Historia et Historiarum: Golden elves

READ THESE FIRST:

*Suggested to be read with own discretion (no spoilers but maybe more fun to read them in the actual novel)

*The plan is to create more of these kinds of info texts

*This will be updated in a non-timely manner

*Maps and concept art can be found on my Instagram @AlexanderCa0

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

The elves, much like humans and Phoenicians, are a race that has spread across the universe. Elvish nations can be found on worlds all over the vast expanse of space. Although it has been thousands of years since they began to colonize the universe, they all still remember the birthplace of their people.

The world of Thalion is the ancient home of all elves. It was also the domain of their founding god, Thalos the Golden. Thalos united all the squabbling elvish clans and created an empire. Hundreds of years later, Thalos ascended to godhood. From his golden throne, he ordered his people to strive for perfectionism, which led to the most well-known elvish trait of all: the pursuit of the unattainable.

On average, elves live at least four times longer than regular humans. When an elf is in its youth, it is already at least fifty years old and has had plenty of time to perfect its craft and skills. Whether it be craftsmanship or martial prowess, they are unmatched in their focus and drive to achieve their goals.

The elves soon began to sail across the universe, creating kingdoms and conquering new worlds. Thanks to the endeavors of these colonizers, the prestige of Thalos grew and soon everyone knew and feared the power of Thalos the Golden.

The elves at first were loved by many as they taught them many things and brought much-needed wisdom to secluded worlds and beings. Over time they gradually started to see everyone beneath them. Thalos himself was not a greedy god, but the protection he gave, made the elves feel invincible. Slavery became common as any task, that was considered menial, or not needing skills, was considered beneath them.

.

.

Hel Darad, the elven god of war:

On the world of Daforah, a prince of noble blood was born. This young elf, named Hel Darad, had an insatiable love for battle from birth. At the age of six, he had already defeated all the warriors in his father's kingdom, but that was just the beginning. At ten years old, he set out to find worthy opponents to challenge his skills.

The rush of battle was what sustained Darad. It was the only thing that could fill the void within him. He found his purpose in war, leading many elven kingdoms as a mercenary for kings and queens. He established a reputation for himself on the battlefields of Daforah, always seeking new lands to conquer.

He fought with all and any weapon possible, from axes, and swords to bare hands. He never wore armor, and even decided to fight with his upper body naked, as he sought any armor, in his way of creating the perfect style for combat.

Hel Darad's popularity skyrocketed, and his followers sought to imitate him. They dyed their hair red and sought to imitate the fighting style of their idol. With each victory, his powers grew. He traveled to other worlds with his loyal red-haired elves, even venturing into the collapsed universe, where he defeated three ancient demons in a monumental battle.

However, his greatest achievement came when he encountered Caedes, the first god of the Eximas, in the collapsed universe. The two clashed in a legendary battle, but Caedes, was too powerful for the elven god. But to everyone's surprise, Caedes spared Hel Darad's life. No one knows why the crazed god, who had lived in the collapsed universe for millennia and was known for slaying anyone who crossed his path, chose to spare Hel Darad.

Despite his defeat, Hel Darad was not discouraged. The frustration of losing only fueled his determination to become stronger. He retired from mercenary work and devoted himself to training future warriors. His red-haired elves became symbols of martial prowess among the golden elves, inspiring countless young warriors to follow in Hel Darad's footsteps. They wore no armor, and even in the moist coldest of climates, bore their upper body naked.

Hel Darad was loyal to Thalos and saw him as the epitome of power. He had grown up as a faithful servant to Thalos and, upon reaching godhood himself, knew that he must always stand by Thalos's side. Though he detested many of the other elven gods, he understood that Thalos desired to grant freedom to his people, including the elven gods.

When the kinship war broke out, Hel Darad was unwavering in his determination to fight for the golden elves, despite his hatred for Yris, the trickster god responsible for the war. He was eventually killed in his home world of Daforah by Amaterasu, the god of the Tenka elves.

.

.

Relia, the goddess of the dragons:

On the fiery, resource-rich moon world of Karax, where oceans rage and diamonds glitter like stars, a leviathan dragon descended upon the land, its body as large as a flying fortress. It made its lair on a volcanic island, terrorizing the land. But the elven warrior maiden, Relia, was not easily defeated. With her keen skills, she slayed the beast, only to find its offspring, small dragons, in its lair. She showed mercy and raised them as her own, forming a dragon accord that granted her powers. Relia became the first golden elf to ascend to godhood, with many followers and worshippers flocking to Karax, making it a home for both elves and dragons.

Warriors of Karax, elves with the power of dragons, were formed through the forming of dragon accords with the dragons of Karax. Relia had a friendly rivalry with the elven god of war, Hel Darad, and whispers even suggested a secret love between them. But during the kinship war of the elves, Hel Darad was killed, sending Relia spiraling into misery and rage. Despite an attack by the Laten elves, led by Mars and Jupiter, on Karax, Relia refused to surrender, threatening to destroy the entire moon world. It was only through the act of her faithful servant, Gal Edros, who killed her, that disaster was averted.

Gal Edros was stained with Relia's blood, driving him mad and causing him to lose his mind. Legend has it that he transformed into a dragon elven hybrid, unable to neither fly nor walk, crawling in the moon world of Karax.

After the kinship war, dragons refused to bless the elves with their powers, distrusting them. To maintain their powers, the elves hunted dragons, bathing in their blood and devouring their organs. Though it granted them the powers of dragons, those who bathed in dragon blood and feasted on their organs too often were said to turn into dragon-elven hybrids, elves that were unable to fly like a dragon nor walk like an elf.

.

.

Eresia, the goddess of crafting and art:

Eresia was the goddess of craftsmanship and artisans. Born on the world of Nelvar, Eresia was known for her stunning beautiful objects and artistic talent. She was highly respected for her knowledge of crafting. She was able to craft blades that were paper thin, bows that could bend forever, but never brake, and beautiful objects like rings and necklaces that are still coveted. She also was the one who crafted the twin blades, merciless and ruthless for Hal Darad.

Erasia was forced to seek shelter in the world of Thalion as her world was attacked by eximas who had been blinded by the beauty of precious stones that had been made from blood. Erasia crafted many great pieces of weaponry and engines of war, but the eximas were relentless, being led by Scagreok himself. Thalos personally came personally along with Hal Darad. Together they utterly destroyed the Eximas, but one of the jewels had been lost, said to be placed on the crown of Scagerok.

Erasia perished when she fought alongside Thalos at the final battle on the world of Thalion, during the kinship war.

.

.

Lyrondor, the god of love and lust

In the city of Hyoren, on the world of Thalion, was an elven deity named Lyrondor born. He was known as the god of lust and love and was worshipped by many. He was born into a slave family, conceived when the master and owner of his mother had raped her. Many say the slave owner was an owner of a whorehouse, who had dark fetishes and desires that he indulged with his slaves. This is why Lyrondor could be and have been an offspring of pandora. He nonetheless, was seen as a conflicted person.

Eventually, he slew his master and biological father, in an act of defending the women of the whorehouse. His powers grew as the acts he did, always drew in many people, and he grew strong, fighting with iron claws. He fought for the weak and poor and quickly rose to rule Hyoren, but quickly got tired of ruling and moved to new areas.

Lyrondor never was fully capable of controlling his divine powers and often caused havoc. Just by being in his presence, he could make women fight over him, or men feel insecure. He would make couples fall madly in love, only the next time they saw him start having passionate affairs with other people. Never intentionally, but because his power ran rampant.

His most devoted worshippers became also fiery warriors, known as the heart stealers. Unlike the regular people, the heart stealers held a strong martial discipline. This was required for if they wished to be in their lord's presence they had to have strong wills. Only in battle did they let loose their emotions.

When he left Hyoren, he left the city devastated, as people only cared about carnal pleasure. Only after years of purging and the population falling extremely low, were they able to quell the madness Lyrondor had caused unintentionally. Hyoren started to have a distrust toward all the gods and decided to live in isolation from the other great elven nations and cities of Thalion.

Many believe he died during the climactic battle on Thalion, but his body was never found. The heart stealers vanished as well, indicating he is still alive.

.

.

.

Galmir, the arbiter

Galmir holds a distinct and somber duty as the Judge of the Underworld, presiding over the afterlives of countless elven souls. Born in the shadows of the ancient elven world of Thalion, Galmir was once a lesser deity under the patronage of Thalos the Golden, the founding god who united the elven clans and ascended to godhood.

As Thalos forged an empire based on the pursuit of perfection and expansion across the cosmos, he saw the need for a divine arbiter to judge the souls of the deceased, ensuring they met the high standards set forth for elvenkind. Galmir was chosen for his unwavering impartiality and deep understanding of elven lore and justice. Thalos granted him a realm deep beneath Thalion, a vast underworld where Galmir could perform his sacred duties away from the living world.

Galmir's domain was a reflection of the elven belief in justice and redemption. His underworld was not merely a place of punishment but a realm of reflection and purification. Here, souls were given the opportunity to atone for their shortcomings, with Galmir presiding over their trials with a fair but firm hand. His judgments were said to be infallible, guided by a deep connection to Thalos's divine will and the cosmic laws that govern all.

The underworld itself, known as the Ashen Courts, was a labyrinthine expanse of dark chambers and molten rivers, echoing the inner turmoil and purification process of the souls within. Galmir, with his cadre of divine creatures, including the formidable Turtles of Galmir, enforced his rulings. These creatures, formed from the very bedrock of the underworld and imbued with divine fire, served as both protectors of the realm and enforcers of Galmir's edicts.

Throughout the ages, as the elves sailed across the universe, establishing new realms and encountering countless civilizations, the stories of Galmir served as somber reminders of the moral and ethical standards expected of them. Even as the elves faced the destruction of Thalion and the horrors of the kinship war, Galmir's role remained unchanged. He was the steadfast judge, untouched by the biases and corruptions that plagued the mortal and divine worlds alike.

Despite his grim duties, Galmir was revered among the elves, especially those who sought redemption and a deeper understanding of their spiritual journey. His existence reassured them that there was order in the universe, that every action was weighed, and that justice, however harsh, was an essential part of their cosmic journey.

As the kinship war ended and the pantheon of Thalion was left in ruins, Galmir's presence in the underworld became a poignant symbol of the enduring nature of elven spirituality. Even in their darkest hours, the elves knew that Galmir watched over the departed, ensuring that the principles of Thalos and the ancient ways were preserved in the afterlife, ready to guide the souls of the fallen towards eventual peace or rebirth. Thus, Galmir stands not only as a judge but as a guardian of elven heritage and divine order, his legacy as enduring as the stars under which the elves have sailed for millennia.

.

.

Kinship war:

The years outside of their homeworld of Thalion created new cultures. The elves from these colonies began to worship their gods that came from their worlds instead of Thalion. The most well-known pantheons and gods came from the Tenka and Latium heavens.

The distrust between the main world elves and the colonies grew. The elves who worshipped Thalos considered themselves the greater elves, or the golden elves. The distrust boiled until it exploded into an all-out war, known as the kinship war. Gods from these heavens fought against the golden elven gods and Thalos, and millions of warriors fought on many different worlds. At the climactic battle of the red fields, on the world of Thalon, Thalos the Golden was slain by an unknown god of swords, who vanished into the collapsed universe.

The destruction caused by this war turned the beautiful and lush world of Thalion into a fiery hellscape, with only the city of Hyoren being saved because it declared itself neutral. After the death of Thalos, the golden age of the elves was officially over, but they still remain a race known for their peerless perfectionism.