People: Mistwood Elves, also called Bower Elves by outsiders
Region: Mistwood Forest
Identity: Displaced, proud, culturally rich, constrained by treaty, and quietly furious about it.
The elves did not originate in Viratia in large numbers.
Most arrived through Crossing Events and were treated as invaders.
They lost a war they did not understand because they underestimated:
firearms
rail mobilization
human willingness to burn forests for territory
The Accord is a treaty that ended open conflict.
It grants elves:
controlled land boundaries in Mistwood
limited self-governance inside those borders
In exchange, elves must:
restrict their travel and settlement expansion
obey external trade and weapon limitations
allow periodic “inspection” visits by human authorities
suppress Old Arts practices deemed illegal outside their lands
Mistwood elves value:
craft mastery, living architecture, and community artistry
tradition and oral history
quiet strength and long memory
oath binding social contracts
Their society blends above-ground and living tree structures with hidden burrow-like sanctuaries.
They are gritty survivors now, not fairy royalty.
They resent:
being treated as tolerated refugees
resource extraction near their borders
“science teams” studying their biology and magic
the way humans use the Accord to justify harassment
They also resent other nonhumans who “made deals” with humans, especially vampires, because elves see that as selling the future.
a faction of young elves wants to break the Accord and start a rebellion
Meridian uses a false flag attack to justify seizing Mistwood land
a hidden Crossing site in Mistwood begins destabilizing reality
elves ask for help retrieving a stolen relic that would shift the balance of power