Wood Elves (Warhammer) - Background and History

Background and History

The Wood Elves (known as "Asrai" to themselves) were once members of the High Elves, the original group of elves in the Warhammer world. Setting sail from their homeland of Ulthuan, an island-continent in the ocean to the west, the High Elves colonised the lands later inhabited by men, including the forest of Athel Loren. After many years of peaceful existence, these colonists came into conflict with the Dwarves, a conflict which escalated into open war. Known as the War of the Beard (Dwarves sometimes call it the War of Vengeance), this centuries long conflict saw Dwarven forces through Athel Loren, felling trees to fuel their furnaces, and to spite the nature loving Elves. Some Elven colonists took to the woods to prevent this destruction, ambushing the Dwarven forces when possible.

Eventually the High Elves, after the death of Caledor II and with the Dark Elf invasion of Ulthuan, made the decision to retreat back to their homeland to its defense. However many of the colonists felt little loyalty towards that distant land and, having formed a bond with the woods of Athel Loren, chose to remain. They became known as the Wood Elves. Over time the forest's other inhabitants, spirits such as dryads, treemen and spites, have come to accept the elves, although some such as the branchwraith Drycha still resent their presence, and parts of the wood, such as the Wildwood, still remain closed to them.

The Wood Elves have learnt to wield Athel Loren as a weapon against invaders, leading invaders down magical pathways to wander for centuries, only re-appearing many years later before quickly ageing and dying. Such 'tree-singing' is also used to form great cities in the trees, cities which few outsiders are ever permitted to see. The Wood Elves cannot be described as morally 'good' or 'bad', lacking the clear definition of their cousins, the High Elves and Dark Elves. Despite this, Wood Elves are counted amongst the "Forces of Order" in the current rules. Like nature itself, they can appear as fickle and capricious as the winter chill, yet also as warm as the summer sun. Athel Loren, the enchanted forest of the Wood Elves, is ruled by two powerful elves called Ariel and Orion who are possessed by deities which are manifestations of aspects of nature. Ariel being the peaceful regenerative representation of nature, and Orion is the warlike unpredictable side.