In the aftermath of the Great Cataclysm, the only part of the Ulthuan Kingdom of Nagarythe that was not drowned by the enormous ocean waters, were its mist-covered highland territories. Miraculously, a large part of the renegade highland population of Nagarythe survived the unnatural earthquakes and magical energies of the Sundering.

In the desperate effort to recover, the newly established Asur society became even more vigilant (and fearful) over the resurgence of Chaos and in becoming so, thought it best to never again speak of the kingdom that through its Dark Renaissance had given birth to such an abomination as the Cult of Pleasure.Indeed, the emergence of the cult itself was the most bitter blow of all to elven civilization, for it proved to them that elvenkind was not immune to the lure of Chaos, as they had believed.

What little remained of the proud kingdom of the demigod Aenarion was fittingly named Shadowlands by the Asur elves. This is a name that has survived to this day and those grim and possibly nomadic elves that still live in that region are known simply as the Shadowlanders. Today only vague recollection exists of the part in history this region has played prior to the Sundering and even less of the contemporary achievements of its secretive society. In fact, even though the people of Nagarythe were instrumental in numerous defeats of the Druchii, their true part in many important events has been somewhat lessened, if not utterly neglected.

As the millennia pass, the only information about this northern kindred of the Asur elves is either erroneous or folklore; hidden under so much fiction, superstition and legend that it is almost impossible to retrieve whatever truth lies beneath. Even now, with the House Coraith establishing some form of Asur civilization and high culture within the shadowy lands of Nagarythe, the region remains as inhospitable as ever…and its people are not eager to stray far from Aenarion’s path to war.

Given this lack of knowledge, the Asur elves of the other elven kingdoms regard the population of elves that roam freely the vast, mist-covered highlands of ancient Nagarythe as another – quite uncivilized and somewhat barbaric – part of elvenkind. Of what little is known about the dreaded Shadowlanders, only this can be considered as true: myriad centuries of walking upon a different path have forged them into a distinct elven kindred; one that nowadays has a remote resemblance to the High Elves of Ulthuan, but a more evident relationship to their lost kin, the Dark Elves of Naggaroth.

What is however known is that these elves are the sole members of the Asur society to admit and relish in their undying hatred of the Dark Elves. If truth be told, it is this sinister aspect of their nature that marks them out and taints them with the same malice that utterly overwhelmed their Chaos-worshiping kin. However, they have managed to largely contain their hatred and make use of it in times of war.

It is also true that their clan-based society is indeed suited to the desolation of their homeland, although not many ‘outsiders’ are aware of this union of clans. Nagarythe society is one prepared for hardship and bred for war, therefore, completely alienated from its pompous and somewhat foppish Asur counterpart. Both societies seem pleased to have a rather basic contact that allows them to proceed upon their chosen paths without any external hindrance (in the case of the Nagarythe) or reminder of their darker, more Chaotic nature (for the Asur).

As members of an almost feral society, these elves are never really welcomed – feared more likely – by the other elves of Ulthuan. For it is true that the elves that still linger in the lands of the destroyed ancient Kingdom of Nagarythe, ever a proud and warlike people, are cruel and merciless in the way of Aenarion in his madness. Without any doubt, they remain a frightening proof of the potential for evil within elven hearts. Today, the so-called Shadowlanders are the most ruthless Asur kindred and such reputation is not an unjust one.

The desperate struggle for survival hardened and embittered the Nagarythe, so that the Asur came to regard them as a cruel, if not bloodthirsty, people. Consequently, the Nagarythe survivors felt themselves the most affronted of the folk of Ulthuan. They had taken the brunt of the wars against Chaos and the Cult of Pleasure, and yet their fellows openly loath them.

To most people the Shadowlanders remain a tainted and homeless people, ‘touched by the Witch King’ as the elders would say, outcasts, of whom many are driven to a life of perilous adventure beyond the borders of the island-continent of Ulthuan.

Nevertheless, the majority of this people have chosen to remain loyal to their beloved homeland, no matter how badly scarred in the aftermath of the Sundering. Hidden deep within their mist-covered highlands and protected by raging seas and the towering Annulii Mountains from the outside world, the so-called Shadowlanders have managed to create anew their age-old highland clan society. No major cities exist in the lands of the Nagarytheans, since their communities tend to be isolated. The only populous settlements are the fortified land holds of the surviving clans along wooded and fertile mountain valleys. Many grim-faced elves are arrayed along the Shadowlands ever watchful, especially as the Blighted Isle lies just off Nagarythe’s coastline, to which the twice-accursed Druchii are often drawn.

Only recently, as elves measure time, has there been an attempt by the Asur to bring Nagarythe into the Asur way of life, even though it has proved to be a rather difficult task...yet Calaidan of House Coraith seems determined enough to succeed.

In the present day these broken lands are all that remain of Aenarion’s proud and mighty kingdom. The beauty of this very old land is forever lost beneath the great oceans and truly only a mere shadow of its former glory now lingers. For the Asur elves, this is a realm of despair and one that constantly reminds them of the destructive darkness that lurks within their tormented souls - as this was the very soil that gave birth to the most hated of all Ulthuan foes, the Dark Elves of Naggaroth.

The Nagarythe of today have an abiding hatred for Dark Elves and worshipers of Chaos and are eager to take pleasure in the destruction of such creatures, as they showed during the years of the Shadow King. This is understandable, for they have fought many battles against the Naggarothi of the New Worlde and other Chaos-worshipers over the long years. This hatred is a potent force and a definitive trait all Nagarythe share and one that was greatly instilled into them by fiery speeches of Alith Anar, their greatest hero.

In truth, this hatred and the legacy of Alith Anar may be the one obstacle to Calaidan’s rule, since the majority of the population accept his position, albeit grudgingly, for no other reason than his valor in defeating his brother Kaldor. Other than that, Calaidan is seen as an ‘outsider’, one that has not yet fully grasped what it means to be part of Nagarythe…although some of the elders argue that Calaidan since the loss of his brother – first to the Dark Elves and finally by his own blade – has began to realize that Nagarythe is a land of sacrifice…a land for warriors and one that constantly tests their mettle.

Nevertheless, the so-called Shadowlands have a long and proud history that all Asur elves should have knowledge of. A truly majestic and bloody history it is; closely entwined with the rise of the demigod Aenarion from the wild lands of Avelorn to the Phoenix Throne…