The realm travel door to Alfheim which features the two combatants of the war
The War for the Light, also known as The eternal war for the Light or The Eternal War, was a centuries-long conflict between the Light Elves and Dark Elves for control of the Light, which resides in the Ringed Temple.
Prelude[]
Centuries ago, the elves were originally all equal. That was until some of their kind discovered the Lake of Souls along with the Light Well. Soon, those elves began basking themselves in the Light overtime, which became an obsession. Eventually, due to having basked under the Light for a very long time, they turned into Light Elves. To express their new selves, they began delving into art and invention. Because of their newfound power, an age of prosperity among the Light Elves had begun. However, in the Deserts of Alfheim, where their other kin, the Dark Elves, live, the abundance of life there began to wither and die until there is none left. Seeing that the Lake of Souls is not of use for the Light Elves, and believing that they have gone too far, the Dark Elves immediately waged war, thus beginning the centuries-long conflict.
Conflict[]
Not a lot of details are known about the conflict in the past centuries, but according to Mimir, control over the Light has switched between each elven race over 230 times.
Freyr's arrival[]
At some point in time, Freyr, a Vanir God, who has a strong love of Vanir herbs, arrived in Alfheim and accidentally fell into the Lake of Light. Seeing this, the Light Elves believed him to be a god and, thus, began revering him, due to their belief, along with that of the Dark Elves, that he could bring peace between them. Under Freyr's leadership, he was able to bring control of the Light onto the Light Elves for thousands of years. Because of Freyr's influence, this brought total order throughout Alfheim.
Freyr's disappearance[]
When Freyr's sister Freya married the All-father Odin, in an attempt to end the Aesir-Vanir War, he strongly objects it and decided to abandon Alfheim, leaving it to its fate. As a result, The Light Elves, not knowing of the true reason behind Freyr's unexpected and supposed disappearance, began to believe that their lord is lost. Some assumed that he has returned to Vanaheim while others believed that he has been captured and is held in Asgard, the home-realm of the Aesir Gods.
Capture of the Light[]
Taking advantage of Freyr's absence, the Dark Elves, led by their late king Svartáljǫfurr, proceeded to attack the Vanir God's temple, which houses the Light. Without Freyr, the Light Elves were unable to gain the upper-hand over their dark counterparts. As a result, the Dark Elves were able to take over and secure control of the Light, covering it with a giant hive. With the Light under their control, the Dark Elves began slaughtering any Light Elf they could find, which forced them into hiding.
Reclaiming the Light[]
The Dark Elves remained in control of the Light and the Ringed Temple for a very long time until a foreign God from another world, Kratos, and his young son, Atreus, arrived in Alfheim, having arrived to refill their Bifröst, which was needed to disperse the Black Breath back in Midgard. The Dark Elves and their king immediately welcomed them with absolute hostility and tried to take them down. However, the duo always managed to gain the upper-hand. When they reached the Light, the Dark Elves made a desperate attempt to protect their hive, but they eventually failed in the end. Ultimately, Kratos and Atreus freed the Light from the Dark Elves' grasp, allowing the Light Elves to return to the Ringed Temple. Upon regaining and securing the Light, the Light Elves began their mission to try and locate Freyr. As for the Dark Elves, however, they scrambled and went into hiding.
Forming a Truce[]
The War for the Light continued to rage on, event through Fimbulwinter until Freyr returns to Alfheim, where he convinced the two elven races to unite against Asgard. Realizing that their hatred towards the Aesir is greater, they put their hatred for each other aside and formed a truce in which they began preparing themselves for the coming of Ragnarök. During the invasion of Asgard, things didn't go well for the elves as the realm travel tower, which they emerged from, was accidentally destroyed and the remaining elves on the battlefield were slain.
Following Ragnarök, Freya was optimistic that the Light and Dark Elves' truce had effectively ended the war. However, Kratos and Mimir were skeptical, believing that extremists on both sides would attempt to keep the conflict going. Nonetheless, upon returning to Freyr's Temple, they found it abandoned by both races, causing Kratos to speculate that they may have taken their first steps toward peace after all.
Aftermath[]
After many centuries of conflict, and with the truce between the Light and Dark Elves, in which they are united, the war for the Light officially ended.
| War for the Light | |
|---|---|
| Beginning | |
| Ending | |
| Place | Alfheim |
| Outcome |
|
| Belligerents |
|
| Commanders |
|
| Casualties | Dark Elves: Heavy
Light Elves: Heavy
|