Elven mythology tells of the first elves, 10 immensely powerful immortals born ages in the past. These ten Elf Lords each bore a natural affinity for different aspects of the world around them. This affinity, combined with their vast power and the hot-bloodedness of their youth led to overpowering hubris. Eventually the Elf Lords’ pride and competitive nature led them to look down on and despise each other, and they set out alone, each going their separate ways across the world.
In their loneliness, each of the Elf Lords mated with mortals and gave birth to children. They found their affinities and aspects were passed down to their children, along with their passions and hatreds. Their offspring turned out to be extraordinarily long-lived as well, but much to the Elf Lord’s dismay, ultimately mortal. To preserve their power and purity, the Elf Lords prohibited the Elves from interbreeding with other mortals and diluting their blood any further.
As the Houses grew and elves spread across the world, they eventually came into contact with their cousins. It was not long before the children of the Elf Lords came into conflict with each other. Elf emotions are deep, powerful and long-lived, and their hatreds equally so. This it was the birth of the race of elves led to the birth of an age of war. These ancient wars raged for centuries, the balance of power maintained through shifting alliances and new magics. Eventually one House, desperately trying to bring an end to the conflict, set out on a plan to entrap and finally kill one of the immortal Elf Lords. Their success crippled the House, and the orphaned kin divided and joined up with other houses, spreading the word of the death of an Elf Lord. Horrified, the other Elf houses formed a coalition, turned on the House as one and wiped them out. The Lord of the House, enraged at the destruction of his lineage, called upon powerful magics, lifting the tallest mountain high above the world, and throwing it down upon the Elf Lord who led the Coalition. This killed the second Elf Lord and wrought vast devastation across the world, slaughtering untold millions.
In the ashes of this destruction, the Elf Lords and their Houses paused and looked upon what they had become. It was decided they must become one people and bury the hatred of the past. Only through merging their Houses could they finally find balance and harmony. The remaining Elf Lords chose to join themselves together as well, merging into four beings of unimaginable power. Their passions were balanced and their blood cooled, and they found themselves transcended to godhood over the Houses of Elves.
With the merging of Houses, the remaining Elves turned toward survival and rebuilding. Now, millennia later, The race of elves have merged and separated several times. These ancient myths demonstrate how elves think of themselves as superior. Their four Elven Gods remain unnamed but are still referred to by their ancient names, depending on what aspect of the God is being discussed.