Elven History
Age of Formation
In the formative years of Ivalice, when the land became cool, beings of spiritual energy existed. These beings, later formed into the Spirit Pantheon, would frollic about and consort with each other wildly. Races were born from these some of the oldest races, highly primitive, and lacked understanding. These races would be known later as Fiends and Monsters by those of higher order. Near the time period in which is referred to as the Age of Formation, the essences of Andromeda and Ultima coalesced to form two very old, very ambitious race: the Elves and the Occuria. The Elves took solid bodies of mortals, while their Occuria brethren took to misty bodies like those of their forefathers.
Age of Magic
Following the formative years and the Age of Formation, the Elves gathered in the wild forests of Ivalice, huddled together in their primitive huts, hunting with spears and crude bows. It is unknown how long the Age of Formation lasted, but it is known that it ended when the introduction of magic took place upon Ivalice. According to ancient hillside cave paintings from the Elves, a great hand came down from the heavens and bestowed magic upon the land, bringing many of the races into a state of enlightenment. With magic, the primitive tribes upon the land now possessed power to protect themselves from roving bands of Fiends. Magical fields were able to be placed around the forest glades, allowing for the Elves to begin their next stage of advancement.
Age of Enlightenment
With the gift of magic given to Ivalice, the Elves were capable of erecting magical fields around their homes. Extra security gave their people a chance to pursue a new quest aside from survival: understanding of magic. Thus began their construction of large towers grown directly from the trees, their contents housing their numbers as well as large libraries of knowledge. Many Elves, emboldened by this new acquisition of knowledge, began to venture from the safe magical fields into the outside world of Ivalice and to the burgeoning cities of Man. These diplomats, and the resultant indiscretions with Humans and other races, would lead to the surprising result of a new race: the Elvaan.
Age of Man
Time passed as it always does, and with it came the growing cities of Man and its technologies. Still the Elves clung to their towers and glades, sending out emissaries to gain the knowledge found by the magically inferior Humes. Magicite had become the involuntary crutch of Man, and with it the Elves learned its secret, continuing their own understanding and quest for power. During this age, a hidden, ugly truth began to form amongst the Elves: their Elvaan bastards needed to have the impurities bred out of them. Mothers and Fathers of Elvaan children began betrothing their children to other Elves, hoping the offspring would eventually reap pure Elves but keep some of their more interesting talents at hand. Eugenics had been born amongst the Elves.
Age of Rebirth
As with all mortals, some are more foolish than others. Elves, in their quest for knowledge, continued to gather pieces of magicite for study and augmentation of their own innate abilities. Supported by their wayward bastard children, the Elvaan, they shored up their defenses to keep off Archadian invaders. This, however, never came to be. The ascension of Larsa Solidor to the Archadian throne stopped the Archadian advancement to the northeast. Nearly twenty years after Emperor Larsa had halted the advancing armies, the world's greatest known disaster had befallen Ivalice: the Larsan Folly. Mist rolled out from the cursed islands, encompassing the world, and with it the Elven Glades to the northeast of Archadia. The same madness that had been rumored to have taken the Viera had taken the Elves. Men, women, and children murdered each other in the trees, the leaves crimson like the fallyet it was only spring when the Mist came and crushed the magical fields surrounding the glades. Survivors fled the glades, hoping that whatever madness would leave them. After a period of three months, the Mist evaporated from the Glades, leaving decaying bodies and ruined lives. The Elves were determined to renew their quest, and rebuilt with the help of their magical abilities and their Elvaan children. Unlike the Viera, the Elves returned to their wood, reestablishing the magical fields that protected them so long, and began to bury the dead. They had become more determined in their quest for magic and perfect eugenics.
--Encyclopaedia Archadia, Ninth Edition, 815 Old Valendian
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