Venáil was a country in southwestern Cannor, on an island of the same name off the Lorentish coast. It also controlled the "Far Isle" to its northwest, found by prior endeavours to rediscover Aelantir.
Early history[]
Following the War of the Sorcerer-King the isle of Firstsight, later Venáil - meaning elven island, was granted to Camnaril Truesight by the King of Sorncost (TODO - Check ck3 for who this is) to rule as a vassal.
Prior to this the island was largely uninhabited before this with no permanent settlements due to the cursed fogs surrounding the islands, Camnaril Truesight, and the elves that came with him, being the first recorded inhabitants of the island.
Legally independent following the destruction of the Kingdom of Sorncost by Lorent, the country was mostly untroubled by war due to its isolation and lack of strategic or economic importance prior to the Age of Greentide. It gave military aid to Lorent during the Lilac Wars.
Migration to Aelantir[]
After the rediscovery of Aelantir, Venáil was one of its earliest and most dedicated colonizers. Huge amounts of resources and effort went into resettling the land, and the people participated enthusiastically. Contact with the Ruinborn and Degenerated Elves only furthered Venáil's exceptionalist mindset; those "savage" peoples were held up as proof that Venáil was the true heir of the ancient empire.
Venáil's rulers decided to transport the entire population to Aelantir in order to focus on reclaiming their "birthright". The government took out a loan with the bankers of Damescrown. They also struck a deal with the neighbouring country of Sorncóst, in which Sorncósti nobles would help fund Venáili colonies in exchange for their claim to the island being recognized.
During the period between the rediscovery of Aelantir and the eventual annexation of Venail many elves chose to migrate to Aelantir, believing it was their destiny to refound the Precursor Empire. Massive ships were constructed to move goods and people en masse and the Bloodgroves grew to be the primary seat of power for Venáil.
Under threat of Lorentish invasion, using the claim granted to Sorncost as pretext, Venail was forced to abandon the isle of Venail and moved their capital to the Bloodgroves, renaming themselves Aelnar. Far Isle, which had previously only had a few scarce fishing villages, was left uninhabited, however some still remained in Venáil and became subjects of the Kingdom of Lorent.