Scholars have dated cleric invocations as far back as 10,000 years before the Shattering. Nearly everyone believed in some form of elemental deity, but no clergy of any religion could channel any elemental power. No one knows for sure when this changed, but a story that involved four Elves has been passed down through generations. Those four Elves were born on the eve of the new year, a time Elves once held very dear and referred to as Archai's renewal, though that calendar has long been forgotten. The newborn Elves consisted of two males and two females, all of whom were identical in appearance. All four were born of different mothers in different regions of the world.
Each began life in a setting made up almost entirely of each of the four elements. It wasn't until some twenty years after their birth that the four were gathered together for the first time. At the age of twenty each Elf began showing signs of magical ability within and were sent to Archai's old capital city to receive further training in the arts of spellcasting. All showed exceptional talent and a natural understanding of their respective elements. It is not known for sure which Elf became the first High Arch-mage of their elemental religion, but is it assumed that all ascended around the same time. Under their leadership and guidance, Archai was able to thrive nearly three centuries of peaceful times. Great cities were built in honor of each of the elemental gods. Statues representing their Elven champions were erected within the temple walls and throughout the streets. It was a time of great achievement, prosperity, and enlightenment.
As the four approached their 300th birthday, a relatively young age for Elves, they began noticing a deeper connection between themselves and the elements they represented. It seemed that through their devotion, and through the power of their emotion, they were able to summon and control their element. Until this point all magic was limited to ones' mental capacity and understanding of the arcane language. Unfortunately, with this sudden surge in elemental activity, they all noticed their bodies becoming weaker. Their once fair skin had become pale and brittle. Their smooth straight hair had become dry and began losing its vibrant color.
Precisely 300 years after they were born, on the night of Archai's Renewal, the four Elves abruptly succumbed to their ailments. They were the first Elves on record ever to have done so. Their followers were so overwhelmed by the loss that they all began to pray in concert to the lost High Priests of each of their faiths. Each body was taken to the place of birth to be returned to the element in which the Elf had been born. The Elf of water was shipped out to the deepest known parts of the northern ocean, her body dropped into its icy depths. Fire's followers carried their fallen leader's body to the fiery pits of the southwestern volcano and hurled him into the molten lava below. Earth's body was buried at the center of the southeastern forest so that her bones may rejoin nature and grow anew in another form. The followers of the last, the female corpse of the air element, did not wish to part with the one who had brought so much to their lives. They still believed that through prayer and devotion, their goddess could be returned. Her body was set atop the highest mountain top in the northwestern region so that all could gaze in her direction at any time. Three days later a group of worshipers climbed the mountain shrine to pray at the feet of their priestess, only to find her body gone. In the cold thin air, her body quickly decomposed and flew off into the wind, scattered across the lands.
Soon after the elemental religions concluded that it would not suffice to simply worship Fire, Water, Air, and Earth for to do so was to not fully utilize the true power of their god or goddess. The Elven High Priests had proven that through prayer and devotion, a spiritual connection to the elements could be established. Therefore the religions decided to accept the names of the fallen Elves as their deity. It was accepted that one of strong belief could channel their element's power through devotion to the mortal gods that walked the lands as one of them for 300 years. The four religions were renamed as Aerthane, Goddess of Air; Kaleith, God of Water; Pyrous, God of Fire, and Tetherias, Goddess of Earth -- the four names of those Elves that have passed.
