Dark Elves

Dark Elves (Dus'Fen in Elvish) are the result of what happens when beings of 'good' magic are exposed to that of evil. The Dark Elves are powerful, crude and almost downright sadistic beings, although this does not necessarily mean they would oppose the forces of 'good'. The Dark Elves too live together with other races in (somewhat) harmony, they just have another approach on how to deal with problems. Hatred has long been a part of their culture and their very society is driven by this hatred for their enemies. Their children are raised with clear vision of who their adversaries are and how they must dedicate their lives to destroying these adversaries. The Dark Elves are notorious for their menacing order of demon slayers known as 'The Hatesworn', which trains their soldiers to utterly loathe demons and their kind. Being part of The Hatesworn is the dream of many young Dark Elves, but those who retire from The Hatesworn are never the same. They become machines of war, not capable of anything else but destruction of the foul. This has become the fate of many Dark Elves who did not die in battle and grew old before they could do so.

History
The Dark Elves are a mysterious people, wreathed in unanswered questions and shrouding enigma. Their past is foul and bloody and have been erased from many history books, and for a good reason. They haven't always been Dark Elves, after all. They were once High Elves, like those from Elfwood, until ten curious individuals strayed from Everspring and into Nightweald, which at that time was still uninhabited and hostile. But these ten Elves were eager to explore and claimed that they could bring light and splendor to the dark forest, but they were quickly proven wrong. Not more than a day after they entered Nightweald, these ten were captured by cultists of Belin and tortured mercilessly, experimented on because of their magical origin. For days the screams of the Elves were heard in the forest, but the cultists felt no sympathy for their suffering victims. Finally, after so long of excrutiating pain, the cultists began to perform a ritual that would convert the magical elves into hateful servants of their unholy masters. And they succeeded. Perhaps they succeeded a bit too much, because what they created were beings of tainted magic that were fueled by their undying hatred that flared wildly within their darkened hearts. These newly born Dark Elves turned on their creators and tore them apart with their newfound strength and fury, swearing to do the same to the tainted netherlords that did this to them. These ten Dark Elves founded The Hatesworn and ventured back to Everspring, where they were met with disdain and rejection. The ten were now homeless, honorless and most of all, furious. And yet, the Dark Elf race persevered, driven by their vengeful vow of revenge towards the netherlords that cursed them.

Locations
Just as their lighter brethren, the Dark Elves also only have one main location as such: Greyhold. A great city of dark, jagged steel built up a mountainside, Greyhold has proven over and over again that it is near impenetrable. Greyhold started out as a settlement for the ten (who had then become a few more) that had ventured to The Eastern Valley, where they were met with question by the highly pious humans who lived there, in Godshill. They were accepted by the people of Godshill to show their benevolence, but over time as Greyhod became the fortress it is now, the people of Godshill saw the Dark Elves as a threat. They declared war upon them to chase them out of their holy valley, but at that time, the Dark Elves were far too fortified to be so easily defeated. For years on end, they resisted the assaults of the crusaders from Godshill, until they were placed with a new threat: Locux, who threatened to break through the veil and into The Mortal Realm. Presented with a common (and far more dangerous) foe, the Dark Elves and Humans forged an unsteady alliance to push back the otherworldly threat with the help of the Khronum, who defeated Locux on top of the World's Tooth. Ever since that day, the Humans and Dark Elves have been at peace, only to be prepared, should the Netherworld launch another attack.