Valenwood

''Within the white and gold walls of the Crown’s nest, a champion of the God of the sun and a Headmaster of the Dacorian Academy work together to grant the Elven king his last living wish. Unknown to both, though, is the futility of their acts; What the king seeks is beyond any mortal's capabilities. ''

''At the same time, from the depths of a dark wicked forest, soft chirping resonates amongst a small opening. A forgotten statue, decayed with time, sits covered in bright colored flowers, their nectar calling forth the singing hummingbird. ''

The life of the tiny being is cut short by a razor-sharp leaf, as a dryad’s humanoid form grows from the flora, taking her time to slowly devour the bird of paradise.

Valenwood, also known as Dawn of the Uprising or The Elven Crown, is the region set in the East-southern part of Lorvyn.

Geography
It is bordered by Helthar to the northeast, the Arven and Colovia colonies of Cyrodiil to the north, and the Ruins of Drayria to the west. The islands of Caershire and the archipelago of Frumpkin’s Paw lies to the south of Valenwood, the first self-recognizing as independent. There's a lot of tension within it.

Society
Valenwood is known for its timeless plays, symphonies, and beautiful relics, but also their cutthroat and prestigious colleges of the Arcane, a love for competition and a need for discovery that runs deep within the veins of the country. Aside from their ruthless nature, the true factor that puts Valenwooderian Colleges above the rest is the strong magical essence that exists within the land and was harnessed by the heads of the Academies, taking in diamonds in the rough that turn out as top notch mages every year.

In late years, the better half of western Valenwood was infested with Trickster fey that have claimed the land as their own, enchanting and seducing innocent elves into the dark woods. The sudden attack led to the confirmed deaths of many, and the disappearance of an even higher number. Survivors built "New Springpond '', creating a close bond within the community through loss. The strong presence of feys, though, did prove beneficial to elves, strengthening their magic abilities. High elves born in Valenwood have an easier time learning arcane traditions, which established the Dacorian Academy and other magical Valenwooderian colleges as the best within Lorvyn.

There's also a collective hatred for dragons, due to how centuries ago they had taken their land as their own and enslaved their people, exploiting the elves for their innate magical capabilities. This is to the point that the current king, sir Peron who's been the longest living of the bloodline, killed the legendary Dragonborn war hero Farkaen Alkan, who originally had led the elven revolution. There's a collection of followers still active, though they mainly keep to themselves.

Demographic
It's taken home of the Valenar (high elves), diplomatic and virtuous creatures who strive to upkeep the elder magical and artistic traditions of those who came before them. They make up the majority of the Elven Valenwooderian Empire.

Education
Two examples of important valenar organizations are the Dacorian Academy and The Duke’s College. The first is known for shaping young mages into seasoned magicians, it's Headmasters recognized as the most powerful wizards of Lorvyn, aiding the Crown in things such as law enforcement, political relations, and technology development. In the other hand, the Duke’s College cares more about public, local events, pushing strong humanitarian beliefs as their core message. It rests within Morhanna, alongside the biggest Valenwooderian theatre, The Golden Chamber.

Culture
→ See: Valenwooderian Novels

Upborne Era - 600 B.D.
The Upborne Era was characterized by the high elf expeditions towards the south, on the land that would later be known as Valenwood, led by Faerxan Alkan (given title “The Answer”), a revolutionary dragonborn sorcerer, son of Ursula. They were fleeting the land of Morwen, which at the time was governed by a group of dragons who had taken in the high elves (native to Morwen) as slaves for their innate magical prowess: they sucked out their energy, leaving them as husks of their former selves. The group of rebels called themselves The Unchained.

The Unchained first settled in the area that in the future would be known as The Crown’s Nest, building the city of Lunnin around it.

The Liberation of the Valenar
Faerxan Alkan spent the next year teaching the group of rebels wizardry, imitating the teachings of his mother. When ready, they took on the dragons.

The first attempts left to failure and death, but through their mistakes the high elves learned, and become stronger, taking in more Valen refugees and turning them into mage warriors.

The Night of Duskfall
Eventually, through surprise attacks and revolts from the still enslaved high elves combined with the efforts of the southern Valenwooderian groups, the dragons found themselves overpowered against the high elves. The pair Ursula and Rulindil were the first killed, the rest of them leaving escaping the land, hiding amongst the northern mountains.

Verner Era - 800 B.D.
Once the dragons were defeated, the high elves formed a home within what would become the capital of Valenwood, and started spreading out to the rest of the territory.

This era was distinguished by growth, newborn hope and the adoption of the gods Altua and Lirr. The high elves were now in peace, and utilized this time to grow into the civilization they are today.

Faerxan Alkan’s Decapitated Head
The legendary Faerxan, once a great leader, was eventually impeached and murdered by his own people. They saw him as a symbol of the dragons still having control over them, so the high elves decided to decapitate the sorcerer utilizing the arcane tools he taught them. Now his body lies beneath the fire of a 1000 suns in the ever-burning Plane of Fire, whereas his head rests on the King’s personal collection of artifacts.