Ice and Dark

Prologue
An account of the Shattering of the World and the beginning of the Realm
-          Adapted from The Book of Kaldek

         When the world was new, it was the Elves that were given domain over all other life.  The god Valmar spoke kindly to his children saying that they were Beloved and prospered them with many riches.  He abode with them in their tree bound villages and taught them the ways of knowledge.  The Elves loved their Creator and called Him Father.  Slowly, the other gods began creating people to cherish and give guidance.
         But Malvek, the youngest of all the gods, had steeled his heart away.  In a jealous rage, he spurned Valmar for giving full dominion over to no one save the Elves and with his twisted hand, he smote half of the Children of Valmar - marring them with blackness in their hearts as well as on their hides.  Once so stricken, these blackened Elves saw Valmar, their Father, for the ill-contrived image Malvek placed in their heads and hardened their hearts against him.
         Grief weld up in Valmar and he cried out for his children but their ears had turned deaf unto his pleas.  Torn and split between love and hatred, the god commanded his untainted children to take up arms against their ill brethren and drive them deep into the mountainous caves and undergrounds which only the ghouls called home.
         A war so great and terrible amassed that all races were soon shaken from their ways and brought to purge Malvek's malevolent children.
         Now it appeared that the god Valmar had favored one Elf more than the rest and he named her Elyndriel.  So fair was she that even the heavens bowed at her feet and Valmar loved her - and from that love created the child Adun.  When Malvek caught sight of Elyndriel by the Stream of Conquest, he loved her and coaxed her deep into the forest.  Valmar searched for his Elyndriel - for she was heavy with child - but what the forest receives, the forest keeps and yielded not even to the god.
         Therefore, in a rage that rent the world, in agony Valmar let in the sea severing the great lands.  He took up his people and set them high into the Forbidden Forest, surrounded off by the Great Spine - a large mountain range that sharply curves to the heavens. 
         The day came, however, when the Children of Malvek fashioned powerful warships and crossed the great ocean.  Led by a greyly cloaked figure, the Demierians - which they were thus named - climbed the Great Spine and entered the Forbidden Forest.  Distressed, Valmar, tried to stop them but the strange leader evaded the powerful god at every turn.
         Finally, disguising himself as one of the Darklings, Valmar came into the camp and unto the leader.  "Lord," He spoke softly, "How is it that ye know the way into the Forest?  Hast ye ventured here afore?"
         The figure beneath the empty black robe lifted his head boring eyes of steel at the disguised Valmar.  "I know who ye are and what ye seek."
         And the figure lifted his hood letting the moonlight cascade around his features - which were surprisingly fair.  And Valmar fell to his knees in disbelief as he beheld the face of his son - whom he never met - Adun.  But Adun bore no warmth to the man who sired him - his eyes piercing as the cold ice toward the god.  For he had been raised by the god Malvek to hate Valmar and likewise his children.  Thus did Adun drive the Elite of Malvek's Children across the Great Sea to drive forth the Children of Valmar until their hearts could no longer sustain a beat.
         Crying out, Valmar gathered up his children and smote down upon the evil that had tainted the Forbidden Forest.  And they did press upon the backs of Adun and the Children of Malvek until they were driven back to the Great Sea.  In a cataclysmic assault, Adun launched himself at the god Valmar convinced that his own suffering would end with the demise of his father.  For he knew that no one save one that shared a god's blood could destroy Valmar and he sought to burn the god to ashes fueled by the hatred bored deeply inside by Malvek.
         As the sun set upon the shores of the Great Sea, Valmar cleaved his black blade at Adun - his son- whom resembled his sweet Beloved Elyndriel.  It struck true burying itself in the blackened heart of the demi-god sending him to his knees.  As Adun fell, the sword sunk deeper into his flesh until it was no longer visible dwelling within the blackened dying heart.  The great god - realizing his grave mistake - took up the boy - now man - in his arms and wept.
         "Adun, son of my Beloved, forgive me my sin."
         "No Father, forgive me for my blindness."
         Upon hearing the god's sorrow and the boy's dying breath, the two Elven races stood side by side after two millennia and mourned the great loss.  Valmar held Adun until the last rays of the sun kissed the horizon and the boy's body stilled, shuddering one final breath.  Seeing the light fade from Adun's eyes, Valmar wailed a pitiful cry lashing across all of the world.  In sorrow, he rent the world for the second time.  The Great Sea burgeoned with impassable waters, the mountains twisted to steep spires and the land of the west where dwelt Malvek, the great god cursed the soil.  Never would it freely yield fruit for it had become a barren wasteland where it only snowed and iced.  He thickened the clouds so that the sun never shown and all the inhabitants, thereof, would suffer as he suffered until one day when he would be reunited with his joy.
         And so it was, after the cracking of the world, Valmar turned to his children and embraced them amid his grief.
         "Beloved of all men, I fear the time has come where I must absent myself from this world for my grief is too great that I might the world unmake.  If I were to stay any longer, I would war upon my brother and surely sunder every life therein.  Therefore, no longer as flesh, but as spirit, I will exist to guide and protect you.  As is, this must be so, for thy sake and for the world's.  For surely, when I finally do combat against my brother, this world will become unmade."  And thus Valmar, god of the Elves, left the world and his children only to dwell in their hearts.
         Fearing that Malvek would seek total dominion, the other gods took up their beings and departed likewise - to only come unto their people in spirit - so that a war would never grace their own beings.  As for Malvek, he stayed dwelling upon the land with his children - knowing that he had won.
         Some men say that there will come a time when the god Malvek will fall to his knees at the hands of the Chosen One.  Many wait the day on bated breath when the Elves shall become one again and men shall find the courage of gods.