Just as the forests twist and turn in mazes of bramble and earth, the elves lay ever vigilante, living in absolute harmony with their surroundings. They move about the gnarled canopies and enchanting earths of the grand forests they reside in, and expertly dispel any form of attack on their sacred homeland. Masters at channeling nature’s very essence, the elves much like the forests they live in, are one and the same with the natural world.
The trees sway in the dawn of light, they compel onlookers with a wonderful might. Looming over the sky, creating a safe haven for you and I – They sing in the wind, they move with the stars, they dance in myriads among the horizon – The forest is our home, it is our livelihood, it is our mother and our father – our Naneth a adar – it is the very essence that keeps us ever moving onward. We shall cherish such a wonderful place with absolute delight, and if its untimely destruction should be brought upon, we shall cry with the utmost of song. – I glad ant ammen safteui, a dorth- min mín emel. – The forest is all of these things, and more. For it is where our hearts truly lie, it is our home, it is our bâr. Now go out, live your life to the fullest, but never forget, never ever forget – that the earths spirit – its mán – shall forever be with you for solace among this world’s dismay.
– Ancient Elvish Verse
The elves have a deeply rich culture that reflects their inner harmony with the natural world. They live ever aware that the world’s will is their will, and that they are just mere creatures among the grander scheme. They understand the earth’s melody, and know their place among the stars. Every elf seeks to find themselves among the gnarled groves of trees and twisted foliage that they all call home. One who wishes to enter elvish society must do so with the utmost of aptitude and respect for their culture and wishes. Opposed to almost all sorts of unnatural advancement, the elves prefer to implore the use of “biotechnology” and rudimentary but highly refined ancient tools such as bows and arrows.
The elves also have a certain aptitude for magic, but a specific type of magic. They follow the magic of earth, I coe’s mán. They are absolute masters of themselves and their abilities, and can tap into the earth’s essence as if it is an extension of themselves. However the elves are ever weary to not abuse their abilities, for they know they are not the true masters of the land, but that the land rules them. They take each and every step of the way as a gift from the world. Every good and bad thing that happens is just so, the will of nature. For everything happens for a reason – Man a foeg glenn- bo an thel-
The elvish culture, while seemingly primitive, is entirely advanced in the creative world. They have many a famous poet, song and verse, and their arts have dazzled, frightened and awed spectators for centuries. Their music has the ability to invoke intense emotion, and they have found a way to entwine it with the very magical being of the lands. Using meticulously constructed chords and verses, the elves are able to implore the help of beasts unimaginable, who live at the beck and call to the beautiful music.
…But what I remember most is that beautiful singing. Oh those overtones, and deep basses, it hummed through the forest and shook me to the core. The entire surrounding land seemed to pang with the verses of the song. Animals reveled in delight, and drowned in sorrow to each and every verse. It shook me to the core, and I must say I have never experienced such beauty – so very pure, so sincere, but so entirely terrifying. I would do anything to go back to their homeland, to hear the song of the elves once again. Or as they called it: Menel glír.
– Unknown Explorer’s Journal Entry – The Song of The Elves
Elvish communities follow a very lackadaisical but well rooted social structure. Generally members are left to govern themselves, but they must always follow the rules of respecting nature and each other, or what they call the World Codes, the Ambar thenid. With such a structure, every elf is left to their own desires, to pursue their hearts passions, and find their place within the world. Many elves take years going on vast journey’s both spiritually, and physically to find their true selves, and what they desire out of the world. Once they find where they feel they belong, they will put in the utmost of effort to their selected craft, and truly put passion into their work. Every elf is a being of true passion.
Elves don’t worry themselves with the future, or the past. They live in the present – I hi a hi – for they say, don’t borrow worry from the future, the present already has enough of its own. Take life one day at a time, and things will continue moving forward, for worrying about the “what wills” and “what haves” will only hinder yourself in the current times.
However among all of this harmony, the elves, much like any other society also contain a sinister past.
The likes of which can even still be seen as remnants today. Some elves learn the darker side of magic’s, forcing themselves upon selfish ideals to protect their world. They can steal thoughts, destroy entire lands, and even use the corpses of their adversaries for their own personal gain. Generally such usage magic such as this is frowned upon in elvish society, however that doesn’t stop various members from imploring its use.
The elves are truly a society of harmony and culture. Their deeply rooted ideals control almost every aspect of the inner workings of their society. Grand poems and songs, the likes of which are almost entirely alien to an outsider, completely envelop their culture, weaving with their vast magical aptitude and natural knowledge. They have the ability to control entire ecosystems, but are ever careful not to overstep nature’s will, attempting to live in harmony with all who may enter their domain.
Thanks for reading! Sylvan Stories is a weekly series, be sure to check back in a week for the next addition. If you have any questions, comments of concerns feel free to leave them in the section below.
And as always, happy gaming!
Credit goes where credit is due: The elvish language used in this article is from the popular series Lord of The Rings. It was created in the early 19th century by the series’ author, J. R. R. Tolkien, and is one of the few fully developed and entirely speak-able fictional languages in the world. I used the Sindarin dialect. Additionally I am by no means an expert on the language so I apologize if you can speak it and the phrases we used were not grammatically correct, it was very difficult to find documentation on creating phrases. If you would like to learn more about the elvish language I suggest checking out this page (not a sponsor):
http://www.ambar-eldaron.com/english/downloads/sindarin-english.pdf
http://funtranslations.com/sindarin
zebotc
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