hand they proceed to do what Aryvandaar has always done, be it Vyshaan, Durothil, or Moonflower sitting the weirwood throne, which was to purge all the green, ghost and dark elves. And so, we have the war of burning leaves.

“-14285 DR
The War of Burning Leaves
In a growing secessionist movement, and upon the orders of Ar’coronal Riilvas, the clan holdings of Miyeritaran nobles in Caelpiir and Leurethil (The lands inhabited by gold elves fleeing the Vyshaan take over of Aryvandaar)are attacked and burnt to the ground, the occupants slaughtered or enslaved. Citing peace keeping needs, Aryvandaar sends troops into restore order. Despite the protests of the clan elders, the ruler’s council cannot agree to a unified response. In a sign of tacit support Coronal Jalynfein allows the two cities to secede to Aryvandaaran rule. Almost immediately those elves who openly oppose Vyshaan rule are rounded up, shipped off to the Gray Vale mines and their estates and property seized by officials of the crown and redistributed to those families loyal to the state.”
Back in Miyeritar the land is divided, with the 12 lords of the ruler’s council fomenting a civil war to rid themselves of Jalyfein and Amberlinna. The siege of Myth Olryth lasts 19 months and does Miyeritar no favors in the wars to come. The fate of Jalyfein is notable though.

-14199 DR
“After protracted negotiations Coronal Jalynfein abdicates leading his wife and her entourage into exile within Caelpiir 9one of the two cities returned to Aryvandaar. After just 3 months in residence the exiled ex-coronal is found dead in a lake on the edge of the city, his throat slit from ear to ear and his heart missing.” Laranlas Althea Mistwinter (green elf) becomes the first Coronal and Aragisses of a new dynsasty.

This manner of death is significant, throat slit ear to ear and heart removed, and will appear over and over. I do not know the significance of this ritualized death.



In -14164 DR, Riilvas Vyshaan attempts to annex Miyeritar diplomatically yet again, and again fails. He must have been very wary of open war with Miyeritar to have to resort to this tact against a weakened Miyeritar. It is further reported.

“An enraged Prince Riilvas begins making preparations for a more direct approach to gaining control over the rebellious former duchy and its resources. His first move is to begin a campaign of disinformation about his intentions. Games are announced and a Full Court of the Sun and Stars is summoned to the Gathering Place to thrash out the political differences emerging between the different Elven realms. All leaders attend, even individual city state heads from Ilythiir. After 78 days of pointless arguments a breakthrough is made when Aryvandaar agrees to dismantle its southern fortifications and agrees to allow Miyeritaran merchants to once again use its seas ports and portal networks for travel and trade. In turn the 12 lords of Miyeritar agree to listen carefully to Prince Riilvas’ arguments for unification.”

It seems a victory for Miyeritar, and would have been if there was not yet another orc horde assembling to the east, but of course the sun elves would not stoop to such tactics.


-14161 DR
As part of the peace agreement thrashed out at the Gathering Place, Prince Riilvas marries the Moon Elf Princess, Miina Olryth-Karim, a cousin of the former rulers of Miyeritar. Lord Riilvas hopes that one of his offspring from the marriage will go onto inherit the throne and remove the Council of 12 Lords from Miyeritar once and for all.


-14099 DR
Expecting the birth of his first child (presumably with the Olrythii princess), a son, Lord Riilvas hurries back to Sharlarion from Tiru’telardon, a major mishap occurs within the portal nexus he and his guards are travelling through and every one of them disappears without trace. Evidence produced by arcane trackers points to assassins from Ilythiir using demonic powers to disguise their forms. The child born to Princess Miina is named Illósaar Vyshaan is named Ar’coronal elect, but until his majority at 90 the Ar’selutaar’Aryvandaar and great uncle to the heir, Golvath Vyshaan rules in his stead as regent. Is there any doubt Golvath is I’sovaar himself?


And then the orc horde comes.

-14058 DR
Second Siege of Morynath (eastern Miyeritar)
Once again the army sent to relieve the siege arrives too late and another coronal of Miyeritar is killed (Althea Mistwinter). Once again the Coronal is killed by demons leading the horde. The historians manage to seem surprised by this.

“Her brother, the Green Elf Ranger, Everlain Mistwinter, leads a counter offensive that drives the orcs from the streets of the burning city, and eventually from the realm.” As if that mattered. The damage was done. Lord Everlain is elected as Coronal, beginning the 12th rysar of the Great Sapphire Woods.


And here we see the plot in full, from the Aryvandaaran histories.

“Taking advantage of the chaos ensuing within embattled Miyeritar, units of Sharlarion’s elite Sable Sun Guards begin crossing Aryvandaar’s southern border. They soon establish clandestine portal networks and caches of stores and weapons, laid down against a time of coming war.”


-14050 DR
Despite the previous agreements Miyeritar and Aryvandaar heavily fortify their shared border.


There must be an assassination to be a real Aryvandaaran plot, and here it is.

“-14011 DR
Lord Everlain mysteriously disappears whilst out hunting in the royal preserves on the northern shores of Lake Evendim. Investigators eventually track his whereabouts to the outskirts of Caelpiir when the trail runs cold. After months of fruitless searching, the Rulers Council finally declares the throne vacant, electing Lord Everlain’s younger brother, the High Priest of Angharad, Haldin Mistwinter as the next Coronal of the realm.”


Marriages and Diplomacy abound to counter the Aryvandaaran moves.

-14009 DR
Har’yinthryll Moonflower becomes the next Coronal of Shantel Othreier, after her mother ascends to Arvandor. It does seem odd that one of the storied moon elf family, the moonflowers, would throw in with Miyeritar and Illefarn, dark and green elf kingdoms respectively. Then again there is love involved.

“In a political move designed to secure the empire’s long term security, Har’yinthryll almost immediately enters into a political marriage with her long term love, Aiatavaar Olryth, the third son of the ruling house of Miyeritar (the one-time ruling house). This marriage raises the ire of Illósaar Vyshaan (the young son of Riivas) of Aryvandaar, who wished Har’yin’s hand in marriage himself.


-14000 DR
Lord Haldin mistwinter together with the combined Clan Lords of the 12 cities signs a declaration, rejecting once and for all, all Vyshaan claims over the throne of Miyeritar. To the ruling lords the declaration is mostly symbolic given the lack of real power the coronal wields, except as a council chair and leader in times of war.


In response Regent Golvath Vyshaan formally ejects Miyeritar’s’ ambassador and its trade delegates. Also merchants and businesses with Miyeritaran connections are ordered to cease trading with the realm or have their goods and assets seized. This certain build up to war sees the migration of tens of thousands of people to other realms away from the front lines.

Despite all its torubles with Aryvandaar, Miyeritar is flourishing, fueled by adamantine mines in the north and mithril mines in the south. Surprisingly, much of this added wealth is not used to raise armies but instead to found colleges, academies, and universities. At first brush this seems ridiculous to me, and offends my nature. However, having studied the Durothils I can now see the importance of such efforts. Even to this day Miyeritar is noted as the ‘center of elven art and HIGH MAGIC.’ In effect my dark elves ancestors are challenging the notion that the sun elves are destined to rule all elvenkind, the only elves that can wield high magic, and that dark elves are inherently evil and can’t create or manage an ‘elven’ society.

To commemorate these achievements the Miyeritari raise the city of Faer’tel’miir, the centerpiece of which is the great library of Ellordaine. “a series of interlinked sapphire blue, crystal spires dedicated to the higher arts and sciences for all to access and learn”. It sounds beautiful. Would that I could have seen it, just another reason to detest the sun elves. In the words of the Miyeritaran historians.


“-13900 DR
A grand renaissance begins in Miyeritar as the realm becomes the centre of Elven Art and High Magic on Faerûn. In each of the 12 cities a new giant amphitheatre and adjoining music conservatorium, university, pantheistic temple complex, art gallery, library and museum in completed. Revolutionary advances are made in the use of magic, in music and the arts and in medicine and argriculture. These advances are passed about the realm with all citizens enjoying the benefits regardless of race, culture or religion.”

These elves could not be more different than my people today. I admit it makes me think and….question. Is it better to achieve power by any means, or to achieve power according to your ‘principles’. Yes principles, for my people today would never condone acquiring power in such a manner.


-13872 DR
A change in leadership in Aryvandaar. In a fit of lunacy given his family’s heritage, Illósaar provokes an argument with his council of advisors. When the idealistic young Prince suggests that they open peace talks with the 12 Lords of Miyeritar and give up their claims to the Sapphire Throne. Unsurprisingly, this leads to his death when Lord Ivosaar (the power behind the throne) has the prince arrested and killed. Where were all those high and mighty sun elves that should have come to the aid of the idealistic young prince if they really were all that sun elves claim to be this day? I am certain they viewed him with the same scorn that my people would.

Prince Iyillvaas Vyshaan is installed as the 24th ruler of the High Forest realm. He is much more ruthless and a much more ‘proper’ ruler of Aryvandaar.


-13861 DR
There were machinations in Keltomir concurrently of course, notable only because of the manner of death involved. Otherwise it is the usual machinations. The coronal Zakah Berilan of Keltomir is found dead in his private chapel his throat slit and his heart cut out, a manner of death similar to that of Coronal Jalynfein, the last Olrythii Coronal of Miyeritar. He too was a puppet of the Aryvandaar and precipitates a civil war that consumes Keltomir for centuries to come.


“-13800 DR
The new Vyshaan Coronal gets right to work. If diplomacy fails, assassination will serve nearly as well. However, in contrast to previous assassinations that were for the most part discreet, this one is anything but and clearly designed to send a message. That message is this. ‘We have war mythals’ and is noted as the first use of a limited war mythal.”

Miyeritar of course retaliates.
“Angered at this open display of aggression the Council of Lords in Miyeritar ejects all Sun Elves with any connections to Aryvandaar and immediately sends troops north to reclaim the lost cities of Caelpiir and Leurethil. The cities fall after a short but bloody campaign, the reoccupied citadels are fortified against the coming storm and new watch towers and border citadels are built to guard the northern approaches to the Plateau.

Araegisses Falvaein Calauth (green elf) immediately becomes the newest coronal, uniting the clans as the clouds of war gather.”

-13752 DR
“The Grand High Mage of Occidian, Travaran Mythrantiades, is one of the few residents of Aryvandaar to speak against the aggressive Vyshaantar policies, as they begin their rise to power. Because Travaran is one of the leaders of Aryvandaar’s Tower of Selutaar, he has a broad audience. The wizard soon learns of a plot instigated by Prince Iyillvaas to have him silenced, forever, and decides to exile himself from Aryvandaar. Working with students he trusts, Travaran fakes his own death, and secretly flees.”

The sun elves are given an opportunity to do something about it all, assuming they wanted to of course. It doesn’t seem that this rebel had much support in Aryvandaar. As it happens this appears to be even less than a distraction as nothing comes of it.


-13727 DR
Now Aryvandaar begins a campaign to weaken Miyeritar and its allies in earnest. Masonry falls and killes the Coronal of illefarn, Infaeril. Infaeril’s brother takes over and being an Aryvandaaran tool proceeds to take Illefan close to civil war, rendering his kingdom incapable of coming to Miyeritar’s defense should they need help.


There is this of note:
“The commander of the Aryvandaaran mercenaries in illefarn is given two options. Lady Arnwynn Auglamyr chooses to leave the realm (of illefarn) peacefully under escort.”

Again a Lady Auglamyr is at the heart of the plot. Is Arnwynn the daughter of Amberlinna? Somehow I would not be surprised if she was.


-13672 DR
There is another ‘masonry accident’ that kills the Coronal of Miyeritar.

“The saboteurs are eventually caught, a group of Moon Elves with connections to noble families in Sharlarion. The ruler’s cousin, the High Mage Maerlaenna Calauth becomes the next ruler of the Sapphire Wood, thus beginning the 15th rysar of Miyeritar.”


-13578
With Illefarn in chaos, the Aryvandaarans would next need to hamstring Keltomir and Shantal-othreier. Of the two Keltomir is the most dangerous as Keltomir will always back Miyeritar over Aryvandaar, while Shantal-Othreier has most often supported Aryvandaar over the green and dark elf realms.
And so. Lord Fedorn of Keltomir falls under the sway of Aryvandaar pursuing his love of music to Sharlarion and eventually swearing fealty to Iyillvaas Vyshaan. The people of Keltomir are not happy and rebel.

-13500 DR
Lord Fedorn invades Keltormir with a force of mercenaries from Aryvandaar and
Orishaar. “The mercenary army quickly seizes Myth Caercil and surrounds Berkaddynn hoping to break its resistance quickly and force the hand of the council of regents. Accompanying the regular troops from Aryvandaar is a legion of tiefling elves and their daemonic servants and war hounds.” Demons in the army. Of course those demons in the Aryvandaaran army must be much different from the demons in the Illythiiri armies, because wasn’t this fighting with demons thing a key reason for the descent?

“-13499 DR
After a lengthy siege in which thousands of Green and Moon Elves are slain by magic supplied by Lord Malkizid and his minions from Sharlarion, Berkaddynn finally surrenders. At the command of the Dusk Knight General, Lady Arnwynn Auglamyr the mercenaries put all of the defending troops to the sword before Lord Fedorn can regain control. He then declares the ruined city his new capital, thus beginning nearly 200 years of civil unrest and war.”
Lady Arnwynn Auglamyr gets around and seems to have a thing for slaughter. Slaughtering an entire city, this one has potential, though again she tests the narrative of a kingdom of loving sun elves cruelly duped by evil Vyshaans. The thousands serving under her didn’t seem too concerned either.

-13461 DR
Just in case Shantal-Othreier wants to get involved, one can invoke the fear of placing a half dark elf on throne of what has always been a sun and moon elf kingdom, for the ruling moon elf regent had taken a dark elf Olrythii as mate, subsequently all the heirs are one half dark elf. Of course in this case the diplomatic solution succeeds.

In Shantal Othreier, “after a long and peaceful reign Har’yinthryll Moonflower, wanting to spend her remaining years with her husband in Miyeritar, abdicates in favor of her nephew Y’termista Othreier of Ardeep. Har’yins abdication opens the way for a return of a lesser branch of the original ruling family to power and influence. The Conclave of Lords has long argued that Har’yin and Aiatavaar Olryth’s children cannot inherit due to both their connections with the rulers of Miyeritar and their less than desirable bloodlines. Not connections to Illythiir, connections to Miyeritar.”

-13456 DR Keltomir is in full civil war.
“In the capital Damarhynn, the council of regents appoints Senorra Berilan as Araegisses and then calls for aid from its allies Illefarn and Ilythiir. Both nations send troops and ships to support their beleaguered ally. Alerted to the arrival of reinforcements from Ilythiir, General, Lady Arnwynn Auglamyr leads an army of Sun and Green Elves south to battle the oncoming dark elves.”

Illythiir is called on as an ally. Again this just does not reconcile with the purported histories of the elves in which the dark were always, always so much worse than the Aryvandaarans that no elf could even think of doing anything but killing them. Furthermore, it seems the crown wars have commenced, but I shall refrain so the idiot historians might preserve a shred of their fragile ego.

-13452 DR
Lord Feldorn and Lady Arnwynn Auglamyr are largely successful easily dispatching the Illefarn relief forces. Senorra Berilan is forced to wage a guerilla war out of the Tethir Highlands.

-13439 DR
As I would expect the illythiiri relief forces were much more effective.
“With backing from Ilythiir, the principality of Mir declares its independence from Keltormir. With continued warfare in the north and constant attacks by privateers operating under Illefarn’s banner, Lord Feldorn is in no position to do anything about Mir’s rebellious moves. With Lord Feldorn having run out of gold, and with their slave coffers over flowing with captives, General Arnwynn Auglamyr orders the bulk of her troops back home. Left in place is a tiefling body guard led by the Dusk Knight Deth’rveyth Vyshaan.”

Ah yes, loaded up with slaves. Elven slaves. Not really though. Dark elves and green elves don’t really count as elves apparently. Convenient.

All I can find of the Auglamyr house is an item that states that Symrustar Auglamyr was a chosen of mystra and killed in the weeping war that saw the fall of Myth Dranor, many millennia later.

All this and the crown wars have still not started. We are expected to believe that the elves lived peacefully with some minor disputes, excepting the dark elf threats, until the dark elf perfidy could no longer be tolerated and then the crown wars happened. Obviously, the crown wars to come are only another chapter in a game of houses, and more games of war and power that had been going on for millennia.

Lost in all of this is the real trigger to all of this conflict. The trigger was when sun elves and a moon elf came to Faerun after seeing their kingdom in Faerie brought low. There is no record stating that Illythiir was at war with anyone at the time, no record that Illythiir was warring with the many green elf settlements already present in Faerun. The sun and moon elves brought the wars, and more their behavior in these early years is more akin to that of my people than to what the elves preach about elven decorum and morays today. Their behavior encompassed everything that condemned my people, aggression, consorting with demons, even trafficking with evil gods for the promise of power (demons are not in your army unless a major demonic power is getting a great deal of worship out of it), and it was not only the Vyshaan. Yet the decent is cherished as justice. While I have only a tenuous connection to the concept of justice, even I can see that by their own standards of it, this was not justice.