My name is Nymph, and my people and I reside deep in the forest within the country of Rivendell. My people are dying every day, and as their queen, I feel powerless to stop it. We've tried creating various elixirs to extend our lifespans, but each attempt has ended in failure. It wasn't always like this. We once lived peacefully alongside the elves, tending to Yggdrasil. In return, Yggdrasil bestowed upon us life force, extending our lives.
Rivendell was once a serene land where all kinds of elves coexisted harmoniously, despite their different lifespans. Unlike other species, elves gave birth to more boys than girls, leading Rivendell to become a patriarchal society. Men often had many wives to increase the population. Men had between four and ten wives, and they still lived peacefully.
The regulations that governed their relationships were strict to ensure fairness and harmony. These were not written laws by the country but norms:
1. **Equal Treatment**: A husband must love all his wives equally. What he gives to one, he must give to all. If he builds a house for one wife, he must build one for each of them.
2. **Marriage Limits**: Having more than six wives was only permitted for high-ranking nobles due to the scarcity of women, who had to be distributed among the men.
3. **Protection of Wives**: Wives who were mistreated could report the abuse, and those found guilty would be sent to the dungeon.
4. **Consent in Marriage**: Forcing oneself on or kidnapping women was strictly prohibited and punishable by execution. Marriages had to be consensual.
5. **Respect for Wives**: Women were treated with great respect, akin to nobility, and received excellent treatment.
6. **Inheritance and Property Rights**: Husbands had to divide property and inheritance equally among all wives and children, ensuring fairness.
Despite the increase in the number of women, the treatment remained the same. The nation was led by King Elfon and Queen Elzaran. King Elfon was a handsome high elf who was strong, while Queen Elzaran was a beautiful dark elf with dark eyes. They complemented each other; Elfon was strong, while Elzaran was wise. The King had only one wife to ensure everyone else could also marry. During his reign, Rivendell prospered and formed alliances with many nations. However, one of these alliances would lead to their downfall.
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One day, the dragon nation of Drakoria formed an alliance with Rivendell. It was a mutually beneficial relationship where dragons protected the elves from human kidnappers, and in exchange, elves provided dragons with fruits from Yggdrasil, which increased their lifespans. This alliance lasted for many years. However, the first princess of Drakoria fell in love with Elfon's son, and soon they began a relationship. This relationship was respected by everyone despite their royal statuses. The prince also had relations with the second princess of Drakoria, which he saw as normal given his nation's customs. However, things were different in Drakoria. One day, the first princess found the second princess in bed with the prince. A fight ensued in Rivendell, and half the capital was destroyed. The prince was turned to ashes by the first princess's dragon breath. Elfon, in his rage, took revenge for his son, but the second princess managed to escape.
A few days later, leaders of Drakoria returned with the second princess and had lengthy discussions with Elfon and Elzaran. After the talks, Elfon suddenly disappeared. Rumors spread that the dragons had killed him in revenge for their first princess. Whether the rumor was true or not, no one ever saw Elfon again. The Queen was deeply affected by the loss of both her husband and son. She began to neglect her duties and the country.
With Elzaran's neglect, Rivendell began to deteriorate. The once-thriving capital fell into disrepair. Public services collapsed, infrastructure crumbled, and crime and lawlessness soared. The once-lush environment became polluted and toxic. Without the fairies to tend to Yggdrasil, the great tree withered, and its life-giving fruits became scarce. Many creatures fled in search of cleaner habitats.
Dangerous groups emerged among the elves, idolizing Elfon and claiming high elves were superior to other elves. They despised dark elves and blamed Elzaran and her son for Rivendell's troubles. Elzaran's neglect allowed these extremist groups to spread their ideology and incite violence against dark elves and other minorities.
Years later, the dragons returned to mend the relationship, needing Yggdrasil fruits. Elzaran demanded they pay 100 large gold coins per fruit and help rebuild the country. They couldn't reach an agreement. Some speculated that Elzaran's demands were a way to indirectly refuse the dragons. Without dragon protection, Rivendell closed itself off from the world. Life became hard, and dangerous groups with different ideologies emerged, some even blaming us fairies.
We had no choice but to leave Rivendell due to the toxic air. We found a forest near the ocean and started living there. But even here, my people are dying. The air is cleaner, but without Yggdrasil's life force, our lifespans are rapidly diminishing.
Oh yes, my name is Nymph, Queen of the Fairies. My friends are dying left and right, and I don't know what to do. I think I will need to go and beg Queen Elzaran to let us take care of Yggdrasil. The air might be bad, but we will try to find a way to deal with the toxicity.