History - World

Foreword by Merentor the Sage:

Large sections of this are supposition, and at this stage no records have been collected about the history of the Elven people, nor even where they dwelt. Indeed, our only previous proof they existed at all derives from the existance of Half-Elves who's blood is thinned so dramatically when they breed with Humans. Certain artifacts and stonework proofs are occassionally put forth, but there is always the risk that such artwork survives from an unknown Dwarven period. With the recent arrival of a True Elf, their existance has been unequivocably proven.

While the conditions in that time are unknown, recent discoveries appear to indicate that Dwarves have resided in on the Eastern slopes of the Great Western Mountains since as long as 12000 years ago. It appears from the recent discoveries below Aspendale, that in those times the Aspendale region was a center for the Dwarven peoples.

There has been one clue that the Elven peoples may have known of the Dwarves, and even may have traded with them - a magical gate that teleported the True Elf deep into the center of Kobold territory. Unfortunately, the location of this gate is unknown.

For the next 8000 years little is known to any surety. It is probable given their longevity that the area was populated by the Dwarves throughout this entire period. Certainly they were present and in control of the area as recently as 3500 years ago.

From that time comes a huge gap in our knowledge. Occasional messages carved on cave walls, ruins of ancient defensive positions, and battlegrounds littered with the skeletons of the long dead pay testament to a gradually failing battle between the Dwarves and the various Goblin peoples. The culmination of this appears to have been the move of the Dwarven peoples into the flat lands near the present site of Highcourt.

Our best guess is that this move was to avoid those places with access to the greater deeps, thereby avoiding constant battles with the various cave dwellers. In this regard it has only been in the last 500 years that the Dwarven peoples have begun to delve into the old tunnels, or to begin deep mining again. Even so, the extent of their tunnels pales before those of ancient times.

I suspect that the decline of the Dwarven people may have something to do with their lack of deep earth contact, for certainly their kind has not recovered from the various depredations forced upon them.

Around 1500 years ago began the Rise of the Humans. As far as can be certain, a large number of ships fleeing war in the south, stumbled onto this continent. To these early settlers the place must have seemed idyllic. With their enemies left behind, and with the Dwarven peoples welcoming them and assisting them in their construction of their colonies, the new arrivals soon grew into a flourishing civilisation.

It is interesting to note here that the Half-Elven peoples must have arrived with this early wave of Humans, as there is no record of the Humans ever encountering the Elven peoples. It is on the basis of this that the belief was formed that the Elves must dwell far to the south.

For the next 500 hundred years a period of strong expansion occurred. The entire Great Basin was populated in an proliferation that must have left the Dwarves wondering if they were to be push to the edge by the demand for resources. Fortunately, during this period, the Humans had great need of the skills of the Dwarves, and took some trouble to set aside places for Dwarven communities to form. This parochial attitude did little to endear them to the Dwarves.

A curious detail is that despite the almost...pet...status of the Dwarves, their foremost religion gradually rose to prominence, and has ever since retained pre-eminent status as the head of the gods. It must be supposed that this is a reflection of the relief the first peoples felt on discovering that they were landing on friendly shores.

The last 1000 years are far better recorded in other documents, and if the reader seeks such information, works such as "The Half-elf rebellion and it's historical basis" and "The end of the day - the impact of the Half-elf rebellion" provide excellent sections on the first 500 years.

Merentor the Sage