Rakuyōsei

The Birch Elves

A Rakuyōsei scout.

Exiles and pariahs, the eladrin of the Coreward islands, now called the Rakuyōsei, fought bitterly with the drow for centuries over control of the Emerald Expanse, after the Deluge decimated most ancestral elf lands. The drow eventually won, drove the eladrin from the great western jungles and now leverage their Commonwealth status to paint the exiles as evil warlocks. They're also commonly called the Birch Elves or more derogatively Witch Elves.

Clan Status: Not a clan; generally regarded with distrust by the Commonwealth due to Oronaga propaganda

Totem Kami: None; boreal nightstalkers and ravens are common in Birch Elf lands, so there is some association there

Colours: Traditional eladrin fashions, mildly influenced by trade with the Nikata and Iname

First Kannushi: None; not a clan

Vassal Clans: None; not a clan

Reputation: Mysterious, reclusive, dangerous shapeshifters; much drow propaganda painting them as insane witches who commune with yōkai and other dark forces

Preferred classes: Ranger, druid, magus, ninja, cleric (Aum Overshepherd Rom, Auron Surai)

---

Imagery: Rakuyōsei Fashion & Scenery Image Gallery (External)

A Rakuyōsei shrine.

After the Deluge, there was a vicious and desperate war between the early Second Age drow (now the Oronaga) and eladrin to secure the Emerald Expanse, with the drow ultimately winning due to their ruthless use of the underlying caverns for guerilla operations. The eladrin were driven away from the Endless Jungles to colder, more sparsely forested islands off the Coreward coast of Marai, nearest to the mainland Nikata and Iname Clanlands. These are not ideal environs for the wood elves, and they have struggled to maintain their spirituality so separated from many of their ancestor spirits, but they have managed.

As always, history is written by the victors: the Oronaga have since crafted a thorough narrative of the Rakuyōsei as aggressive and greedy hegemons, defeated by the glorious partnership between the drow and pre-Commonwealth humans. Most Maraian clans accept this narrative (or desire Oronaga goods too much to care), although Birch Elves' trade partners—the Iname and Nikata—are not so sure. The Tanuki and Spiders are not especially loyal to the Commonwealth themselves, and have developed a more clear-headed and even sometimes warm relationship with the exiled eladrin.

What’s more, the coastal lands adjacent to the Birch Elf Forests are growing as Materia’s oceans recede, exposing some exciting and potentially powerful insights into the ancient history these exiles nearly lost. Included in these discoveries are teams dormant Varya, some of whom are, miraculously, waking up, and are sympathetic to the Rakuyōsei’s plight...

Geography

The Commonwealth of Marai

Open full size

Including the Skylands to the east and the Kula'wongai to the Voidwest. Map covers Waking Materia's Lower Alpha and Upper Beta Quadrants.