|
In Games Workshop's ''Warhammer Fantasy'' fictional universe, the Wood Elves are a variety of Elves (Tall slender human-like beings) who live in an enchanted forest in eastern Bretonnia, referred to (by the elves, in their own language) as "Athel Loren". ==Background and History== The Wood Elves (known as "Asrai" to themselves) were once members of the High Elves, the original group of elves in the Warhammer world. Setting sail from their homeland of Ulthuan, an island-continent in the ocean to the west, the High Elves colonised the lands later inhabited by men, including the forest of Athel Loren. After many years of peaceful existence, these colonists came into conflict with the Dwarves, a conflict which escalated into open war. Known as the War of the Beard (Dwarves sometimes call it the War of Vengeance), this centuries long conflict saw Dwarfen forces through Athel Loren, felling trees to fuel their furnaces, and to spite the nature-loving Elves. Some Elven colonists took to the woods to prevent this destruction, ambushing the Dwarfen forces when possible. Eventually the High Elves, after the death of Caledor II and with the Dark Elf invasion of Ulthuan, made the decision to retreat back to their homeland to its defense. However many of the colonists felt little loyalty towards that distant land and, having formed a bond with the woods of Athel Loren, chose to remain. They became known as the Wood Elves. Over time the forest's other inhabitants, spirits such as dryads, treemen and spites, have come to accept the elves, although some such as the branchwraith Drycha still resent their presence, and parts of the wood, such as the Wildwood, still remain closed to them. The Wood Elves have learnt to wield Athel Loren as a weapon against invaders, leading invaders down magical pathways to wander for centuries, only re-appearing many years later before quickly ageing and dying. Such 'tree-singing' is also used to form great cities in the trees, cities which few outsiders are ever permitted to see. The Wood Elves cannot be described as morally 'good' or 'bad', lacking the clear definition of their cousins, the High Elves and Dark Elves. Despite this, Wood Elves are counted amongst the "Forces of Order" in the current rules. Like nature itself, they can appear as fickle and capricious as the winter chill, yet also as warm as the summer sun. Athel Loren, the enchanted forest of the Wood Elves, is ruled by two powerful elves called Ariel and Orion who are possessed by deities which are manifestations of aspects of nature. Ariel being the peaceful regenerative representation of nature, and Orion is the warlike unpredictable side. ==The Wood Elven Army== A Wood Elven army is made of two major groups: Elven soldiers, and the forest itself. 'Forest Spirits' can and will be awakened in a time of need to fight for the well-being of the entire forest. These Forest Spirits usually take the form of leafy tree-like creatures (called Dryads, Tree Kin and Treemen). Dryads present themselves as lithe and lovely maidens who entice the unwary into entering the forest. At a time that the dryads find amusing, the lovely, near-human aspect is shed and the violent aspect manifests as a tree-like vengeful monster that tears the erstwhile guest to shreds. Tree Kin are more nebulous spirits that normally move freely through the forest, unbound to any physical instrumentality. When the need arises, however, the Tree Kin embody a collection of dead limbs and trunks, which then shambles along with the elven horde, smashing and crushing all that it meets. Most terrible of all the forest spirits, however, are the Treemen, which result when an exalted spirit makes the choice to bind itself permanently to a tree. The resulting creature lives for centuries: indeed, the eldest of, the Ancients, recall a time when the meaty nuisances of elves and men, orcs and dwarfs, did not trouble and pollute (and, worst of all, cut down) the forest. Also found in the forest are 'Spites'- the lowest form of spirits Athel Loren has to offer, who attach themselves to a unit, place or character and which confer a wide variety of unusual benefits. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Wood Elves (Warhammer)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|