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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Edena_of_Neith" data-source="post: 3579939" data-attributes="member: 2020">The baseline for my elves came from the core setting of Greyhawk, starting just before the Greyhawk Wars.  There was an elven nation, tens of thousands strong, roughly where the Vesve is on the map (my Flanaess was a bit different, mapwise, from the canon.)  These elves were akin to the elves of Highfolk off to the west.    They imported food, and exported finished goods.  They created small cities within the forest, in the Myth Drannor style (but without it's mythal or magical prowess.)  They had a fair sized textile manufacturing capability, a modest metallurgy industry, and a thriving local economy.  They employed magic to ward off disease and infestation, and they were heavily communal in an effort to cope with the pitfalls and problems of such lifespans, and the care of large numbers of children.  During the Greyhawk Wars, they sent their small army (which consisted only of males) to the fortress city of Archendrea on the pass through the Clatspurs to the northeast, to protect their realm from Iuz.  They suffered some losses, but Archendrea successfully warded them.  Incursions from giants to the north were thrown back as well, since Miralea was the center of magical learning and the wizards there moved swiftly to counter the threat.  Otherwise, dwarven Chauntosbergen warded them to the east, (gnomish) Swantmoor and Veluna to the south, southwest and southeast, and (centaurian) Calrune and Highfolk to the west protected Delrune and her peoples.  As you know, the Greyhawk Wars destroyed nation after nation, people after people.  Medegia, Almor, other parts of Aerdi, parts of Nyrond, much of Tenh, much of the Horned Lands, the Shieldlands, much of Furyondy, part of Veluna, much of Bissel, much of Gran March, Geoff, Sterich, the Hold of the Sea Princes, parts of Onnwall and Idee, the eastern half of the Principality of Ulek and the southern Wild Coast, and the borders of Celene, were all lain waste.  Most of the remaining lands suffered significant population loss.  The MRY of the Flanaess was very high indeed during these several years of war.  Peace broke out due to general exhaustion, but everyone agreed the peace would not last long.  The elven people drove the humans from the Lendores, and made a sanctuary out of these isles for those of their folk ready for the sojourn to Arvandor.  The Greyhawk Wars are the canon for the Flanaess.  Delrune was not canon, nor was Swantmoor, Calrune, or Chauntosbergen.  For that matter, neither was the Spirit Empire of Garnak (Baklunish, south of the Paynims) or Istivar, east of Garnak and west of the mountains.  And a secret elven nation existed, using powerful magic, in the woodlands east of the Theocracy of the Pale, right under the edge of the mountains.  Beyond the Black Ice were the Godspires, high mountains holding a legion of dark races and powerful monsters.  This also was not canon.  These dark peoples and monsters had united into one nation, known as the Solistari Empire.  They stayed out of the Greyhawk Wars.  The region of waste between the Baklunish nations and the Celestial Imperium kept the Celestial Imperium out of the Greyhawk Wars.  The nations further west yet had troubles of their own and did not become involved.  Zingia and Nippon also stayed out, as did the mighty equatorial elven nation of Varnaith (not shown on the world map) west of Zingia.  Negotations and skirmishes with the Scarlet Brotherhood occurred from these nations, obviously.  Hyperboria did not send any force to intervene in the Greyhawk Wars.  But, the Solistari Empire recruited vast forces from Hyboria, and many powerful monsters living on the arctic continent decided to join forces with those in the Godspires, across the polar sea.  The yuan-ti empire in Hempmonaland did not involve itself in the Greyhawk Wars.  But it did ally with the Scarlet Brotherhood.  Other nations on the east and south coasts of Hempmonaland found themselves under attack from yuan-ti and Scarlet Brotherhood armies alike.  Off in the Solnor Ocean, the Skydwellers readied their forces, for an attack west from their large island nation against the feuding flannae peoples, wishing to take their lands.  Only the Sea Barons knew of this, and they had already forged a secret alliance with the Skydwellers.  The sahuagin empire north of Zeif allied with the Solistari.  The pearl elves in the Denzac Gulf had always been allies of Varnaith.  The merman and triton lords of the Solnor wished to maintain their neutrality.  In the skies, gith mercenaries, elven fleets, scro armadas, illithid squidships, and a fair number of neogi slavers, among others, readied themselves to help their ground allies in the expected war to come.  A complicated mess?  Yes.  The Greyhawk Wars brought it about.  They lit the fuse on a roomfull of dynamite.  The surface elves of the Flanaess suffered significant losses in the Greyhawk Wars.  Now, they were caught up in this larger situation.</blockquote>

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