> *"Describe magic to you? Oh little mayfly, if only you knew! That is like asking a fish to describe the water in which it swims, in which it breathes, beholding depths those who merely stand on its shores can never understand. Weep, for you will only ever see its surface and I have known every inch of its ocean." -the response of an elven Exarch of Spring, Nuala Miasthene, to Bertik Sarka.* ### Overview Least understood, especially by outsiders, of the veins of [[Magic]], it is well known the [[Elves]] guard their power jealously and the few non-elves who know anything of their magic have been firmly on the receiving end of it. Drawn from the wellspring of the gods' power, their knowledge of the Art can be considered the purest example of what existed before [[The Revealing]], albeit in an incredibly diminished form. They make no claim that their magic relies on [[The God Tongue]] as [[Fire-Speaking]] does. Instead, elves are said to be so in tune with their magic and surrounded by it that they struggle to even describe its ebbs and flows to "lesser" creatures. ### A History of Elf-Magic ##### Origins Elf-Magic as a practice most certainly existed in the First World, at least if Elves are to be believed, but came into sharp focus at [[Godfall]], when their connection to both their patron goddess [[Aimti]] and the world around them was abruptly severed. The stories say that this is when the elves lost their ability to draw from sources other than themselves, and their version of the Art had to retailor itself to suit this new limitation. Whatever the case, elven power and memory stretches back into the Revealing, though they are incredibly cagey about divulging anything about that time to outsiders. The only stories surviving from pre-Godfall are those of *asëanië* (lit. “the kindly ones”), elven avatars of destruction that could draw from outside sources, fueled by their emotion to great acts of devastation. Those stories are usually pointed to by Leyan [[Blood Magic]] practitioners to represent the first havoc mages. ##### The Great Retreat (0-243 RY) It is said that [[The Vale of the Undying]] is a forest where every tree has a drop of god blood at its roots. Whatever the case, the Vale grew with such incredible speed and expansiveness that it covered the elven retreat into the north and gave them a homeland from 0-10 RY. It was here, away from the watchful eyes of the world and the squabbling kingdoms of men, that Elf-Magic flourished. It is difficult to describe to an outsider, the prevalence of magic in the Vale. Whether a result of god blood or the concerted efforts of the oldest elves, the Vale itself became something of a labyrinthine fortification, its ways so tangled in magic as to be impenetrable. The path to their great cities were open only at their pleasure, magic confusing the senses of any intruder and sometimes even the flow of time and expanse of space itself. Every elf is born with the gift of Elf-Magic, and as a consequence view neither time nor space the way other races do. For the first few centuries, the survivors of Godfall and their first children learned how to use their inborn gifts while also being severed from the circles of the world, learning both the advantages of their new relationship and some of its drawbacks. In these days too, the decision was made by the exarchs of the three Courts remaining above ground to institute a policy of *selanthë* (lit. “the threshing of bloods”), keeping apart from the other major races and casting out any half-breeds or elves who violated elven law (including attempting to circumvent or break any of [[The Seals of Magic]]). Fey creatures could remain in elven courts, but most tended to stay in the forest even in this period, alienated by the change in elven nature, and this policy would ossify into the almost complete apartness seen as purity for the rest of elven history. In the depths beneath [[The Lands of Tek]], specifically the region known as [[The Deep]], the Autumn Court forged a pact with an aspect of the goddess [[Nessa]] shortly after Godfall (tradition teaches this was in 77 RY, but many scholars are skeptical because the number 7 is commonly seen in Nessa’s iconography and may have been chosen arbitrarily). In exchange for vision in the darkness and the power to survive in their hostile environment, they would pay homage to the Eternal Watcher and work to bring an end to an ancient evil in the depths: the great elder fiend known as [[Bhaal]] (???-962 RY) a result, their variety of Elf-Magic and their appearance changed to reflect their pact, and the Court of Autumn took on the name “the Dark Folk”. ##### The Discovery of Twilight (244-450 RY) The concept of Nintara, the slow death of the elven soul, was first described by the elvish poet and exarch Zestari Qivaris (???-244 RY) in the words she wrote on the eve of her own death: “*All that I am is becomes twilight, an unceasing beckoning to the night*.” Further parts of the verse describe many of the signs that later elves would take as their calling into the Beyond: loss of joy, a certain blindness to the beauty and emotion of the world, and a creeping sense of emptiness. Nintara as a phenomenon seems inherently tied to the gift of Elf-Magic: even half-elves who have the spellcasting predilection of their elven parent (though they are rare indeed) invariably feel Nintara calling to them as well, though this usually happens at frighteningly young ages when compared to the course of life of a true elf. Most of those few half-breeds with any drop of magic feel the calling by the time they have reached their thirtieth year, while elves live centuries before it closes in around them. In response to the appearance of this strange aberration in lifespan, the three elven courts in the Vale of the Undying called a meeting of their Exarchs, the oldest and wisest amongst them, in their most sacred of spaces. Fearing what this meant for their people, [[The Vessemë]], handed down as Aimti’s sacred commandments was codified into law, forbidding the shedding of elven blood by elven hand. The punishment laid down was so severe it was meant to discourage any from disobeying, from the average elf to the Exarchs themselves: to violate the Vessemë was to become a non-person and forfeit the security of the Vale of the Undying in exile. Any found guilty of the crime would be placed under an *annarra* (lit. “the words of unmaking”), an Exarch’s magical edict, that would prevent them from ever returning to the Vale of the Undying. The first few who violated this covenant found themselves punished with the extreme prejudice they had been promised, becoming the first of the Dúath. Elf-Magic continued to flourish in relative peace and harmony during this time, though the Courts fell into a relative isolation from each other. With the naturally long generational time of elves, the practice of Elf-Magic changed very little. This relatively peaceful coexistence would change tenor drastically with the break between House Ithrennyn of the Summer Court and House Thenala of the Winter Court in to come, however. ##### The Cold War (451-633 RY) While open conflict is frowned upon—even short of bloodshed—among elves, this stigma was not enough to rein in the ambitions and machinations of the Winter Court’s sole surviving Exarch, [[Lysaerys Thenala]] (???-857 RY). Friction grew gradually over the course of centuries between the Courts, expressed as a series of cold wars marked by espionage, betrayal, and constant scheming. One of the heavy critiques leveled against the Winter Court in this period was the embrace of *vhaer’dzala* (lit. “the Nameless Art”), what even elves consider dark magic beyond the pale. Notably, these practices were said to focus on domination of the mind and inflicting of suffering in the soul itself. Practitioners were said to be able to apply curses that wreaked havoc on [[The Threads]] of reality making up their victims and exerting varying degrees of control over the thoughts and actions of even other elves, something previously unheard of. Whispers suggest that this tradition has its origin in a magical weapon of mass destruction from The Revealing, [[M’ethvantai]] (lit. “The Devouring Dark”). At one of the very few confluences that had exarchs of all Courts within the Vale in attendance, Lysaerys executed something of a master coup: stealing the heir to House Ithrennyn and binding her into service in 521 RY. This would have devastating repercussions on Ithrennyn and the other great houses of the Summer Court, poisoning their relationship completely with the Winter Court. Additionally, the death of the Spring Court’s last exarch in 623 RY also revealed a brutal reality of Nintara: a Court without an exarch could not survive. Subsumed into the Winter and Summer Courts, the populace of the Spring Courts suffered immensely until their adoption, many of their refugees suffering a terrible magical affliction that resembled almost a withdrawal from magic itself: unable to connect with their goddess, the unrescued elves afflicted by the *Isha’anyth* (lit. “the grief that drowns the soul”) fell into madness and suffering so great it drove many into the embrace of Nintara and, subsequently, the grave. This served as a dire warning to the other courts of the reality of their precarious situation, and both Winter and Summer solidified power around their exarchs with the goal of avoiding the same fate. ##### The Long Silence (634-856 RY) The period after Spring’s dissolution was relatively quiet with little change. While the Summer Court bulked up its defenses in the southern Vale in expectation of gradual expansion and intrusion by non-elves, the Winter Court significantly solidified its position as the albeit frozen heart of Elf-Magic through the exploration of ancient magics. Use of *vhaer’dzala* by the chosen of Winter’s exarch became the exception rather than the rule, with none as proficient in its use as [[Vassa Ithrennyn]] (423-??? RY). The favorite of the Queen of Winter, this daughter of the Summer Court was instrumental in advancing her new home’s agenda and power. However, if there is a constant in the elven universe, it is the fickle and capricious nature of the elves themselves. Despite her loyal service, Ithrennyn earned the ire of her mistress in a plan gone wrong. She was maimed and exiled from the Winter Court in 839 RY, though not considered Dúath. Her wanderings would bring her on an intercept course with [[The Kingdom of Ethilir]]’s fire-speaking Phoenix Queen and though Ithrennyn eventually returned in 852 RY, that intersection would have earth-shattering consequences for elves and the magic they practiced. ##### Ashen Rebirth (857-1000 RY) The isolation enjoyed by Elf-Magic and those who practiced it could not last forever. In 857 RY, two separate expeditions sent by High King [[Miroslav II]] the Wise (827-880 RY) of [[The High Kingdom of Leus]] breached the Vale. While the first was easily dispatched, the second led by Màgissa [[Adéla Vojak]] (824-879 RY) and [[Seben Femi]] (830-??? RY) managed to reach the Summer Court for a series of tense negotiations. While the Leyans were eventually forced to flee, legend has it that Seben herself remained in the Vale at the side of Vassa Ithrennyn, who ascended to the position of exarch with the direct blessing and command of the goddess Aimti herself. True or not, it is notable that both the Winter Court and the Life-Giver herself endured something of a painful but enriching rebirth over the course of the next few centuries. While elves are not free with their history, the report of Màgissa Vojak and her spellguards was that Lysaerys Thenala met her end in their final confrontation in 857 RY. The Court of Winter endured, however, with another exarch in her place. The practice of *vhaer’dzala* slowly faded in popularity over this period in the Winter Court, but still had many living practitioners. In the Deep, the Autumn Court was forced to reckon with its own challenge in the form of the great army of demons raised by their ancient enemy, Bhaal. Working with a coalition of [[Forsaken]], [[Goblins]], and other denizens of the depths aided by one of the [[Dwarves]]—a gemcutter from [[Dhuldarim]]—they were instrumental in the great upheaval in the depths that occurred from 951-954 RY, colloquially referred to as [[The Great Shattering]]. This broke much of [[The Deceiver]]’s power in the depths, preventing another front opening in the great cataclysmic war to come. ##### The Great War and its Aftershocks (1001-1005 RY) True elven involvement in the world beyond the Vale of the Undying began with the approach of she who would become [[The Divine Imperatrix]] in 1001 RY. Though initially a very tense encounter, the Summer and Winter Courts would commit many of their arcane warriors to join the defense of the East against the forces of [[The Imperium]] at the urging of the Life-Giver in response to this visit. Even in isolation, they could not ignore the existential threat posed by [[The Princes of Iron]] united against them. For the first time in over a thousand years, elf-magic was essentially let off its leash on the battlefield. While the impact was devastating for the Imperium’s legions, it could accurately be described as a sword cutting both ways: the elves lost more of their people on the killing fields than they could really afford to, even with Aimti somewhat restored in power and her children more resistant to the call of Nintara. The good that came of the situation was a reconciliation between the Summer and Winter Courts, both mourning their losses together, but many practitioners of elf-magic who were essentially irreplacable died, taking their knowledge and vivacity with them to the grave. While many kingdoms argue who lost the most on those fields at [[The Battle of Losena]], it is perhaps the elves who bear that dubious honor. A second Council of the Courts was held in 1004 RY, Autumn reunited with its sister courts by dwarven allies, to discuss the fate of the elven people and elf-magic with them. Whatever was decided remains beyond the recorded histories of the kingdoms of men, but once again the elves retreated to their respective homelands as a diminished people. ### Characteristics and Abilities ###### Shared Characteristics and Abilities Elves do not view time or distance in the same way that the other races do, and this directly affects their conception of magic as well. It is exceptionally common to find elven magic either distorting or modifying both of those forces, while navigating through such distortions and modifications with ease. The quintessential example of this is an ability all elves possess referred to by other races as “elf-step”. Somehow, through manipulation of the threads, elves are able to travel continents in the span of an instant, even dragging non-elves along with them. This is a feat that even the most advanced practitioners of [[Blood Magic]] considered impossible until demonstrated for them: the most other races have ever been able to manage is sending a coin halfway across the room, almost completely destroying the coin in the process. Similarly, elves can manipulate at least the perception of time, giving themselves the appearance of moving much faster than humanly possible or tampering with the flow of time in an area. Folklore is filled with stories of humans being “elf-led”, growing old and grey over the course of what seems a day or vice versa, not aging while in the Vale of the Undying only to emerge and find a considerably larger amount of time has passed. Scholars hotly debate whether elves can pass through time backwards or forwards, and certainly no elf has ever claimed to be able to, but it is definitely true that elven premonitions and prophecies seem strangely prescient to be simply based on guesswork. It is theorized that virtually every elven practitioner has at least a rudimentary grasp of [[The Sight]], and those who hone the ability are usually marked from their fellows by the presence of rowan on their person when encountered, usually in the form of rowan-leaf crowns on the surface and rowan-wood staves in the Deep passed down through generations. Most famous of their abilities, however, is unmistakably glamor. Elves are able to bend the minds of non-elves around them with relative ease, usually utilizing it to control the thoughts and desires of the “lesser races”. It’s described often as a haze over the mind, though some elves use it for another purpose: making themselves so unremarkable to observers as to be practically invisible in plain sight. Elves can control this glamor easily, even suppressing it, but most find it uncomfortable to suppress and compare glamor to the natural exhale of breath of other races. It just *happens*, without appearing to draw from their well of internal power, and is thus regarded as a blessing of Aimti more than a conscious casting by the elf in question. Every source describing elf-magic is quick to note that they appear quite able to cast even incredibly powerful spells without gesture or incantation. They view telegraphing magical effects as something children do, and tend to treat non-elven magic as childish because of its reliance on incantation, invocation, or gestures. Also universal through the courts are magical soul-bondings known as *vestalië* (lit. “soul-sharing chains”). Human legends tend to simply these incredibly intricate and deep connections into invariably romantic notions, but for elves they are most often a natural outgrowth of the power imbalance between exarch and their chosen agents, their *zhendai* (lit. “grasping hands of will”). It is only through a *vestali* that elves can share power with each other the way human blood mages are able to. ###### The Magic of the Autumn Court Elf-magic in the Autumn Court is relatively subdued, focused heavily on illusions and even invisibility that allows them to survive the depths beneath the world’s surface. They enjoy shadow magic and manipulating the darkness that surrounds them, but make full use of light to disorient and even harm other creatures of the Deep. Their pact with Nessa allows them to see through even magical darkness without relying on echolocation or similar adaptations common to their neighbors. The Dark Folk also maintain an active practice of something that resembles necromancy in their creation and use of *dzal’uanai* (lit. “death bending to life’s will”), better known as “death guards”. This is not a violation of the Fourth Seal of Magic, as the soul of the departed is not returned to life. Instead, a living spell animates and preserves the corpse for a singular purpose, usually the defense of their people. Death guards are, despite appearances, still very much dead flesh: they do not eat, drink, or sleep, and are very difficult to dispatch in combat. There is an unmistakable resemblance between the death guards of the Autumn Court and the surface legends of [[Revenants]] raised by the gods to fulfill some particular dark purpose. ###### The Magic of the Spring Court While all elves value the natural world and enjoy elemental magics, nowhere reached the zenith of practice like the Spring Court. Much of elven understanding of how to affect the plants and living beasts around them originated in this court and spread in popularity when the Court’s denizens were absorbed by Summer and Winter after collapse. Much of this knowledge allowed both Winter and Summer to expand significantly in population, with greater yields of food and more densely populated wild beasts. The famed “Wild Hunt” of strange and exotic creatures within the Vale by elven spell-casters proving themselves originated here, a tradition that has expanded to other Courts as well. Much of the common idea that elven magic is close to nature (or primitive and instinctual, if one reads Bertik Sarka), even druidic, comes from the few records he was able to collect of the Spring Court from the practices of Nuala Miasthene, who encountered the scholar of magic at the Vale’s edge. ###### The Magic of the Summer Court Almost as if in counterpoint to the Spring Court, Summer’s elves pride themselves on a sophisticated grasp of the Art, honing into their natural enchantment abilities and enhancing their grasp of particular elements. Most experiment with not only fire, earth, air, and water but the seamless blending of all four. Notably, elves of Summer have learned the most from other disciplines as the only extant Court easily reached by non-elves, and have been witnessed channeling magic in ways not so different from [[Elementalism]], albeit without needing a chant. Illusion magic also has its place, but much more of Summer’s magic is directly confrontational and anything but subtle. Interestingly, many elves who descend from Summer struggle with creating wards as adroitly as their fellows. ###### The Magic of the Winter Court While some would say that the outlooks of Winter and Autumn are similar, their magics are anything but complementary. Within elven culture, Winter is famous not for subtlety or sophistication or connection to nature, but the destructive malfeasance of their dark magics. Here, curses and torments beyond the conception of even the worst of Zaeylael’s blood mages take breath virtually daily, urged on by Lysaerys Thenala throughout her rein. Even with the shifts that have occurred since, Winter still boasts mages with inclinations as dark as moonless nights and appetites twisted by centuries of torturous joys. They are feared, even by other elves for this reason, though few would ever admit it. ### Limitations Elves cannot draw power from the living world around them, essentially imprisoned in their own bodies. While they have found a few work-arounds (see the section on *vestalië*), few elves allow themselves to be shackled to each other so, each mistrusting the other. It is generally only seen between an exarch and their *zhendai*, and is firmly under the control of that exarch. Elves are not known to be generous with their power, even with each other. Though one or two have learned to store some of their own vitality in external objects—House Ithrennyn’s wayward daughter foremost among them—this is the exception rather than the rule and does not translate to being able to draw from Creation itself. Outsiders are often told this is a choice, but the reality is rooted in their separation from the circles of the Revealed World. ### Practitioners Every elf has Elf-Magic to a degree, but it takes education and mastery to use it effectively and effortlessly, much as a winged bird learns to fly. A few half-breeds have had some portion of the gift, but that is rare indeed. Unlike other traditions of magic, Elf-Magic seems inherently tied to their blood and ancestry. It cannot be taught entirely, but requires beyond just an inborn sensitivity. Worse yet, it appears inextricably linked to Nintara. All that said, even the least trained elf can generally accomplish things that mages of other races either cannot do altogether or can only achieve through titanic effort and sacrifice. The question only becomes who pays the greater price for their power. As always, all power comes with a cost. Practitioners of elf-magic beyond the Vale of the Undying or their strongholds in the Deep exist at a strange crossroads of hatred, fear, and relentless envy by others. ### Political Ramifications Elves structure their entire society around elf-magic, and indeed it is quite obvious to any observer with a grain of sense that there is no distinction between those who have great magical power and those who have great political power. They are one and the same, essentially a rule by the most powerful in magical talent, with age and proximity to the goddess Aimti playing a considerable role in how one acquires and exercises power. This has naturally led to a sort of arms race amongst exarchs, each pursuing ever more power and knowledge to maintain their position or be overtaken by their enemies. ### Religious Outlook Elves directly connect their magic to the goddess Aimti, their Ashen Mother (and to Nessa for the Court of Autumn). Again, there is no delineation between a magical experience and the practice of elven religion, leading to a blurring that most human societies would find a bit much. In this, they are very close to the [[Orcs]], though both sides would hate the comparison.