The Grey-Elves, or "Grafyr" in their native tongue, are one of the several elven sub-races created by the Sundering.
The Grey-Elves are the rarest, oldest, and wisest of the elven sub-races on Corwyn, and by far, the most reclusive. Long ago, nearly all the Grey-Elves either died in the Great Rift, or left Corwyn and sailed back to their ancestral homeland of Eryn Norvë. Grey-Elves are said to be the closest kin to the ancient Elder-Elves or "Silvar-Elves" of Corwyn who founded the realm of Ectharë in the First Age.
Today, the few remaining Grey-Elves reside in the enclave of Antharë, located deep within the Vesarivon Forest. Few humans or dwarves have ever actually seen one. Grey-Elves make up only about 1% of the elvish population in western Corwyn, and usually shun even other elves.
Appearance
Grey-Elves resemble High-Elves in terms of their facial features and their milky, pale skin. The largest distinction is in hair and eye color. Most Grey-Elves have either silver, gold, or white hair. Grey-Elves have eyes of either amber, gray, green, or violet. They are also tall for elves, being about 5 1/2 to 6 ft tall, and, like all elven races, have a wiry, slender build. They like to wear elaborate tunics but in neutral tones of gray, white, silver, or green. Grey-Elves are strikingly handsome by human standards, even more so than other elves.
Outlook
Aloof and cautious, Grey-Elves are usually un-involved in political events on Corwyn, and have very little contact with other races. Isolated in their realm of Anthare. Grey-Elves generally get along with other elves, though they fear that the High-Elves of Melinarë are overly generous and a touch naive. Grey-Elves look with disdain upon the Wood-Elves, whom they see as barbaric by elven standards. Perhaps not surprisingly, Grey-Elves as a race are generally chaotic in nature rather than lawful. They value individual accomplishment and rights over the demands of society.
History
After the destruction of Ectharë; the race of elves split into three sub-groups; in an event called the "Sundering." After the Sundering, one group of elves traveled far to the west, and settled the realm of Wyntharë, which meant ‘West-Home’ in the Silvanestri tongue.
The elves of Wyntharë were the most reclusive and powerful of the three elven groups. Their mastery of magic knew almost no bounds, and some say it surpassed even the greatest of talents of the Saar and the Council of Sorcerë. These western elves eventually evolved into the Elf-race known today as the Grafyr, or "Grey-Elves" of Corwyn. Their skin was pale, their hair silver or gold, and their eyes were bright amber gold, pale grey, or even a deep violet purple.
The Grey-Elves were the shyest of elvish races and found no joy in even the smallest contact with other races, and had such meetings only rarely. The Grey-Elves that founded Wyntharë were led by the beautiful Queen Ariel Alessarë, who had been a powerful mage in Ectharë. The Grey-Elves built the magnificent Veiled Throne of Wyntharë, although only two elves ever sat upon it. Little else of their exotic culture is known today, except that the Grey-Elves built a marvelous civilization far in the western Corwyn, with secrets still unknown.
Devastation From the Great Rift
Sadly, this wonderful elven civilization was not to last. In the Year 884 of the Third Age, a powerful earthquake known as the Great Rift tore apart the elven nation of Wyntharë; leaving its cities in ruins and most of its folk either dead or horribly injured.
The elvish cities of Alarë and Wyn Falas were reduced to rubble and the city Selunë was completely consumed by the sea. This tragedy caused the Grey-Elves of Wyntharë to become bitter and morose. The survivors began to yearn to return to their ancestral home of Eryn Norvë.
Over the centuries that followed, nearly all of the Grey-Elves of Wyntharë left the shores of Corwyn and sailed back west, never to return. The Grey-Elves were led across the Wyn Myr by King Ajathar Alessarë, who was a descendant of the Elf-kings of Ectharë, and the only son of Queen Ariel.
Within a few centuries, the Grey-Elves abandoned the entire region known today as Westvale Island. These former Elven lands eventually became home to the Iskari, who had sailed across the Wyn Myr from the Continent of Ikharos to escape the "Doom." By the early Fourth Age, the Iskari founded their own kingdom of Iskandar.
The few Grey-Elves who decided to remain on Corwyn, settled in the Vesarivon Forest, on the Isle of the same name. Within that dense woodland, the Grey-Elves created an enclave for themselves, called Antharë.
