The forth and probably final installment. All the main races are fleshed out now.
Lizardmen and the Umenzi are already fleshed out in the Harbringer magazine preview done by Mr Chad Ellis and for the Undead.....well, they are everywhere, aren't they?
You get a glimpse of the Ravenwood Elves in the next paragraphs.
Sorry for the wait but a lot of thing happened to me this time of the year.....pleasant and unpleasant ones.
Sorry for my English.
Comments are more than welcome.
The High Elves
In the beginningHigh Elves was the race that advanced quicker than all the other races combined. They were using magic by the time most of the other races had just started using primitive tools. As a result, the first High Elven fortresses that were built were considered as the houses of Gods by the other races, harsh and cruel Gods that is, since the High Elves used all the other races as slaves for their own means.
However harsh and cruel was the reign of the High Elves, their kingdoms and their expansions combined with the use of the local people of each area, are the basis for the civilization that is spread across the land and the various society structures. Many scholars believe that if not for the High Elves, most races will still be living as hunters and gatherers.
SocietyThe society of the High Elves has changed during the Eons. While they started like a warring race, conquering and exploring the land (and in the process spreading technology and civilization), the continuous use of magic and their reliance to it, made the magic users really powerful. The most powerful magic users announced themselves God-Kings (so advanced was their mastery of magic) and started waging war on each other. Since the death of a High Elf is considered a very serious and sad event, mercenaries and slaves were used for the civil wars while the former Elven warriors became artisans, scholars, merchants or pompous aristocrats caring only for their well being.
The civil wars continued for ages with no clear winner but huge casualties on the other races. In the mean time, the Elves of Ravenwood were formed by various Elven refugees who were opposed to the High Elven oppression against all the other races and were against the continuous use of magic.
Whatever the cost to the other races, the High Elven expertise of magic grew even bigger. However, they grew more dependent on it, even for performing menial tasks. This resulted in the Orcish rebellion and the final downfall of the Elven Kingdoms.
View to the WorldWhen the Orcish rebellion came, it forced the High Elves to retreat to the West and change their politics and their usual practices. They used to be powerful but now they are trying to survive against almost all.
After the Orcish rebellion, the High Elves are ruled now by Vasil Zitrious, the only Mage-King that understood that the High Elves were near the brink of destruction and decided to withdraw his forces away from the Orcish Empire
He managed to do this with the help of the Men of Hawkshold, whose trust he gains after virtually offering them everything; knowledge, technology and even a new ruler, raised by him with High Elven ideals. This alliance stands up to now, with only some minor conflicts between the humans and some young Elven princes, trying to prove that the High Elves can return back to their former glory.
The alliance with the Men of Hawkshold is very important because it provides the only way to the inner sea for the High Elves, the only way to the biggest merchant centers of the world.
The Army
The High Elves are gifted by nature itself. Tall, agile and strong, they excel in hand to hand and ranged combat. Their limited numbers are offset with high maneuverability and a strict army training that has gone on for centuries and as a result of this, High Elves deploy the most disciplined army that has ever seen the field of battle. Their prowess is further enhanced by their use of magic (battle mages and magic swords) and magical armor.
Celestial Guard When you are attacked by the Celestial Guard, you think that the offspring of the God of War have landed on our world and decided to kill you. Their grace is dwarfed by their viciousness and their frightening effectiveness in killing any opposition thrown to them. They are thought to be immortal and invincible across the whole world and a lot of myths surround their name and their deeds. Probably the best fighting foot unit that has ever existed on this world.
Chariots and bow riders After the orcish rebellion, the doctrine of the High Elven army had to change rapidly. The main concern was now mobility and not sheer numbers, thus the emergence of the chariot as a core unit and the bow riders as a unit to harass the enemy without the risk of melee. However fragile the chariots, the High Elves continue their research on them and try to use them in as many roles as possible, either as transporters for troops or shock troops to quickly dispatch units that have become shaken after missile fire.
Scorpions Continuing the idea of mobility and firepower, with the help of magic and mithril, the scorpions were borne. More mobile and easier to assemble than a ballista or a catapult, scorpions provide the firepower need to stop the heavy armored units and monster favored by their main enemy, the Orcish Empire.
