After the Elves emerged from the Feywild at the start of the sixth era, many were met with resistance from the local environments. As such, they began to fortify the sites of their emergance in the style of the great Fey cities of their home plane.
Throughout the sixth era, these citadels served as bastions against the armies of the Shadowfell during the Fellcasting. By the end of this interplanar war, almost all of the citadels were in ruin, and many of the great Elven houses that occupied them were sundered. The only surviving citadel was Elphame, commanded by Carric Thamior who sought to reunite his people in the wake of the war.
Elven citadels reflected the changeability of a fey, seeming to mutate and rearrange themselves when unobserved. This made them excellent defensive structures, near-unnavigable to intruders, but also disorienting to welcome guests. During the Fellcasting, Shades were known to enthral Minotaurs, exploiting their natural affinity for labyrinths to navigate the settlements.