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Message: <blockquote data-quote="reddist" data-source="post: 2121289" data-attributes="member: 5212">Some more Background and HistoryUse this only if its useful <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  I put it in spoiler blocks, since its all a bit wordy.The Kilvestri Elves[sblock]The Kilvestri, a pureblood family of noble elves, trace their lineage back to the Scourge War and the splintering of the great Elven Nation.  The ties that bound the disparate Elven clans in to a unified whole were shattered through betrayals, murders, greed, and anarchy.  The taint brought on by the Scourge caused great rifts between the many Elven families, and brought them all to ruin.  Families and clans scattered to all corners of the known world to start over, settling in new forests, plains, hills, or jungles as their tendencies warranted.  The unified Nation of Elves was finished.Valimar Kilvestri, a second cousin promoted to leadership through the deaths and assassinations of his elders during the Scourge War, led the remainder of his family west, through mountains passes and wide open plains, hoping to find a suitable place to start anew.  Late one night, after his followers made camp along a mountain trail, Valimar wandered away, seeking refuge to sit and consider upon his family’s plight.  He came across a small cave opening, high above the campsite.  Valimar went inside, sat on a rock in the darkness, and pondered.  Perhaps half an hour later, he heard a voice speaking to him from the darkness, deep within the cave.“Elf, you are thinking so loudly I cannot sleep.  What troubles you so?”  The voice was deep and somber, and so full of concern Valimar did not think twice about answering back to the darkness.    “My family, they trust me to find them a new home, to lead them from the taint of the Scourge.  All they want is a place to settle, raise children, and start over.  I don’t know where I’m going, I don’t know how to lead them, I don’t even know what I’m doing.”    “All weighty matters, Elf, and I’ve been getting bored.  I’ve been without a people for several centuries.  Tell me, if I aid you with your burdens, will your and your clan commit yourselves to what I have to teach you?  To consider a new way of life?”    At this Valimar looked up, peering into the dark shadows beyond his rock.  “Anything would be better than the Scourge.  And we need a home and guidance.”    Thus began the relationship with the Kilvestri Elves and the ancient wyrm, the Elder Aeratus.The Elder Aeratus lead Valimar and his people further west, to a great forest grown up around a pristine lake.  Here he taught them the calmness and quiet pride that can be found in serving the forest they now called home.  He taught them self-government, to develop strong and noble-minded leaders who followed the will of the people.  He taught them to respect and honor each other and their lush, green forests.   Once the Elder Aeratus was satisfied his new people had learned enough responsibility he taught them new martial skills, blending physical combat with arcane power so they could protect themselves and their new way of life.   Over the centuries he slowly diminished his direct presence and guidance, satisfied the Kilvestri Elves would now see to their own destinies.  Finally, the Elder Aeratus retreated to his cave, to rest and dream, and to await a new people to teach.[/sblock]The Scourge War[sblock]At its height of power, the many families who made up the Elven Nation saw themselves as the rightful masters not only of the Elven realms, but of the all the territories surrounding them, human, orc, halfling, and dwarf.  The Elven leaders became obsessed with conquest, to take the neighboring kingdoms by force and subjugate these lesser races. The warmasters ordered their mages to develop new magics, in preparation for the assaults ahead.  Scholars cannot say for sure if it was this new delving into forbidden magic, divine intervention, or spontaneous generation, but they all agree the Scourge afflicted the Elven Nation as they prepared for war on their neighbors.The Scourge manifested as a moral taint, a disease of the mind that inflicted paranoia, hatred, greed, and fear on its victims.  No one was safe from the taint of the Scourge.   Under the weight of suspicion and mistrust, the leaders of the Elven Nation fell to squabbling among themselves, which lead to schemes and assassinations, which lead to warfare between the Noble Houses.  The Scourge War shattered the unified leadership of the Elven Nation.  Those that survived fled to escape the horror and bloodshed.  Even now, many centuries later, trust between the scattered clans is hard and rare.  While there are no lingering effects of the Scourge taint remaining among the Elven peoples, it is said the disease still permeates the blasted ruins of the ancient homes and courts of the once great Elven Nation.[/sblock]The Elder Aeratus[sblock]There are not many wyrms as ancient or as powerful as the Elder Aeratus.  Such beings might have been born of the primordial chaos that formed the world, springing into existence even as the world took shape.  Whatever his origins the Elder Aeratus is a giant among ants, though he treads the earth so quietly his presence is rarely felt.The Elder Aeratus developed a philosophy he termed “The Green Path.”  This philosophy appreciates the Natural world for its beauty, complexity, and power.  Following the Green Path means living in harmony with the world around you, respecting the life of all things, and using natural resources wisely.  The Elder Aeratus recognizes that there are races of beings who have dominion over Nature, but that does not mean they should not live in harmony with it.  Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Orcs all have a responsibility to the Natural world, and must not abuse the gifts it gives them. The Elder Aeratus no longer concerns himself with influencing the world at large.  Over the last few millennia his hobbies have grown smaller in scope, becoming more personal and meaningful.  His current favorite pastime is to take a single clan or family under his wing, teaching them his own particular views on a life worth living, and once they have adapted to these teachings, to let them prosper for a few centuries while he weans them from his guidance.  In this he hopes to create pockets of people, scattered throughout the continents, who have respect and honor for the beauty of the natural world, and follow the Green Path with love and devotion.  The Elder Aeratus does not think highly of the cacophonic cities and sprawling metropolises that now mar his once pristine country, but does not think it his place to wipe them off the face of the earth.  He’d rather the humanoids rediscover the appreciation they had for Nature, before they began building cities of stone and metal.The Elder Aeratus varies his teachings, depending on his whims.  Sometimes he raises a people to become druids and shamans, other times he doesn’t teach them druidic magic but rather emphasizes knowledge and mundane skills.  He’ll take on any sort of people, be they Elf, Human, Orc or other, as long as he feels they will learn from him and thrive through his teachings.The Elder Aeratus is considering a new hobby though… rather than taking on a clan or family, his next project he thinks will be taking a single individual, and seeing what sort of leader he can craft from this person.  He still waits for a person of the proper character and heart to start this project, and his patience is nearly infinite. [/sblock]The Small Tribes[sblock]The Kilvestri people maintained their Woodsholm for several centuries, expanding and protecting the ancient forests.  They took in or absorbed several small tribes of humanoids, be they human, orc, or halfling, and as long as the tribes remained peaceful and respectful of the forest the Kilvestri allowed them to stay.  Some of these tribes the Kilvestri elves taught directly, teaching them the knowledge they learned from the Elder Aeratus.  Thus, they trained new caretakers of the forest, and continued to expand their influence.  The Kilvestri called these isolated clans the Small Tribes, and assigned watchers to look after the clans and guide them. The people of the Blue River Stone were under the leadership of Illandyll, and he began teaching the clan the way of the Green Path (Felicity’s background has more information on Illandyll and the Blue River Stone people).Others of the Small Tribes had similar instructors, though not all developed druids.  Rangers, shamans, and skilled herbalists, all instructed in aspects of the Green Path, were nurtured by the Kilvestri.  When the Elder Aeratus checked in on the descendents of his protégé, Valimar, he was well pleased.That was before the Orc Horde attacked.  [/sblock]The Orc Horde[sblock]Seven years ago, an army of savage Orcs descended upon the Kilvestri Woodsholm.  They did not come to conquer the forest or to enslave its inhabitants.  All they came to do was kill and plunder.  The army assaulted the Small Tribes first, killing or scattering even the few peaceful Orc tribes that lived in the forests.  Once the Small Tribes were decimated, the Orc Horde attacked the Kilvestri directly, driving the Elves deeper and deeper into the forests.  Hundreds of Kilvestri were slain, and their homes defiled.   As the Elves consolidated in the center of the forest, their strength and power grew in desperation.  They finally drove the Orc Horde back, out of the forests, but not with out terrible losses.  Only a few hundred of the once great Kilvestri clan remain.  Illandyll and the other Kilvestri leaders are far more prepared for another Orc invasion, and even now have begun to rebuild their forest homes.[/sblock]*Editor’s note: The term “Kilvestri Clan” may be misleading.  There are several families that make up this clan, though they all identify themselves as Kilvestri.  Long lives and low birthrates, as well as carefully selected parentages, negate any dangers of weakening the bloodline of a clan with several families.</blockquote>

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