Elf
Keepers of Ancient Influence
Once the most widespread and influential species in Erenel, the Elves were created by the Architect in the likeness of his children, Asanna and Luniwyn. Their deep connection with their creator once placed them at the heart of Erenel’s civilizations. However, the consequences of their ancestors' choices during the Great Sacrifice left their people fractured and secluded. In the Era of Inner Flame (EoIF), Elves struggle to reclaim their lost glory, while some embrace solitude and retreat to hidden strongholds hidden from human expansion.
To be an Elf in this era is to live as an offshoot of a once great lineage. Many Elven societies have withdrawn, avoiding interactions with the younger species who now dominate the world. The betrayal of Vyse Tyranal, the Fallen Elf, tainted the perception of all Elves, forcing them to bear the stigma of his actions even after a millennia has passed.
Despite this, Elves remain powerful beings, naturally attuned to tethering the Bond and existing as creatures of both the physical world and the subconscious state of the Trance, Plane of Dreams. Unlike other reasoning species, Elves do not sleep. Instead, they enter a meditative state, allowing their consciousness to drift through the Architect’s Dream, where they brush against the echoes of Al’Madoon’s subconscious. This connection grants them wisdom beyond their years and fuels their innate magical talents.
True Elves, those who have not succumbed to the dark corruption of Vyse Tyranal, still experience the Trance. However, those Elves who have fallen into devilish forms are forever severed from this sacred communion.
Elvish Chrysalis
Like the shifting seasons, Elves experience life in four distinct phases, marked by periods of transformation and growth. These phases, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, define their long lifespan and shape their roles in society. Unlike other species, Elves delay the effects of aging through meditation. However, to transition between phases, they must enter an extended period of dormancy known as the Elvish Chrysalis. During this year-long metamorphosis, their body becomes encased in a crystalline exoskeleton, leaving them vulnerable until they emerge, changed and matured.
Spring Phase (Birth – 100 years old)
A time of youthful wonder and boundless curiosity. Elves in this phase are eager to explore and learn but lack worldly wisdom.Summer Phase (100 – 250 years old)
The height of an Elf’s physical prowess. Elves in this phase are warriors, adventurers, and leaders, though they often struggle with volatile emotions.Autumn Phase (250 – 400 years old)
Marked by slowing physicality but heightened wisdom. Elves in this phase are revered scholars, mentors, and advisors, sought after for their insight.Winter Phase (400 – 500 years old)
The twilight of an Elf’s life. They become introspective and reclusive, preparing for their final rest. This natural cycle continues until their Winter Phase concludes, at which point their body deteriorates naturally, returning their essence to Erenel.Basic Information
Anatomy
Easily recognized by their ethereal beauty and pointed ears, Elves possess an otherworldly elegance that sets them apart from other reasoning species. Their skin tones vary depending on their ethnicity. Lunar Elves often have cool undertones, ranging from pale silver to deep violet hues, while Solar Elves have warmer tones, such as golden bronze or rich auburn. True Elves, marked by their cursed lineage, often bear ashen gray or stark white skin, a constant reminder of their fractured ancestry. Wood Elves have earthy complexions, ranging from deep brown to mossy green, often with subtle patterns resembling bark or leaves.
Their eyes shimmer with an inner light, reflecting the magic that courses through them. Eye colors are often vibrant, with shades of gold, silver, violet, or emerald green, and some even shift subtly depending on the Elf's mood or the phase of the moon.
Horns and Ancestral Marks
Upon entering their Summer Phase, all Elves undergo another transformation: the emergence of horns or antlers. The type of horns an Elf grows is influenced by their ancestral lineage, with variations among different Elven ethnicities:
- Lunar Elves, Solar Elves, and Wood Elves. May develop curling horns similar to a ram or antelope, or antlers akin to an elk or moose. These natural formations reflect their deep connection to magic and the natural world, with their growth influenced by their environment and personal experiences.
- True Elves. Bear chaotic, towering gazelle-like horns, twisted and wild as a symbol of their fractured lineage. Many file them down as a sign of renouncing their past.
The presence of horns or antlers is often seen as a sign of maturity and strength, with many Elves adorning them with carvings, jewelry, or enchanted sigils that represent their personal journeys.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Elves are considered children until they transition into their Summer Phase. During their first century, they are given a short, one-syllable name to signify their youth. Upon reaching adulthood, their name is extended, reflecting their growth and greater responsibilities.
Child Names
Ael, Cael, Cy, Gael, Nim, SaiAdulthood Names
Aelwynn, Caelador, Cyennal, Gaelindann, Nim’eral, SaivelissHistory
Ancient Elven
The once-great Elven societies of Erenel have fallen into ruin, their grandeur lost to time and the devastation of the Great Sacrifice. Now, treasure hunters, scholars, and adventurers seek out the remnants of these forgotten kingdoms, hoping to uncover lost knowledge, enchanted relics, and the secrets of the past. Ancient Elven architecture, once a testament to their mastery of the natural world, now stands in silent decay, overgrown by forests or buried beneath the shifting sands.
During their height, these Elven kingdoms often found themselves at odds with the great Minotaur empires, which have also since crumbled after the Great Sacrifice. The wars between the two civilizations shaped much of early history. Many ruins of both peoples lie entangled, their battlefields turned to dust, their conflicts forever etched in history.
Ancient Elven Kingdoms
The Shuryon
Once a prosperous civilization in the Thicket of Shrouds, the Shuryon were known for their deep connection to nature. Their ruins are hidden beneath tangled vines and towering canopies, with remnants of their druidic magic still pulsing through ancient stone circles and overgrown temples.
The Tyranal
Located in the Shimmerwood Forest, this kingdom was ruled by Vyse Tyranal before his fall. Their cities were once shining beacons of Elven supremacy, now reduced to crumbling citadels and cursed ruins that many dare not approach.
The Olothine
This enigmatic civilization thrived in the Nevermore Expanse, a land of shadows and arcane mysteries. Olothine scholars were pioneers of Cosmic Magic, and their ruins hold cryptic inscriptions that may still whisper to those who listen.
The Xil’vari
Flourishing in the Wildwoods, the Xil’vari Elves were known for blending magic and craftsmanship. Their towering spires and suspended cities have largely collapsed, but traces of their artistry remain in the form of intricate enchanted artifacts and lost techniques.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Nolimon, Half Elf
The Ritual of Iswa
One of the most controversial elven ceremonies, the Ritual of Iswa is an ancient rite that grants a Human the gift of transformation. A highly selective and secretive process, this hour-long ritual is performed only by a respected Elven leader with deep ties to the Trance. The ceremony begins as the Elf carves an intricate rune onto the back or shoulder of the human, marking them as chosen. Once the rune is etched, it is filled with the ritual master’s own blood, binding the recipient to the energies of the Trance.
The Legacy of Iswa
The ritual is named after Iswa, a revered elven sage and visionary who first discovered the process of weaving the Trance into a human's life essence. Iswa believed that humans, despite their fleeting lifespans, held a unique potential to bridge the physical and spiritual realms if granted deeper access to the Architect’s Dream. Her teachings were met with both reverence and skepticism among elven societies, but the ritual she pioneered endured, passed down through secretive circles, particularly in the elvish kingdom Cendelius.
The Transformation
Following the rune inscription, the human is wrapped in a silk cocoon, where they are placed into a deep meditative state lasting five days and five nights. During this time, their consciousness floats within Al'Madoon, the Architect’s subconscious, and experiences visions beyond mortal understanding.
Seanan
Nolimon character played by Rasrika
When they awaken, they have undergone a profound transformation, now emerging as a Nolimon, a being infused with the Trance and possessing a natural attunement to the Bond. The transformation is not merely spiritual. Physically, the Nolimon takes on an elven-like appearance, their features becoming more angular, their ears subtly pointed, and their eyes adopting the shimmering glow of the Trance. Some Nolimon even develop faint, almost translucent markings across their skin, resembling the runes inscribed upon them. Those who undergo this ritual claim to be enlightened, forever altered by their brush with the creator god's subconscious, yet they are often regarded as neither fully human nor truly elven, existing in a space between both worlds.
Lifespan
About 500 years
Average Height
Medium (about 5–6 feet tall)
Lunar Elf
Sundering of the Elves
Following the Great Sacrifice, cultural and magical influences have led to the Sundering, creating distinct Elvish lineages free of ancient elvish kingdoms:Lunar Elves
Dwellers of moonlit glades, hidden sanctuaries, and ancient ruins, Lunar Elves are deeply connected to Luniwyn, the Silver Maiden. They are mystics, seers, and scholars, their magic tied to the cycles of the moon. Many serve as guides through the Trance, seeking lost knowledge hidden in the echoes of the Architect’s Dream.
Solar Elves
Once the pinnacle of elven civilization, Solar Elves see themselves as the true heirs of magic and culture, maintaining the traditions of their ancestors as the ruling elite among elves. Their mastery of arcane arts is unparalleled, with magic flowing through their veins as naturally as breath. Solar Elves favor high towers, floating cities, and arcane sanctuaries, where they weave spells of immense power and guide the course of elven society.
Wood Elves
Dwellers of ancient and primeval forests, Wood Elves are the most reclusive of their kin. They live in deep harmony with nature, forming tribal societies where survival is paramount. Wood Elves protect nature as guardians and become one with the wild, using stealth, guerrilla tactics, and druidic magic to maintain the balance of their sacred lands.
True Elves
Once the Architect's chosen, True Elves are forever marked by Vyse Tyranal’s betrayal. They now dwell in the shadows, deep underground or in the hells of The Below, typically serving their fallen god or seeking redemption. While some True Elves attempt to reclaim their honor, many live with the curse of their bloodline, forever haunted by the sins of their ancestors.
True Elf
by Dean Spencer
Remnant Scribes
Though their ancestral lands are lost, Elves still honor their past through solemn remembrance and dedicated quests for knowledge. The most devoted among them, called Remnant Scribes, travel across Erenel in search of artifacts, texts, and ruins that might reveal lost history. Some Lunar Elves inscribe their findings into memory crystals, enchanted stones that preserve whispers of the past, ensuring that the deeds and wisdom of their ancestors endure.
Among more traditional Elven enclaves, sacred groves and shrines stand in memory of fallen kingdoms. These sites are tended to by elders who guide younger generations through rites of remembrance, where songs, poetry, and visions drawn from the Trance allow them to glimpse the world as it once was. Some Elves dedicate themselves to restoring ancient ruins, though this often leads to conflict with other races who have since claimed the land.
Seeking Lost Truths
Not all Elves are content to simply mourn the past. Some believe that the destruction of their ancient kingdoms was not merely a consequence of the Great Sacrifice, but that secrets remain buried beneath the ruins. These seekers often work in hidden circles, hoping to reclaim knowledge that may one day restore the Elven race to its former glory.
For some Elves, seeking these lost truths is not merely an academic pursuit but a mission of religious fervor. They believe that through understanding the past, they may uncover hidden prophecies, which could reshape the future of their people. Whether their discoveries bring hope or only more sorrow remains unknown, but their quest continues as long as even a single Elf remembers what was lost.
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