Manuscripts of Elder Days

lit.

This, in regards to the Elder Days of Hudemor, before the time of Rathnir and Eldham.
Thollgûnd

Here begins the Time Before
In the age of endless void before time ever breathed upon worlds many or few, the Creator, Nilludor, the name of he from whom all things have been made, separated the great void from his new creation. This making of existence from empty space he named to be Life. Within it he made an Earthen Land. This land he named Hudomer. He made the sun and moon and stars, so that his creation could be seen.

And so, Nilludor made a son to preside over these peoples, to practice his will above them, that they might seek to glorify Nilludor. When he made this last creation, he named him Teoduri, for he was like his son, separate in mind and body from his creator.

Nilludor, so loving and overjoyed, sang to the void and to Hudomer for his new son. So magnificent was this song that it sprang forth new life in the Earthen Lands. These were the likes of Elves. Hearing first this song from his father, Teoduri shed his tears, for in his conception into this realm, he saw what was beautiful. But his eyes also wandered to the void, and into darker places of the earth.

The peoples of Hudomer were peaceful, although their nature was not directly to the will of their creator, for they could not be holy. Teoduri walked on the earth, and saw 3 Elves, Mindaril, Heotill and Silotar. They were as beautiful as they were innocent, young in their eyes, and calm in their stature. In his awe at his fathers creation, Teoduri grew weak in his heart, for he revered what he could not make. And thus, Teoduri took these 3 Elves for himself, and cracked open the earth to make a cavern. In this place, which he named Carroden, he twisted the Elves into his own imitation of life. He forged with flames in the deep limbs for them, and eyes, and tongues. He cut away from their body and melded onto until a grim, formless, abomination stood across from him. This, his own creation, he named Hizuud-Khaal.

Teoduri sealed away the cavern with a door, called Detoniruut, and hurried away to Nilludor. Deep in ponderance of all that was made, Nilludor arose to greet his son. But in Teoduri’s eyes, he saw a shadow.

“What do you seek to hide from me, oh son?” Asked Nilludor

Seeing that his father felt he was hiding Hizuud-Khaal, he relented immediately, for he could not contain his excitement, “I have made for you a being, father” Said Teoduri, “one of shadow and darkness. Should you like to see it, I can take you there.”

Nilludor went with Teoduri to Carroden, and he looked upon the hideous Hizuud-Khaal. A great sadness filled his heart, to see his own creation twisted into this abomination. He looked to his son, who in his own innocence shared this with him. With this, he relieved Hizuud-Khaal from its pain, by granting it free will. Immediately, the being threw itself deeper into the abyssal cavern of Carroden, ending its tormental life. Teoduri, seeing his creation destroyed, turned to his father in betrayal, demanding it be brought back. Nilludor denied him his plea, and told him that life must be given free will, or it is not alive. With his fathers leave, Teoduri burst into a rageful fury, and swore he would avenge his creation in some way. For this, he sought for more of the Elves.

In this time, Nilludor created for the Lands a new caretaker, one that he decided to hide away from his son until they were ready to be seen. This was Man. And they were made in his image, that they might glorify him in body and mind. He gave them free will, but boundaries that they might not wander past a secret valley he placed them in.

The account of the Old Elves
When Elves first woke, their eyes were filled with wonder, for they woke in twilight. In their faces the glow of the moon shone, and they wandered Hudomer in awe. For a time, they spread across the earth, in solitude or in pairs, but it was not long for them to reunite. They made from trees and cotton fields tents to reside. Yet they would not sleep at night, for the Sea of Stars captivated them in their naive innocence. Here they sang tunes rejoicing of the stars and their creator, for they had knowledge of Nilludor, the name of he from whom all things have been made.

However, the shadows of the woods around them grew darker than what the moon or the stars would show. In this darkness, a being they named Dirulith, had ventured forth into their presence. This being was cloaked in black, shrouded by a hood that obscured his face. Dirulith had convinced three Elves to follow him into the woods, not to be seen by mortal eyes again.

Few times this being entered their camp again, but the shadows grew more dense in the night. For this they could not enjoy the Sea of Stars, for their eyes could not look to the sky. For this they grew somber. They longed to see their beloved Stars again without fear of Dirulith. Many of them would wander into the woods in hopes to see the Stars without the shadow.

The tales of Men Before
In the Time Thereafter, Men awoke in a valley, that is, Faroteth, the valley of safety. With them were tablets of carven stone outlying why they were here, and what they would do in their wait. On one tablet were the instructions written out,

In regards of your being,

The glory of your Lord Nilludor

Who has created you,

May you never deny me

For sake of your souls,

I have laid you in this valley

For hiding from my own son,

To wait until you and he are ready.

With this tablet there were many others, lost with time when they were broken during The Day of Wrath. For themselves they constructed houses of wood and stone and thatched roofs. With generations they learned of the earth, and for Men, Nilludor made beasts of land and sky and sea, although the latter they would see not for much time, as but only a stream of a river ran through this valley. Man would care for these beasts, and eat them for food.

In records passed by tongue, among the men was a hunter and cartographer, his name being Beruen, who had ventured outside the bounds of the Valley to map out the region. On his travels he was said to have met a glorious being of light. He spoke about him to be in a veil of silk and cotton, and would walk with a holiness he never saw before. In his presence, Beruen had bowed to this being immediately, and the being took notice of the man, seemingly in surprise that he even existed. Hurriedly the being had left him, running to the mountains.

For many generations the Men of Faroteth prospered, building structures of majestic prowess, and creating palaces for the wisest of them all. However, in their arrogance they made temples to worship their own hands, and the being of light they knew not the name of, but they gave titles to. The worship of Trithul-Diened, whom they believed to be the god of the beasts of the land. The worship of Mekuroth, whom they believed to be the god of both sky and sea. The worship of Hapurio, whom they believed to be the goddess of fertility.

Eventually, the valley fell into the worship of false idols they had created, for their nature was of free will, and they chose to deny their maker. This angered Nilludor, as such he had put into the hearts of them all a vile wickedness that would utterly wipe them out. But for the few who were faithful he spared this evil, and gave them freedom from the valley, to wander the earth. The Men of Faroteth fought and killed each other, the Women ravaged and killed, the Men tortured and eviscerated. All this time, a great dam they had built had burst, letting forth the rushing waters of the river to wipe many of them out. The remaining men were burned as lightning struck the valley. Such was the destruction of that day, which is known as The Day of Wrath, the spared would never return to that place, as it was nothing but a crater of ash.

The few remaining had split, so that they would not all be wiped out in one place again, that they might appease Nilludor. 3 tribes split from this decision, that would each later become a nation: one was Irilu, that went west; another was Kalator, that went to the east; the last was Fiotaden, that went northward.

Writings of Bonnibus the Scholar, who took from many accounts of Elves and Men
In the year 234, that being when time was measured after the Day of Wrath so long before, Man and Elves had met for the first time. This being the kingdom of Kalator, who were great fishermen at the Sea of Calottunen, had encountered the first of wandering Elves who had come from the far away woods of Lathwiaid. The Kalatorians and the Elves spoke (in the elder tongue) for many days on each other's history, this of course being about the great Shadow of the woods for the Elves, and the accounts of the Day of Wrath. Eventually they arrived on the topic of the Creator, Nilludor, the name of he from whom all things are made. The two alas understood they each had a similar purpose on Hudomer, to worship the maker.

Soon, word of the Elves spread to the other Kingdoms; Irilu and Fiotaden, the former being unsure of this new meeting. It was King Letorthadonen of Irilu, who sent forth his spies to live among the Kalatorians to learn more of the Elves.

The Elves of Lathwiaid and the Men of Kalator had built a road to connect the two, with the Elves visiting Kalator more. This, however, would not continue, when the spies were discovered by the Elves to be watching them in secret on one particular visit. The Elves grew uneasy of Men after this, and they ceased visiting them commonly, deciding instead to meet halfway. This point on the road created a town, known as Puro, half of Men and half of Elves. Alliances between the two were difficult, however as time went on balance was gained.

The last point of disturbance was when Irilu Men assassinated a prominent Elf in fear that the Elves were stronger than they stated. This sparked a war at Puro, with the Elves and Men crossing blades. The Men proved to be stronger and more numerous, overtaking the town within an hour, eliminating any who did not retreat. The surviving Elves reported to their own Elf Lords of this occurrence, which angered them greatly. They ordered their soldiers to prepare for war.

While these tensions would rise, A shadow arose from the woods near the kingdom of Kalator. A being shrouded in black stalked the people. Many would disappear over the following months, and in the beginning of the year 235 the Men feared that it was the Elves who would take men and slay them in the night.

Unexpectedly, an attack not from Men nor Elves occurred at Puro, the attack from a new being that had not been seen before. Orcs, many in numbers, strong in stature, slew all at Puro. None were left surviving, and the very reason it is known the Orcs attacked Puro was due to their taking responsibilities of the attack later on. At this time, it was unknown why Puro fell, although the Kalatorians assumed it was an Elf assault. They called to the Irilu and Fiotaden kingdoms for help, but the Fiotadens refused. The Irilu, however, came forth with an army far more vast than that of the Kalatorians, prepared for war with the Elves.

The Elves and Men would not clash again, for the Orcs had surrounded the Elven army as it marched to Puro, and overtook them quickly. This happened in the year 237. Thus the Elves were reduced to their forest kingdom of Lathwiaid, without any protection but the trees themselves. The Kalatorians and Irilu became aware of the Orcs when they directly marched against them at the Kalator city of Binituli. The city was laid waste to, but the Men fought them back, until a retreat was ordered by the Orcs. It was then that it was made clear that the being the old Faroteth Men had seen was the one who led this attack, for he had made himself known to them. He walked into the burned city, and demanded his presence be known. He wore a black cloak, with iron armor and a steel helm, with white light shining through. Many of the Men there bowed to him and worshiped him in fear, and those who denied him he would split the heads of. Those who chose to follow this being, whom they named Gholoth, were now known as Black Kalatorians. It was Gholoth who had made the Orcs, and ordered them to march against them. He stated in his realization of Man’s unforeseen competence he decided he would utilize them as his servants.

And so it was that Gholoth and his Orcs and Black Kalatorians marched against the Irilu to bend them to his will. The Irilu were far easier to subdue then the Kalatorians, merely seeing Gholoth made all of them bow, for they had already begun to doubt Nilludor. And the armies of Gholoth rose and he built for him and his people the fortress of Bashlugkaum.

In this time, the Elves had begun to rebuild their army and fortify Lathwiaid with walls. News came from Elven wanderers that he who had terrorized their woods for many years had risen to power in the west, and had destroyed the kingdoms of men. The Elven Lords feared they would be next, and began to pray to Nilludor for help.

During the hundreds of years Gholoth had made for himself creatures of terrible might, Orcs, Trolls, Vampires, Giants. But the greatest of beings he made was Jorm, the terrifyingly vast worm that he vowed would consume Hudemor. Jorm was eating the world from the North, and began to consume closer to Lathwiaid. When the trees of Lathwiaid began to decay, the Elves knew the time had come. The march of the armies of Gholoth resounded in their woods, and at last the War of the End of Days began in the year 246. The battle lasted for exactly one year, as the massive armies fought endlessly without rest. Siege equipment would destroy the walls, and Elves would fight the great army of Gholoth. Near the battle's end, Gholoth entered the Temple of Solemn Woe, the temple dedicated to the sorrow the Elves felt when they could not see the night sky without fear. He took each of the Elven Lords, one by one, slaying each of them. With the last Elven Lord, whose name is only remembered by song, Gholoth decided to hand a sword. With this, the great duel of Lords of the Land had occurred, and no sooner than it started, it had finished.

The warming light of sun unshining,

Blackened by the clouds outlining,

Trading naught but fear and lack,

No songs were sung,

No harp was strung,

The rider was robed in black.

Bringing forth his mace and sword,

Given to the Elven Lord.

Clashed were the blades and hilt,

Every meet of strike was felt.

Iliturin was the Elf's name,

Sung forth in glorious fame,

For he had stood before the Dark Lord

Willingly fighting, scarred and gored.

The stains of those he once had known,

Reduced to not but blood and bone,

Twice their blades met,

Once more again,

And the Elven Lord fully was slain.

This last fight for long was fended,

No songs were sung,

No harps were strung,

The War had finally ended.

And so it was that Iliturin, the last Lathwiaid Lord was slain by Gholoth the Great. He had achieved domination, and now all that was left to do was end the last resistance of Men in the West, the Fiotaden. But when he came forth to the west, he found that the world ended at Puro. There was nothing furthermore than here, for it was void. The west was gone, and Gholoth knew why and how. From him came a cry vast and wrathful, for his fortress was gone. It was then that he was at last met with Nilludor in a council of high, and banished beneath the earth as punishment for his transgressions, never to return to the surface. His forces were scattered to the hills, and Gholoth's reign ended in the year 247.

For Nilludor the creator split Hudemor in two, Westward being Rathnir, and East being Eldham, that they would never be met again. Gholoth was banished to the depths of the earth, unable to return to full strength above. The peoples of Men and Elves and Orcs repopulated both realms, and the Era of Peace Began.