The E'in, People of the Elements

50 to 250 ce:

Around 50 ce a fiery bullet streaked down out of the sky and crashed into what is now called the Aian River. At the time it was far deeper and mightier than today, and the alien object went deep underwater and into the mud. It had traveled two light years to arrive, and it did so in a deadly, unintentional crash.
The inhabitants of the object quickly escaped (if they could) and made their way up to the surface, and onto land. They were an alien people, unlike any other on Summer's Tale. They did their best to adjust to the new place, then began building a city on the riverbank.
They found their place to live and set up their strange civilization in the Alan Valley. They build their weird, lop-sided, blobby architecture, and their temples (shape depending on element worshiped there), and displayed their own style of art--especially scupture--everywhere.
Their "ship" was gradually overgrown with treest and plants, and now little of it shows. But when the river receded to expose it, they readily went back in and uncovered the magic they had brought with them.
Indeed, these people were great sorcerers and summoners of elements and elemental beings. They loved playing with their powers and inventing new elemental beings, and doing battle with them in one of their rings.
They loved games and contests, especially involving the elements, the six sacred elements (air, water, fire, earth, metal, wood) of the universe.
They took up residence in this new land, and although they lived mostly in the world of the elements, they found their place here, and North along the cliffs some adventurous E'in found an a thriving (and extremely threatening) Fey culture, with numerous portals; see (very importantly) Seeking the E'in.
The remains of the E'in are still intact under certain conditions, ann odd set of cartilaginous sticks and pieces. The only clue we have to their full physical makeup are the breeds they made with the Fey so long ago. These Fey still bear some kindof resemblance.

325 to 400 ce:

The area proved to have a strong energetic link to the Elements, even a few hidden portals to the elemental realms.  They lived and breathed these energies, and they reveled in that the powers were the same as those in their former / home world.

The E’in, people of the Elements: Their culture rose to its heights during this time, in far-west Aligoria where their crash originally occurred, from the inland city now called Wigropa, to the outlying settlements at the mouth of the Aian, then north and south along the coast. All of these settlements thrived at this time, with great discoveries and magical explorations.
They were a people of the elements and elemental magic, as called by others of their time. The records indicate that they were not human, not Fey, but something strange and alien to those that encountered them. Neither were they good nor evil, but worked for their own opaque purposes.
Their origins wer unclear to scholars and explorers of the time, but their great leaders (“priests”?) are said to have communed directly with the elemental deities and demi-gods--directly, even personally. It is thought by some that these leaders were the deities themselves, or avatars of such.
Fond of games and contests, especially of mortal survival in the face of the elemental powers, the E’in strove to find dwelling places where the 6 chief elements are balanced, as perfectly as possible.
The balance was skewed, possibly by the Magic Energy that was at its height at the time. It became skewed in the first decade or two, after impressive works of creativity on the part of the E’in. Air dwindled in its energy, and to much Earth was added, and Fire finally overwhelmed all--a demonic fire perhaps.

In any case, the E’in overall populated the river-mouths and estuary regions up and down the Lupine Coast, and they left behind various ruins and secrets, most of them elemental in nature. There are E’in ruins up and down the coast; most are small; those associated with FIRE energy seem to have survived the most intact.
Around 400 ce, an intense and hitherto unencountered magical energy swept across the western region of (now) Aligoria, and in its wake different magical powers and systems were disrupted, as with some kind of diminishing or amplifying wave. Unfortunately, the E'in's alien elemental magic was particularly susceptible to the Great Magic (see "The Great Magic".

AMONG OTHER HISTORIES

The E'in were situated such that outer forces rarely called upon them.  Those that did were usually Aligorians, and these more superstitious people gave them a wide berth.  Even the forces of Benneus Bristol decided not to travel up the Alan Valley to the legendary gnomish lands.  The stories of Fire and Ice monsters, strange witches that could manipulate the unholy powers of the earth and sky, kept them away.

In any case, the E'in did not seem (and were not) a threat to any civilization other than in the area where they resided.  They were not a warlike people, althought their powers and other-worldly technologies may be formiddable.  They held to their own taboos and superstitions, much more elaborate and nuanced than those of the Aligorian armies of the time.

CURRENT POPULATION

There are several powerful magic users who have come to dwell in the Valley over the past century or two.  They are secretive, and no one knows exactly who they are.  Are they E'in people?  Are they humans, or elves?  Did a few gnomes of the area make their way to the ruins and settle into its power?  Do they harness the fullness of the Old Powers?  This remains to be discovered.

Some Wigropian accounts describe an aggressive and wicked (and "irritable") sorcerer roaming the ruins with a scowl, his form trailing elemental powers.  He can be overheard calling out threats to the first-worlderes that dare encroach on his work.

In truth, the great "staff of protection against the first-world encroachment" is being reassembled in the ruins somewhere.  Although not intended for such by the E'in, the staff has incredible offensive powers and can easily be used nefariously.  In particular, it can bring elemental powers into the material world.  What destruction that might bring is beyond imagination. 

Maria, a young Aligorian scholar of the Imperial Library of Tellarus, has dug up an old history book about the E'in, written sometime about 300 years ago, by one who dared explore the ruins, some Junio the Daring. 

The book contains information about the staff, and that there has long been a group of magic-users trying to revive the staff (Seeking the E'in) and its powers.  The scholar is eager to discover a group of adventurers who would take the task of exploring and bringing back information and artifacts.

(The book contains copious information about the staff, its background, and its makeup: Seeking the E'in .
LINKS 2.1.2. E'in Ruins Seeking the E'in

The E'in: People of the verdant cliffs.

THE E'IN STRUGGLE WITH THE FIRST WORLD

Something about the alien nature of the E'in grated against certain aspects of the world they found. Their presence was especially grating to the first world and its liminal presence. The E'in people were annoyed, bothered, and even taken ill from the presence of the fey world.

The two worlds encroached on each other, and the two populations soon took to war. The E'in developed a great elemental weapon that would send elemental destruction into the first world and ultimately destroy it.

Two fey brothers, the Pokeo twins, managed to steal away the gemstones and bring them back to the first world, scattering them in hiding places all across the fey world.

The E'in though developed a sensory system: rings of power with micro-gems, to hunt down the gemstones. Gradually, the minions of the E'in sorcerers hunted down the gems and claimed them for the few remaining E'in people.

The Auran Gems are the last to be taken, from the Fairie Queen of the Sparklewaith. When delivered to the E'in, the gems would complete the sceptor-weapon, and the assault on the first-world could begin again.