Burzhal

Etymology
Burzhal comes from the words "Burz" (meaning "dark") and Hal (meaning "folk"), which would therefore mean "Dark-Folk."

Origin
The Burzhal is one of the two elven races alongside their Agonhal counterparts. They have gained notoriety for their high affinity to dark magic and magical might. This can be traced back to their ancestors, back to when the Old Burzhal sorcerer-lords made a deal with the Wendigo: in exchange for great magic power, they offered the souls of their entire race to the Wendigo. Using their newfound power, the sorcerer-lords created many powerful dark magics, artifacts, and formulas, including the art of soul subjugation.

Unfortunately, their greed and ambition turned later generations of the Old Burzhal against each other in their pursuit of knowledge and power, effectively destroying them and dooming them to the whims of the Dreaded Lord. Since then, the surviving Burzhal have managed to continue their race, but have become ill-favored by fate due to the curse that came as a consequence of the deal.

“Those whom delve into forbidden black, Knowledge you seek but foresight lack:

Come forth this curse upon you all, forever fated to always fall.”

Characteristics
The Burzhal have skin tones of varying shades of grey with their pointed elven ears. They are known to have a strong affinity for magic, most being powerful mages, although Burzhal knights are known to have existed dating back to the Old Burzhal.

Values
The Burzhal culture is created from the pieces of their previous civilization: In the time of the Old Burzhal, the Dark-Folk were known for their ambition, always striving to improve their abilities and knowledge, even if such advancement came at a cost to others or themselves. This viewpoint, compounded with their greed and lust for power resulted in their desire to dominate and control, as seen in the art of soul subjugation.

The Burzhal of the current age no longer place importance on such extremes, knowing the dangers of such radical ideals, as well as foster a distaste for dark magic. Despite this desire to separate themselves from their past, much of their old culture persists.

Selzar
Darklord Selzar was one of the original twelve sorcerer-lords that made the deal with the Wendigo. He is responsible for creating the formulas and teachings of soul subjugation, including the summoning of dark spirits. These spirits are those of the Burzhal, brought back to serve the conjurer and bearing the name “Dark Ones.” This knowledge has been compiled in the grimoire “Ars Goetia.” Selzar is also known for converting ghostspeak into a written language for the Burzhal, the same manuscript that the current-era Burzhal use today.