The Elven Empire’s fall coincided with rebellion by their human slaves. Which was cause and which effect is hotly debated by historians.
The official date of the fall is the proclamation of the Code of Willing in the abandoned capital on the Isle of Turfrae, which is also the start date for the current human calendar (see Calendar Systems).

The Gold Class of the elves fled south, while many of the Silver Class fled north. The Copper Class faded into the forests, where many of them lived in any case.

Placid of Diamondfall’s monumental History of the End of the Elvish Empire, in five volumes, details the Empire’s breakdown. In volume one, he outlines the bare events – the human rebellions, the breakaway provinces, the competing factions and the decline of the imperial line. Volume two examines the evidence for reducing elvish fertility while human fertility continued vigorous, and argues this, combined with elvish cruelty to humans, as an important factor in the increasingly successful rebellions (encouraged by the dwarves, who traded arms to the rebel factions). Volume three examines evidence for a temporary reduction in the pressure and flow of magic which occurred at around the same time, disadvantaging the elves, who were dependent on it to a greater degree than were humans. Volume four considers the factional fighting in the court, the weakness of the increasingly corrupt and effete emperors, and the growing tendency of provincial governors to go their own way in the absence of strong central control. Volume five summarizes the preceding volumes.

At a distance of over five centuries, the prevailing view among humans of the elves is now divided between “Amazing culture, but complete bastards” and “Complete bastards, but an amazing culture”.