Elves: The race of conquerors

In a land far to the north in an area known now only as ‘The Wastes’, is the primary home of the elven folk, ruled by an Overlord whose truename remains unknown.

Once a peaceful race (though none in living memory recall this, the history books indicate it to be true), the Elves over tens of thousands of years have become a race of slavers; rarely, elves are seen in towns usually as emissaries demanding tithes (often delivered in the form of prisoners or peasantry for servitude) or occasionally seeking trade. Tithes are often paid in blood as intended, for to deny the request is to invite an armed force to simply arrive and take by force what they require.

As such, Elves are often greeted with cold deference and a desire that they leave, and swiftly. Depending on the station of who is being addressed this may be a grovelling peasant simply wishing you to leave their family whole or a guard with a watchful eye. People in positions of wealth and power may seek to gain influence with the Overlord and perhaps dissuade further incursions upon their land or perhaps seek to increase their own standing with the use of what they perceive to be a powerful ally or a despised enemy fit for a temporary purpose.

As mentioned, The Wastes is the domain of the elves. It has become the way it is over centuries; All other races out of a desire to move as far away as possible from them have done exactly that. As such, a member of a  non-elven race living in The Wastes outside of slavery is an extreme exception to the rule and is almost entirely unheard of.

That is not to say it does not happen, there are those who live their lives in such a way and perhaps perceive their live’s value as being of so little worth that they risk it for the thrill. There are also those who believe their station and wealth makes them invulnerable and sometimes, they are wrong.

A border, of sorts does exist between The Wastes and what exists for the rest of the continent and this is guarded (in the loosest sense of the word) by an order known as The Keepers. Widely believed to be as corrupt as any organisation can be; The Keepers offer about as much protection against the elven slaver hoards as a paper tissue umbrella in a torrential  rainstorm.

There are certain tenets to Elven society which all elves adhere to.

• No elf shall enslave another.

Elves, as they exist today, believe themselves to be of a higher state of being than the other races. They are taught from birth that the world is their birthright and that all other races effectively exist underneath them, to serve them, to pleasure them, to profit from.

It is this belief that empowers elven society, that allows them to live their lives with another sentient being beholden to their every whim. As such, the very idea of an elven slave is abhorrent to all who should hear it.

Half-elves are considered ‘unclean’ but an acceptable consequence of indulging in ones slaves. The offspring are usually taken from their mothers at birth and if not outright killed, sold into indentured servitude until such an age where they are deemed fit to leave. They are treated better than a standard slave (barely) in aid of their partial elven heritage but they are not an accepted part of Elven society and those who choose to remain within The Wastes are only ever able to attain jobs in the lowest rungs of society.

Despite this, many, if not most, choose to stay for by the time they have outlived their servitude, they already believe there is none outside the Wastes who would accept them.

• An escaped slave is a dead one.

Escaped slaves are unheard of. Any that somehow do make it outside of their owner’s long grasp are hunted mercilessly by a dedicated team until they are put to death. The longer they are on the run, the more brutally and violently their death will be. No slave, regardless of value, will ever be simply allowed to live a life of freedom. Once a slave, you are worked until you die. It is a matter of pride to have your slave returned and exact public, violent brutality upon them before their miserly end.

• An elf who questions their place, questions their life

Elven society is a brutal one; Cultured certainly but in the endless pursuit of beauty and in living life under the Overlord for untold millenia, life in The Wastes is beautiful in the same way a newly sharpened blade can be called such. Cold, sharp and emotionless but honed to a fine edge.

Rebellion is all but non-existant, the Overlord’s control; Absolute. When an Elf questions its way of life, they not only question their own life but the existence of those around them. To do so openly is to invite death.

• Wealth is the highest form of holiness

All glory can be found within wealth. Strive at all times to achieve the greatest possible magnitude of wealth and station. Wear it boldly. To elevate yourself is to elevate your race.