Talk:Dark Elves
The Dark Elves, in contrast to their more isolationist kin, embraced espionage, AI-enhanced technology, and ruthless pragmatism—a path that would later bring them into conflict with their former brethren.
Cultural Shift Toward Secrecy → The elves are now even more reluctant to share knowledge, fearing a repeat of past mistakes.
Loss of Former Influence → The once vast elven-controlled territories have shrunk, and they no longer dominate entire regions of space.
Tension Between Tradition & Innovation → While elves still advance technologically, they do so with great caution, avoiding rapid or untested innovations.
Survivor’s Guilt & Internal Divisions → Some elves still debate whether they should have fought harder instead of retreating, leading to ideological splits within their society.
Dark Elves' View on the Lost Worlds
The Dark Elves see some lost colonies as potential allies, particularly those that are willing to embrace AI, cybernetics, and strength-based leadership. They actively recruit warriors, mercenaries, and technologists from fallen colonies. However, those who refuse their ideology are simply another obstacle or resource to exploit.
The Splitting of the Dark Elves: A Bitter Divide
The separation of the Dark Elves from the rest of elven society was not a single, abrupt event but rather a prolonged and painful divergence, culminating in a schism that reshaped both factions forever. While all elves suffered in the wake of the data attack, their responses to the crisis created deep ideological divisions. Over time, these divisions widened into an irreparable break, leading to exile, rebellion, and ultimately the creation of an entirely separate elven civilization. 1. The Conflict Begins: Ideological Divide Two Schools of Thought in the Aftermath of the Data Attack
Following the devastation caused by the data-based catastrophe, elven society was at a crossroads. The traditionalist faction—who would go on to become the High Elves (or just "Elves" in a general sense)—believed in a controlled retreat, secrecy, and the rejection of compromised technology. They prioritized survival over pride, opting to abandon lost worlds and fortify their core territories.
However, another faction, those who would become the Dark Elves, vehemently opposed this strategy. They believed:
Retreat was cowardice. They viewed the decision to abandon outlying systems as a betrayal of their people, sacrificing entire colonies and millions of lives to "preserve the core." The elves should have adapted, not withdrawn. Instead of giving up vast swaths of territory, they argued that the elves should have embraced AI, cybernetic augmentation, and unconventional methods to counter the attack. Secrecy was stagnation. They believed that by refusing to share knowledge and closing themselves off from the galaxy, their kin were dooming themselves to irrelevance and decline.
2. The Breaking Point: A Coup, Exile, and Departure The Rising Tension
Tensions escalated over the following decades. The High Elven leadership, based in their newly fortified core systems, viewed the Dark Elf faction as dangerous radicals who would only invite disaster again by pursuing AI, unrestricted data networks, and other risky technological advancements.
Meanwhile, the Dark Elves saw the ruling monarchy and its parliament as weak and short-sighted, refusing to do what was necessary to rebuild the empire. Failed Insurrection and Forced Exile
At some point, a group of Dark Elven leaders attempted a power grab, arguing that the empire needed new leadership capable of reclaiming lost territories. They sought to reconnect with old elven worlds and break the self-imposed technological restrictions placed on their society.
The coup failed, leading to a violent suppression of their faction. Many Dark Elf leaders were executed, imprisoned, or exiled. However, this only deepened the resentment, as thousands of sympathizers left with them. Entire military units, engineers, and scholars defected, taking technology, ships, and knowledge with them.
Fleeing the elven homeworlds, the Dark Elves disappeared into deep space, cutting off contact with their former kin. 3. The Dark Elves’ New Path: The Birth of a Nomadic Empire
Once in exile, the Dark Elves faced harsh realities. Unlike the High Elves, who still controlled their fortified homeworlds, the Dark Elves had no stable planetary base. Nomadic Survival
Instead of settling planets, they established massive city-ships, forging a new civilization among the stars. These city-ships became fortresses, research stations, and military hubs, capable of long-term self-sufficiency. To maintain their new society, they turned to raiding, mercenary work, and black-market dealings.
Embracing Forbidden Technology
Unlike the High Elves, the Dark Elves fully embraced AI, cybernetics, and digital warfare, considering them necessary for survival. They reconstructed corrupted AI from the data attack, modifying and controlling them instead of rejecting them outright. Cybernetic augmentation became commonplace, allowing them to enhance their physical and mental abilities.
The Return of Slavery
The Dark Elves, cut off from their old industrial base, needed labor. While the High Elves refused to exploit other races, the Dark Elves had no such qualms. They reintroduced slavery, capturing and using lesser species as workers, soldiers, and test subjects. To justify this, they claimed that the weak should serve the strong, seeing it as a necessary hierarchy rather than mere cruelty.
4. The Legacy of the Schism Current Relations Between the Elves and Dark Elves
Today, the Dark Elves and the High Elves exist as two fundamentally opposed civilizations, each viewing the other as misguided—or worse, traitorous.
The High Elves see the Dark Elves as reckless, untrustworthy, and morally bankrupt, their use of AI and slavery confirming their fall from grace. The Dark Elves see the High Elves as stagnant cowards, clinging to outdated ideals while the galaxy moves on without them.
Though they share a common ancestry, open hostility between the two factions is always a possibility. Dark Elven Influence in the Galaxy
The Dark Elves have become master manipulators, spies, and information brokers, willing to sell their services to the highest bidder. They have deep underground connections with criminal organizations, pirate factions, and black-market traders. Their technology—a blend of magic, AI, and cybernetics—is feared and respected across the galaxy. While they are often seen as villains, they are not outright evil—their society operates on its own logic, where power and survival dictate morality.
What Comes Next?
The schism is not fully over. Some elves within the High Elven society still sympathize with the Dark Elves, believing that their adaptability and pragmatism were what the empire needed all along.
Likewise, some Dark Elves resent their own society's cutthroat nature and may long to return to their ancient homeworlds.
The divide between them remains a wound that has never fully healed—and in the right circumstances, a future reconciliation, alliance, or war could change everything once again. Final Thoughts
The Dark Elves are not just an "evil" version of the High Elves—they are a logical evolution of a faction that refused to retreat, choosing adaptation at any cost. They are cunning, adaptable, and ruthless, willing to do whatever it takes to survive and rebuild what they lost.
Would you like to expand on their society, government, or military further? Perhaps explore their home fleets or the major figures who led the split?