GoCorral

After seceding from the Conclave the elf leaders split apart, each taking a portion of their coalition to a different dense forest of Cimmeria. Croshan the Honorable took his people to the Whitewood Forest. Rarventataa the Wary took her people to the Dry Woods (which would later be known as Bigby’s Forest). Valor the Boastful took his people to Valor’s Forest and promptly named the forest after himself. Kithania the Strong took her people to the Hardtop Forest (now known as the Robber’s Forest). Each of these elves had been created by the gods as 100 year old adults and 50 years had passed since. Their bodies were 150 years old and still young for elf standards. They ruled their realms with the approval of their people for many years.

Trading villages were established on the edges of the elven forests to move valuable goods between the elves and the other communities of Cimmeria. Shalemstead served Valor’s Forest, Semanarie served the Dry Woods, Harbinston served Hardtop Forest, and Jeutontic served the Whitewood Forest. These villages were initially populated by humans, but in time their demographics changed into multi-racial communities.

After the Draconic Convocation the elves were attacked just like everyone else in Cimmeria. The green dragons killed Rarventataa in their initial attack and claimed the Dry Woods as their territory. The gold dragons claimed sovereignty over the Hardtop Forest. Kithania admirably resisted, but the gold dragons were too much for her. The same was true for Valor against the silver dragons. Within two years the dragons had claimed most of elven territory.

Croshan had a plan to evade death and surrender to the dragons. He took his people underground, literally. He judged that the dangers of the Underdark would be less than those posed by servitude to the dragons. The Elves of Whitewood gathered together and cast a great spell that changed their physical appearance and their magical abilities. They evolved into the dark-skinned elves we know as Drow today. Croshan attacked the beasts below the surface and carved out a position for his people beneath the earth.

Two elven factions formed within the Dry Woods. One, a group of druidic naturalists allied themselves with the Dragons, viewing them as the pinnacle of the natural order. The other, a group of elvish patriots who sought to subvert and overthrow the Dragons. the patriots named the western river of the Dry Woods in honor of the martyr, Rarventataa. There was an age gap between the two factions. The Naturalists attracted the older elves who were tired of war. The Patriots attracted the younger and more idealistic elves who were born after the settling of Cimmeria.