Allarion (High Elves)

The Great Schism (-1000RR)
Members of Elven society are corrupted by the Spider Spirit Lolth and turn against their kin, sparking a civil war that would rage for centuries. Eventually, the rebels are defeated and cast out of Elven society, fleeing to the underdark and becoming the Drow. In the following years, there is much debate among the elves about the cause of the Drow corruption and the future direction of their race. Some believed a continued dedication to the pursuit of knowledge, be that historical, arcane or otherwise, would ensure that the Elves would be better prepared should a similar event happen again. Others feared the pursuit of such knowledge, believing it was just such a lust for power that drove their dark kin into Lolth's web. For them, the future lay in strengthening their bond with nature and the world around them.

The Great Exodus & The First Founding (-700RR)
The divisions exposed by the corruption of the Drow cannot be resolved. The arch mages of the Order of the Arcane, along with all of their students, the High Archivist of The Keepers and the scholars and historians of their order and all other Elves who valued the study of magic declare their intention to leave. They take ship across the Great Sea and sail into the west and are never seen in the Eastern Lands again. The Fox Spirit, Ferala, departs with them.

They land on the shores of the Western Lands and establish the Western Kingdom, a society based around the use and study of magic. The Western Kingdom flourishes for many centuries and this era would later become known as the Era of the First Founding.

The Fall (0RR)
Disaster befalls the Western Kingdom, though the details of what happened are long lost to the mists of time. The great cities of the Western Kingdom are reduced to crumbling ruins and entire populations are wiped out. The remaining High Elves are forced to once more take ship and flee or face utter destruction. They take sail in the same boats that bore them from their ancestral home in the East, this time sailing south across the Sea of Storms for many months.

Allarion & the Era of The Second Founding (1RR - Present)
The journey across the Sea of Storms is fraught and many ships are lost to the unpredictable nature of its weather and currents, yet eventually the remnants of the Elven fleet reach an archipelago of 8 islands. The ships made the journey inland, splintering off to land on whichever island they could reach. The Archipelago is named Allarion, an Elven term used to invoke hope and good fortune.

The Keepers declare The Era of the Second Founding and the High Elves withdraw from the wider world, rebuilding their shattered way of life.

Politics
In the Western Kingdoms, the High Elves were ruled by the High Council which comprised of the 8 Arch Mages of the schools of the Order of the Arcane and the High Archivist of the Keepers. Since The Fall and the settlement of Allarion, the High Council much like the the High Elves as a race fractured. Now, each Island is ruled over by one of the Arch Mages and the ways of their school greatly influence the way in which society on that island operates.

The removal of the High Archivist from any formal role in the governance of the High Elves has not gone unnoticed or without causing ripples, however.

Magic
As is to be expected, magic plays a central role in all aspects of High Elf society and all High Elves are able to harness magic in at least some form. Magic is used in almost all walks of life, from the everbright lanterns which illuminate the streets at night to ships powered by tethered air elementals or crewed by indefatigable undead servants. To visit Allarion is to truly understand the wonders of the Arcane.

Religion
The High Elves do not worship deities in the sense that those of the Realm might. However, they revere spirits which most closely align with the way in which they live their lives. For many of Allarion, this is Ferala the Spirit of Knowledge, who many believe resides in the vast network of tunnels beneath the Great Library. It is for this reason they are referred to as Ferals's Den.