Project Broken: Palmaras Book of Lore, Book I

The History of the Ice Elves

The oldest kingdom in the lands, although not the first people. Rising up as a nation in -1724x, as a small coastal nation, filled with water and ice elves. They inhabited a small island, sharing with the nature and fire elves. No one is quite sure where they had come, but a popular legend is called the "Tale of the Elven Birth".

Humans who once lived on the island followed the gods to heaven, though, after proclaiming them a false god, had angered the gods and were sent running from them. Those that hid in the waters to escape the fire, had drowned and died, coming back as the water and ice elves. Those that ran to the forest and ended up dying from smoke, had rebirthed as nature and earth elves, while those who burned from god's flames rebirthed as fire and magma elves.

As their first civilization begun in -1724x, they invented writing and printing on scrolls made from magic infused paper and bamboo, making their writing system the oldest in the world. The first civilization, known as the Tusara Age, had a revolutionary house building system. With the invention of the arch and mastery of snow, many people lived in igloos and inside mountain houses, living in their harsh, blizzard environment. As the Tusara age continued on, they eventually came to war with the other tribes, losing easily to the Fire Warlords, and the collapse of the Tusara Age (-1724x - -1691x). The new age, called the Enslavement Age, had the Snow and Water Elves as slaves, forced laborers and workers under the Fire Warlords. With this, they had lost all culture, buildings and writing system, many of the elves becoming illiterate and poorly treated. Due to this, many had weak powers and unable to fight against the fire warlords. During this age, many had forgotten what their homelands were like, and spent most of their days in desert, near volcanos. On -1631x, the great Purge of the Gods happened, the volcano in the middle of the island erupted, and the warlords, able to control the magma, burned over 80% of the Ice Elves alive as punishment for trying to rise up in -1634x. The Enslavement age ended in -1601x, when the Nature Elves lead a crusade against the Fire Warlords and freed the remaining snow elves. Many of them became willing puppets under the Nature Elves, during the new Andak Era, or the Dark Ages.

During the Dark Ages, or Andak Era, many of them had to relearn magics and scripture, although, at this same period, a devastating disease had swept through the dying water elves. From the fifty thousand remaining water elves, only ten thousand had remained from the plague. Many elves who did survive this plague called "Mortuganas" would never be able to produce children or cast magic again. After the plague had subsided, and those who remembered how to cast magic, thanks to the Nature Elves, began a new age. The Andak Era (-1600x - -1543x) had ended, and a new age, Sbaruga Age, or the Golden age (-1543x - -1305x) had begun, which saw the birth of storm Elves and revolutionary technology and knowledge.

The Golden Age/Sbaruga Age, hide tanning, sewing and the loom had been created. Many clothings before this era were hides and furs from dead animals that were cut off or skinned from animals and then worn. Silkworm farming and salt cultivation had been invented as well, allowing fish and meat to be saved for long periods of times. The most revolutionary thing, the wheel, had been also invented during the later parts of this period. No longer did they live in igloos, they had invented mining, and build large stone homes, which would stay the same until x961. Food shortages was no longer a problem due to metals which would allow spearfishing and killing of large aquatic animals, as ice magic didn't work on a lot of them. The revitalization of magic had also happened in the Ice Empire, no longer did they have to use magical stones or staffs, as long as they had used the magic around them to recite a magical spell, or use a talisman to cast a large spell. The age of staffs had ended during the Golden Age.

After the end of the Golden Age, the Fire Warlords and the Ice Kingdom had made up and the Fire Warlords had apologized for their past actions over three hundred years prior. They had begun trade relations, and the three kingdoms were mostly peaceful. This peace would end with the fall of the Warring States of the Fire Lords in -1103x. With this, War and the far superior Ice elves would now repay the revolutionists for disrupting the peace. After putting the Fire Lords back in power in -1099x, they had peace once again. The Peaceful Period (-1099x to -943x) had little cultural and military advancements, as trade and relations went back to normal.

However, in -943, with the death of the Emperor of the 2nd Dynasty, this would all change. Attempts for power in all sectors would cause the Ice Nation to divide into three sections, and this age was called the Age of War. These three sections would be the storm elves, the warmongering Ice elves, and the peace seeking Ice Elves. The peace seeking Ice Elves had wanted to create a reunified nation, as well as join the rest of the three islands under one name, while the Storm Elves wished to return to isolationism and put themselves in power. The warmongering Ice Elves had wished to conquer the other two tribes and put a general in control of the islands. The Age of War had lasted over forty-three years, which lead a massive decrease in population on both sides. The treaty of the Isles made the reunified Ice Kingdom once again with the Warmongers and the Storm Elves put down. The newly founded Reunified Ice Kingdom had been founded in -900x, and had remained this name until 304x, when the leader had been assassinated by the Fire Lords. With a secondary Fire vs Ice War, the war had been dubbed the "third great war", which saw millions die, and a peace agreement which no sides got anything from it. In 404x, the Secondary Golden Age had rose back up, which saw the development of astronomy, advanced mathematics, healing magic, gunpowder, iron smithing, printing press, alchemy and optics. Due to this furthering of technology, the Elven Ice Kingdom had become the ruler of the seas, being able to attach cannons to boats, as well as navigate correctly due to a compass. They made contact with several civilizations at this time, the Lost Kingdom, the Ascent Kingdom and the beginnings of the Johan Family [Koratsu Republic], however they left early due to the Johan Family being at war with other intruders, the Holy Human Empire.

The Secondary Golden Empire lasted until 567x, which then saw the Industry Revolution. This had made the kingdom soar above all the other kingdoms in machinery, technology and building. New, taller, and more sturdy buildings, able to withstand both heat and snowstorms popped up around the country, as well as large palaces and statues, which reached high into the sky. This period continued until 649x, and then ended when a wave of revolutionaries took over the palace. These revolutionaries had sought to bring science and technology over piety and holy sites. The war raged on until 700x, and the revolutionaries brought with them a wave of democracy. These revolutionaries would spread the message throughout the three other kingdoms, and ended up creating the First Scientific Empire which would last from 701x to 905x. This would spread the medical, technological and scientific ideas to different countries, as well as further the navy and magical powers. No longer did they have to use talismen, and complex spells now only required long spells or multiple people to cast, and many people could now cast with a couple to no words at all. This spread to other magic using nations as well. In 1098Z, the nations of the Fire, Ice and Nature had united under the Elven Kingdom, which would stay until 1591Z.