The Story of The Schism
The Great Divide, The Making of Three, The Split, and the Schism are in reference to the same event-- A war that destroyed one people, and birthed three. It is a critical part in Elven history and belief. It is why each race is the way it is, from skin color to mannerisms. It is the start of racial bias and persecution, the very roots of Druidism, and the creation story of the Elves.
The Beginning
Before the Schism, before the Three, of course, were the Ancients. The Ancients lived in Saria’s paradise, alongside her as their children.
They were born of her, rather than a part of her, as the Fae are — they were blood.
This is why the Ancients did not have the same power despite living in the highest branches of the World Tree alongside their Mother. They tended to the plants, they cared for all Saria’s creatures, and loved the World Tree as their Mother did.
Many were content with this life and understood that the Mother’s word was final in all things and that this way of life — to live without magic — was the simplest and, therefore, the best. However, there were enough among them that believed they were entitled to this magic like their more Fae-Like siblings.
“The Fae did not have to earn their magic, so why should we?” were the thoughts among them.
This group (which grew to be a third of all of them) would be marked as the Betrayers, the Entitled, the High Elves.
The group (which continued to be devoted to Saria) that ignored the arguing, would be known to be the Indifferent, the Tenders, the Wood Elves.
The group (the last third of the whole) who fought against the Betrayers, would be known as the Betrayed, the Bitter, the Drow.
The Schism
The Betrayers did not know how they would get their magic, for they knew that Saria would never give it to them no matter how they asked; and let it be known that in fact, they asked.
They asked and asked and asked until Saria snapped at them; this being the first sleight of many.
Saria told them that they would never receive her gifts through begging— that they must earn them through wisdom, care, and devotion. She told them that if they could not do these things then they would never receive her gifts— that they were not worthy of them.
The Betrayers thought amongst themselves and came upon the idea that if they could not be given magic, they would simply take it. After all, they were entitled to their magic just the same as any of Saria’s children… were they not?
So out of anger and out of hope, the Betrayers destroyed the world tree; they tore at its branches, burned its bark, and poisoned its roots. They would take the magic from it— to rip it from what remained.
The Betrayers tapped the tree for its magic, attempting to take all and leave none. As the tree burned, the Betrayed approached, and stopped those leeches from taking anything and everything.
Saria poured her life force into the tree as her children fought— her and the Tenders did all they could to stop the burning, to stop the death.
Saria gave everything, but it did not seem to be enough. As the Ancestors fought, the World Tree wilted and died, giving way to the parasites inside it.
The war that came from this act was brutal and bloody. The Betrayed had the Tenders on their side to heal them as they attacked listlessly, however, the Betrayers got what they wanted; sapping the magic from Saria and twisting it into their own. It was something beautiful but born from bloodshed.
Both sides were even. No one would win, but all would lose.
Eventually, the Betrayed left and built boats that took them across a sea of stars and into the new world. They laid claim to all they saw, for they believed that it was their right as Saria’s betters to own the earth they walked upon.
The Three
The Betrayers fled into the world, leaving their brothers behind, and taking all that they deemed worthy of them. They ignored the dark places such as the caves, and the disgusting ones such as the swamps. They stayed out of the jungle as well, seeing as it was best to leave the tribals to their cannabilism and murder.
They climbed to the peaks of the mountains and believed that they should be worshipped as the highest. They were just as good as the Mother, if not better. They would be the closest to the sky, and make new branches out of the highest tips of the earth.
They lived higher than the trees could grow beyond Saria and her leaves— and sat warm and fat in the light. Their skin became sunbleached from lack of shade, which gave them their pale tones. They were known as High Elves, for their affinity for mountain peaks and their belief that they were above even Saria herself.
Back at the world tree the two others remained and tended to it. The Betrayed grew bitter at their brothers, abhorred by their pursuit of magic as well as their supposed wisdom. It did not bring them anything but pain. They stomped through the ashes and left the Indifferent behind— the Indifferent who did nothing to defend their home.
They joined the world and found it possessed by their enemies, who shoved them into the dark and disgusting crevices of their earth— all of the places the High Elves would not dare touch.
They hid from the world and their brothers within caves and bogs, skin turning dark to match the shadows, giving them their namesake. The Dark Elves did not dare leave their holes for the Entitled would cull or enslave all the darkness they found. They suffered bitter and alone and forsook the magic that killed their Mother. They still cared for Saria and tended to the underground they lived in, watering the roots of the World Tree in her name.
Only the Indifferent stayed, for they believed that this was a test, just the same as the others. They believed that Saria, through giving her life to the tree, had become a part of it and that through tending it and praying to it that they would bring her back— that their devotion would save her.
So long did they toil, turning them as brown as the wood of the tree they tended. The Wood Elves kissed the earth that Saria made, and knew that one day she would return.
So it was through centuries of devotion and work that the World Tree sprouted leaves once more— she grew once more. They knew the Mother was back, despite never being the same; lost because of their apathy, because of their indifference, because they never chose a side. So they isolated themselves in their work, tended to the earth, and made sure Saria would never die again. They vowed never to make the same mistakes. Through their work they were able to once again sing atop the branches of the World Tree— just as they were made to.
The Children of Saria
When Saria was reborn, the Wood Elves decided that in order to prevent another loss like the one they had just experienced, they had to spread the children of the Mother Tree. Four groups formed, carrying with them the head-sized seeds that they would share with the world. They would bring each direction a gift, just as the Mother would.
So the Wood Elves left for the world, going North, East, South, and West.
The Wood Elves of the North were the first to find resistance. The Northern humans did not take kindly to their encroachment and thought they were just as bad as their sun-bleached cousins. The humans forced them to the base of the mountain. There they planted their seeds and fought for them. The humans rarely gave them a moment of peace, which turned the Wood Elves of the North into savage isolationists. They decided that the world must earn the gifts they gave, much as their Mother would want.
The Wood Elves of the East were the only ones to fail. They took their seeds East to a land full of blood-stained sand. They cried for the land they found and hopelessly tried to bring it peace— pointless as others said it was. They made their way into the city, making an agreement with the humans there that they would help them farm their land, and bring new life to the continent. Here, these Wood Elves became civilized. They gave up their belief with their gifts, knowing that being on the winning side was for the best, for surviving is what their Mother would want.
The Wood Elves of the South were the second to find resistance, but through their effort, gained a powerful ally within the denizens of the jungle. They shared their gifts, their stories, and found an equal in the Orcs, contrary to how the rest of the world seemed to view them. They became the first Wood Elves to understand the spirits and the power they gave. They tended to the jungle, finding happiness within it.
The Wood Elves of the South also took to the Swamps, finding their kin within the mud. They learned of what had been done and decided that they deserved a gift from the Mother just the same as the others. They planted their seeds there, growing giant trees for the Dark Elves to live in. They gave them ways to prosper and new shadows to hide in. They helped others find peace, much like their Mother would want.
The Wood Elves of the West would be seen as the most successful. They came to a land full of plains and quickly planted their seeds in the earth. They grew great forests and continued to develop the druid circles and the magic their Mother promised. They hid within the leaves and observed the world as they helped it grow. They continued their pursuits of wisdom, care, and devotion—
Much like their Mother would want.