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Description
Illustration done by *jcbarquet . This illustration shows the home of one of the three major houses of elves: the High Elves of the Gladesdale. Together, the three great elven houses form what is known today as the Elven Commonwealth.

The enchanted magical forest of the Gladesdale is located to the east of the Elysium Protectorate and to the west of the Sutherland Sovereignty. Of the three major elven houses, the Gladesdale is home to the noble High Elves, who consider themselves the last direct descendants of the Elf-King. Gladesdale elves are very sophisticated, cultured, and refined when compared to their cousins of the other two great elven houses: the Sylvan Elves of the North Greatwood and the Mystic Elves of the Weeping Willows.

Long ago, the three great elf houses were brought together at a city that was located equidistance from each of their homelands that was called Gil-galgareth; the shining spire. It was a great city with gleaming white walls and tall towers that stretched up into the sky as if the grasp at the heavens, and it stood as a testament to elven dominance prior to the days of Man and their arrival on the continent of Keros. The Elven Royal family was formed from the three most predominant males of each house and would be pitted against one another in a contest to determine who would be best choice for the crown. In this manner, any house could gain control of the crown while the remaining two contestants would be named Elf-Princes of the Commonwealth. In this way, the position of ultimate authority always rotated fairly amongst the elven houses while still permitting those not bestowed with the honor of the crown still a great say in the affairs of the elves. This unique tradition served as a basis for the common bond used to unite the differing elven factions under a single banner.

However, such an arrangement was not to last. The Forces of Darkness - in pursuit of the remnants of Man – had for centuries fought bitterly against the elves as they had taken the mantle of defenders of the weak. As decades came and past while the race of Men rebuilt their legacy – guarded ever so vigilantly by the elves, eventually the encroaching darkness took its toll on the elven defenders until it at last cumulated in the Siege to Gil-galgareth; City of the Elf-King. It was this event that compelled the High King of Man to seek help, which he did when he discovered what would later become the Republic of Arcadia. A relief force composed of the Armies of Man and the Arcadian Legion was then dispatched to break the Siege of Gil-galgareth.

The Siege saw the deaths of both princes against the Forces of Darkness, with the Elf-King (at this point chosen from the Gladesdale) himself leading the last desperate defenders in the central palace. The relief force rushed into the city to relieve the defenders and bitter fighting ensued. It seemed certain that the forces of good were to prevail, but then the leader of the forces of darkness invoked a terrible and dark magic that destroyed the entire city, killing everyone and everything within. That single event would forever shatter the unity of the elves and indirectly lead to the isolationist policy adopted by future generations of Arcadians to increase their martial strength against possibly the greatest adversary they had ever faced in their history (one that was capable of wiping out their best legions in a blink of an eye). Today, the Commonwealth is nothing more than a loose alliance that is only held together thinly by their racial identity.

The Gladesdale consists of a massive forest that surrounds a lake imbued with power magic. The largest of the elven settlements near the lake is home to the most powerful and predominant houses (or elven families) in the Gladesdale; it is known as Lake of the Evening Star. The forest and trees glow faintly from magical fae-spirits while the countless edifices that abound their lands are dedicated to the halcyon days of the Ancient Elven Commonwealth. The lake’s water also possesses amazing curative and healing effects unique only to the elves (a gift meant strictly for the children of the demigod who had created the elves) and has also been said to be the reason behind the High Elves acumen and clarity. While they do love the natural landscape about them, the High Elves (unlike their Sylvan cousins) are not anathema to constructing marvelous and beautiful buildings, laying paved walkways, and erecting statues in their home environment. The temperature is often cool yet warm enough for all elves to dress in their sheer robes and garments (a close comparison would be the style of non-battle garb the elves in Tolkien’s world would wear). Their architecture is also similar to Tolkien’s ‘Rivendell’, with elaborate lodges and halls over massive castles or keeps.

Description
Illustration done by *jcbarquet . This illustration shows the home of one of the three major houses of elves: the High Elves of the Gladesdale. Together, the three great elven houses form what is known today as the Elven Commonwealth.

The enchanted magical forest of the Gladesdale is located to the east of the Elysium Protectorate and to the west of the Sutherland Sovereignty. Of the three major elven houses, the Gladesdale is home to the noble High Elves, who consider themselves the last direct descendants of the Elf-King. Gladesdale elves are very sophisticated, cultured, and refined when compared to their cousins of the other two great elven houses: the Sylvan Elves of the North Greatwood and the Mystic Elves of the Weeping Willows.

Long ago, the three great elf houses were brought together at a city that was located equidistance from each of their homelands that was called Gil-galgareth; the shining spire. It was a great city with gleaming white walls and tall towers that stretched up into the sky as if the grasp at the heavens, and it stood as a testament to elven dominance prior to the days of Man and their arrival on the continent of Keros. The Elven Royal family was formed from the three most predominant males of each house and would be pitted against one another in a contest to determine who would be best choice for the crown. In this manner, any house could gain control of the crown while the remaining two contestants would be named Elf-Princes of the Commonwealth. In this way, the position of ultimate authority always rotated fairly amongst the elven houses while still permitting those not bestowed with the honor of the crown still a great say in the affairs of the elves. This unique tradition served as a basis for the common bond used to unite the differing elven factions under a single banner.

However, such an arrangement was not to last. The Forces of Darkness - in pursuit of the remnants of Man – had for centuries fought bitterly against the elves as they had taken the mantle of defenders of the weak. As decades came and past while the race of Men rebuilt their legacy – guarded ever so vigilantly by the elves, eventually the encroaching darkness took its toll on the elven defenders until it at last cumulated in the Siege to Gil-galgareth; City of the Elf-King. It was this event that compelled the High King of Man to seek help, which he did when he discovered what would later become the Republic of Arcadia. A relief force composed of the Armies of Man and the Arcadian Legion was then dispatched to break the Siege of Gil-galgareth.

The Siege saw the deaths of both princes against the Forces of Darkness, with the Elf-King (at this point chosen from the Gladesdale) himself leading the last desperate defenders in the central palace. The relief force rushed into the city to relieve the defenders and bitter fighting ensued. It seemed certain that the forces of good were to prevail, but then the leader of the forces of darkness invoked a terrible and dark magic that destroyed the entire city, killing everyone and everything within. That single event would forever shatter the unity of the elves and indirectly lead to the isolationist policy adopted by future generations of Arcadians to increase their martial strength against possibly the greatest adversary they had ever faced in their history (one that was capable of wiping out their best legions in a blink of an eye). Today, the Commonwealth is nothing more than a loose alliance that is only held together thinly by their racial identity.

The Gladesdale consists of a massive forest that surrounds a lake imbued with power magic. The largest of the elven settlements near the lake is home to the most powerful and predominant houses (or elven families) in the Gladesdale; it is known as Lake of the Evening Star. The forest and trees glow faintly from magical fae-spirits while the countless edifices that abound their lands are dedicated to the halcyon days of the Ancient Elven Commonwealth. The lake’s water also possesses amazing curative and healing effects unique only to the elves (a gift meant strictly for the children of the demigod who had created the elves) and has also been said to be the reason behind the High Elves acumen and clarity. While they do love the natural landscape about them, the High Elves (unlike their Sylvan cousins) are not anathema to constructing marvelous and beautiful buildings, laying paved walkways, and erecting statues in their home environment. The temperature is often cool yet warm enough for all elves to dress in their sheer robes and garments (a close comparison would be the style of non-battle garb the elves in Tolkien’s world would wear). Their architecture is also similar to Tolkien’s ‘Rivendell’, with elaborate lodges and halls over massive castles or keeps.