The Grey Elves

The Blassven, or Grey Elves, are a population of formerly Sylvan who live primarily in caverns underground.

Creation of the Grey Elves

Toward the end of the Second Age, the Sylvan began to truly explore the world outside of the [Bessermet], and split into four separate realms, each with their own ruler. One of those rulers, Gyerigey, believed the elves, being ageless and undying, should also achieve invulnerability so that they could take their place as one of the eternals.

Through unknown means, Gyerigey made contact with one of the surviving titans living in the shadow. The titan agreed to help with the project, and gave Gyerigey and his followers instruction in how to twist the elven form into more powerful shapes. Their early experiments resulted in the creation of the [Ograftig], enormous, monsterous, elves with nearly impervious skin.

The gods found out about these experiments and interceded. They punished Gyerigey - more for breaching the shadow and working with their enemies, the titans, than for his crimes against his fellow elves. The Ograftig were not destroyed, but the gods took from them the gift of intelligence, turning them into the ogres, and scattered them into the deserts and mountains.

As for Gyerigey and his followers, the gods cursed them and their descendants. Sunlight became painful to them, and their hair and skin turned grey. They were forced to flee into underground caverns and live forever in the earth below the feet of their Sylvan brethren, which they sought to exceed.

Disappearance

Even before the Elder Wars, there have been few recorded encounters with the Grey Elves since their transformation. A handful of Sylvan records describe attempts at sending envoys to make contact, but they were always rebuffed politely and there are no records of any major engagement.

Since the Elder Wars, it is unknown if the Blassven even continue to exist.