Sometimes referred to as the Álfaren Empire, the Álfaren kingdoms are actually just a loosely organized confederation of different Álfaren (Elven; elfish) provinces and territories. The Álfar (Elves; fae, faefolk) come in a wide variety of races and personalities, and are divided into several independent kingdoms which are connected to many realms, lands or spiritual planes. Some elven races are "fairer than the sun" to gaze upon, and are described as often being more pleasant, benevolent beings who live in the sky, while other elven races are "blacker than pitch" to behold, and are described as greedy, crafty and mischievous beings who live underground.
The Álfar once lived on Earth, it is said, in reference to Midgard, the realm of mankind. Midgard is not so much the planet Earth, but rather the material existence, flesh realm, or corporeal version of mankind's mundane perception of the senses and view of reality. Midgard is the physical dimension of time space that the human body exists within. At some time in the distant past, the Álfar left Midgard and settled in the place that would become their homeland. This place is called Álfheim, and it is located in another dimension occupying the same time space as humans, but in a parallel universe or spiritual realm that human beings can not perceive with their natural senses. Therefore, this elf haven called Álfheim exists in the same world as humans, but is more often invisible and unknown to humans, though very rarely someone might catch a glimpse of the elves, if they are in-tuned with the frequency of the woven strings of nature.
Álfheim is the home of the elves, a haven for spiritual beings akin to the faeries. It is the lowest heaven, on the same level as the realm of mankind, Álfheim is the middle realm, the gateway by which the elves sometimes make themselves known to humans. It is said that certain humans are able to enter Álfheim by entering a fairy ring, or partaking in some form of altered consciousness. Álfheim can be accessible to daydreamers, mediums, clairvoyants, shamans, seeresses, and people experiencing hallucinations, out-of-body experiences or near-death experiences. The Álfar are not a single race or pedigree, but come in many sizes, colors and shapes. They are often associated with specific things found in nature such as rivers, trees, rocks, elemental forces and weather phenomena, animals and other living species found in nature. In many cases, the Álfar are the embodiment of the soul belonging to such things, viewed as the personification or manifestation of the spirits that dwell within nature, existing both as part of and independently from Midgard, the material world of human beings who also exist as both physical and spiritual entities.
Álfheim is not the only spiritual realm that is inhabited by the elves, but it is the closest to Earth's surface, and overlapping with Midgard, is the only one that humans have ever been able to explore. Álfheim is a green, fertile land where everything grows wild, where no domesticated animals exist, no industrialization or deforestation, and everything is free to roam. Álfheim is a magical, surreal setting with grasslands, shallow hills, woodlands and forest. The tree elves or wood elves live in Álfheim, and they are the guardians of the forest. They are sometimes called Tréálfar, the tree elves. They are known for wearing brown and green, and for being very stealthy and agile. They are the most common type of elves in Álfheim, but not the only ones. Swamp elves called Myrkálfar, along with plains elves or field elves, river elves and even wind elves occasionally pass through Álfheim, coming from their own respective nearby realms. Deer and other animals with antlers are a common sight in the woodlands where the tree elves live.
Álfheim ascends from the forest and goes north, where the woodlands merge into an endless open plain. It's a flat grassland that stretches for miles in every direction, where feral hogs and wild horses roam freely. This vast golden plain is called Andlang, and it is the home of the grass elves or landálfar. They are pollinating spirits who nurture the fields and tend to the animals, and Andlang is their heaven or paradise, located above Álfheim and Midgard where no mortal man or woman has ever set foot. Andlang is completely magical and untouched by human hands. Álfheim also descends from the forest and goes south, further below where the forest starts to darken and deaden in the way it looks and feels. An entangled knotwork of dead trees and vines creates a labyrinth to Myrkheim, an erie and foggy dreadful swamp or peat filled bog belonging to the swamp elves, or myrkálfar, sometimes called the grey elves, and they are much different from the landálfar.
North of Andlang, the vast golden plains start to form shallow hills, river valleys and streams. Wheat fields and grain, oats and wild grasses and weed flowers form blankets over the hilltops, and the streams turn into torrents which pour in from the ocean. This enormous magical expanse of sparkling blue ocean water always flows in the opposite direction you're trying to go. At first it starts as a calm sea wind, heading north towards a single extremely large mountain which towers over the horizon and extends above the clouds. South of Myrkheim, on the other hand, and through the bubbling, boiling hot mud pool, the murky depths and bottom of which nobody has ever felt, yet gets thicker and stickier whenever some unfortunate soul falls into its hidden tar traps, there is a row of boulders, or large flat stepping stones that can be crossed if someone leaps far enough. This ancient stone bridge leads to the rocky, edgy shores and cliffs of the stone mounds.
These pilings of stones just appear out of the swamp like an island of rocks, forming a cave entrance. The cave is actually Svartálfheim, the realm of the dark elves, and home to those mischievous spiritual beings which live underground. Svartálfheim is the abode of the dokkálfar, or dark elves, beings who are more associated with darkness and are actually sometimes allergic to sunlight. It is said that if their skin is touched by a single ray of sunlight, they will turn to stone and become another added monolith to the cave rocks. Dokkálfar look and behave quite differently than the light elves, being very greedy and cold in nature. The dark elves are shadowy characters who can be helpful, but are more often sinister and prone to malice. Svartálfheim is not a heavenly realm, but a very creepy, earthy setting known for the trickery, slyness and craftiness of its gem hoarding, metal forging, magical smiths and ogre-like inhabitants. The dark elves, moon elves, dwarves, trolls, goblins, and swamp elves frequent the caves, which act like a gateway to the underworld below.
The underworld exists below Svartálfheim, and it is called Niðavellir, which has a subterranean biosphere of its own and belongs to the dvergar or dwarves. Nidavelir is a place of smoke, heat, forging hot fires, dark caverns, mining camps and the like. Deeper still below that is the chamber of snake bones, where the dragon feasts. Yet north of Andlang, the ocean of Vidblainn turns from calm blue seas to a dark black stormy ocean with dangerous waves and challenging waters which seem to go on forever. Vidblainn is enchanted, and the sparkling blue ocean is easy to get lost in. It gets cold and dark, and the frosty air brings the threat of icebergs as the icey fog suddenly leads to calm mirror-like still waters, the patches of fog forming a layer of clouds which, combined with the loss of sense for up or down, creates disorientation. Most who dare the ocean of Vidblainn often get lost in its wake.To the north on the other side of the ocean is Gimlé the Good, an enormous majestic mountain which has its own ecosystem as well. The council of the high elves takes place in Gladshöll, the gem encrusted golden roofed hall or temple which shines like a lighthouse or beacon above the mountain top. Only the purest, bravest, most honest, most virtuous, most noble of souls are capable of reaching the mountain, or gazing up close at the hall of the alabaster white stone round table surrounded by a ring of throne seats, with its elaborate purple and blue hanging gardens, fountains, wells, springs, and brightly coloured stained glass observatoriums. Song birds and mountain goats dwell on Mount Gimlé, and other animals live all around and inside of it. Gimlé is the tallest mountain in the highest heaven, and the golden roofed stone white marble hall is a holy place and sanctuary for the elves.
The Álfar once lived on Earth, it is said, in reference to Midgard, the realm of mankind. Midgard is not so much the planet Earth, but rather the material existence, flesh realm, or corporeal version of mankind's mundane perception of the senses and view of reality. Midgard is the physical dimension of time space that the human body exists within. At some time in the distant past, the Álfar left Midgard and settled in the place that would become their homeland. This place is called Álfheim, and it is located in another dimension occupying the same time space as humans, but in a parallel universe or spiritual realm that human beings can not perceive with their natural senses. Therefore, this elf haven called Álfheim exists in the same world as humans, but is more often invisible and unknown to humans, though very rarely someone might catch a glimpse of the elves, if they are in-tuned with the frequency of the woven strings of nature.
Álfheim is the home of the elves, a haven for spiritual beings akin to the faeries. It is the lowest heaven, on the same level as the realm of mankind, Álfheim is the middle realm, the gateway by which the elves sometimes make themselves known to humans. It is said that certain humans are able to enter Álfheim by entering a fairy ring, or partaking in some form of altered consciousness. Álfheim can be accessible to daydreamers, mediums, clairvoyants, shamans, seeresses, and people experiencing hallucinations, out-of-body experiences or near-death experiences. The Álfar are not a single race or pedigree, but come in many sizes, colors and shapes. They are often associated with specific things found in nature such as rivers, trees, rocks, elemental forces and weather phenomena, animals and other living species found in nature. In many cases, the Álfar are the embodiment of the soul belonging to such things, viewed as the personification or manifestation of the spirits that dwell within nature, existing both as part of and independently from Midgard, the material world of human beings who also exist as both physical and spiritual entities.
Álfheim is not the only spiritual realm that is inhabited by the elves, but it is the closest to Earth's surface, and overlapping with Midgard, is the only one that humans have ever been able to explore. Álfheim is a green, fertile land where everything grows wild, where no domesticated animals exist, no industrialization or deforestation, and everything is free to roam. Álfheim is a magical, surreal setting with grasslands, shallow hills, woodlands and forest. The tree elves or wood elves live in Álfheim, and they are the guardians of the forest. They are sometimes called Tréálfar, the tree elves. They are known for wearing brown and green, and for being very stealthy and agile. They are the most common type of elves in Álfheim, but not the only ones. Swamp elves called Myrkálfar, along with plains elves or field elves, river elves and even wind elves occasionally pass through Álfheim, coming from their own respective nearby realms. Deer and other animals with antlers are a common sight in the woodlands where the tree elves live.
Álfheim ascends from the forest and goes north, where the woodlands merge into an endless open plain. It's a flat grassland that stretches for miles in every direction, where feral hogs and wild horses roam freely. This vast golden plain is called Andlang, and it is the home of the grass elves or landálfar. They are pollinating spirits who nurture the fields and tend to the animals, and Andlang is their heaven or paradise, located above Álfheim and Midgard where no mortal man or woman has ever set foot. Andlang is completely magical and untouched by human hands. Álfheim also descends from the forest and goes south, further below where the forest starts to darken and deaden in the way it looks and feels. An entangled knotwork of dead trees and vines creates a labyrinth to Myrkheim, an erie and foggy dreadful swamp or peat filled bog belonging to the swamp elves, or myrkálfar, sometimes called the grey elves, and they are much different from the landálfar.
North of Andlang, the vast golden plains start to form shallow hills, river valleys and streams. Wheat fields and grain, oats and wild grasses and weed flowers form blankets over the hilltops, and the streams turn into torrents which pour in from the ocean. This enormous magical expanse of sparkling blue ocean water always flows in the opposite direction you're trying to go. At first it starts as a calm sea wind, heading north towards a single extremely large mountain which towers over the horizon and extends above the clouds. South of Myrkheim, on the other hand, and through the bubbling, boiling hot mud pool, the murky depths and bottom of which nobody has ever felt, yet gets thicker and stickier whenever some unfortunate soul falls into its hidden tar traps, there is a row of boulders, or large flat stepping stones that can be crossed if someone leaps far enough. This ancient stone bridge leads to the rocky, edgy shores and cliffs of the stone mounds.
These pilings of stones just appear out of the swamp like an island of rocks, forming a cave entrance. The cave is actually Svartálfheim, the realm of the dark elves, and home to those mischievous spiritual beings which live underground. Svartálfheim is the abode of the dokkálfar, or dark elves, beings who are more associated with darkness and are actually sometimes allergic to sunlight. It is said that if their skin is touched by a single ray of sunlight, they will turn to stone and become another added monolith to the cave rocks. Dokkálfar look and behave quite differently than the light elves, being very greedy and cold in nature. The dark elves are shadowy characters who can be helpful, but are more often sinister and prone to malice. Svartálfheim is not a heavenly realm, but a very creepy, earthy setting known for the trickery, slyness and craftiness of its gem hoarding, metal forging, magical smiths and ogre-like inhabitants. The dark elves, moon elves, dwarves, trolls, goblins, and swamp elves frequent the caves, which act like a gateway to the underworld below.
The underworld exists below Svartálfheim, and it is called Niðavellir, which has a subterranean biosphere of its own and belongs to the dvergar or dwarves. Nidavelir is a place of smoke, heat, forging hot fires, dark caverns, mining camps and the like. Deeper still below that is the chamber of snake bones, where the dragon feasts. Yet north of Andlang, the ocean of Vidblainn turns from calm blue seas to a dark black stormy ocean with dangerous waves and challenging waters which seem to go on forever. Vidblainn is enchanted, and the sparkling blue ocean is easy to get lost in. It gets cold and dark, and the frosty air brings the threat of icebergs as the icey fog suddenly leads to calm mirror-like still waters, the patches of fog forming a layer of clouds which, combined with the loss of sense for up or down, creates disorientation. Most who dare the ocean of Vidblainn often get lost in its wake.To the north on the other side of the ocean is Gimlé the Good, an enormous majestic mountain which has its own ecosystem as well. The council of the high elves takes place in Gladshöll, the gem encrusted golden roofed hall or temple which shines like a lighthouse or beacon above the mountain top. Only the purest, bravest, most honest, most virtuous, most noble of souls are capable of reaching the mountain, or gazing up close at the hall of the alabaster white stone round table surrounded by a ring of throne seats, with its elaborate purple and blue hanging gardens, fountains, wells, springs, and brightly coloured stained glass observatoriums. Song birds and mountain goats dwell on Mount Gimlé, and other animals live all around and inside of it. Gimlé is the tallest mountain in the highest heaven, and the golden roofed stone white marble hall is a holy place and sanctuary for the elves.
That was quite an excellent read, though if I may suggest, you should also place this content on your profile.
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