Elves
Though ancient and wise beyond the kenning of mortal man, the elven houses are not united. Some long ago schism has hardened the hearts of the city elves and their forest elf cousins. Despite this rift between the elven houses they still present a united front in battle; the forest elves provide archers beyond compare, who are supported by the flashing cavalry units of the city elves.
Long, long ago, the Elves were blessed (or cursed, depending on one's point of view) with the ability to discern the future. It's a fickle power, often granting false visions of possible futures, yet it grows more accurate with age and experience. It's also one of the reasons that Elves don't smile much.
The other reason is that no one listens to them. What good is seeing the future if no one wants to hear it? So, the Elves tend to keep to themselves in the depths of the Forest of the Ancient Heart.
Most other races regard the Elves as a bunch of sad sacks who mope around bemoaning the fate of the world. They're an absolute drag at parties, because they're already thinking about going home! Nevertheless, the Elves have occasional dealings with Humans, Dwarves, and Beast Folk, if for no other reason than trade or alliances.
The Forest of the Ancient Heart
The Elves have no problem sharing their forest. With the Barbarians to the east and the Beast Folk to the west, the Elves try to be good neighbors. Unfortunately, they already know that the near future is going to be dominated by conflict.
The Elven city of El-Sheruthan tries to maintain order on all fronts. But with a growing generational gap between Elves, the city is faced with its own internal conflicts as well.
Most of the elder Elves have seen a coming apocalypse of terrifying magnitude that they claim will destroy the world. The younger Elves argue that it's just one possibility out of many, and that maybe they should get out and meet some of the other races.
On another front, the Beast Folk have become increasingly more aggressive over the last few years. Constantly attempting to claim more and more of the Forest of the Ancient Heart, they are tired of the condescending nature of the Elves toward them. For now, the Beast Folk and the Elves share a tense treaty in the face of larger evils, yet who knows what the future will hold?
Eleena sat high in the boughs of a massive gnarlwood tree. Here, the Forest of the Ancient Heart was perilously close to the Wilderlands, and the part of the Forest that the Beast Folk Confederacy had claimed as their own. The sound of labored breathing and snapping twigs drew her attention to the ground. A Human woodsman, panting and sweating, stopped just beneath the tree. He put his hands on his knees and gasped. "What are you running from?" Eleena called down. "Huh?" The woodsman looked up in surprise. "Oh. Listen, Elf. There's a whole mess of Beast Folk headed this way, and I think they mean trouble!" Eleena sighed as if bored and began to break a small twig into pieces. "Oh well," she murmured. The woodsman shook his head. "Whatever, lady. I'm outta here!" He sprinted off into the woods. She spotted the Beast Folk coming: a war party of Minotaurs and Wolfen, led by an armored Centaur. One of the Wolfen sprang into the clearing below. "Smell Elf!" he growled. "Kill!" A huge Minotaur stepped next to him, brandishing a massive battle axe. The beast wielded it with one hand, though Eleena suspected it might have taken two fully grown Elves to lift it. "Up there," the Centaur calmly pointed up to Eleena's perch. "What are you doing here, Elf? These are our woods." "I have been sent from El-Sheruthan," she said quietly. "I'm here to negotiate a truce between our peoples. The Beast Folk laughed. Finally, the Centaur cleared his throat and spoke. "These forests are ours, and we mean to claim them. No longer will we be pushed to the corners of the world!" "No truce?" Eleena asked. "Afraid not." She stood upon the branch, balancing with unnatural grace. "Then we can negotiate your peaceful surrender." The statement brought on an even greater fit of hysterics among the Beast Folk party. The Centaur motioned his troops forward. Roaring, the Minotaur charged the tree and swung his axe. The blade sliced through the huge, ancient trunk with ease and Eleena grimaced as she heard the tree die in her mind. The gnarlwood toppled to the side. Eleena flipped from the branch, a split second before it smashed against the ground. Defying gravity, she cartwheeled through the claws of the Wolfen troops that rushed to overtake her. A well-placed arrow from the Centaur's bow brought her up short as it pierced the ground where she meant to step. The Minotaur's mighty fist closed around her. The creature raised her up, bellowing triumphantly. Eleena's eyes glowed with an ephemeral green light as ancient words flowed from her lips. Suddenly, the forest floor erupted. Gnarlwoods sprouted from the ground, reaching maturity in an instant, snatching the Beast Folk in curling limbs and plucking their weapons from them with twisted branches. The Minotaur dropped Eleena in shock. She landed gracefully on her feet and surveyed the hanging garden of moaning, cursing warriors. She found the Centaur, hanging upside down, glaring at her. Eleena allowed herself the slightest smirk. "Now," she said. "Shall we negotiate?"
