Once there was a huge empire in the forest, ruled over by the alvedrott, a mighty emperor. In the temples, elven warriors learnt the secret of the elements and became powerful warriors and sorcerers.
Now there are mostly overgrown ruins left of the once mighty empire. The forest has swallowed the cities, the temples and castles, while the elves live simple lives as farmers and hunters in the forest. They mainly live in small villages, with swiddens, fields of slash-and-burn-culture, spread troughout the surrounding forest.
Goblins are a menace to the elves, raiding and burning villages and crops, as are orks who have no qualms about letting their cattle eat elven crop and kill any elf who tries to stop them.
There are two main cultures among the elves, the Templar elves and the Shadow elves. Most villages belong to one or the other, though in some of villages you'll find adherents to both groups living together. Some are open-minded and try to find the best from each group, some view the other group as corrupters and traitors. The “Templar elves” are the remnants of the empire, still maintaining the temples and waiting for the prophecised return of the drott. They gather for seasonal rituals at the temples and bring offerings to the Templars in return for spiritual and physical protection.
The shadow elves are the progeny of the rebels who overthrew the alvedrott, claiming freedom for all elves and rejecting the spiritual dogma of the Templar culture. While they don't eschew all rituals and aknowledge the elements, they claim that the strict discipline and secrecy of the Templars only exist to protect their authority. The name came from their study of light and dark, which led to their ideas of freedom and consequently the rebellion which ended the empire.
While the spiritual differences among the elves may be difficult to sort out for an outsider, the powerful elemental magic of the elves is feared by all other peoples of the forest.
Elven heroes must choose their culture, as it shapes their options. Templar elves search for ways to bring back the empire, often by claiming lost treasures and secrets from abandonded temples and crypts, but all the while they are sworn to protect the elves. Raids from goblins and orks, knights claiming land that used to be elf swiddens and dark creatures roaming in the night threaten elves, as well as the corruption of the shadow elves.
Shadow elves also search for knowledge, but are not limited to the leftovers from the alvedrott. Though they are equally commited to protecting their fellow elves from dangers, but not by demanding allegiance or offerings.
Guardians of the Elven people after the fall of the drott. When the drott ruled, there were temples everywhere troughout the realms, but now most of them have fallen. As templars, you aim to keep the elven ways and protect elves troughout the forest. With your powerful magic, you are feared by most people, but as your power is waning, so is your magic. Templars spend much of their time searching for ancient artifacts lost in abandoned temples and crypts, clamouring for the lost lore and power.
- Wizard
The Templar warrior is devoted to one element, but the wizard is master of them all. That means that they are more devoted to the study of the elements than practice of war.
- Bard
The bard is the lorekeeper of the Elves, both as storytellers and scholars. Hence, the Bards are the true leaders of the temple.
- Templar
The mystical warriors that once where the might of the elven realm, imbued with elemental might they are nearly invincible in battle.
- of Fire
- of Air
- of Water
- of Earth
- of Wood
- Bronzesmith
Where dwarves and humans use steel, elves use bronze. Elven bronze is lighter and still nearly as strong as the dwarven steel, and much easier to infuse with elemental powers. While creation of armour and weapons is an important part of the bronzesmiths responsibility, many are devoted to seeking out an ancient temples and crypts to learn the secrets of the old Templar weapons.
Shadow Elves
- Witch / Warlock
While the Wizards serve the temples, you only serve your village and couldn't care less for the fallen Empire. Your power is older than the drott, and will linger on for as long as there are elves.
- Bard
Not all Bards serve the old ways, you follow the craft and tell stories, but the drott has fallen and why should you want him back. Rather than living in a dead temple, you serve the living culture of the elves.
- Hunter
While most elves move about only to create a new swidden, you roam the forest as a hunter with your mighty bow.
- Slayer
The Templars won't really protect the elves, only the temples. That's where you come in, following in the vein of the original Slayers who killed the Drott and freed the elves from their yoke. You protect the elves in the villages, both from those who try to dominate them and others who raid and threaten them.
- Save the village from attacking monsters
- Find the legendary sword 🗡️
- Rebuild the Temple
- Save the lineage of the Alvedrott
- Drive witchcraft out of the villages
- Stop the orkish / goblin attacks
- Save the village from attacking monsters
- Destroy the lineage of the Alvedrott
- Stop the orkish / goblin attacks
- Thwart the rebuilding of the Temple
- Tame the Dragon
- Destroy the necromancer