Silvanesti

Formation : The original elven kingdom in Ansalon, from where the Kagonesti and Qualinesti elves probably came. Holding capital at Silvanost, this kingdom is famous for its marble buildings, garden-like forests and the towers of Eru at the mouths of the Thon-Thalas.
Age of Dreams :
Silvanesti was founded by the great elven leader Silvanos Goldeneye after the First Dragon War in 3550 PC. After wrestling the land from the great dragons, Silvanos was able to create the great elven nation out of the dragon's former homeland. Upon settling in their new forest, the elves set about creating their capital city. They named this city Silvanost and their nation Silvanesti in honor of their leader who had finally united the elven clans. In 2239 PC, the Empire of Ergoth and Silvanesti signed the Treaty of Thelgaard over the cloth trade.
In 2192 PC, the eastern Empire of Ergoth expanded into Silvanesti lands. A terrible war ensued for the next half century taking its toll on both nations. The war ended with somewhat of a stalemate and both nations retreated to lick their wounds. By this time however, the elves that had fought on their western frontier no longer felt welcomed by the rest of their Silvanesti society. Prior and during the war, those western elves had become so heavily interbred with Ergothian humans that they no longer were considered pure blood by their eastern country men. Demanding social change, the western elves declared their independence. With the signing of the Swordsheath Scroll, those western elves moved further west into the forest of Mithranhana and founded the new nation of Qualinesti. Having felt a great loss from the war and the division of their nation, the Silvanesti started to become isolationists from the world around them.
In 1060 PC, the Third Dragon War raged across the continent. The elves endured attacks from Takhisis’s great dragons and defended their homeland. Losing only borderland territory, the elves were able to keep the great hordes of evil from entering into their heartland forests. With the conclusion of the war, Silvanesti was able to reclaim much of what they lost.
Age of Might :
In 673 PC, the nation of Silvanesti clashed with the growing Istarian Empire. Istar had sought to dominate most of the key shipping lanes and harbors. Skirmishes between naval merchants soon led to war. Both nations attacked each other at sea until Silvanesti finally created a major blockade across the Bay of Istar. Crippling Istarian trade, the human empire appealed to Solamnia for aid. Solamnia acted as a mediator was able to get both nations to sign the Swordsheath Scroll and thus the war was able to come to an end.
Peace was not to last with Istar however. In 280 PC, Istar appointed the first Kingpriest to rule their empire and tried to promote Istar as the moral center of the world. The Silvanesti become disgusted with this act and begin to once again take a hostile attitude towards the Istarian Empire.
In 118 PC, the Kingpriest enforced the new Proclamation of Manifest Virtue. This proclamation declared evil as an affront to both the gods and the peoples of Ansalon. The proclamation was followed by a list of acts and rules that would judge those as evil. Many of these acts were aimed directly at Silvanesti. With Istar's growing power, the elves knew that they would not be able to win a war should they challenge the Empire's new edicts. The elven King Lorac instead opted to seal Silvanesti's borders. Calling for the evacuation of all settlements outside the woodland border, the King further ordered the raising of the great Barrier Hedge. This last ditch effort of defense was a massive wall of thickly tangled thorny vines and plants that proved impenetrable to outsiders. Those who tried to force their way into the forest by cutting or burning the hedge soon gave up as the hedge grew back at an almost instantaneous rate. Thus with this act, the Silvanesti turned their backs on the world.
Over the next century, Istar gained almost absolute power over most of the other nations of Ansalon. With the elves' evacuation from their western plains and northern deserts, the Empire of Istar quickly moved in and occupied these lands. Istarian settlements such as Pashin and Hurim sprang up on the former Silvanesti lands further proving that the Istarians had no intentions of leaving.
Age of Despair :
The Cataclysm ended Istar's dominance over the world. After the disaster, Silvanesti sent out scouts to report the damage done to their nation. The effects of the Cataclysm had been catastrophic. Blaming the disaster upon the humans, the elves remained in their kingdom and continued to remain isolated from the world.
In 349 AC, Silvanesti was drawn into the War of the Lance. First negotiating a peace with the great Dragonarmies, the elves were soon betrayed. The dark forces turned south and into the woodland border. Knowing his nation's destruction was imminent, the elven King Lorac sent the population of Silvanesti fled south and west out of the nation, the king tried to drive the invading armies and dragons out of the land.

Type

Forest