The Black Spider, a political organization formed by drow and their sand elven allies, had become too great a threat for the Elvish Empire's ruling council to ignore. The first and last civil war of the empire erupted between the drow and the light elves.

History

During the upcoming years, the Black Spider had been arming up and preparing for war. When the Elvish Wars finally broke out, it was the crescendo of a century of Spider Movement polarization.

Initial Warfare

The elven council tried uniting all house militias into a single overpowering light elven army. This worked only halfway, as no common military hierarchy existed and units of two different races couldn't well fight together. Most houses therefore kept their militias for themselves, using them as immediate defense if the Black Spider attacked them. The Elvish Empire's army consisted therefore of the troops of a single high elven house, Mystraleth. Their militia alone comprised a force of 6'000. Black Spider troops, meanwhile, had a field day. Their perfectly organized and unified army, empowered by numerous powerful warcasters, could easily destroy smaller elven houses and be gone before slower but more numerous Elvish Empire troops could move against them. Through skirmishing and sudden huge onslaughts, the Black Spider absolutely dominated the war. Without the brave troops of Mystraleth, the Elvish Empire would have fallen to drow blades very quickly; instead, it suffered only a slow death. The drow did not dare directly engage their more numerous enemy, but kept to their skirmishing that would make them win in the long run. Unluckily for the Black Spider, the light elves had a number of extremely powerful individuals on their side. Those heroes set out in 4'157 b. OW to infiltrate drow headquarters, killing some of the leadership, including Sizza Maer'Duth. Shocked by the death of their leader, the remaining Black Spider leaders scrambled. Most of the drow troops fled Oshmondu altogether, retreating to the Caverealm in what was known as the Descent.

All-Out War

The Black Spider disbanded when the schism happened. However, about half their forces remained on the surface and continued fighting. Additionally, with the stability of fighting a single clearly defined enemy gone, various light elven factions began turning against each other. Remaining drow and sand elven units raided, light elves tried to bring Mystraleth to justice for its war crimes and attacked its armies, and individual houses seeking resources, power, or a safe haven fought each other. The ruling council was disbanded in 4'156 b. OW, when a matron was killed during a council meeting.

These Elvish Wars were unforgiving; losers rarely found pity. This two century civil war was far more deadly than anything the elven race had seen before. Whole continents went up in flames, the entire world was drenched in elven blood, and the Empire collapsed.

Aftermath

An alliance of prominent sun and wood elven houses called Silurite Alliance managed to weather the war the best; the Silur continent became the least war-torn. Eventually, all the fighting on Silur ended, and the few surviving overseas houses struggled to reach this last haven of peace. The alliance attempted building a miniature version of the Elvish system, but this was upset when Mystraleth rebelled and attempted to take power. The high elven house's defeat and collapse, and the ensuing establishment of the Silur Kingdom, is generally recognized as the end of the Elvish Wars.

Quick Overview