"High elves and dragons were the first of all races," Aldrec began. "We were placed in this world as its caretakers by the hand of the Divine. But while dragons were content to live with nature and progress little, my people, like humans, possessed an insatiable thirst for knowledge. We harnessed nature through magical means, and grew in our understanding of magic to where we could transform entire deserts into flourishing meadows and forests, and conversely, reduce verdant fields to lifeless wastes at our whim. At the height of our power, we had already used magic upon ourselves in such a way that it permeated every succeeding generation, making us an immortal race, impervious to natural death."
"The 'immortal High elves,' Mericlou said, recalling the ancient legends she had learned from her own treks into literature. "So did you all live in trees like this?"
"Some of us did," Aldrec replied with a nod. "Others lived in cities. For those who lived in trees, our hearts were linked to them from birth, and the tree grew to our will as we reached adulthood. Afterwards, we were completely bonded to that specific tree, and could shape it to our will in any way.
"And it was partly because of this ability to shape nature," he continued, "that the dragons became our enemies. The second reason was our arrogance. While we marveled at our own greatness, we failed to realize the cost of our magic. We blinded ourselves to the truth that for every bit of magic used, there was a price to be paid. With us, it was paid by the very planet. For each desert we caused to bloom, the world about us died a little. Forests withered away, and farmland was slowly turned into deserts or useless fen, unable to be revived, even by magical means.
"This effect progressed little by little, through thousands of years until it was at last noticed by the dragons. At first, it was their water sources that began to thin and dry, and then their hunting grounds started to recede farther and farther away, transforming into barren wastes. While we were the progressive race, settling all over the world, dragons lived in remote, localized communities, rarely, if ever, expanding their territories. At first, desiring no quarrel with us, they sent ambassadors who tried to inform our leaders of the dangers of our frivolous use of magic. But of course, arrogance and power blinded their eyes, and so they would not concede. At last, the dragons had no choice but to take up arms against us.