Tarlad, also known as the “Dark Vale”, was a nation of the Dark Elves, located between Irollan and the Holy Falcon Empire.
In 537 YSD, after having his head turned by a group of flatterers, High King Arniel of Irollan declared that power in his homeland was too decentralized. In addition, the traditional way of electing the king, through a vision shared by the druids, was too unreliable. Instead, he usurped the power of the local elf kings, stripped the druids of their authority, and made his title hereditary. Outraged by this, queen Tuidhana of Tarlad declared her nation independent.
The archangel Michael, who had recently returned from the dead, had become an advisor to Emperor Liam Falcon of the Holy Falcon Empire. He told him to be wary of not just the Faceless, but also anyone that dealt with them, which he suspected included Tuidhana's Elves. In 540 YSD, Emperor Liam decided to annex the vulnerable nation of Tarlad by force of arms. Tuidhana appealed to Irollan for help, but Arniel refused. When it looked like the humans would get a foothold in elven lands, he sent his army to conquer Tarlad for himself and paid no heed to its people.
Desperate for aid, Tuidhana turned to the Faceless, promising to worship Malassa if they would save her people. The deal was struck, and the Dark Elves were born. With her new powers, Tuidhana drove the Elves and Humans back, forcing them to recognize Tarlad's independence and pay reparations.
In 566 YSD, Brythigga, the Mother of Trees, burned down in what would later be known as the Day of the Tears of Fire. High King Arniel and his family were killed in the fire, and when the Dark Elves were blamed for the crime, the Elves of Irollan demanded blood. In an act of mercy, Vaniel, Arniel's successor, offered Tuidhana and her followers safe passage out of Irollan for one week. After that, he would personally lead his army across the border and kill anyone that remained. Tuidhana urged her people to leave, but she herself remained behind with a handful of loyal followers to stand against the Elves of Irollan. She died a queen and a martyr, defending Tarlad. The old Dark Elf lands were once again part of Irollan.
In 585 YSD, Vaniel discovered that Brythigga had actually been burned down by demons, and that the Dark Elves were innocent. He sent emissaries to apologize to them, offering them amnesty and a chance to return home, but in anger they refused.
After the Day of the Tears of Fire and the Dark Elves' exile from Irollan, settlers from the Holy Empire began to move in, mostly within the outskirts. In the Empire, this region is known as Blackbough.