Ilythiir

Ilythiir was a realm of the dark elves during the Dawn Ages and First Flowering (founded roughly -27000 DR) before being destroyed after the Descent of the Drow following the Fourth Crown War.

Geography
Ilythiir covered the part of Southern Faerûn where the areas later known as the Shaar and Forest of Amtar lay.

History
One tribe of elves (known as the Ilythiiri), brought to Toril by the Fey, negotiated with dragons to create an elf realm in the south circa -27000 DR. By -23200 DR Ilythiiri settlements had spread into the areas later known as the Shaar and the Forest of Amtar. Its capital at Atorrnash stood for centuries before being destroyed during the Sundering.

In -18000 DR some Ilythiiri houses began to venerate Ghaunadaur and in the following years other houses began worshipping Lloth in order to gain power. In the following centuries Ilythiir skirmished with Orishaar and incited the War of Three Leaves with its other neighbors.

In -11700 DR Ilythiir began the Second Crown War supposedly in retaliation for Aryvandaar's attack on Miyeritar. They attacked the bordering elvish nations, striking quickly at Orishaar conquering it swiftly. The Ilythiiri continued their aggressiveness and attacked Syòrpiir, burning it to the ground in -11600 DR. In -11500 DR Ilythiir faced an allied Thearnytaar and Eiellûr who joined together in response to Ilythiir's use of fire. About this time the balor lord Wendonai was sent by Lloth to seduce a high Ilythiiri clan into her service, and the church of Lolth began to rise in importance.

Ilythiir found itself attacked during the The Sable Wars, (circa -11450 DR). They faced an invading force from Eiellûr and Thearnytaar, in addition to a small amount of aid provided by Keltormir and Shantel Othreier, aiming to reform or conquer the dark elves before they destroyed any more realms. Over half the invading forces were wiped out by the dark elves' corrupt magic.

In -11400 DR the Ilythiiri isolated Eiellûr from assistance and destroyed it with fire. They were aided by treacherous green elves, who hoped to restore peace by appeasing the Ilythiiri.

The dark elves of Ilythiir then turned even more savage and used enslaved monsters and undead to occupy the woods of Thearnytaar in -11200 DR. Thearnytaar fell to their forces ending the Second Crown War. However, Ilythiir openly skirmished with Keltormir along its southern and eastern borders in the following years.

Ilythiir launched the Fourth Crown War in -10450 DR, attacking other elvish nations supposedly in retaliation for the Dark Disaster inflicted on the nation of Miyeritar. This new wave of hostilities saw the Ilythiiri openly using the corrupt powers granted them by their dark and evil gods.

In -10100 DR the Ilythiir destroyed Shantel Othreier.

Notable locations
After the dark elves were banished from the sunlit realms after the Crown Wars, most of the remnants of the empire were razed by elves hoping to eradicate any presence of their evil cousins. The ruins of Ilythiir were the most sparse of all the ancient elf empires to survive into later ages. Circa 1373 DR two were known to exist, Athamault and the Citadel of Slime.