So last weekend I get GAZ 13 and I think to myself "Yes! The Mystaran Drow Elves book arrived, finally!". Little did I know at the time that the Shadow Elves are NOTHING like the Drow of the AD&D books. By the time I spent two days reading the book cover to cover, I came to like the Shadow Elves for the interesting race they are.
However, I had fit them as the "evil" race in my mind and my background history before I got the book, now I think of them as a "tragic, noble race" just waiting to burst on the international scene in 1,000 AC as a major player. So I have to do a little re-writing of my back history to accommodate the role I want them to play in my campaign.
Here is a first draft of what I have in mind, any suggestions feel free to mention them.
Shadow Elf timeline (800-1,000 AC)
by Giorgio800-810 AC
-The Shadow Elves suffer repeated invasion of humanoids forces threw out the course of the Inhuman War (800-810 AC) as the Immortal Atzanteotl seeks to destroy his one time followers and remove the only real power that can defeat the humanoid of the Broken Land.
-During the War, King Telemon and Xatapechtli are killed in battle and princess Tanadaleyo takes the throne. Over the course of the war her fiery temper is moulded to iron will to survive ,and it was her strength, determination and will that lead her people threw the dark times ahead.
-During the War, a company of Rockhome warriors chasing a fleeing group of orcs deep in the Dwarfgate mountains ran into a forward Shadow Elf patrol. After both sides realised they shared a common enemy, the joined forces to destroy the orc party. Following the battle a truce was formed which later lead to an alliance between the Shadow Elves and Rockhome dwarves.
-A joint Shadow Elf-Dwarf invasion force fought their way towards the humanoids main fortress in the Broken Lands and destroyed it, and went on a rampage that destroyed everything in their path. This offensive broke the back of the humanoid forces in the Broken Lands, and lead to the turning point in the war.
-By the time the war finished 40% of the Shadow Elf population laid dead and 75% of its cities laid in ruins. Reconstruction was quick to follow as the Dwarves contributed time, resources and labour to help rebuild the Shadow Elves cities and construct new fortifications.
980 AC
-Kanafasti (the royal mage) receives a vision from Rafiel (Immortal of Energy) this leads him to the surface land to a place called Karameikos. This young nation was under heavy attack from Orc and Goblin forces from the Wulfholde Hills and Duke Stephan was hard pressed to keep his nation together. Kanafasti was able to meet with the Duke and they developed a mutual respect for each other. Soon a deal was struck between them that would alter the destiny of both nations.
The Shadow Elves would deploy there formidable armies to the current and future defence of the Duchy, in return for a peace treaty (with Karameikos and its trading partners) and the granting of a Shadow Elf homeland. This new nation, called Aengmor, would stretch south and east of the Volaga River to the Thyatian border and north of the Eastron Road.
When Kanafasti returned to his homeland his words where greeted with blatant disbelief, until the Radiant Shaman Porphyriel confirmed his words to be true and that they where the will of Rafiel. Great rejoicing was had in the Shadow Elf lands as many believed that they had been tested harshly during the Inhuman War, and that Rafiel was please with his people and gave them a new homeland.
1,000 AC
-Aengmor develops as a strong nation at peace with its neighbours, and acts as a deterrent to Thyatian "adventurism" to the west. They keep their promise and actively keep down the humanoid forces in the Wulfholde, Atlan Tepe and Black Bear Mountains. The also make a killing in hiring out Shadow Elf war parties (specialist in hunting orcish and goblinoid forces).