Following the return of the elves from their self-imposed Exile, an expedition to re-claim their abandoned city of Celwynvian was met with abject failure. Some of the elves who remained behind to greet Earthfall just following the exodus survived by taking refuge in the Underdark, where both their souls and visages were twisted into drow. Over the centuries, the city of Celwynvian became a stronghold for these dark elves, and upon their return, their more pure cousins were unable to take back the ruined city. In an effort to create a buffer zone to hide the humiliation of their dark secret from the non-elven world, as well as establish a forward base from where they could launch military efforts to take back the city, the elves established Crying Leaf a day's journey east.