The War of the Broken Crown

The War of the Broken Crown

Of Caerthiel:

The Dragons had relinquished their hold over Norrath, and what are now known as the elder races, the Elves and the Dwarves, stepped out from under their gargantuan shadow. The Dwarves sprang forth from the earth, to hold dominion over their mountainous kingdoms. The elves took to the primeval forests of Norrath, creating a vast empire that spanned several continents. Ruling from the city of Caerthiel , the Elves lived in peace, under the guidance of Innoruk, the elven god.

Of the rebellion and the outpost of Wielle:

As the corruption in the empire grew, so did the unrest in many elves hearts. They wanted more and more power for themselves. They grew suspicious of the strength of Innoruk, choosing to destroy his works, and kill his servants. At first they were small in size, and weak in power. But as the years went by the rebels grew in leaps and bounds, using treacherous methods to slander the leaders of the Elven Empire. The first sign of the growing rebellion came at the Elven outpost of Wielle, located where the city of Freeport is today. Wielle was loyal to the empire, and therefore, enemies of the rebels. A rebel army under the captain Paetroen savagely attacked it. The citizens of the outpost were killed.

That action shattered centuries of relative peace. Suddenly the Empire had to face a new enemy, a darkness in its mist. The Emperor, Kel'anthinstion, called on all of the citizens of the Empire to fight for the cause of Innoruk. He sent his most trusted advisers, all disciples of Innoruk, to the far reaches of the empire. They were to gather support to fight the rebels and support the unity of the empire. The rebels had sent their own recruiters using underhanded tactics to undermine the populace’s faith in their God. The war droned on for countless years.

Of the battle of Aerignon and the wild elves:

The war was a stalemate. That changed with the battle of Aerignon, named after the province of the empire where it took place. The loyal forces of the empire thought to catch Paetroen and his rebels unprepared. They attacked him at his home base, just north of Elizerain Lake. Forces were massed and placed under the direct command of the Emperor himself. He was to lead the army of Innoruk to destroy the rebels once and for all. As the army encircled Peatroen's military headquarters, a victory for the blessed forces of Innoruk seemed assured. Out maneuvered and outnumbered, the Rebels could not get enough forces to turn back the impending assault, and escape by any means, was impossible.

But the imperial victory was denied that day, as a third player in the war, the wild elves, tipped there hand. The wild elf was a term used by citizens of the empire for the primitive elves the lived beyond the borders of the empire. They had remained neutral throughout the war, but had succumbed to the rebel’s promises of victory, and had joined the war on their side. What was supposed to be a day of victory for the Empire turned into its greatest defeat. The emperor himself was killed when an wild elf assassin slipped into his tent and killed him from behind. On that day the Empire was doomed.

Of the fall of the imperial city:

The war lasted for several years after the death of the emperor. In desperation, the remaining loyalists sent messengers to the Dwarven Kingdoms for aid against the rebels. They returned, saying the Dwarves were fighting their own war, and would send no help. With the help of new fiendish magic, the Rebels pushed the loyalists back to their capital, Caerthiel, which was in what is now known as the loping planes. Inside, the last of the loyalists huddled in their homes, holding on to the last remnants of their shattered empire. With out a leader to rally them, they were as good as dead.

Help came in the form of a priest of Innoruk, who rose up as leader. His name changes with every telling, but the fact remains that in the dark of the night, the day before the final assault on Caerthiel, the priest led the last of the loyalists in to the earth. Through a chasm that was opened and closed by Innoruk himself. When the Rebel army assaulted the city the next day, they found nothing but a ghost town, devoid of any life.

Of the elven schism (Dark Elves-High Elves-Forest Elves):

As the loyalists took refuge underground, the rebels thought themselves the winners of the War of the Broken crown. They took on the moniker "High Elves", while the wild elves became more commonly known as wood elves. Without the loyalists to guide it, the Empire fell apart. The elves that remained on the surface, the high elves, could not stand the symbol of Caerthiel, and in a fit of rage they destroyed it. They created their capital of Felwithe on the very spot where the emperor was murdered, in the battle that destroyed the empire. The loyalists fled east to the wild and uncharted continent of Antonica. There they established the well guarded and underground city of Neriak, where they stayed for many years trying to rebuild their once great empire and all the while plotting for revenge against the rebels who forced them from Faydwer. Having been exposed to decades of low light in their underground kingdom and to harsh conditions, the skin of those elves still loyal to Innoruk has become darker and the elves themselves have been made into warriors guided by the power of their god. They are feared by the denizens of Antonica, who call the loyalists "dark elves."

-- From a post by Dalyn Darkbear