Post by Possibly Ten on Aug 24, 2009 9:25:52 GMT -5
The Last Crown War or Aryvandaar's Fall
The Fourth Crown War and its concluding Descent were spiritually
debilitating events that forced the surface elves into a tenuous peace. Still, many doubts remained over the course of the wars and why they occurred. At the apparent insistence of Corellon Larethian himself during their reveries or rituals, over 100 representatives of each of the surface elven races were magically summoned to a forest far to the east that was removed from all these conflicts, political and otherwise.
Here, the elves of all subraces, skills, and occupations were to debate the cause of their divisiveness and strife. This place, established in Corellons name as a place of decision and judgment, became Elven Court. During this time of judgment, many displaced elves sought to find their near-mythical realm of Evermeet, a land away from the other elven realms untouched by the despoiling of the Crown Wars. Slowly, over the course of centuries, elves answered a call and followed a trail west. They took
boats into the uncharted western waters, and as if drawn to it, they found Evermeet. A sylvan isle perfectly suited for the elves and untouched by any dark elf or any horrors of the Crown Wars. While the elves claimed Evermeet in Aryvandaars name, they surprisingly found it already an elven homeland. Not even the native green elves themselves could say how long they had been here, only that this was always a home for the People, as its close ties to Arvandor practically sang in the blood of all elves. The settlement was slow, but the highest Houses of Aryvandaar and other realms were chosen to settle it and civilize it for a Coronal to arrive from Aryvandaar.
After nearly a millennia of debate among the elves of Elven Court, the gold elven clan of Vyshaan, rulers of Aryvandaar and the Vyshaantar Empire, were found to be at the heart of the problem of all the unrest. They were to be stripped of their rulership, their nobility, and their lives were declared forfeit for the betterment and reunification of the elven races. While the Elven Court elves believed themselves to be free of corruption, the Vyshaan had spies among them, and with their warning, they marshalled their forces against the decisions of Elven Court. The Fifth Crown War
began quietly but recklessly. In desperation, the mad elfking Giilvas Vyshaan attempted to slay all the wizards and High Mages who stood against him, counting on the support of his High Mage sons and brothers to protect the clan. Their attacks on Illefarn and its northern colony of Llewyr succeeded, and both countries few surviving elves fled for safety south to the remnants of Shantel Othreier or west to the then-unsettled Moonshaes.
While the Vyshaan compelled great loyalty among their troops and supporters, they could not hope to stand against the combined power of all the other elves, backed as they were by Corellons mandate. The Fifth Crown War lasted only 200 years before the madness of the Vyshaan compelled even their most fervent followers to abandon them before all the elves lay dead at their hands. While the final fate of the Vyshaan elves is not recorded, most TelQuessir believe them dead and executed at the hands of Elven Court. Still, some rebellious elves across the centuries whisper tales of the four sons of Vyshaan who escaped to the west and to the stars to quietly marshall their strength and await such a time as they could return in glory to Faerûn.
The Fifth Crown War also canceled the growing monarchial structure in Evermeet, since the Vyshaan managed to send word of the fall of their empire via High Magic. In order to keep the chaos of the Wars off Evermeets shores, those closest to the Vyshaan powers either left to join their comrades or abandoned them to their fates. The Houses soon shared power in a Ruling Council similar to that of Elven Court. While happy to be spared the bloodshed of the mainland Crown War, the gold elves secretly bridled under the ignominy of having to now share their positions with lesser elves.
The Crown Wars finally drew to a close thirty-odd centuries after the march of the Vyshaan clan started the greatest strife ever seen among the elves, It is little wonder that the elves rarely speak of these trying times among themselves, let alone the NTelQuess. To this day, vyshaan is a curse word and insult nearly as potent as calling an elf dhaeraow!
Cormanthyr source, pages 22-23
The Fourth Crown War and its concluding Descent were spiritually
debilitating events that forced the surface elves into a tenuous peace. Still, many doubts remained over the course of the wars and why they occurred. At the apparent insistence of Corellon Larethian himself during their reveries or rituals, over 100 representatives of each of the surface elven races were magically summoned to a forest far to the east that was removed from all these conflicts, political and otherwise.
Here, the elves of all subraces, skills, and occupations were to debate the cause of their divisiveness and strife. This place, established in Corellons name as a place of decision and judgment, became Elven Court. During this time of judgment, many displaced elves sought to find their near-mythical realm of Evermeet, a land away from the other elven realms untouched by the despoiling of the Crown Wars. Slowly, over the course of centuries, elves answered a call and followed a trail west. They took
boats into the uncharted western waters, and as if drawn to it, they found Evermeet. A sylvan isle perfectly suited for the elves and untouched by any dark elf or any horrors of the Crown Wars. While the elves claimed Evermeet in Aryvandaars name, they surprisingly found it already an elven homeland. Not even the native green elves themselves could say how long they had been here, only that this was always a home for the People, as its close ties to Arvandor practically sang in the blood of all elves. The settlement was slow, but the highest Houses of Aryvandaar and other realms were chosen to settle it and civilize it for a Coronal to arrive from Aryvandaar.
After nearly a millennia of debate among the elves of Elven Court, the gold elven clan of Vyshaan, rulers of Aryvandaar and the Vyshaantar Empire, were found to be at the heart of the problem of all the unrest. They were to be stripped of their rulership, their nobility, and their lives were declared forfeit for the betterment and reunification of the elven races. While the Elven Court elves believed themselves to be free of corruption, the Vyshaan had spies among them, and with their warning, they marshalled their forces against the decisions of Elven Court. The Fifth Crown War
began quietly but recklessly. In desperation, the mad elfking Giilvas Vyshaan attempted to slay all the wizards and High Mages who stood against him, counting on the support of his High Mage sons and brothers to protect the clan. Their attacks on Illefarn and its northern colony of Llewyr succeeded, and both countries few surviving elves fled for safety south to the remnants of Shantel Othreier or west to the then-unsettled Moonshaes.
While the Vyshaan compelled great loyalty among their troops and supporters, they could not hope to stand against the combined power of all the other elves, backed as they were by Corellons mandate. The Fifth Crown War lasted only 200 years before the madness of the Vyshaan compelled even their most fervent followers to abandon them before all the elves lay dead at their hands. While the final fate of the Vyshaan elves is not recorded, most TelQuessir believe them dead and executed at the hands of Elven Court. Still, some rebellious elves across the centuries whisper tales of the four sons of Vyshaan who escaped to the west and to the stars to quietly marshall their strength and await such a time as they could return in glory to Faerûn.
The Fifth Crown War also canceled the growing monarchial structure in Evermeet, since the Vyshaan managed to send word of the fall of their empire via High Magic. In order to keep the chaos of the Wars off Evermeets shores, those closest to the Vyshaan powers either left to join their comrades or abandoned them to their fates. The Houses soon shared power in a Ruling Council similar to that of Elven Court. While happy to be spared the bloodshed of the mainland Crown War, the gold elves secretly bridled under the ignominy of having to now share their positions with lesser elves.
The Crown Wars finally drew to a close thirty-odd centuries after the march of the Vyshaan clan started the greatest strife ever seen among the elves, It is little wonder that the elves rarely speak of these trying times among themselves, let alone the NTelQuess. To this day, vyshaan is a curse word and insult nearly as potent as calling an elf dhaeraow!
Cormanthyr source, pages 22-23