Larethi History and Culture

Written by Brother Ronan at the Priory of the Three in Nimen

Lareth is the beautiful island kingdom and homeland of the Larethi, or Elves as they are called by Men. There are other colonies of Elves throughout the world that derive from the Larethi, though they are far too remote, uninvolved and therefore speculative in nature to include them in this brief history. Lareth, in the native Elven tongue, means “where the sun sets,” therefore making the Larethi the “Sun Elves.” It lies in the west of the world plane in the pearlescent Opal Ocean which reflects the sun with a scattering of dust created from the abalone shells that refract the light into rainbows on its surface. Some sailors say that isles from a distance are nauseating from it's beauty and that it shines so bright that you can’t look directly at it. The most prominent site on the isles of Lareth is the capital city of Elven rule, Elsvid, which sits on the coast and presents you with grandeur ranging from its proudly standing towers and temples that seem to be built from the white cliff rocks that they perch upon. As you get closer and explore, the land and its people seem to leave you more and more amazed.

The individual isles, each home to a prominent city, circle around a large volcanic island known as the Chimera’s Cauldron or, known in the Elven language as ‘Mor-Edun’. The black sand of this island clashes with the iridescent water that surrounds it. There is no city on this uninhabitable island but on a small island off of its coast is the proud and ancient city of Sulfurspire, ‘Mor-Estar’ in the Elven language. Directly to the south is an island which houses the city of Opalumin, home to the most pious of the Larethi. The city is called ‘Torelluth’ by the Elves in their native language. On the island to the southwest, the largest of the islands, Elsvid, the capital, can be found. North of the Chimera’s Cauldron is an island with two cities. On the southern-most coast of this island is Pelintyr and on the Northern coast is Salini, these cities are both commonly known by these names in native Elven language. A short sail northward from Salini will bring you to the last island which houses the city of Mercuria, known by the Larethi as ‘Ylliad’.

Their history begins back in the Dawn, before the sun had ever once set over the isles of Lareth. The First War raged between the spirits that would become the manner of Elves and Men. The Men departed for exile while the Elves, on a land broken into many islands by the clamor of war, praised their Gods and set out to build a kingdom for their own. Their first king, Lenwye, sent brave elves out upon the sea of opal waves to explore the isles of their homeland. On the main island, he built the pinnacle of Elven grandeur in the heart of the sea-borne kingdom, a rose shaped tower called The Spire or ‘Nee-Delfi’, the highest seat of Elven rule. From the peak of The Spire, Lenwye watched the first sunset glow and then extinguish over the horizon and built his throne facing west so he could watch this process at the end of everyday while watching over the lives of his people who he loved dearly. Upon Lenwye’s death he bestowed the crown to his eldest son, Farnoth, establishing the first lineage of Elven royalty.

Centuries passed and the Elves continued to live and prosper in Lareth. The islands all acted as collaborative city-states that swore fealty to the King or Queen that sat on the throne within the Spire. Their new king was Astaril, whose name meant ‘Prince of All Flowers’, who was not only a dedicated king but also a poet and philosopher, well loved by the Larethi. Their Golden Age was threatened however, by the darkness of Modron, whom they called ‘Mithrindor’, and a new war threatened them for the first time since the founding, a war led by an agent of Modron named Deggomir, an Elven name meaning ‘cruelty’ or ‘malevolent lord’. The Elven king Astaril decided that the only way this war could be won was to go to the source of the darkness in the island citadel of Hath-hul, a name meaning ‘church’ or ‘temple’ but corrupted. When all hope seemed lost at the battle of Hath-hul, Men arrived and drove the darkness away, unfortunately, not before Astaril was slain by Deggomir.

The first line of Elven kings came to an end after the death of Astaril, who became the first of the revered Elven Saints. A statue in his honor was placed in a magnificent garden surrounding the Spire called The Garden of the Saints, where future statues of saints would be erected and placed alongside the statue of Astaril. The Elven congress, known as the Resh-Havid, convened to decide the next Elven ruler and establish a new lineage. They chose Arch-Chancellor Gelethir Netch to assume the role as Elven King. He was not remembered as a consequential king but his daughter, Nihiafel, joined Astaril in Elven memory as one of the honored Saints for her contributions to Elven society and culture. She solidified a peace treaty after a brief boundary dispute between the Elves and the Mer-Folk of the Opal Ocean who were a menace to the inhabitants of the Gemstone Bay region. She also greatly diminished the power that the priests of the temple had in their politics, separating the government of the isles from overreaching hands of the temple leaders. Although the Elves are very faithful and pious, this differentiation in power led to more public trust in both the institutions of law and religion.

Queen Nihiafel’s achievements, although productive and consequential within her own reign, did have consequences later on in their history. She passed the crown down to her son, Felenwye, who then passed the crown to his own son, Gerileth. During the reign of King Gerileth, the more traditonal and religious families within Larethi politics grew disillusioned with the separation of temple leaders contributing to the political discussion within the land. This led to the War of Virtue, a brief yet bloody civil war which put the political structures of the Larethi people in danger. The leader of the secessionist movement, Ellurel Fethrin, formed an alliance of other families that remained politically loyal to the temple and its current leader, High Priest Lilarian Denwye. Many of the records from this time in history were obscured or outright destroyed. The Larethi find it better to forget the times of civil strife to better project a history of unity and coalition. The outcome led to a staple of Elven politics that remains to the present day, a system of politically and religiously diverse Houses of families that have a profound effect on Elven politics. These Houses influence elections, help craft policy and decide the succession rights in any dispute over who should become King or Queen should it come into question. The Houses of Elsvid, the most politically active Houses, are House Morrow and House Serethel. House Morrow leans politically traditional and has strong ties to the royal family of Lareth while House Serethel is more progressive and independent. The central House of Opalumin is House Fethrin, a religiously conservative organization affiliated with the temples and their leadership. The remaining Houses are House Derethi, House Chalias, House Wyonna, House Lilathil and House Finwye.

The current ruler of Lareth is Queen Seraphe of House Morrow, who is expected to pass the crown down to her oldest son, Emmerand, who is arranged to be married to Telsea of House Derethi upon his coronation as king. I believe there is a lot we in the eastern lands of Men could learn from our Elven brethren of the west. Their culture and history is fascinating and the land and it's people are just as welcoming and beautiful. I appreciate the head scribe of the temple here in Opalumin, Priest Chivarn Lunith, allowing me to visit in collaboration with our priory and passing this wealth of knowledge onto me. I shall return to our priory in Nimen with a profound appreciation for this land and its people. May they be blessed with prosperity by the Three.