Fall of the Black Queen

[Havard]

Ah, I see the parameters you are working under.

Okay, how about this. The Elves, being generally aloof from human affairs (see AiF) don't care one whit about the growing cult of Id, but when approached by a delegation from Baron X of Blackmoor, seeking an alliance with the Elves to wipe out the Id, Uhlmar readily agrees, both because he looks forward to a good war, and because he is more favorably disposed towards humans than many elves. Ceridrone counsels her father against it, warning that humans cannot be trusted.

I like this! I was wondering about whether the elves would see the Cult of Id as "human affairs", but I guess most likely that the Cultists would be human...

Unbeknown to the Elves, Baron X has himself secretly converted to the cult of the Id, and plans the "attack" as a means to draw the elves into an ambush and destroy them, leaving the Baron as the uncontested master of the north.

That is a pretty ingenious plan! I am beginning to warm up to this idea of the Baron being a follower of the Temple of Id.

The trap is sprung, but the elves (perhaps being warned at the last minute?) are a far more formidibal foe than the Baron realizes, and though they suffer tremendous losses, including the beloved Master Elf Aquassiru - Ceridrone's husband, the elves are victorious. Also killed in the battle are Baron X and all the Id cultists.

I am a little uncertain of Ceridrone being married to Aquassiru, but I do like the idea of her husband being killed as a result of the human treason.

Uhlmar's rashness and trust of humans has cost the elves very dearly - thus prompting Ceridrone's rebellion.

(basically here, I'm trying to give a reasonable explanation behind your idea of human treachery at the battle of the temple)

Yeah, that works. My original idea was just that the humans figured it was better the elves died protecting them, than the humans fighting for their own cause, but your take does make the treson run deeper, which I like.

Gygax Drow story - from fiend Folio
"Ages past, when the elvenfolk were but new to the face of the earth, their number was torn by discord and those of better disposition
drove from them those of the elves who were selfish and cruel. However constant warfare between the two divisions of elven kind
continued, with the goodly ones ever victorious, until those of dark nature were forced to withdraw from the lands under the skies and seek safety in the realm of the underworld."

Ah, okay. Thanks! The Westryn have some shared traits with the Drow, but I see them not as evil, but simply deeply suspicious and bearing a long lasting grudge. The main similarity would be that the split between the races ocurred as a result of the first encounters between the elves and the outer world.

Havard