The History of Elves, Dwarves, Men, and Orcs

This is the origins story (well at least the origins of the races, not of the first peoples, that comes later) of a land I have created.

The History of Elves, Dwarves, Men, and Orcs

This is but a brief history of the origins of the race in our world. It was compiled across many centuries and by many people. I am but the final recipient and the compiler of this epic work. Although it may not be perfectly accurate, it is believed that this embodies the true origin story of all the races.

 

Long ago, in time immemorial, there was but one race of beings that inhabited the land. These beings were majestic and constantly strove to better themselves and the society in which they lived. Despite the land being separated into many kingdoms, the leaders, striving for peace and prosperity, formed a council to establish a great empire. Once met, they agreed that a new city should be founded to house the assembly of leaders. The seat of this new empire was the fabled city of Zäkaêmir.  With its towering white citadel surrounded by the peaceful lake of the Ancestors, it stood as a monument to cooperation and success. The empire encompassed the nearly the whole of the land and established a level of peace and prosperity unrivalled in its splendour. Many years passed in this golden age, science and art progressed rapidly, and the lives of the people seemed forever joyous.

These beings were a peaceful people. No kingdom had an army nor was crime any sort of problem.  It was said that even plagues, droughts, and storms dared not breathe their evil into the land for such was the beauty of these people. Despite even the separation of the land into kingdoms, there was no barring of any place from people of one kingdom to another. All was well within the land of eternal peace.

One day, none knows the exact date, an explorer returned from the farthest reaches of the world. Having departed three centuries earlier, all believed him lost. His return was rejoiced and the leaders of the empire formally requested his presence so that he could describe his journey. Traveling from the coast to Zäkaêmir, everyone he passed noticed the aura surrounding him and his crew. An almost unnoticeable glow shown from them as if they had been anointed by a greater power.  Whispers soon ran through the land that this explorer had uncovered a great power. Upon arrival at the great hall of Zäkaêmir the explorer recounted his tale.

This explorer had travelled farther than all else; reaching the very edge of the world. He proclaimed, that upon reaching the edge he witnessed a great gate of white light. He and his crew stood at the gates of the gods through which he dared not pass. As he could go no farther, he order his crew to return home. However, as his ship began to turn about, the gate slowly opened. A light brighter than the sun poured forth and bathed his ship in a glow of immense power. He shouted at the crew and they quickly realigned their course to venture into and through the gates. The ship sailed towards the edge of the world, towards the gates of the gods, and towards the light.

The edge of the world passed the boat. Water fell into nothingness, but the boat sailed forth as if still on water. Passing under the gates, he and his crew witnessed an infinite expanse of white. Therw was no horizon for the world had become entirely white. There was no break to the expanse for the world was empty as far as the eye could see. Suddenly in the far distance a black speck was spotted by one of the crew. The explorer hastened his men and the boat surged towards the fleck. Only the growth of the dot indicated their movement through the vast expanse of white. Abruptly, as if having instantly travelled a great distance, the spot stood before them. No longer a dot, they gazed upon an island, they stood before the land of the gods.

No waters washed against the land, but it was clear this was an island in this sea of white. Trees of all kinds sprung from the ground as hair might grow from a head. For a good while the crew watched the island for signs of any life. No animal was spotted, the ship was beached, and the men disembarked, careful to avoid touching the white sea. The island was explored in all haste for the crew wished to return home and rid themselves of the white sea and this mysterious world. After only a few days had passed, the crew quickly traversed the whole island. The crew somewhat disappointed in finding nothing of significance, were nevertheless glad to prepare the ship for home.

Once all of the crew were on board and the ship ready to leave, the explorer, still on the island, faced the land and bowed his head. He thanked the gods for allowing him and his crew to pass unhindered and asked for protection during their travels home. He turned towards the boat and started walking to the edge. Standing on the edge of the island, preparing to step onto the ladder, a wave, smaller than on any lake, washed over his foot. The explorer watched in wonder as the tiny wave receded leaving him feeling better than he ever had before. The crew watched in wonder as their explorer and captain leaped onto the boat as easily as if he was but 20 years old.

With their captain on board, the crew set sail towards the only visible point, the black fleck they hoped was the gates they had traversed. Upon this short voyage from the island towards the gates of the gods, each member of the crew was splashed with a tiny droplet of the white sea. Unsure of the consequences and not wanting to inform their fellow crewmembers, for fear of being ostracized, each attempted to act as if nothing had happened. However, the results were hard to keep hidden. Each member of the crew began feeling younger, fitter, and healthier. The explorer, realizing the crew was operating at the utmost level of efficiency, became curious as to the cause.

Before the boat crossed the gates, the explorer promised himself that he would uncover the cause of their new found agility. Convening a meeting with each member of the crew, he questioned them on all that they had seen, heard, or done. Only with the last members of the crew was he able to discover the origin. Only a few members had let slip, the accidental contact with the white sea, but it was enough for the explorer. Leaving his cabin, he strode onto the deck and beckoned all members of the crew. Once surrounded, he explained his revelation and sought to make them understand how it was but the white sea that changed the crew.

A whisper broke out among the crew. One member, an older fellow, who had yet to touch the white sea, ran to the side of the boat. The other members of the crew, fearing him falling over board, rushed towards him and grabbed him by the shoulders. Upon the first crew member touching him, the older crew member felt rejuvenated and fit. He stopped in his tracks and resisted the pull of the others as they sought to drag him from the edge. When they released him the crew could see that he too had been changed, although it was not the white sea that had produced the change, but the touch of one of the other crew. Realizing the power the crew now had, the explorer hastened the crew towards the gates in hopes of spreading this new gift to the empire.

The voyage to the gate was uneventful as was the traversing of the gates. Once back in the true ocean, the gates closed on the white sea, baring entrance to any who should come again. The boat sailed onwards with a crew as fit as ever towards their home many leagues away. That night the explorer sought the stars to find their position in the world. Finding that the ship was in the same spot as when they had navigated the gates of the god’s, he retired to his cabin to plan for the journey home.

Their voyage home was easy and fairgoing and nothing of importance transpired. Upon arrival, however, they were surprised to see that much had changed since they departed. Believing they had only been gone for but a few decades they failed to understand how so much could change. The once great castle at the port was gone and replaced with an even mightier fortress rising towards the heavens. The ships moored in the docks were thrice the size of their ship, which was the largest when it had set sail. The ship sailed into the harbour where a crowd of curiously dressed people awaited them.

Here their story ends as the conclave of elders dismissed the explorer after he recounted his tale. The leaders discussed for many days as to what could have happened on their journey, how they could arrive over three centuries after having left, and not aging but a year. After much deliberation, one leader realized what had occurred. She claimed that whilst sailing on the white sea, many years had transpired. Even though the explorer’s crew believed only a few weeks had passed, she suspected that many decades even centuries had passed. The crew, the leader alleged, was immune to the passage of time. She continued to argue that their change in age was due to their journey to the white sea and afterwards they did not age at all. She believed the explorer and his crew were immortal.

The leaders, recognizing the power that had been placed in their hands, began discussions on how best to proceed. Many wanted to spread immortality among the people, believing it could only enhance their magnificent society. A few argued that it was unnatural and wanted to lock the explorer and his crew in the deepest recesses of the earth so that it could not spread. Others had no opinion or were undecided and placed their trust in the wisdom of others to see the consequences. The leaders had never been divided on an issue, such was the splendour of their time, but this created divides than ran too deep to be easily solved.

After many days of deliberation, the leaders came to an agreement. Those kingdoms whose leaders wished to spread immortality would be allowed to do so, but only within their borders. Those who wished to contain it or had no inclination either way would wait a full ten years before making a decision. If, in that time, nothing unfortunate befell the immortal kingdoms, those who had forgone immortality would accept the anointment of immortality. Finally, the city of Zäkaêmir, much to the displeasure of those wishing to contain immortality, would be granted immortality.

Thus, immortality was immediately spread to many kingdoms throughout the land. All was well and good in both immortal and mortal kingdoms.  Some years had passed and it was decided that the conclave should reconvene so the leaders could share their thoughts. The kingdoms believing immortality as unnatural, foretold of the whispers bearing news of incursions from neighbouring peoples. These people, they suspected, wished to spread immortality to those mortal lands. These leaders were angry of course, but in their typical fashion of striving towards cooperation and agreement, they proposed a ready solution in the form of border guards. The other kingdoms saw no flaw in this idea and so the matter was considered settled.

The leaders of the immortal kingdoms reported nothing of importance, only that the number of dead was steadily decreasing as immortality spread among their people. Everyone was heartened by the fact that their society was strong as ever; immortality had not caused the destruction of their empire nor of their society. Even the leaders who denounced immortality felt brightened by this news. With only a few years more until those who had denounced or deferred the reception of immortality would receive it, all seemed well within the great empire.

However, all was not well. The incursions increased in number and scale, with masses of people numbering in the hundred surging forth from the immortal kingdoms. Among the people of the immortal kingdoms, crime appeared and the movement of peoples between even the immortal kingdoms ceased to exist. Death, once nearly eradicated in the immortal kingdoms now surged forth with new vigour as murder, the ultimate crime to a people whose lives could span for eternity, soared. The establishment of standing armies among all kingdoms, men and women who trained to bring the final punishment to those who would destroy their empire, became necessary to keep the peace.

A new assembly was called to find solutions to the evils that were befalling the lands. But only those leaders whose kingdoms were near Zäkaêmir could afford to leave their land amidst the turmoil. The mortal kingdoms were occupied building walls and fortifications to bar entrance to those immortals who wished to spread immortality, whilst those immortal kingdoms were similarly engaged in quelling the unrest that was spreading amongst their people. Thus, for the first time, only a fraction of the leaders were present at the great hall of Zäkaêmir.

Despite the present leaders’ most elaborate ideas, no solutions were uncovered and they returned home with sorrow in their hearts. Many moths passed in which the turmoil grew in scale. The armies of the immortal kingdoms raged war against the criminals and murders who had so broken the land. The mortal kingdoms who spurned immortality, beginning to fear stronger incursions into their land, began to dig complex tunnels into the sides of mountains and under the earth. Those mortal kingdoms who entrusted their wellbeing to those of the other leaders began a great exodus to escape the coming conflicts. Thus it was, that the once great and mighty empire was felled in but a few years.

The wars within the immortal kingdoms soon spread outwards to those lands whose people had fled or buried into the ground. The people of the ground, wishing to protect themselves from evil of immortality, fought back with bitter resolve. Upon hearing of these battles raging in the mortal kingdoms, those leaders of the immortal kingdoms, desperate to protect what peoples remained, sent their armies to attack. Struggling to contain the numbers of the immortals, the mortals of the ground began to attack neighbouring mortals in hopes of securing more and better resources. A great war consumed the land, mortals attacking mortals, immortals waging against mortals, and immortals fighting immortals.

For the immortals, who held life in the highest regard, the wars were a devastating blow. Each death of a combatant, be he mortal or immortal was, felt as a physical impact on their hearts. Nevertheless, loathing the deaths they administered to enemy combatants, they fought onwards with a ferocity unmatched in its terror. Those mortals who had buried into the ground, witnessed the blood on the horizon and feared for their kingdoms. Thus, it was arranged that the mortal kingdoms should delve deeper into the heart of the earth, away from the immortals.

For those mortals who fled, misfortune followed. The peoples fractured when confronted with the hardships that lay ahead. Some wished to return and toss their fate with the immortals, others wished to continue onwards, believing that their only salvation lie far ahead of the continued conflict. A few even wished to venture into the dark mountains believing only there would they discover some means to halt the advance of immortality. Such as it was, the peoples split into their groups and each spread out. Tribes of people spread towards the north, south, dark mountains, or returned home.

Those who returned to their home land were cut down as enemy combatants for the immortals distrusted any mortals for fear of attack. In the south, boundless sandstorms raged across the sea of sands, whisking away what little water was available. Those who headed north were met with great blizzards of such staggering force and power that many died of the cold and winds. However, it was those who went to the dark mountains that fared the worst.

For it was within the dark mountains that the people found themselves lost among the shadows. They wandered lost and hungry for many years through the cracks and crevices. Finding only scraps and carcasses for food and moss for water they became animalistic in their struggle for survival. Without weapons and leadership, the people soon resorted to attacking with hands, teeth, and nails to protect what food or water they had found. The people became larger and stronger, their teeth and nails became sharper, and their animalistic nature became their culture.

Within the once great empire, the final battles were at hand. The armies of the immortal kingdoms met each other in the great combat upon the plains of Tsadin. It was here that many of the immortals fell for even the common people took up arms to protect their lands. The battle raged for days until there were but a few peoples left. The blood flowed like rivers and the carrion birds swarmed like flies in massive clouds above the fields. Even to this day the earth of the plains of Tsadin takes on a reddish hue owing to the great bloodshed that fell upon the land. Surveying the landscape of death and destruction that had been wrought upon their once great empire, many of the surviving immortals fell to their knees and wept.

Those who survived, eventually rose from their suffering and pain and met with the remaining survivors. Abhorrent to the idea additional conflict and wishing to reestablish the once great empire, they agreed to lay aside their arms and begin anew. Knowing they were but a small band of people and fearing attacks from the buried and fled mortals they agreed to flee into the woods whereupon the forest itself would hide them from all the world. They fled their home lands and went into obscurity to rebuild their once glorious empire of peace and prosperity. Thus, the mighty empires of Elves were born.

Within the mortal kingdoms of the ground, the people vowed to destroy the immortals for it was them, they argued, who destroyed their empire. Delving even deeper into the earth they began to find new metals and started forging stronger weapons for the coming wars. Over the centuries, these mortals became shorter in size allowing them easier movement among the tunnels and passageways that became their homes. Always loathing the immortals and always preparing for war, the Empires of the Dwarves were born.

For those mortals that fled north into the snow or south into the sand they forgot the troubles of their homeland and struggled only to survive. Building cities of stone and wood to protect themselves from the cold or heat the peoples soon became even more fractured. After many years of struggling only to survive in the harsh landscapes, the sciences, arts, and culture of their homeland was lost to time. Thus it was, that these mortals fell backwards in time to a period of knowledge that would have been belittled during the great empire. It was here that the many empires and kingdoms of man began.

Within the dark mountain, wherein some mortals fled, the people continued to change. The society of peace and prosperity of the great empire was replaced by a brutish and hellish culture. The people already changed in size and ferocity, began to lose the pink hues within their skin. Their skin darkened to better conceal themselves in the dark and shadows and toughened to better protect against the jagged rocks of their home. Within these mountains, tribes of mortals banded together in great war clans that would burst forth onto the ravaged land to attack and steal what food they could find. Thus signalled the start of the fearsome Orc tribes.

Such as it was, this was not all that began during the great calamity. Unbeknownst to inhabitants of the land, the great battles had awoken creatures long since dormant. The great clashes of steel, the pouring of blood, and the anguished cries of the fallen shook the very roots of the earth. Creatures larger than any bear arose from their slumber and took flight into the sky. With scales of iridescent colours, wings of stretched skin, and the ability to breathe fire or ice, they were awesome in their power. Thus it was, that the dragons, the great and awful original inhabitants were awoken and their war against the land once more began.

 

 

Such ends the ancient history of the origins of Elves, Dwarves, Men, and Orcs with a note to the awakening of Dragons. Compiled by numerous people across many centuries and taking me to the farthest reaches of the world I have completed the greatest historical undertaking of our time. Understanding the origin of each race gives me hope that we can one day reunite and once again forge the great empire. I pray that whoever finds this may use what it is written in these pages for the betterment of all. I am sorry that I was not able to return home to showcase this most wondrous work.

 

Farewell, peace and blessings be upon all the World’s inhabitants,

~Theodora Avarice~