#elven lore

[zishiyao]

This work was inspired by the statue of THRANDUIL™, THE WOODLAND KING.

————————————————————————

I have a general idea that Thranduil’s mount is an Irish elk.

But in my comic, the one interacting with Thranduil is a moose—mainly because I find moose faces quite funny, and they work better for the shift from comedy to tragedy.

[guildofscribes]

Okay, I’m having some Thoughts about Legolas and his “I go to find the sun.”

Like, consider this elf. He’s an elf. His people never saw the light of the two trees. They took their foremost delight in the stars before the trees were made to give their glorious light.

Those trees and the years of their gentle and pure light were amazing and puzzling… and then everything went dark and all that was left was the stars. And even the stars can be covered up. And then it was deep and dark and dangerous for far too long without explanation in the forests where these elves still lived across the sea from Valinor.

But then, the moon and the sun began their journey unending across the sky, and it burned and soothed and remained, and they learned later than the sun woke Men, and after Men came Dwarves, and the world filled so quickly with people and happenings.

Legolas’ people would have the lights going out in living memory. His people would have the first morning that the sun rose in living memory.

The elves remember that the light always returns.

The light has always returned after the darkness rises and deepens and you think you’ll never even see the stars again.

And funny enough, the sun burns evil and purifies the world with its heat and sacred brightness.

The sun will always come back. Evil will always meet its match in the light of day. The sun cannot be blotted out forever. The stars will never cease to shine. The moon will never cease its gentle reminder that the night comes and goes and will never be unending twilight and fear. The sun is coming from the east to drive away the dark.

Just think about it for a minute.

“I go to find the sun.”

Hope is out there to be found.

It’s just beyond the clouds. That’s all.

The sun is behind the mountain, not gone away forever.

The sun comes to melt the snow and burn away the clouds and water the flowers and trees and give life to the land.

The elves know that the light always comes back.

They have seen the lights go out and return again.

They’ve seen the world tremble and shake and break in the wrath of the lords of death and darkness and destruction. And then they also saw the lords of light and wind and strength and might come and drive the devouring horde back.

They have lived through the deepest dark and saw the light return.

In the memories of the elves, every light has gone out before.

They’ve thought the world was ending in fire and ruin before.

And it didn’t.

The light always comes back.

Legolas has lived long enough to hear those stories, and he has also lived long enough to see for himself that the sun does indeed always rise again.

So this is what he imparts to the Fellowship; the sun is not gone forever, the cold cannot last unending, and morning brings new hope.

In every book, Legolas is not the one giving in to despair. He’s cheerful most of the time. He’s reminding people that the darkness passes and there’s a new dawn waiting. That tomorrow brings hope of all things. It’s actually really surprising when he’s glum or afraid or depressed. He’s the most tireless of the whole Fellowship, the one with encouragement and strength to be leaned upon. He doesn’t sink into the cold snows. His feet are steady on the perilous path. His heart is steadfast in the cold and the sorrow and the shadow of death.

It’s like he’s the ancient spirit of enduring hope for a task based solely upon a fool’s hope.

Except, every dark day ends.

Every war must end eventually.

The dark lords do fall.

The hand of the righteous do prosper in the good fight.

Elves have recorded this over and over throughout Ages of history. They recall these things in living memory.

So, this is the far-sight that Legolas brings to the Fellowship.

He is always prepared to run ahead and find the sun for his friends. It’s always there for him to greet and run back to reassure them.

The light will come back. It always does.

[atya-asf]

Imagine being a man in your 30s and this little thing with pointy ears who looks like a 7 years old kid just absolutely tears your ego apart with a shit-eating grin because you spelled something wrong and probably has your IQ multiplied by 26262728. That's what I live for.

Morgoth's Ring might be my absolute favorite book from HoME.

[ekalita-blr]

Her former boss is back! He was already leaking, and now he's completely nuts.🌞🔥🌚 Q: Can you play your favorite song on the harp or lyre, or just sing along? A: Easy!

Alteration of the lyrics of the song "HLS" by the Leningrad music band

They say that elves are in fashion. Young people believe in gods. I would say to you speaking openly: Pantheon of the Gods - crap!

After all, if the brain gets messed with. What's screwed up, is not screwed up. If the mind gets messed with. What's screwed up, is not screwed.

Used to be a regular guy And now he is the God of Fire, But he didn't hand me a lemon. His temper - is still the same f*king sh*t!

[treias-world]

Treias Lineages: Elves

The Elves of Treias are as vastly varied as humans, with the only constants being pointed ears and a stronger connection to magic.

Elves of all kind are second only to certain fae in terms of magical ability, and are not themselves considered fae but possibly fae adjacent/descendant.

Their natural ties to magic energy means most are born with innate ability, usually aligned with one or two of the primary elements (fire, water, earth, air), and possibly secondary elements that bridge between them (lightning, plant, ice, etc).

Occasionally, an elf's ability may align with supernatural elements (light, healing, darkness, shadow, mind, physicality) that are usually associated with otherworldly beings. It's theorized these abilities come from fae ancestry and the types of relations fae had with others.

It's rare for any elf to be able to manipulate more than 2 elements naturally (not counting dark elves, that's a different thread), though they may later learn as many as their individual capacity and drive allows. Even more rare, but possible, is an elf born magically inert.

As a whole, elves make up largest population by race in the world. They live 300-400 years on average, their lifespans longer than humans but shorter than dwarves.

There are many different beliefs among elves on anything from their origins to their appearances to their connections to nature, but some of the most common are these:

1. An elf with longer ears and/or less body hair is closer, genetically, to their probable fae ancestors.

2. Elves have been around much longer than most other sapient races, excluding fae races.

3. While much of who and what they are has a very probable connection to fae ancestry, they are not themselves actually fae.

There's legend of the first elves springing forth from something-probably-fae as opposed to a natural evolution line. Actual evidence has ancient elven remains that date back much farther than most other sapient races.

While not universal, common perception of elves from a non-elven perspective is that they can be a bit self righteous as a people. They make up a majority of the world's political leaders, and a good chunk of important religious leaders. A lot of their moral doctrine comes from a belief in The Four (actual name for them varies around the world) and the balance of elements that each of the four represents. Depending on location, there's a lot of different meanings but a mostly universal respect for The Four.

Like with dwarves and humans, Elvish Trade language makes up some part of Universal Trade Common. Though their contribution isn't the biggest factor (compared to dwarves), they tend to hold pride in the fact that most of the world relies on some aspect of elvish culture in some way.

Additional information:

It's a common practice for transgender elves to choose a name that is a palindrome. While the parameters for transness are a bit different due to elven understanding of gender, there are still those that do change from what is typically assigned at birth.

Even so, they are openly accepted in every known elven culture, and the palindrome naming convention was something that just became popular among trans elves.

Examples: Irori, Massam, Kenek, Lakokal, Jasaj.

Extra notes:

Elves were my first fantasy obsession before orcs, and I've spent a LOT of time just thinking about the different elvish cultures around the world and what makes theirs uniquely elvish where geographical locations and customs parallel those of Earth among all the various lineages that coexist in Treias.

[hecatesdelights]

Elven Maiden

[janehaster]

The Black City is a Titan

I'll be pouring a collection of thoughts on the topic, then I'll tie them together in a short explanation.

In elven lore, we learn the Evanuris, in their greed, unlocked something they shouldn't. This something awoke and was full of wrath, and its power was said to be able to destroy the world. It was then sealed and forgotten for aeons.

In DA2, we find the Primeval Thaig, from where red lyrium seems to sprout. The idol was there as well, and it seems to be the key that opens the door, path or gateway - eluvian??? - that leads to that place. We found no eluvian in the Primeval Thaig, but it must have been there somewhere, and that eluvian must've been the doorway into the Black City.

Now, whatever that power in elven lore was, it's probably the source of the Blight, which was unlocked by the 7 Magisters who entered the Golden City. Why do I say this? Because Corypheus said he found only chaos and corruption within the City. The darkness, as he calls it, was already there.

We also know for a fact red lyrium is lyrium infected with the taint. And lyrium is the blood of a Titan. We also know Titans are not humanoid creatures. They are literally cities hidden in the earth's womb, accessible only by those who know the path to their location.

In Descent, after we leave Shaper Valta, the path we took to find the Titan is forever lost. What if the same happened to other Titans? What if they were only accessible through eluvians, and only those who had the right keys could open them, such as high priests?

Now let's gather our thoughts.

We are told the Black City is a place in the Fade containing only dead whispers and the taint. It is probably only accessible through a specific eluvian located somewhere in the Primeval Thaig and the key to unlock it is the red lyrium idol.

The reason why the Black City is located in the Fade must be related to the fact that part of Arlathan existed solely in the Fade, such as the Vir Dirthara (the library we access in Trespasser). When the empire collapsed, so did the once Golden City and the pathways that led to it.

In the afrescos we see in Trespasser, there are seven "mirrors" or eluvians connected to a city. Those could be the original seven eluvians used by the ancient elves to directly access the "Golden City" (or whatever they called it in their lore). That city or Titan must have been important, since, as stated repeatedly throughout the franchise, the Black City is visible from all locations in the Fade. THIS MEANS THE BLACK CITY IS AT VERY HEART OF THEDAS. It must be a focal point from which the world was born and formed. And if it is a Titan, then that Titan is the source of life in Thedas - and possibly of magic as well.

Somehow, the very life source, the wellspring from which all life is formed became corrupt. And if it is so, then it means the very core of Thedas is corrupted, which would justify Solas' agenda of wanting to destroy the world and rebuild it anew.

Why is that Titan a wellspring? Simple. Remember the Well of Sorrows? It's a magical wellspring connected by several eluvians, each leading to a different destination; possibly to different temples (located within Titans) and/or capitals of the ancient elven empire. I believe the Titan which became the Black City served as the original paradigm for the ancient elves to build their temples of worship to each elven god.

Also, notice how water is connected to memory in the lore - priests like Abelas drink from the Well and can access the memory of their ancestors - and how drinking lyrium, which is liquid, connects dwarves to Titans and old memories, possibly from their ancestors and from a time before Arlathan fell.

As for the seven old dragon gods aka Archdemons locked in prisons deep beneath the earth, they could be guardians protecting the seven eluvians that lead to the Black City. That would make sense since the darkspawn are attracted to the dead whispers, just as anyone who is infected with the taint, meaning the Evanuris locked within the Black City - or somewhere in between, only accessible through the Black City - are also infected with the taint and communicate through it, placing their victims under a powerful spell which instructs them to dig beneath the earth and find the eluvian to unlock it and finally release them.

I have a feeling DA2 was supposed to be a step forward in understanding the lore behind the Black City, the taint, eluvians, Archdemons, etc. Instead, the game was rushed and we never saw that idea come to light. There was even a dragon protecting the Primeval Thaig and the idol. Maybe it was an old dragon, still not infected?

We'll never know.

As for Inquisition, it was supposed to bring answers to all these issues by probably tying everything to ancient elven lore - I mean, the Inquisitor is literally counselled by an old elven god. I guess we'll have to wait to see if DA4 finally brings some sense of closure to this madness.

Addendum:

I just rewatched a gameplay that shows the unknown ruin, where we learn how Mythal stroke down the pillars of the earth and freed the People (presumably elves) from the domain of what we can infer were the Titans.

There's a description of vines covering up a sphere of fire and things being calm for aeons.

But later, this thing awakens and wrath irradiates from it. Which takes us back to the beginning of the post.

Now, we met something full of wrath which then later becomes calmed down in Descent, didn't we? It was the Guardian, the stone sentinel that kept anyone from reaching the heart or core of the Titan aka the pulsating thingy at the city's centre.

You'll also notice how the design of the place where the Titan's Heart/Core lies is VERY similar to the one from the Well of Sorrows. Hence my parallel between Arlathan's places of worship and Titans.

How does the Titan calm down? By killing its Guardian and allowing it to connect to "one of its Children". So a mental connection to a lifeform calms the Titan down.

However, as far as we know, dwarves didn't exist in the time of Arlathan. Then how did Mythal calm down the Titan she faced after presumably killing its Guardian?

She must have "connected" to it in the same way.

It's entirely possible she allowed the Titan to share a mental connection with her if it's what it took to save her people. And that act could've been represented by the vines covering the sphere of fire.

So when Mythal was murdered, the Titan she was connected to sensed her death. And it probably caused it to wake up and feel wrathful at her murderers.

Being connected to someone for aeons creates a powerful bond. Maybe it even caused Mythal and that Titan to merge. They slowly became one entity without realizing it. So when Mythal died, to the Titan, it likely felt as a personal insult. As if the Evanuris had killed a piece of them. An important one. And it filled them with rage.

The bond with the Titan might also play a major role in her immortality. Remember, Solas did say nothing in elven lore connected his people to the dragons. So maybe the secret of effective immortality kept by the Evanuris referred to being bonded not to dragons, but...to Titans?

About the Black City/Titan's wrath, remember how red lyrium is described by Cole (I think) as being angry? The song it emanates probably reflects the Titan's anger at Mythal's murder. Many millenia later, It still echoes throughout the ages.

Addendum #2:

The big question everyone is asking: where are the Evanuris locked? If they were in the Black City, why didn't Corypheus find them? Why weren't they freed right there and then?

They're not locked in the Fade. They're locked someplace IN BETWEEN.

Remember Morrigan showing the Inquisitor the place she stayed in after leaving the Warden and entering the eluvian? That eluvian led her to a place neither in the Fade, nor the physical world, but rather SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN. Somewhere perhaps like The Crossroads, where we finally walk upon in Trespasser.

That is why Corypheus heard their whispers, but never found anyone. The Evanuris were locked away behind the eluvians leading to the Black City, their voices reaching him from their prison. And because he didn't have they key to open the eluvians, he couldn't meet them in person.

(Imagine the magister's shock if he learned his gods were actually elves, beings considered to belong to the slave cast in Tevinter)

The Evanuris are likely locked away someplace within the Crossroads, from where they can only leave by opening the right eluvian(s) with a key. And that key is now in Solas' possession: the red idol.

Those are my thoughts, anyway.

[the-divine-realms]

Morkantis, the Prime World, pt 3

Next on our list of peoples to cover is the Morkantis elves, though they are far fewer in number than they once were. I wanted a change of pace with the elves for this project, having spent most of my life surrounded by Warcraft and Tolkien-esque elves.

Morressians, the Elves of the Prime World

The first children of the Divines, and longest lived of the mortal races, the morressians have a nasty habit of developing zealous beliefs as they delve deeper and deeper into their studies of the world's various magics. This zeal has brought them tremendous discoveries, at times with terrible prices.

Kannessian; nearly extinct after their monstrous magical attack brought the Progenitor, personally, to remove them from the Realm; what few elves that remain from what is now Cascaudia reside with the enjilis at Haven. Incredibly well versed in all types of magics, this small population has proven an invaluable learning resource for the growing Cascaudian population.

Noressian; under the rule of a zealous theocracy in the far northern land of Nores, the 'frost elves' have used their intense study of magics to fully acclimate themselves to the harsh environment they live in. Unfortunately, their leadership has come under the influence of Desicar messengers, leading them into conflict with the southern lands of Dirlin and Bozbon in search of the Essence of Light.

Loressian; widely considered one of the most peaceful and studious of the elven race, the native people of Lofar invest a majority of their long lives in the study of the cosmos and the seas. Unlike their mainland cousins, the Loressians seek out a path to expand the world's knowledge rather than their own; often freely sharing star charts and other knowledge with any who seek them out.

Previous < ----- > Next