Elven Migrations
by Shawn StanleyINTRODUCTION
These are the list of elves of unknown origin. Paragraphs started with an * indicate areas of my conjecture which offers answers for where these elves come from.
Aquarendi Elves
Hatwa Elves
Wendar/Denagoth Elves
Belcadiz Elves
various Savage Coast elves
Ee'aar
* I really have no idea where the Ee'aar come into the picture. They're followers of Ilsundal which means that they are most likely post-Ilsundal time or contemporaries of Ilsundal.
ELVEN MIGRATIONS
The childhood of the elves is over; the forest spirits stop sheltering them, forcing them to leave paradise and to seek their own futures. The first great elf civilisation, Evergrun, develops on the southern continent (HW, 10)
Evergrun Elves start to explore the world 3500 years ago (GAZ 5, 5) but this is wrong and should say BC 3500 as it at this time when the Blackmoor civilisation is flourishing and GAZ 5, 6 says that the elves met the Blackmoor civilisation when it and elven one was at the height of their cultures. Elves settle in (GAZ13, 8; GAZ5, 7) and/or near (HW, 11) Blackmoor with elves migrating to the Blackmoor area also the Evergrun elves embrace technology (GAZ5, 6).
* nothing is mentioned about any other elven colonies at this time, it may be assumed that such do exist though. If other colonies do exist then anywhere where you find elves that cannot be placed anywhere else may be attributed to these migrations.
* One such group appears to be the Wendar/Denagoth elves. PWA3, 61 states that many elven communities perished during the Great Rain of Fire, but the Wendar elves survived. Now let's assume that the Wendar elves are one of these "other" colonies that I mentioned above, other as in not part of the colony which was settled in/near Blackmoor - there is also only evidence of only one colony in/near Blackmoor. I cannot say how many "other" colonies may have existed at this time as most of the elves that have been documented on and in Mystara have a heritage leading back to the Ilsundal migration. One of these "other" colonies may have been Grunland if you believe GAZ5. I doubt that there was many "other" colonies and I seriously doubt whether they had any contact with the other elven colonies. I doubt this because the Blackmoor colony had a significant effect on the Evergrun elves (and also on the Grunland colony) by bringing technology to them. There is no mention of technology being interspersed anywhere else around Mystara and there is a reasonable expectation that it would have been since we know that technology was taken back to the Evergrun elves.
* Therefore I contest that the Wendar/Denagoth elves were one of these colonies. They then had no contact with Evergrun, the Blackmoor colony or any other colony which may or may not have existed. The colony may have been expecting contact but for some reason it wasn't forthcoming. If this colony was one of the earlier Evergrun colonies then they may have left without things such as records of Evergrun or the likes, this may help to explain why the Wendar elves have forgotten the early part of their history. The Wendar colony may then have broken up and moved around a little bit ending up with forming the Wendar elves, Lothenar forest elves and Geffron forest elves - giving something for Bensarian to write about.
* The Hatwa elves may also be such a colony from Evergrun, also presumably not affected by technology.
* The Aquarendi elves can pretty much only be one of these Evergrun colonies. It is stated that in BC 3100 the Aquarendi elves entered the sea seeking the guardianship of Manwara (PC3, 42). I contend that these elves did have contact with the Blackmoor colony but were disgusted by the technology that was overtaking seemingly all the elves they knew. Perhaps giving up on Ordana for allowing the elves to end up as they were the Aquarendi turned to Manwara and entered the sea, beginning a new life - without technology.
The Great Rain of Fire occurs in BC 3000, the Evergrun elves migrate to Grunland (HW, 11). GAZ5, 6 at this time states that Evergrun was destroyed and Grunland was a pre-existing colony of elves which survived, this migration to Grunland occurred c. BC 3000. Survivors of the elven colony in (GAZ 13, 8; GAZ5, 7) or near (HW, 11) Blackmoor flee to the Broken Lands and go underground, these elves become the Shadow Elves.
Now I will follow the migrations resulting from the Grunland colony of elves.
1 Two migrations leave Grunland in BC 2800 Ilsundal's migration takes a route via the Arm of Immortals and Savage Coast while another goes through the Adakkian Sound (CoM, 35) and rejoin with Ilsundal's migration around BC 2200 as at this time the group appears to be whole again for the Glantri elves to break off the migration but the rejoining of the two groups occurs after BC 2300 as at this time Ilsundal's migration were beginning to head east along the Savage Coast (CoM, 35). Migration reaches the Sylvan Realm BC 2100 (HW, 12). I'll take migrations from the Sylvan Realm as a separate topic below.
* Presumably the various Savage Coast elven populations also broke off from Ilsundal's migration as it passed through the area, although I cannot find a direct quote to this.
1.1 Sheyallia Elves break off from Ilsundal's migration (CoM, 35)
1.1.1 In BC 528 a group of Sheyallia Elves flee into tunnels under the Plain of Fire. Join up with gnolls and become Graakhalians.
1.1.1.1 In AC 1011 some of the Graakhalians are transported to the Hollow World because of incursions under the Plain of Fire by humanoids.
1.1.1.2 Some Graakhalians still wander in the tunnels under the Plain of Fire.
1.2 A group of elves break off from migration and head to Glantri reaching there in BC 2200 (GAZ3, 5). Joined by elves from the second Grunland migration 2.1
1.2.1 Glantrian Catastrophe in 1700 BC elves head underground splitting off into four groups. Presumably all the elves disappeared from Glantri at this time (GAZ3, 5)
* I initially presumed that the Belcadiz elves merely survived the catastrophe or came back up again from underground but there seems to be no provision for this. Because of their Spanish culture it seems likely that the Belcadiz elves migrating from the Savage Coast at some time or another.
1.2.1.1 Truedyl Elves come back from underground to the south of Glantri near the coast. In BC 1000 they were transported to the Hollow World when hordes of gnolls and orcs threatened them. They became known as the Gentle Folk.
1.2.1.2 One group of eves travelled through the crust ending up in the Hollow World. They became known as the Icevale Elves.
1.2.1.3 These elves joined up with the Shadow Elves. Later some of the Shadow Elves including many from the Schattenalfen clan were corrupted by Atzanteotl and they left the Shadow Elves (HW, 83-4).
1.2.1.3.1 Some of these elves travel to the Hollow World becoming the Schattenalfen (HW, 84)
1.2.1.3.2 Some go to the area under the Broken Lands and build Aengmor which was finished in BC 1352 (GAZ10, 20). In BC 1290 Aengmor was affected by volcanic activity, some of the elves survived abandoning the city (GAZ10, 20).
* I don't know what happened to these elves next.
1.2.1.4 This group of elves perished and were only survived by their leader at this time, Atziann.
1.3 Meditor and Verdier Elves break off from migration and settle in Traldar lands.
2 Second separatist group of elves leave Vulcania BC 2500.
2.1 Some of these elves find their way to Glantri and join group 1.2 (HW, 12)
* Nothing else of any more of these elves appears to be mentioned. The Hatwa elves could have been part of this second migration that broke off early.
3 Surviving elves that stay in Grunland are transported to the Hollow World and become the Blacklore Elves as a result of increased volcanic activity.
1 Sylvan Realm Elves.
1.1 A group of elves lead by Mealiden leave the Sylvan Realm.
1.1.1 The Callarii Elves settle in Traladara.
1.1.2 The rest of the elves settle in what will be called Alfheim.
1.1.3 The Shiye Elves under the guidance of Eiryndul move to Alphatia.
1.2 The Feadiel Elves leave the
Sylvan Realm and end up in Alfheim.