The Sin of the Elves

The Creator

Before elves existed, Corellon danced from world to world and plane to plane. A being of infinite grace, Corellon is a god like no other. He is able to take the form of a chuckling stream, a teasing breeze, an incandescent beam, a cavorting flame or a crackling bolt of lightning. On nothing more than a whim, Corellon's body can become a school of fish, a swarm of bees, or a flock of birds.

Corellon has a passionate personality; he loves wholeheartedly, breaks oaths without reservation, and takes pleasure in every encounter he has with other divine beings. Most of the gods accept Corellon's chaotic but passionate behavior. But this angers Gruumsh, the most powerful of the Orc Gods. Corellon pays no mind, and it is perhaps this free spirit that allows Gruumsh to get close enough to wound Corellon, igniting the legendary conflict that costs Gruumsh one of his eyes and made Corellon bleed.

The primal elves arose from the blood that Corellon shed in his battle with Gruumsh. These beings, much akin to Corellon were splendid fey creatures, who followed in Corellon's shadow; beautiful sparkling echoes. Corellon noticed them, and named his favorites, based on their new and familiar ideas. They became the elven gods. One of his favorites was Lolth, and for a time, they were in love.

The Betrayer, Lolth

After ascending to godhood and spending time with Corellon, Lolth began to see herself as Corellon's equal. Lolth saw other beings in the cosmos making individual differences, and as such convinced a large portion of the primal elves to give up a bit of personal freedom to band together and achieve superiority. They turned away from the example of Corellon's wild, ever-shifting ways, assuming a static form, much like the form elves have today. As many of these primal beings assumed static forms, they began to see Corellon and Lolth in a new light. They now saw Corellon as the father, and Lolth as the mother.

Conflict arose between Corellon and Lolth. Each entity pleaded its case, and when distracted, Lolth struck Corellon, attempting but failing to kill him. This act rent the elves asunder. Lolth and Corellon parted ways, she went on to dwell in the Underdark with her followers, while Corellon became the leader of a pantheon that could no longer be trusted. The gods that followed Corellon became the Seldarine and those that followed Lolth became the Dark Seldarine.

The Diaspora

Save for the gods, Corellon cast out all beings from Arvandor, the first layer of Arborea, the High Forest. As a consequence for Lolth's actions, no Elf or elf spirit would ever return to enjoy eternal life in Arvandor. This is punishment for what is called The Sin of the Elves. Only Eladrin, beings that most closely resemble Corellon and the primal elves due to their ever changing nature, can ascend to Arborea. When an Eladrin soul returns to Arborea, it is taken care of by the other gods of the Seldarine. In this time, the soul is given respite from the living world, and left to ponder it's creator's disappointment. Once ready, the soul re-emerges from Arborea, to be reborn in a graceful body that lives for an incredibly long period of time, a sign of Corellon's love (despite the betrayal).

After being thrown out of Arvandor, the primal elves, essential fey creatures, defaulted to The Feywild. There, many assumed unique forms, and became the Eladrin. Over time, the Eladrin ventured out into the cosmos. Those that left the feywild eventually assumed forms that fit their environments; high elves, wood elves, sea elves, etc.