elves of evermeet & dragons [multi]/2nd... · 2019. 7. 7. · elves of the forgotten realms have...

Elves ofEvermeet

CreditsDesign: Anthony Pryor

Editing: Anne Gray McCreadyInhouse Coordination: Karen S. Boomgarden

Cover Illustration: Laura LakeyInterior Illustrations: Daniel Frazier

Cartography: Dennis KauthElectronic Prepress Coordination: Tim Coumbe

Typography: Angelika LokotzProduction: Paul Hanchette

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Chapter 1: Evermeet and Her People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Chapter 2: Special Places .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Chapter 3: The Magic of Evermeet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62Chapter 4: Gods and Goddesses of Evermeet .............................................................................. 76Chapter 5: Evermeets Defenders ............................................................................................... 83Chapter 6: Non-Player Characters .............................................................................................. 92Chapter 7: Role-playing Evermeet Elves ................................................................................... 104Chapter 8: Adventures in Evermeet .......................................................................................... 114Chapter 9: Creatures of Evermeet ............................................................................................. 122

2 Table of Contents

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Credits and Legal 3

Across the windswept vastness of the Track- for developments in the relationship betweenless Sea, surrounded by mighty enchantments, Evermeet and the Dark elves.)guarded by the power of gods, Evermeet shines Evermeet also harbors numerous tribes andlike a dream come to Toril. Here, retreating from bands of sylvan creatures, who have for millenniathe lands of men and the travails of Faerûn, the cultivated close relations with the various elvenelves of the Forgotten Realms have gathered to nations. Centaurs, pegasi, unicorns, sprites, andmake their final stand, under the banner of Queen faerie dragons may all be found within Ever-Amlaruil. meets borders.

For many years, Evermeet has remained a mys-tery, known only as the elves place of refuge. So Sourcesfar, details about the island itself, its geography,rulers, and society have been sketchy. It is known This book makes use of material previously pub-that Evermeet is protected by illusory magic, that lished in several of TSRs PHBR series, as well asships lose their way or vanish mysteriously if they works of the FORGOTTEN REALMS® campaignapproach the isle, and that the elven navy is the setting. While these products are not required,finest in the realms. Past publications have also they will improve your enjoyment of this volume,revealed that Evermeet is ruled by Queen Amla- as Elves of Evermeet uses kits and terminologyruil, and that her husband Zaor was murdered from several of them. The most useful of these aredecades ago. Beyond this, little is known. listed here.

The Elves of Evermeet attempts to investigate PHBR1, The Complete Fighters Handbook: Thisand explain the inner workings of the elven book contains several useful rules and ideas forisland, and develop the realm as a setting for elven fighters, including new fighting styles suchFORGOTTEN REALMS® adventures. Until now, as mounted archery, and several new weapons.Evermeet has been reserved exclusively for the Kits suitable to an elven fighter include beast-rider,elves and officially closed to humans, dwarves, cavalier, savage (for particularly primitive Greenand other races. But this product will help you elves), swashbuckler, and wilderness warrior.work Evermeet into your campaign and allow PHBR2, The Complete Thiefs Handbook: Whileother PC races to visit, or at least interact with, the outright thievery is frowned upon in Evermeetsmysterious island. society, many of the skills described for thieves

can be applied to elven scouts, spies, and hunters.

The Inhabitants Suitable kits for elves include acrobat, adventurer,scout, spy, and swashbuckler.

Four major subraces of elves inhabit Evermeet. PHBR3, The Complete Priests Handbook: PriestsEach possesses a distinct and unique culture and and priestesses are of vital importance to elvenpersonality. The Gold elves represent the more tra- society on Evermeet, and many of the sampleditional view of elves. They are haughty, distant, priesthoods can be adapted to new elven deities.and somewhat arrogant. Their cousins, the Green Suitable elven priest kits include barbarian/ber-elves, however, are Wild elves in every sense of the serker priest (for Green elves), pacifist priest,word. The Silver elves society falls somewhere prophet priest, and savage priest.between the two extremes, with a strong influence PHBR4, The Complete Wizards Handbook: Ever-of ancient Celtic culture. Offshore dwell the meet is a place of great and ancient magic, and theaquatic Sea elves. They are an independent under- wizards who serve Queen Amlaruil use spells notsea kingdom which, nonetheless, maintains close known outside the island. Appropriate wizardties with Evermeet. (The fifth subrace, the Drow, kits include militant wizard, mystic, and savagedid not follow the Retreat; however, read further wizard.

4 Introduction

PHBR7, The Complete Bards Handbook: Althoughelves are not normally allowed to be bards, theelven minstrel described in this book fills thatniche in Evermeet. This book also includesdescriptions of various enchanted items andmusical instruments, which are helpful in describ-ing elven society and celebrations.

PHBR8, The Complete Book of Elves: This book isthe most useful volume of the PHBR series forany DM wishing to include Evermeet in aFORGOTTEN REALMS® campaign. Several rulesand conventions from this book are used in thecurrent work, including all aspects of elven physi-ology, society, character creation, kits, magic,enchanted items, new proficiencies, and creatures.

DMGR3, Arms and Equipment Guide: This guideincludes various weapons suitable for elven use,as well as detailed information about elven andDrow chain armor.

DMGR4, Monster Mythology: This book containsdetailed information about the gods and myths of

the elves. The gods of the Seldarine are referred tofrequently in Elves of Evermeet, and considerableinformation may be found in DMGR4.

FOR2, The Drow of the Underdark: This book pro-vides details about the elves evil (and some not soevil) cousins, the Drow.

FOR3, Pirates of the Fallen Stars: This book con-tains useful and detailed ship combat rules. Theseform the basis for naval combat as described inElves of Everrneet.

Much useful information has been revealed inother publications. The Ruins of Myth Drannor andthe novel Elfshadow by Elaine Cunningham telldetails of the elves history, the retreat, and themurder of King Zaor. In The Coral Kingdom byDouglas Niles, human adventurers visit the islandof Evermeet and even gain audience with thepowerful Queen Amlaruil. Much is revealed inthis book regarding Evermeets defenses, ene-mies, and current political position.

Introduction 5

The following entries are extracted from a long let-ter written by Captain Carreigh Macumail to LordKhelben Arunsun of Blackstaff Keep in response to arequest for information regarding Evermeet. Macu-mails letter is a remarkably concise and informativedocument, and sheds much light on the culture andsociety of the mysterious Elves of Evermeet.

My Dear Lord Khelben:Respectful greetings from both myself and

the crew of the Mist- Walker. In response to yourrequest, I have attempted to summarize, to thebest of my meager abilities, the many facets ofEvermeets society, and provide enlightenmentregarding the isles history, and many of themysteries surrounding it.

A Journey to EvermeetI am, admittedly, one of a tiny handful of humansprivileged to visit Evermeet and see its won-

6 Chapter One

ders, and the following information is not pro-vided idly. All of what I am about to reveal isgiven in the strictest confidence, a confidencethat I am certain you will respect.

My first introduction to the island of Ever-meet and its people came quite unexpectedly.As you know, I have cultivated a close friend-ship with the Green elf druidess, Aerilaya. Ihad not seen her in several years, since mycareer as a freebooter on the Sea of Fallen Starsproved less satisfactory than I would haveliked and I had been forced to relocate to theSword Coast. There, with my new ship Mist-Walker and a loyal crew, I returned to my life asa freelance adventurer.

It was here, after several months of mixedsuccess, that I was contacted by my old friend.It seemed that she had decided to join theRetreat and journey to the distant, sacred isle ofEvermeet. Her decision was not entirely basedupon philosophical and religious considera-

tions. She made vague comments about beinginvolved in a scandal with a Chauntean monk,an oak tree, and a cask of ale (as well as, I wasto learn, a garrison commander and an elvenarcher with a traveling circus), and impliedthat her life would be somewhat more sedateon Evermeet.

At that time, like most citizens of Faerûn, Inursed doubts as to whether the fabled islandeven existed. What I knew was that the GreenIsle, as the land is also called, was supposedlycreated for the elves by their god, CorellonLarethian, as a refuge some thousands of yearsago. It is also known that as elven numbers onFaerûn wane, more and more travel to this last,peaceful stronghold, where their queen rulesand they are undisputed masters.

The isle is protected by many magical barri-ers, and a mariner can easily sail past it un-knowingly. Storms, teleportation spells, andgreat guardian beasts are also said to defendthe island.

I had little enthusiasm for such a journey,given the islands reputation, and the fact that Iwondered whether it existed at all. My friend,however, prevailed upon me, and within a fewdays Mist-Walker had set off, bound for theunknown island.

I am still not entirely certain what motivatedme. I have always considered myself a friend tothe elves and well remember a dangerous voy-age I undertook in the Sea of Fallen Stars, seek-ing a lost elven treasure. When I restored theitem to the elven noble who claimed to be itsrightful owner, I was told that the elven peoplewere grateful. Little did I know how trulygrateful they were.

The journey was relatively uneventful. Wesailed through calm seas to the MoonshaeIslands, where I spent several days looking upold friends and family members on the isle ofGwyneth. From there, we set off into the opensea, bearing due west, where Aerilaya assuredme the island was to be found.

Three days out from Corwell Town, we

Evermeet and Her People 7

encountered a situation that was to have pro-found consequences. My lookout cried that shehad spotted a pair of ships locked in deadlyconflict. As we approached the scene of the bat-tle, I saw that one of the ships flew the flag ofJaq Meadu, an old enemy from my days on theSea of Fallen Stars. He and his crew were swarm-ing aboard a curious and beautiful vessel witha long, white hull and a bowsprit in the form ofa swans neck and head.

Aerilaya cried out in surprise. This was anelven ship from Evermeet, she told me. With-out hesitation, I ordered my crew to battle sta-tions and we sailed to the defense of the elvenvessel.

Our arrival caught Meadu and his crew bysurprise. As we grappled, I bounded over thegunwales, cutlass drawn, shouting Meadusname. The grizzled pirate, who had been en-gaged in running through a slender elven war-rior in white scale armor, looked up from hisgrisly work and came at me, shouting andswearing by a dozen gods.

The fight was mercifully quick. Meadu wastired and the years had not been kind to him.He fell to my cutlass and most of his remainingcrew surrendered when they saw that the battlewas lost.

I sent Meadus vessel back to the Moonshaeswith a prize crew, the prisoners clapped inirons in the hold, and turned to the task ofassessing the damage. The swan-ship had beenbadly holed and was taking on water. Withdeep sadness at seeing such a magnificent ves-sel meet such a sorry fate, I took the survivingelves aboard.

The elves of the swan-ship seemed bothgrateful and friendly. Several important digni-taries from Faerûn came aboard, as well as arobed and hooded individual, whose identity, Iwas informed, had to remain secret.

An elven priestess named Daenalaia pre-sented herself to me and I told her of my jour-ney. Still grateful for the assistance, she saidthat she would help guide us through Ever-

meets defenses and speak to the queen on mybehalf.

Now, finally convinced that our destinationtruly existed, we made preparations to moveon.

As to the identity of our mysterious passen-ger, I outwardly showed no curiosity, butsecretly burned with desire to discover thesecret. Little did I know, the secret also seemedintent on discovering me.

A soft rapping at the door of my cabin thatevening interrupted me while I wrote in mylog. Angrily, I strode to the door, fully intend-ing to dress down the crewman who had theimpertinence to disturb me.

In the doorway stood the cloaked and hoodedfigure who had boarded Mist-Walker that after-noon.

May I enter, captain? said a muffled, butclearly female voice.

I nodded wordlessly and allowed the figureto enter. No sooner had she done so than sheshrugged off the robe with tangible indiffer-ence and stood uncloaked before me.

Involuntarily, I took a sudden step back,gasping.

She was Drow. Her ebony skin, deep violeteyes, and silvery hair were unmistakable. Shewas clad in a typical Drow costumedark,lacy, and revealing.

I had fought Drow on several occasions and,I am sorry to say, developed an intense dislikefor them. To be confronted with one here onboard my own ship bordered on the unthink-able!

Dont be afraid, my brave captain, she saidin a soft and soothing voice. I simply came tothank you personally for saving our ship today.I am Lady Karsellyn Lylyl-Lytherraias. Thetrilling syllables of her Drow name danced eas-ily from her tongue. I represent the worship-pers of the goddess Eilistraee, and I am on asecret mission to commence friendly relationswith Queen Amlaruil.

I whistled softly. I had heard rumors of a

8 Chapter One

small band of Drow who worshipped a goodgoddess by that name, but had never met any. Ihad even dismissed the tales as fabrications.Now, here was proof.

We spoke for some time and I swore to keepthe ladys secret. I write this letter to you onlyas a result of her explicit permission to do so.

That evening marked the beginning of adeep and, at times, passionate friendship withthe Lady Karsellyn, but that is another story.The next morning I arose early and beganpreparations for our final approach to Ever-meet, not knowing what obstacles lay ahead.

Defenses and Warders

Reaching Evermeet itself is a truly epic task.Without the assistance of Aerilaya and Dae-nalaia, the Mist-Walker would surely have beenlost with all hands.

Several significant barriers lie between themariner and the Green Isle. The first, a web ofillusions, is said to have been woven by theelven goddess Sehanine Moonbow. These illu-sions, which make the seas surrounding Ever-meet seem nothing more than another stretchof featureless ocean, are enough to keep mostships away. Beyond the illusory barrier, how-ever, more extensive and deadly ones await.

Storms also protect Evermeetstorms of amost severe and unnatural nature. Vast cyclonesand towering waterspouts spring unexpectedlyfrom calm seas, lifting ships high into the airand smashing them to kindling, along withtheir crews. Winds of hurricane force driveships away from the island, or wreck them onreefs. Whirlpools appear, dragging vessels towatery graves.

Fortunately for us, the priestess Daenalaiaknew the secrets of controlling these terribleforces, and none threatened us.

Once past the storm barrier, the Green Isleshowed itself, distant and verdant on the hori-zon. Daenalaia and Aerilaya informed me thatthere were still other obstacles to pass before

reaching Evermeets shores. The islands queen,Amlaruil (of whom the two women spoke withawe and a deep affection), apparently wieldsenormous power within her realm and can,with a whim, cause a ship to be instantly tele-ported miles from the island, much to the shockand consternation of her captain and crew.

In addition, I was told that several great sea-beasts cruise the waters immediately surround-ing Evermeet and attack intruding vessels withan unholy fury. As if to emphasize this, ourlookout shouted wildly, drawing my attentionto the water beneath our vessel. There I saw thevast, gleaming back of a dragon turtle glidingsilently below, fewer than two fathoms down. Ishuddered heavily at the thought of fightingsuch a beast and wondered at the nature of theother creatures who defended Evermeet.

Soon after, we came in sight of Evermeetsshores. We gained an escort of slender, green-skinned Alu-TelQuessir, graceful beings moredolphin than elf. My heart pounded heavilyand the eyes of my crew held a mixture of won-der and apprehension as we approached thetree-lined shores of Evermeet.

The Land

Evermeet presents a vision unequaled in anymortal realm. Rising from the deep blue of thesea, the Green Isle resembles a tiny fragment ofArvandor fallen from the heavens. Elven leg-end, in fact, claims this very thing. The sea sur-rounding Evermeet, except for those regionsof cyclones and rough weather previouslydescribed, is eternally calm and of deepestblue. The hand of Deep Sashelas can be seen inthe unnaturally placid nature of Evermeetsseas, for the region is normally rough, continu-ally beset by storms and treacherous currents.From Evermeets shores, however, the seaseems to stretch out forever, flat and undis-turbed. These seas are home to countless bandsof Alu-TelQuessir, the mysterious Aquaticelves.


Evermeets shores are forested with ever- moon-horses, the intelligent horses who inhabitgreen and ancient oaks nearly to the waters Evermeet and voluntarily serve the elves.edge. Other unusual species such as blueleaf, These horses are truly remarkable and, al-duskwood, and the massive shadowtop trees though I have never personally witnessed it,can also be found here in smaller numbers. many of my elven friends claim that they areTrees are virtually everywhere on the island, capable of casting magic to protect their riders.even lining the streets of its great cities. Only Small streams crisscross the island, mostalong Siiluth, the beaching bay where most filled with trout, crayfish, and fresh-waterelven vessels are built, is any stretch of true mussels. These streams are a major source ofbeach to be found. There the sands are white fresh water for those on the Green Isle. Thoseand pure, finely grained and almost like silk. attempting to do anything but drink from

But oh, such trees! They are tall, graceful, them will be punished. Most rivers and streamsand welcoming. Their very presence grants flow to or from crystalline lakes, whose shorespeace and comforts the soul. They are gifts, it is are often occupied by elven dwellings, grace-said, from the Seldarine and each is grown ful buildings nearly indistinguishable from thefrom a seed brought from Arvandor itself. surrounding forests. The river Ardulith bisects

Evermeet is a virtual cathedral of trees. The the isle, running down the fertile valley formedgreen vitality of their mighty boughs provides between the Eagle and Silver Hills, throughsustenance and hope to the elven people. In the dense forests and past the wonders ofmany ways the trees are Evermeet, and without Leuthilspar, out to the sea. It is a major travelthem, the people would surely waste away and route for the elves and is always full of slimperish. elven boats.

The forests teem with animals of every kind. The twin ranges of the Eagle and Silver HillsBright-colored birds flit through the air, singing tower nearly 3,000 feet above the river valleymerrily. Rabbits, squirrels, mice, and other below. Tough conifers line the hills slopes, andsmall mammals are found in abundance, as are their heights are home to giant eagles andstag, boar, bear, and other larger species. None pegasi who assist in the defense of the island.of these creatures is hostile to the elves of Ever- From the highest peak of the Eagle Hills, Thali-meet, even though the Gold elves hunt them akaera Rock, one can view all of Evermeet andwith some regularity. This is considered by the even the seas beyond, as far as the island fortresselves to be a sign of the Seldarines blessing, of Sumbrar.and of the eternal covenant between elves and In the broad, green valley formed by thethe natural world. Arduliths passage and beneath the rugged

In some places, the dense forests give way to slopes of the twin ranges, vineyards, fragrantgreen sylvan glades, places of unparalleled groves of blueleaf, lush meadows, and smallbeauty and comfort, where soft grasses and col- farmsteads serve to enhance and complementorful wildflowers sway in gentle breezes, and the beauty of the villas and palaces of the Goldthe sylvan races such as centaurs and fauns elves, the Ar-TelQuessir. This valley is calledgather to socialize and frolic. These are safe Tyathalael, an elven word with no direct humanplaces for all who enter to enjoy their solitude. translation meaning roughly the peace at-Those who disturb the peaceful surroundings tained through the absolute beauty of natureare usually chased from the glades, as the and harmony with ones surroundings. Asinhabitants do not tolerate much trouble. one of few humans privileged enough to view

The best known of these glades, the Farmead- this ancient valley, I can say that it is a placeows and the Horsefields, are home to herds of of true enchantment, where at least a small

10 Chapter One

portion of Arvandor can be seen on our poorworld.

Evermeets climate is not, as some legendsclaim, eternal springtime. Instead, I suppose itis most accurate to say that each season is per-fect, embodying the times essence, while at thesame time never growing extreme enough tobecome dangerous. Spring is green and pleas-ant, with occasional rains. Summer is warmand balmy, with a few hot days. Fall comesquickly, sweeping the island, turning the standsof deciduous trees into myriad red, yellow, andgold shades. Winter brings with it snows andchill winds. These seasons vary only rarely.Most of the time they present all that is best,while minimizing their less desirable qualities.

Cities and Towns

Upon our arrival on Evermeet, our Sea elfescorts directed us to the isles largest settle-ment, the city of Leuthilspar, at the mouth ofthe broad River Ardulith.

Even with our friendly priestess and thedruidess Aerilaya, the Sea elves gazed upon uswith deep suspicion and, in many cases, out-right hatred. Few human vessels ever made itto the Green Isle and most of the elves who liveon Evermeet tell terrible stories of human intol-erance, repression, and murder. My feeling ofapprehension grew as we approached the greatcity.

The villages and camps occupied by thehandful of elves who have remained behind onFaerûn give virtually no clue as to the alienbeauty and wondrous strangeness of true elvenarchitecture. On Faerûn, most elves live insmall settlements based upon the style of thesurrounding lands or move in nomadic encamp-ments from place to place. Neither settlementcan prepare a human for the sight of a largeelven city, for in such places as Leuthilspar andTaltempla, wonders still abound, echoes of anancient time when elves ruled the world andgods walked the land.

Humans see the city as the ultimate masteryof civilization over nature. The elves see theworld in an entirely different light. They arenot the rivals of nature, nor are they its enemiesor its masters. The elves are part of nature andas such, must live according to the naturalorder, not in defiance of it.

In their heyday, elves were highly skilled inthe magical manipulation and transformationof natural forces and substances. Trees andgrowing things were made to form housesand other shelters. Rock was coaxed from theground to form fortresses and roads. Crystalwas molded into walls, towers, and sculptures.All things remained in constant contact withthe earth, never to be brutally torn from it orreshaped in the violent manner of humans ordwarves.

This is the way of architecture in Leuthilspar.The soaring towers, round domes, intricatebuttresses and gilded palaces are works thatrival and surpass even the imperial cities ofKara-Tur, but all are created directly from theland. They are grown through the wonders ofelven magic. There are, I was soon to learn,spells cast on Evermeet that normal mages canonly dream of.

A crystal tower may rear up from the ground,glittering and gleaming like a gigantic, multi-faceted diamond, but where it joins the soilthere is neither seam nor gap. The tower wasraised from the earth itself, and continues togrow like a vast plant, its connection to the soilunbroken.

Wooden buildings are fascinating things, forthey are built without cut timber. Walls aresolid stretches of living wood, floors are alivewith intricate whorls and patterns that changeas the building grows. Roofs may be grownfrom heavy bark or shiny leaves, and shed bothrain and snow.

Streets are likewise paved with natural sub-stances, either smooth rock summoned fromthe depths and sculpted, or shining crystal,clear and smooth. For horses and those unused

12 Chapter One

to the surfaces, the roads are highly slipperyand treacherous. Roads of crystal and stonecriss-cross the island and are often removedand rerouted overnight through the applicationof elven magic.

Leuthilspar is surrounded by small fortressesand guardian trees, towering evergreens. Magi-cally-created passages and rooms within thetrees house the warriors who defend the isleand keep a constant lookout for enemies.Despite the isles potent magical defenses, shedoes have enemies.

Evermeets stone fortresses are the strongestin the world, more durable than even dwarvenclan holdings. Elven forts are huge, unbrokenmasses of stone grown from the living rock.They have smooth walls, intricate passage-ways, and portals grown of living wood, metal,or rock that open only when proper passwordsare spoken. The lonely island fortress of Sum-brar is like this, sitting amid the waves, guard-ing the approaches to the Green Isle.

Even the most strictly military of structuresretains typical elven grace and beauty, how-ever, rising with curved walls and high towers,often in the shape of a star, rosette, or othergeometric shape when viewed from above.

Leuthilspar, more than any other city onEvermeet, is the ultimate embodiment of elvenharmony with the ways of nature. Despitebeing the home to thousands of elves, the citycould as easily be another part of the forests orhills, sitting placidly beside the Ardulith, grow-ing and maturing with the trees and beaches.

On the heights above Leuthilspar, standingwatch over her people, lives Queen AmlaruilMoonflower. Her home, the Moonstone Palace,is perhaps the pinnacle of elven architecture,design, and harmony. The palace is a vast,white structure crafted of alabaster, marble,and crystal grown directly from the land itself.The structure is a pleasing combination ofdomes, slender towers, long galleries, flyingbuttresses, sky bridges, and other features. Amere human can scarcely take the entire struc-

ture in without growing dizzy.We had stood at anchor off Leuthilspar for

two days before the elves approached us. Thepriestess, her cloaked Drow charge, and theother important elves had already left us,although Daenalaia assured us that she wouldtell the queen of our services.

This day, as I gazed idly up at the palace,nearly blinded by the gleaming white of itswalls, a pair of giant eagles set off from one ofthe highest towers, each bearing an elven war-rior armed with a long lance. To my amaze-ment, they swooped low and alighted upon theMist-Walkers bow, causing the ship to pitchalarmingly.

The lead warrior, clad in shining mail, with ahigh, silver helm, fixed a burning gaze uponme.

Human! he said in a tone that brooked noargument. You are to present yourself toQueen Amlaruil. The druidess Aerilaya is toaccompany you!

I must admit that I blanched somewhat at theprospect. Swallowing heavily, I asked for a fewminutes to prepare myself, for I am loath toattend even the simplest celebration in lessthan the smartest attire.

The eagle-rider nodded briefly and I has-tened to my cabin, my mind awash with fearand anticipation. Finally, dressed in my finestsilk shirt and kilt, my hair and beard combed asbest I could manage, I rejoined the two eagleriders. They then handed me, Aerilaya, and myfirst mate, Drogo, over to a squad of elven war-riors who guided us up the long path to thepalace, to what fate none of us could guess.

The Queen

I wish that I could give more than a cursorydescription of the palace as we passed throughit. Unfortunately, my state of mind was suchthat I could only stare dumbly at the palacesverdant grounds, vast wooden gates, longbroad hallways of gleaming marble, and price-


less artworks of the sort thatI am ashamed toadmitmade my pirates heart beat faster.

After seemingly endless corridors and pas-sages, we arrived in a high, vaulted chambercovered by a great glass dome through whichthe sun shone in every color of the rainbow.There, guarded by a file of stern and unmovingelven warriors, and seated upon a gilded thronehovering unsupported, six feet off the floor, satthe legendary Queen Amlaruil.

Who has not heard tales of the Sad Queen, ofher love for her king, of his tragic death, and ofher unendurable sorrow? Of how, despite hermourning, she continues to rule and guide herpeople, and lives upon this world beyond herallotted time? Of how she chose to stay in aworld of sadness rather than join her belovedin Arvandor, out of love and loyalty to hernation?

Despite all the tales I had heard, all the tragicsongs of the bards and the epic poems and

stores that told of Amlaruil and her life, noth-ing could have prepared me for my first sightof the exquisite woman who sat before me. Shecombined equal parts beauty and sadness, andin her eyes I saw not only endless weariness,but also endless patience and love. She wasclad in a gleaming white gown, a single silvercirclet in her red-gold hair, and she grasped asimple white scepter. As her gaze met mine, itwas all I could do to stop myself from falling tomy knees, weeping, and begging forgivenessfor intruding upon her secret agonies.

When she spoke, it was like sweet music.You are known to us, Carreigh Macumail.Long have you aided and defended my people.Both my priestess Daenalaia and your compan-ion Aerilaya speak well of you. Approach andkneel, captain.

Although my legs could scarce support me, Iwalked forward and without effort dropped onboth knees, head bowed.

14 Chapter One

Your majesty . . . I croaked. Please forgivemy intrusion . . .

Apologies are not necessary, Carreigh Mac-umail, she said. Although I could not see her, Ifelt her soft hands encircling my neck, and real-ized that she had placed a fine silver chainaround it, with a small amulet glittering andgleaming at one end.

I name you ShaQuessir, elf-friend. Fromthis day, you shall be as one of our people, andshall never want for clothing, warmth, or shel-ter, so long as my people live. In exchange, youshall serve us as ally and friend and aid mypeople whenever you can. Do you accept, Car-reigh Macumail?

There was, of course, only one answer.Yes, I whispered. Oh, yes.So it was that I became ShaQuessir, or elf-

friend. This most valued of gifts causes one ofthe NTelQuess (not-people, as the TelQues-sir so charmingly refer to non-elves) to be ac-corded nearly the same status as a full-bloodedelf. Having been given the status by the belovedand near-divine Queen Amlaruil, I found my-self treated with enormous respect and affec-tion by most of Evermeets elves and receivedrelative freedom of movement around theisland.

After my brief meeting with the queen, Iunderstood the esteem in which the elves holdher. She and her husband Zaor were chosen asrulers of the island through a rather complexsuccession process. I am told the process in-volves the use of magical swords and tests ofprowess and wisdom. After Zaors murder bya renegade Gold elf, a fact that still fills mostelves with unspeakable horror, Amlaruil wentinto mourning, which still continues more than45 years later. Now more than 900 years old,she remains on Evermeet, ruling and wieldingpowers of near-divine level.

Since Zaors death, Evermeet has grown intoa decidedly matriarchal society. Amlaruil ruleswith the advice of her Council of Matrons, acircle of elder females of all subraces. She has

many male advisers as well, but they have noformal status within her court.

All elves, even the males, accept this withoutquestion. To them, Amlaruil is Evermeet. Asshe prospers, so does the land, and in her heartand soul resides the final hope of the elven peo-ple. Needless to say, this is a heavy burdeneven in the best of times, and the Sad Queen, asshe is also known, bears it with a dignity andwisdom far beyond even the most enlightenedhuman ruler. Even I, imperfect and short-livedhuman that I am, feel a deep love and loyalty tothe queen, and if she were ever threatened, Iwould lay down my own life in her defense,alongside my elven brothers and sisters.

The PeopleFour of the five elven subraces inhabit theisland of Evermeet and its vicinity. The onlyexception, the Drow, is excluded for the obvi-ous reasons of their decadence, violence, andhatred of all things elven.

Of the remaining subraces, each has its ownoutlook and culture, although all are united bythe overall elven psyche. I will attempt todescribe each of the subraces in detail here,along with information about their society, out-look, and nature.

The Ar-TelQuessir(Gold or Sun Elves)

I am sorry to say that the Gold elves at firstseemed to me a dour and serious lot. Theyrarely express emotion to others or in publicsituations. I am informed that with family orfriends, however, and in particularly privatesettings, they can express a range of emotionswell beyond those of an ordinary human.

Character and Outlook

Gold elves believe themselves to be the chosendefenders of elven culture and tradition, selected


specifically for the task by Corellon Larethianhimself. They take this role very seriously,throwing themselves into their chosen taskswith verve and enthusiasm. Gold elf artisansare methodical, careful individuals who willlabor for years on relatively simple items suchas brooches or rings. Armorers craft each weaponor piece of armor with painstaking precision.Warriors train endlessly with single-mindeddevotion. Clerics study the words of the godsand pray constantly for guidance.

The Gold elves are easily the most arrogantof the subraces, because of an inbred belief thatthey are the chosen elven defenders. There isalso an undercurrent of belief (rarely spokenaloud) that they are the only real elves, andthat the other subraces have somehow turnedaway from true elven society. This prejudice isoften well hidden, but it is there nonetheless.

As the long-lived elves follow many differentpaths during their lifespan, the average Goldelf will be a multi-talented individual, havinggiven the full measure of devotion to each oneof his or her chosen paths. This willful devotiontakes time, and Gold elves will not have asmany different skills or professions as their Sil-ver elf cousins.

This perhaps is the most significant differ-ence between humans and Gold elves. Morethan any of the other TelQuessir subraces, theGold elves longevity has changed their out-look and their very means of thinking. Patienceand thoughtfulness dominate every aspect ofthe Gold elves outlook. Actions are rarelytaken without considerable thought, discus-sion, and consideration, and they never hurry.The only exception to this is in combat, whenquick action is required. The rest of the time,the Ar-TelQuessir are slow and methodical,patient and endlessly thoughtful, in stark con-trast to relatively quick-acting, short-livedhumans.

Clothing

Gold elf clothing is magnificent, if under-stated. Cool colors such as blue and green arefavored, as is white, although white is oftenworn as a color of mourning as well. Decora-tions in the forms of embroidered hems andcollars, knotwork patterns, and naturalisticrunes are common, but kept subtle so that theywill not interfere with the overall harmony of agarment.

Jewelry is also kept simple, with unadornedheadbands and rings being most common. Ear-rings, torcs, and bracelets decorated with com-plex patterns are sometimes worn, but theseare often considered overly ostentatious andexcessive. All clothing and jewelry are pains-takingly crafted in typical Gold elf fashion, andeven the rudest cloak or tunic made by the Ar-TelQuessir would fetch a hefty price in Faerûn.

Armor and weapons are invariably works ofart, carried proudly into battle, and ofteninscribed with small versions of ancient runesor elven heraldry. The links on some famoussuits of elven chain, for example, are inscribedwith prayers, invocations, or quotations fromreligious texts. The mail of the hero Tharae-fellin was crafted completely from such links.

Gold elves make use of the otherwise rareelven plate armor, as well. Suits of this type ofarmor are likewise inscribed with runes, designs,and quotations, chased and decorated in gold,silver, or brass, and individually fitted to eachwearer. Some suits of enchanted plate worn byancient heroes still exist, but many of thesewere lost on Faerûn, and the Gold elves havetaken steps to retrieve them.

Art, Music, and Literature

Gold elf poetry and art are simple, yet graceful,incorporating many of the traditional naturalmotifs, combined with elven symmetricaldesigns somewhat reminiscent of the complexknot-patterns of Moonshae artisans. Many

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artists are also wizards who use elven magic toshape, carve, and polish natural objects, muchin the same way as elven buildings are con-structed.

Gold elven poetry and song are as slow andsolemn as one might expect. Tales of ancientbattles, songs of the gods, and stories of heroicindividuals are popular, but these are moreoften than not sad sagas with tragic endings.Gold elf minstrels are an important part of soci-ety. They wander the island, bringing news andexchanging songs and stories. The harp, lute,and the shalaquin (a long-necked elven instru-ment that is played by plucking or strummingwhile changing the tension of the strings with aratcheted wheel) are all favored instruments.

Faith and the Gods

Religion and faith infuse every aspect of Goldelf society. As the chosen representatives of allthat is good and beautiful in elven culture (intheir own eyes, at least), the Ar-TelQuessirconstantly give thanks and pay homage to theSeldarine. Each work of art, each poem, eachsong, is dedicated first and above all others tothe Seldarine, and second to Queen Amlaruil.Most elven priests are of Ar-TelQuessir extrac-tion.

Gold elf religious ceremonies and proces-sions are long, drawn out, andto both myselfand my Silver elf friendsdeadly dull. Exuber-ance in the form of loud voices, merry songs, orjoyful worship is considered shockingly inap-propriate, and quiet chanting or solemn intona-tion is the order of the day when Gold elvesjoin together in worship.

The Ar-TelQuessir observe a rigid hierarchyamong the gods, with the supreme deity, Corel-lon Larethian, at its head and his consort, Seha-nine, beside him. Various messengers anddemigods serve the Seldarine, but all are underthe direct leadership of Corellon Larethian, andall pay him obeisance. The goddess Anghar-radh, considered to be equal to Corellon Lareth-

ian by the Silver elves, is considered to be amisinterpretation of the other three elven god-desses, or a minor deity of the Teu-TelQuessir,whose importance has been exaggerated.

Relations with Others

Gold elves feel affection toward their Silver elfbrethren, but this is often couched in somewhatpatronizing terms, which annoys the Teu-TelQuessir. Feeling that their Silver cousins areflighty, chaotic, and irreverent, Gold elves oftenstrive to return them to the proper path withstern lectures and fatherly advice. For theirpart, the Silver elves laugh and ignore suchtreatment.

The Gold elves admire the Green elves of theforests, feeling that they embody the true prim-itive spirit of their elven ancestors. Relationsbetween the two groups are good, but theGreen elves reclusive nature makes direct con-tact relatively rare. I was privileged to attend acelebration of Faerieluck on Evermeet, in whichI saw the normally-reserved Gold elves frolick-ing and cavorting with their Green elf cousinsin a manner that even the most free-spirited Sil-ver elf would have found shocking.

Gold elves prejudice toward humans isquite severe. It is much more obvious than thatof the relatively friendly Silver elves. ManyGold elves who now live on Evermeet felt theweight of human hatred and persecutiondirectly, and so may be excused for their dislikeof humans. Even after my adoption as a ShaQuessir, I received many black looks from Goldelves, and was sometimes treated with disdainand hostility. Most Gold elves seem to bearsomething of a chip on their shoulder, and itmay not entirely be as a result of their treat-ment at the hands of humans.


The Betrayal and quiet nature of the guests, most of whomwere Gold elves. Held in one of Amlaruils

Several of my silver elf friends informed me banquet halls, this simple feast offered far morethat the Ar-TelQuessir are still reeling from the pomp and glory than any human ceremony Ibetrayal and murder of King Zaor by one of have attended. All were dressed in glitteringtheir own number. Although the act took place finery, in shades of dark gray, green, and blue,more than 45 years ago, this is but the merest with occasional splashes of yellow and red.instant to the long-lived elves, and the crime is Many warriors were in attendance, wearingstill fresh in their minds. The killing of an elven glittering mail or mirror-finished elven plate, amonarch by a Gold elf is seen as the ultimate form of armor that I was unaware even existed.abomination by the Ar-TelQuessir, and the Dining in such armor must have presentedentire community has attempted to make up quite a challenge, but the elves did so withoutfor the disgrace by redoubling its loyalty and apparent discomfort.service to Queen Amlaruil. Conversation was quiet and unemotional.

The other elves see the murder as an isolated My limited mastery of the elven languageaberration and do not hold the larger commu- enabled me to pick up a few comments, andnity of Gold elves responsible. All the same, as even to hold an intelligent conversation, butmy friend Aerilaya once told me, We have for- the many subtleties of tone, meter, nuance, ges-given the Ar-TelQuessir, but it will be a very ture, and expression, all of which seemed anlong time before they forgive themselves. inherent part of the spoken language, were

beyond my ability to understand.

The Queens Feast At last, the queen herself rose and intro-duced some of her prominent guests. FinallyIt took quite some time for me to truly appreci- she indicated me, and told of how I had comeate the depths of the Gold elf mind. To out- to be here and how she had given me my cur-siders, they might seem to be quiet, serious, rent status. She announced that she had heard Iand utterly devoid of humor. But probing had some accomplishment as a singer of songs.deeper, it becomes clear that their character and Would I be so kind as to favor the assemblytemperament are far more complex. with a performance?

Soon after my adoption as an elf-friend, I To say that I was embarrassed would be aattended a feast given in honor of one of Queen serious understatement. I realized that to denyAmlaruils generals, Lady Mylaela Durothil, an the queen would be a serious breach of eti-ancient elf who had apparently participated in quette. So, taking up a proffered mandolin, Ia significant battle many centuries ago. Once did my best to pluck out and sing the Balladmore, I was staggered by elven longevity and of Jarsali and the Treant, a song that I knewby the fact that I stood in the presence of one had elven origins. The audience listened inwho was old before my most distant ancestors polite silence and when I finished, clapped qui-were young. etly, then returned to their meal.

As a newly-appointed ShaQuessir, I was I reflected that I had not impressed them.something of a curiosity. I was astonished to And why should I? Their minstrels are famednote that most of the hostility that I and my throughout the world, wandering the landcrew had previously experienced had evapo- with enchanted instruments and spinning talesrated and been transformed into curiosity and and songs learned over a lifetime twenty timesa tentative, if cautious, friendliness. longer than my own. I sighed quietly, and fin-

More than anything else, I noted the reserve ished my meal.

18 Chapter One

The next day, while walking alone in one ofthe palaces many gardens, I was surprised tosee the Lady Mylaela herself approaching me. Igreeted her politely, and she immediately fixedme with a deep, penetrating gaze.

I want to thank you for your performance,she said. I have never heard the tale of Jarsalitold in such a moving fashion.

Further astounded, I mumbled my thanks,saying that I was only a second rate singer.

Never! she said sharply, in a voice farstronger than any I had heard the night before.You made the tale live for me, and no one whogives me such joy could ever be considered sec-ond rate. I give you my gratitude, elf-friend.

With that, she leaned over and softly kissedmy cheek. As she turned away, I could see thetracks of tears gleaming on her face in the sun-light. After she left, I stood in silence for a longtime.

The Teu-TelQuessir(Silver or Moon Elves)

Many humans consider the Silver elves to befar more tolerable as companions than thesolemn Gold elves. To be sure, they are a muchless serious and more independent group.Many chose not to follow the Retreat, remain-ing on Faerûn as adventurers. I have had manygood friends of this extraction and I share thepopular belief that they are far preferable totheir Gold cousins as companions. I also learnedduring my stay on Evermeet that the termGray elf, often applied to the Teu-TelQuessir,is considered somewhat pejorative and shouldbe avoided.


While they share the Gold elves passion for thedefense of their homeland, their race and theirqueen, the Silver elves personal philosophiesare more impulsive and display a decidedlive-for-the-moment outlook. They dislike

remaining in one place for very long, and enjoytravel. This alone may account for their adven-turous nature, but there is a deeper and moreimportant aspect to it as well, for the Silverelves strongly believe that an individual mustchoose his or her own path through life.

The Silver elves desire to see and do every-thing possible during their span on this plane.Silver elves love of travel, their tendencytoward multiple talents and skills, and the factthat many chose not to follow the Retreat, butto remain in Faerûn as adventurers, are allreflections of the Teu-TelQuessirs inquisitiveand unbounded nature.

A Silver elf craves experience; experienceentails going many places, doing many things,and meeting many people. Silver elves havefewer qualms about associating with NTelQuessir than the Gold or Green elves, and usu-ally possess the skills to relate to many differ-ent peoples and cultures. Although I am nowaware of the true foundations of Gold elf insu-larity and perfectionism, I cannot help but findit too different from my own views to be trulycomfortable with the Ar-TelQuessir. If giventhe choice, I must honestly admit that the Silverelves, with their outgoing ways and love ofexcitement, are far more enjoyable as friends.

Clothing

Silver elf dress includes many primitive ele-ments, in subconscious acknowledgment oftheir ancient origins. Robes and tunics are dec-orated with feathers, beadwork, carved stones,and other such trappings. The colors are bright,sometimes even shocking. The more brightly-colored the garment, the more highly the elf islooked upon by the others. Hair is worn inbraids or ponytails, twined with wires or beads.Silver elves often wear body paint or tattoos,similar to the Green elves.

Silver elf armor has a barbaric appearance.The feathers, stone charms, runes, and braidedhair of ordinary dress are displayed promi-


nently even when the elves are dressed for bat-tle. In fact, the savage war-runes and symbolsof ancient elven nations are often painted onwarriors faces and bodies, as well as inscribedon armor or shields. Protective runestonescrafted by a class of Silver elf priestessesknown as totem-sisters are sometimes carried aswell. (This new character kit is detailed inChapter 7.)


Silver elven songs and poetry are considerablylighter and less solemn than those of the Goldelves. Grim ballads and tragedies have theirplace, but the Teu-TelQuessir prefer to balancesuch things with light-hearted, often bawdytales and songs. Many of these sagas tell storiesof quick-witted Silver elf heroes or heroineswho outwit and humiliate goblin, human, ordwarven opponents.

Silver elven minstrels are better knownthroughout Faerûn than their Gold elf counter-parts, largely because their repertoire is muchlarger and because they have fewer qualmsabout playing for humans. Silver elf minstrelsfavor the mandolin, harp, and shalaquin. Theyare often talented performers, capable of song,dance, juggling, sleight of hand, and evenminor magical spells. It is not widely knownthat many of these minstrels are also secretly inthe pay of Queen Amlaruil, and act on Faerûnto gather information, retrieve lost elven trea-sures, and defend elves in jeopardy.

The Silver elves enjoy a wide variety of artstyles, from paintings to sculpture. A specialform of art known as shaping is popular, usingelven magic to form natural objects such asstones, trees, and plants, into pleasing shapes.

Faith and the Gods

The Silver elves are every bit as devout as theirGold cousins, but their methods of worshipvary greatly. Generally, as I observed during

the several religious ceremonies that I wasprivileged enough to watch, Silver elf worshipis exuberant, joyful, loud, and more often thannot, simply an excuse for more revelry.

At a Springrite celebration, my old friendsLysanthir and Aerilaya began the evening withsolemn intonations to Corellon Larethian,Solonor Thelandira, and other elven deities. Sil-ver elf priests and priestesses then echoed myfriends sentiments, lighting candles and chant-ing prayers. The gathered Silver elves watchedin reverent silence until the prayers ended.Then they erupted.

I do not honestly remember much about theevening, save that it seemed the Silver elveswere more interested in wine, song, and ro-mance than in the actual worship of the gods.The quiet invocations of Corellon Larethiansoon changed to loud, boisterous cries of thanksand praise, directed at all the Seldarine, partic-ularly Hanali Celanil, goddess of love. Thisworship service continued on into the nightand ended only when the last worshipper hadcollapsed from exhaustion or wended his orher unsteady way home.

The Silver elves worship of the Seldarinediffers from that of the Gold elves in one moresignificant manner. The Teu-TelQuessir wor-ship another deity known as Angharradh, whothey believe to be a melding of the three god-desses Sehanine, Aerdrie Faenya, and HanaliCelanil. Some claim that the three deities canvoluntarily join to form this greater goddess,while others believe that Angharradh is anentirely separate deity, incorporating elementsof the other three.

Regardless of their personal views, the Silverelves see Angharradh as a great deity, as pow-erful and influential as Corellon Larethian,who is often relegated to consort status. TheGold elves tolerate this worship, though someconsider it somewhat heretical. Others, in typi-cally paternal fashion, think that Angharradh isactually a minor deity who protects the Silverelves and that her status has been exaggerated.

20 Chapter One


Silver elves are generally thought to truly hateno one, but this is not entirely true. Their hatredfor the Drow and the goblin races, for example,is extreme. But their overall outlook on life is totreat most strangers as friends, and friends asfamily.

While the Teu-TelQuessir have experiencedthe same indignities and atrocities at the handsof humans as the Gold elves, they are far lesslikely to judge an individual solely on the basisof race. Silver elves feel that individuals areresponsible for their own actions and will gen-erally give one the benefit of the doubt. Still,many Silver elves harbor a deep distrust ofhumans, a distrust that takes much time andeffort to overcome.

The Silver elves are often annoyed by theirGold cousins patronizing attitude, and some-times even grow angry at their unemotional andseemingly colorless existence. On Evermeetthese conflicts are limited by the common causesof defense and loyalty to the queen, but in thepast conflicts between Gold and Silver elf havebeen known to boil over into outright warfare.On occasion, there is a certain undercurrent ofdistrust between the Silver and Gold elves, butthis is largely kept quiet, especially on Evermeet.

The Silver elves adore the Sy-TelQuessir.Both the Silver and Gold elves believe that theyreflect a naturalistic perfection in their shun-ning of civilization and its trappings, and aresomehow purer for it. Silver elves have beenknown to imitate Green elf customs, decoratingthemselves with tattoos and warpaint, wearingpurposefully primitive costume (during wilder-ness excursions, no costumes at all), and hunt-ing in small parties with minimal equipment.That the Green elves are apparently unmovedby such tribute seems not to bother the Silverelves. Several small communities are known toexist under primitive conditions in the forestsof Evermeet, continuing to mimic the ways oftheir savage cousins.

Games and Revelry

Not surprisingly, the Silver elves love gamblingand games of chance. During my infrequentstays on Evermeet, I am invariably accosted byat least one group of Silver elves, urging me tojoin in games of dice or cards. One popularelven game called kholiast involves a deck ofmore than 1,000 cards, a variable-sized handbased upon a throw of dice, and a point-count-ing system that would drive even the mostdedicated Candlekeep scholar completely mad.Needless to say, I have never been a successfulkholiast player.

Drinking, feasting, and reveling are all partof the Silver elf psyche. At one celebration Iwatched my Silver elf companions, with a sta-mina far exceeding that of even my own crewof hardened buccaneers, carry on long into thenight and well into the day beyond, singing,dancing, drinking, flirting outrageously. Giventhe conventional wisdom about the frail elvenconstitution, I was at first amazed and thencompletely dumbfounded as I watched a circleof Silver elves, male and female, hoisting theirtankards, singing The Elf Maids and the OrcLord (a song whose contents I simply cannot,in the interest of politeness, divulge), their feetresting on the somnolent bodies of my firstmate and boatswain!

Servants of the Queen

Before I continue, I want to emphasize a pointthat may have been lost in my previous narra-tive. I may have unintentionally left the impres-sion that the Silver elves are decadent pleasure-seekers with few serious traits. This is mostassuredly not the case.

The Teu-TelQuessir are every bit as dedi-cated to the survival of their nation and thewelfare of their queen as the Ar-TelQuessir.When not engaged in revelry, travel or recre-ation, the Silver elves are among the most dedi-cated artisans, musicians, scribes, scholars,


priests, and warriors in all the Forgotten Realms.Once given over to an important task, a Silverelf will pursue it with a single-minded inten-sity, even to death.

It is as if the Silver elves feel that they mustpay for their chaotic nature with intense serviceand loyalty to their nation. A Silver elfs oath isan unbreakable bond, and only the most wickedwill break it. Evil Silver elves are rare, but notcompletely unheard of. Living upon Evermeetis considered to include an oath of absoluteloyalty to queen and nation, and the Silverelves faithfulness to these oaths is almostunbelievable.

In one case, I had spent several hours drink-ing and singing with a band of Silver elves in amanor house deep within the forests of Ever-meet. The house, home to Lord Lysanthir Ahma-quissar, was a typical elven construction. It wasmade of magically modified trees, bent andreshaped to form a multi-level mansion withmany rooms, a rich, leafy roof, and facetedcrystal windows with a view of the clear, coldwaters of Lake Naquashila. Lord Lysanthir andhis staff joined in our revels, and soon the gath-ering had lost all semblance of order.

We sang, we danced, we drank potent elvenwine and feasted indiscriminately from Lysan-thirs larder. Even the normally-reserved Aeri-laya grew loquacious, flirting with Lysanthirstwin cousins, and regaling us with tales of theantics that forced her to flee the mainland. I,myself, was flattered to have caught they eye ofan attractive female elf warrior who seemedintrigued by the novelty of my beard and, inher words, my charming barbarity.

The evening progressed in this fashion forsome time, until at last the sun peeked throughthe trees, revealing the Ahmaquissar manse ina state of extreme disarray, with small groupsstill carrying on drinking and singing amid thechaos.

I was ready to make for a soft bed to sleep offmy excesses. I swore to myself that later Iwould help Lord Lysanthirs staff clean up the

mess. But to my astonishment the rumpledform of Lord Lysanthir himself arose frombehind a table, with a look of surprisinglysober determination in his eyes.

He snapped his fingers sharply. Summon apriest, he barked. Prepare our arms andarmor!

This sudden change caught me completelyoff-guard, and I became frightened.

I hastened to the noblemans side and spoketo him even as a pair of footmen helped him tochange his wrinkled and stained tunic for anarming-coat. I asked if anything was wrong.

Not at all, he replied curtly. My warriorsand I are to stand guard at the palace today.Oh, gods, my head is splitting apart! Where ismy priest?

Lord Lysanthir continued to arm and com-plain of his throbbing head until the householdpriest arrived and began casting spells to healthe assembled warriors of their various hang-over symptoms. Within the hour, their silverscale shining in the morning sun, their griffonbanners rippling in the breeze, Lord Lysanthirand his warriors set out for the palace, theirmoon-horses marching smartly in step, wind-ing down the crystal-road like a scene fromancient legend.

As they departed, I decided that bed couldwait until later and I set to the task of cleaningup the mansion. As I did so, I reflected on thecomplete change in Lord Lysanthirs character.Last night he was drinking and reveling withthe best of us, with no apparent thought for thenext moment, let alone the next day. But thismorning, with the eternal sun shining downupon the scene of his debauchery, my friendbecame a loyal nobleman, serving his queen,gamely disposing of his fatigue and weariness,donning armor and sword, and marching off todo his duty.

This incident, more than any other, broughthome to me the true depth of Silver elf nature,and left me forever impressed with the strength,tolerance and loyalty of the Teu-TelQuessir.

22 Chapter One

The Sy-TelQuessir(Green, Forest, Savage, or Wild Elves)

These insular and savage elves are not wellknown to humans because of their isolationismand dislike of outsiders. My personal knowl-edge of them comes largely as a result of myassociation with the Green elf druid, Aerilaya.This silent, moody elf fell in with our band ofadventurers during our early days in Berdusk.While she was not especially well-liked by myadventuring companions, I was able to forge aclose friendship with her, albeit after months ofpersistence and frustration.

Aerilaya was in many ways a typical Greenelf. She was quiet and, at times, almost hostile.She would leave our band for long periods tocommune with her forest spirits and the naturedeities of the Seldarine (particularly the tree-god, Rillifane Rallathil), and evinced a deepand abiding respect and love for the naturalworld around her.


Green elves throughout Faerûn show similarattitudes. The Sy-TelQuessir have enduredmany outrages at the hands of humans andother non-elves. Their forests have been felledor burned, their homes and campsites sacked,their people killed or enslaved. Coupled with anatural isolationist tendency, this terrible his-tory makes the Green elves intensely suspi-cious of outsiders, especially humans.

Several bands of Green elves remained onFaerûn, preferring to defend their traditionalforest homelands rather than retreat to Ever-meet. Even those Sy-TelQuessir who followedthe Retreat remain distant and separate fromtheir Gold and Silver relatives, joining themonly at festivals, or for the mutual defense ofthe realm.

In addition to being insular and reclusive,the Green elves are the most warlike and vio-lent of the subraces. They enjoy raiding each

other and engaging in large-scale mock battles.Their tactics for dealing with intruders varyfrom tribe to tribe. Some will simply hide andallow trespassers to go by unknowing, whileothers will attack and capture the interlopers.Though they dislike outsiders, Green elvesrarely kill captives, preferring instead to magi-cally alter their memories and carry them faraway, to be released with stern warnings neverto return.

Green elves excel in battle. They are mastersof hit-and-run tactics, ambush, and sniping,and have destroyed more than one enemy forcethat attempted to enter their forest domains. Inclose combat, Green elves are equally danger-ous, using complex acrobatic maneuvers anddisplays of their weapon skill to overawe oppo-nents, and slaying both quickly and efficiently.

Many primitive elements persist in Green elfsociety. Their priests function as human druids.I am told this is rare among elves. They alsocommune constantly with a pantheon of nature-spirits, each representing an archetypal mem-ber of an animal species or natural phenome-non. Their warriors often go into fits of battle-madness, and some of their more eccentricdruidic priests are said to be capable of chang-ing into animal form at will.

Although they are grim and hostile aroundoutsiders, within the tribe Green elves arepleasant and outgoing in a manner reminiscentof the Gold elves. Their feasts are events ofgreat joy, with singing, dancing, and all mannerof merry-making. Hunts are tribal affairs inwhich all elves, including the very young andold, have a part. They take great care to assistthose who need it during the hunt, so all willfeel a part of their successes. Religious cere-monies involve exuberant songs and heartyprayers to the gods. On important festival dayssuch as Springrite and Fallrite, Green elvesinvite neighboring Silver or Gold elves and syl-van creatures to participate. Such celebrationscan last for days and involve great revelry anduninhibited behavior. My experience at Faerie-


luck involved a celebration that left me bat-tered and bruised (but happy) for several daysthereafter.

Green elf society varies considerably, withmany different customs practiced. In general,Green elf bands are tribal groupings, travelingthrough the forests and making camp in a tra-ditional nomadic fashion. Some tribes aresedentary, living in permanent villages, withwood or thatch huts surrounding a commonarea in the center. Sexes are often segregated inGreen elf villages, with separate mens andwomens lodges for special ceremonies andinvocations. Some tribes are exclusively matri-archal, others are patriarchal, and still otherscall for shared responsibility for rulership be-tween the sexes.

Clothing

Clothing is kept to a minimum among Greenelves, although body decoration makes up forthe deficiency. Tattoos, war paint, feathers, andbeaded jewelry are often worn, and can be quitecomplex and beautiful. Although their naturalarms and armor are relatively primitive, such asspears, bows, and shields, some Green elf tribestrade with Teu-TelQuessir for swords, helmets,and other more modern items. In general, Greenelves shun full body armor, feeling that it inter-feres with their movement in battle.

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Music and art remain in a tribal state as well.The Green elves create few permanent works ofart, but sometimes fashion brooches, torcs,armbands, and magical amulets that are carriedby warriors and hunters. Songs take the formof rhythmic chants accompanied by drums,flutes, and other instruments. Modern instru-ments such as the harp and shalaquin are slowlygaining acceptance among the Green elves ofEvermeet.

As noted, body decoration is common amongthe Green elves. The art of tattooing with theaid of a sharp needle of wood or bone is alsowell-developed, and carries considerable mys-tical significance. Tattoos often represent anindividuals own personal spirit-animal. Moreinfluential creatures, such as the eagle, bear,and salmon, bring considerable respect fromother Green elves.

Faith and the Gods

The Green elves worship the Seldarine, butplace different emphasis on its members. WhileCorellon Larethian is still considered supreme,the Sy-TelQuessir reserve their greatest devo-tion for the nature gods Rillifane Rallathil, Ere-van Ilesere, and Solonor Thelandira. They alsopay homage to Oberon and Titania, gods ofwoodland beings.

In addition to their more traditional worshipof the Seldarine, the Green elves also revere apantheon of wilderness spirits embodied inanimals, such as eagles and bears. They alsobelieve that natural objects such as trees, rocks,rivers, and mountains have their own spirits,which must be consulted, appeased, and re-spected.


My own personal experience with the bodydecoration of the Green elves was enlightening,

if somewhat painful. Upon my second visit toEvermeet, I sought out my friend Aerilaya tosee how she was adjusting to her new life onthe island. When I found her I was somewhattaken aback. A new aura of happiness and con-tentment surrounded the once-dour druidess,and with a bright smile she informed me thather tribe had not, as she believed, been com-pletely wiped out by an army of gnolls, but hadinstead escaped through a magical gate to Ever-meet. Eagerly, she invited me to visit the tribe.

Even my status as ShaQuessir did not bringme a warm welcome. At best, Aerilayas tribewas coolly polite and did little to include me inactivities and social functions. Finally, afterhearing the story of my friendship with Aeri-laya and my deep friendship with the elves, thetribal patriarch, a 1,000-year old elf namedKamana, invited me to the mens lodge for aformal ceremony of inclusion.

There I was informed that, as an officialhuman friend to the tribe, I would have to bemarked with my totem animal. With no smallamount of apprehension, I accompanied themen to a ritual sweat-lodge, where I was toldmy totem would appear to me.

The sweat-lodge was a low, dome-shapedstructure hung with hides. Inside, a small firewas built in the center, heating the hut to analmost intolerable degree. The fire was hot andthe small amount of smoke escaped through ahole in the roof. I sat upon several soft, warmfurs that encircled my lower body, causing meto sweat profusely.

In this lodge I sat for what seemed like hours,feeling the oppressive heat, trying desperatelyto stay conscious, as the Wild elves around metalked and joked with each other as if the roast-ing we were getting were the most naturalthing in the world.

Eventually the constant heat and drynesswas too much for me, and I slipped quietly tothe floor. I dreamed then of cool water, crash-ing surf, and a graceful sea otter diving in andout of the blue waves, gazing at me with wide,


peaceful eyes.

The Alu-TelQuessir(Sea, Water, or Aquatic Elves)

This most mysterious race of elves inhabits thewaters of Toril. They are found in large num-bers near the island of Evermeet. These elvesalso serve Queen Amlaruil, although theirwatery realm has its own monarch and nobility.

When I awoke, I lay outside the lodge in thecool air. I heard a soft wind rushing throughthe trees above and a wonderful sense of peaceand understanding overcame me. Kamanasface then appeared above me and he askedwhat I had seen.

I told him of my dream and of the otter. Heseemed impressed. The sea otter is a very oldand significant spirit and is associated closelywith the Alu-TelQuessir, whom the Greenelves respect greatly.

My ordeal was not yet over. The followingday, I was awakened before dawn and taken tothe hut of the tribes druid. While Aerilaya andseveral other tribe members looked on, myshoulder was painfully tattooed with the grace-ful, stylized image of a sea otter. After this, thetribe seemed to view me quite differently and Ihave been well-treated by the Green elves Ihave encountered since (as long as I removedmy shirt first).

As I had favorably impressed Lord Lysanthiron our last meeting (I suspect that helping himto clean up his mansion had much to do withthis), he asked me to accompany him as part ofhis entourage.

We set out in an elven longship equippedwith a magical helm that gave us the capabilityfor underwater travel. It was indeed an alarm-ing experience when the ship actually de-scended beneath the waves. My sailors instinctto abandon ship was almost uncontrollable asthe water rose up over our gunwales, then con-tinued upward, forming a protective bubble ofair around us. The sea around us grew progres-sively darker and our tiny bubble becamecolder as we sank.

Though I am mariner born and bred, I foundthe world beneath the waves to be a disturbingone indeed. Little light reached us, and soonLord Lysanthirs crew was forced to unveilmagical sunstones to provide illumination. Inthe chill waters beyond, I saw the glimmer offish schools, the darting form of a sea-lion, andthe occasional distant shadow of some giganticmarine animal. I thought of the dragon-turtleand the other creatures who guarded Ever-meet, and shuddered.

The Voyage Below

Normally, I would not be able to tell you muchabout the Aquatic elves, for their domain isinaccessible to ordinary humans. My mostrecent visit to Evermeet, however, put me in aposition to observe the Sea elves firsthand. Itseemed that Lord Lysanthir Ahmaquissar hadbeen ordered by the queen to discuss an impor-tant matter with the Sea elves, as her personalrepresentative. This being an honor of the high-est order, Lysanthir began preparations for thetrip immediately.

Soon a subtle, suffused light began to grownear our bow, and the rocky prominences of thesea floor became visible, alive with tiny fishand waving sea plants. Ahead I saw a dome ofwarm, yellow-green light illuminating struc-tures that were different from, but in every wayas magnificent as, those ancient elven buildingson Evermeet. These buildings seemed grown inthe same manner as traditional elven ones,except that they were made of water-sculptedrock, seaweed, shells, or glittering mother-of-pearl. They soared in harmonious curves andspirals, like the back of a dolphin or the shell ofa nautilus. The yellow-green light seemed tocome from everywhere and nowhere at thesame time, illuminating the wondrous city andits water-filled streets with a light nearly asbright as day.

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As we drew nearer, I began to see figuresswimming in the bright waters. These were Seaelves, the Alu-TelQuessir. As slender andbeautiful as their land-dwelling counterparts,they swam with the skill and ease of porpoisesor seals. Their skin was a pale silver-green,their hair a rich blue-green. While some woreclothing, others swam unclad, sliding throughthe water and seeming as much a part of theunderwater landscape as the silvery fish andmarine mammals we had observed as we de-scended.

As I watched, entranced, a curious vehicleapproached. It seemed to be a gigantic scallopshell drawn by a pair of hippocampi, which arebeautiful creatures half horse and half fish.Mounted in this wondrous sea-chariot was anelven charioteer clad in armor crafted of seashells, and a pair of female warriors bearingelaborately-carved harpoons. They wore helmsin the shape of fish and silvery mail similar tothat worn by land elves.

Lord Lysanthir Ahmaquissar! called one ofthe women. Her voice resonated deeply insideour air-bubble. You are expected! We willescort you to the chamber of King Elashor!

Our ship slipped slowly down a pearl-pavedavenue. Curious Sea elves watched us as wepassed. Ahead of us, a vast palace crafted ofstone and shell awaited.

For the meeting, Lord Lysanthir furnished uswith enchanted rings that allowed us to moveand breathe freely in the water. I was surprisedto note that as I wore the item, my clothesremained dry and I remained relatively warmand comfortable despite the waters chill.

Elashor, king of the Sea elves, sat upon athrone of pearl and stone. He was a mild-look-ing elf, totally unlike the image I had in mindof an ancient, muscled giant with seaweedtwined in his beard, a wicked trident held inone mighty hand. Elashor looked at us serenelyand invited Lord Lysanthir to speak.

The discussion that followed involvedmutual defense pacts, fishing rights, and other

things that held little interest for me. I wasdetermined, as soon as the audience ended, tolearn as much as I could about the undersearealm.

The great city was illuminated in yellow-green, the water itself glowing, keeping itsstreets and buildings bright regardless of thehour. The sun and moon have little significanceto the Sea elves, except for their effect on thetides. Dolphins and sea-chariots are used fortransportation, although most individuals stillprefer to swim unaided.


As individuals, the Sea elves seem distant andonly barely comprehensible. They are nowcreatures of the oceans, unaffected by the con-cerns of land dwellers such as myself. A Sea elfspeaks in a deep voice, in a language distantlyrelated to and quite distinct from that of landelves. Sensitive to the minutest changes in thewater and the environment around them, theSea elves feel a closer harmony with theirworld than even the nature-loving Green elves.When one speaks with Sea elves, it is clear thatthey are truly creatures of another world.

During my visit, I attempted to communicatewith a Sea elf guardsman. It was a very difficultprocess. The Alu-TelQuessir have their ownlanguage, somewhat akin in form to the squealsand clicks of their dolphin allies, and speaksurface tongues only with difficulty. In betweenthe slow, heavily accented words that the Seaelf spoke, there were long stretches of silence,as he felt the minute currents of the water andlistened to the many sounds (inaudible to myears) that filled the water. Once satisfied that allwas well, the Sea elf continued to speak, chang-ing the subject entirely before again turning hisattention to his business.

The Alu-TelQuessir have become very dif-ferent from their land-based cousins. Althoughthey are nearly as long-lived as other TelQues-sir, the sea dwellers are nowhere near as perfec-


tionistic as the Gold elves, nor as adventurousas the Silver elves. Instead, Sea elves racialconsciousness translates to a deep desire todefend their communities, located as they arein a wilderness of water, surrounded by ene-mies and a hostile environment. A Sea elf seeshimself or herself as a small part of a greaterwhole, like a single fish in a vast school.

Private property is kept to a minimum in Seaelf communities. An individual can call what-ever can be carried on his or her own personmine, while everything else in Sea elf citiesand villages belongs to the community as awhole. Although individuals are usually al-lowed the privacy of their own homes, theywill freely share their hospitality if called uponto do so.

The Sea elves ruler is largely exempt fromthe above restrictions, living in a vast palace ofshell and stone, guarded by elite Sea elf war-riors. While Elashor and the other Sea elf mon-archs of history are generous and kind to theirpeople, they still enjoy a higher status reservedfor them alone.

Sea elves are peace-loving farmers and fish-ers, and are even more insular than the Greenelves of the land. This isolationism is magnifiedby the location of their communities, and manylive (so I am told) not even knowing that thesurface world exists. To these lonely communi-ties, Evermeet is as distant and legendary aplace as Arvandor, the fabled paradise of theelves.

The major city of Evermeets Sea elves iscalled Iumathiashae, or Mother of Oceans. Itis home to several thousand of the Alu-TelQuessir, and is built using magical techniquesquite similar to those of the land elves. A dozenor so smaller settlements dot the waters aroundEvermeet, with populations ranging from a fewdozen to a thousand.

Although the Aquatic elves are a peacefulrace, they represent an important element ofEvermeets defenses. The cyclones, illusions,and teleportation barriers all have their place,

and are very effective against attacks from thesurface. Many of Evermeets most hated ene-mies, such as the sahuagin, scrags or aquatictrolls, and sharks, swim beneath the waves,unaffected by surface conditions. The wardersof Evermeet, such as dragon turtles and whales,are an effective deterrent to most attacks, butinvasions in force (as I am told have occurredin the past) must be met by the Alu-TelQues-sir.

To this end, each Sea elf serves as a warrior.They have few if any real magical abilities, butcan wield weapons of considerable power thatare often enchanted for them by their land elfcousins. The Sea elves hatred of the sahuaginis intense and they take to their role as Ever-meets defenders readily. Patrols and foragingparties also serve as scouts, guarding the ap-proaches to Evermeet, using their remarkableundersea vision to scan for bands of sahuaginor scrags, and reporting back if anything suspi-cious occurs.

Clothing

Clothing is optional. Some Sea elves dress inelaborate tunics crafted from sea plants andwear jewelry created by magic, or crafted in theforms of sea creatures, such as starfish, nau-tiluses, fish, and dolphins. Others shun allkinds of personal clothing and adornment andswim freely through the water, carrying whatpossessions are needed in net-slings.


Sea elf art is usually in the form of permanentsculpture, since most other media are easilywashed away. Statues of famous land and Seaelves are sprinkled throughout the city, and allbuildings bear elaborate reliefs depicting scenesof the elves ancient history, sea creatures, andabstract designs. The Alu-TelQuessir createmusic of an eerie sort, thrumming and singingin deep voices and playing instruments crafted

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from shells, stones, and sea plants. Their voicesare capable of penetrating the water to a con-siderable distance. Their songs and poemsseem to mimic the melodious cries of whalesand dolphins. The songs are long and lan-guorous, creating a sensuous calm, lulling oneto breathe deeply and sleep, rocked by therhythm of the waves.

Faith and the Gods

The Sea elves physical isolation also keeps themisolated from the gods of the land dwellers.While they venerate the Seldarine in memory oftheir days on the land, the Alu-TelQuessir ven-erate the sea god Deep Sashelas much more.Most temples, sprawling constructs of naturalstone and sea materials resembling spiralingshells, are dedicated to Deep Sashelas. Dailyobservances thank him for his benevolence andthe beauty of the undersea world.

I was not lucky enough to observe such cere-monies, but I am told that they are quite mov-ing, with sea priestesses making offerings tothe sea god, and acolytes swimming in com-plex patterns, accompanied by dolphins, andsinging deep, reverberating songs of praise toDeep Sashelas and his creations.


The Alu-TelQuessir of Evermeet maintaincloser relations with the land than any otherSea elves. King Elashor and his people havesworn loyalty and alliance to Queen Amlaruil,and today serve as her defenders and guardsagainst attack by hostile sea creatures.

Beyond this, and the occasional state visit bysuch parties as Lord Lysanthirs, contact be-tween Sea elf and land elf is limited. Parties ofSea elves escort ships to harbor and sometimescome ashore to meet and socialize with theland elves, but this is relatively uncommon.The Sea elves make little distinction betweenthe other four subraces, considering them all to

be land dwellers, and feeling that other distinc-tions are minor.

The aquatic ones love and respect their land-dwelling brethren, however, and enjoy whatlittle contact there is. They know that they oncelived on the land. It is said that they are de-scended from an armada of elves threatenedwith drowning, but saved by a benevolent god-dess. They take to their role as Evermeetsdefenders with great enthusiasm.

The Sylvan RacesThe elves are not alone on Evermeet. Membersof several friendly sylvan races inhabit theisland as well. They are allowed to live there bythe grace of the Seldarine, based upon theirfriendship with Titania and Oberon, deities ofthe woodland peoples. These sylvan races alsorevere and serve Queen Amlaruil and form animportant part of Evermeets defenses.

Centaurs

Small bands of these man-horse hybrids roamthe open spaces and forests of Evermeet. Theelves consider them to be children of Corellonlike themselves and treat them with greatrespect. The centaurs hunt, fish, and play freelyon the island with few concerns. They worshipSkerrit, guardian of sylvan lands.

On one occasion I was hunting with mem-bers of Aerilayas tribe. I was making a dread-ful hash of it, I fear. I will admit to being apassable sailor, but as a woodsman, I am virtu-ally without skills. As I crashed through athicket, scaring off whatever game might be inthe area, I looked up to see a trio of beings star-ing at me in mixed horror and amusement.

These were centaurs, half human, half horse.I had never seen such creatures before, andfound myself gaping stupidly. There were twomales and a female, all with human torsos andfeatures of unsurpassed beauty, seeming tohave been sculpted by some ancient artist.


They carried bows and quivers, and wore gar-lands of white flowers. As I stared, one spoke.

You are no elf, he said. What are youdoing on the Green Isle?

I hastily introduced myself and to my relief,Aerilaya appeared fortuitously to vouch for myhonesty. The centaurs seemed satisfied, wishedme good day, and departed, bounding into theforest as nimbly as deer.

Since then, I have fervently wished to learnmore of the centaurs and see how they live inthe isles forests, but so far this has been myonly contact with them. I hope to change thissituation soon.

Dryads

Many of Evermeets ancient trees are inhabitedby these beautiful and gentle forest spirits andtheir cousins, the hamadryads. They help pro-tect and tend the forests in the elves absence,

and the elves see them as sacred beings blessedby the Seldarine. The dryads themselves revereVerenestra, the most beautiful member of theSeelie Court. They also pay homage to the Sel-darine and the remainder of the Court.

The dryads of Evermeet have learned not tofear the elves and so have grown playful andflirtatious around them. An elf who is the vic-tim of a dryads prank will usually accept itwith a laugh and a pleasant demeanor.

Occasionally, a dryad takes a liking to an elfand engages in a brief romantic liaison. Theobject of these affections is considered to havebeen specially blessed by both the spirits andthe Seldarine.

To my deep regret, I have yet to meet, oreven see a dryad, but I met several elves whoclaim to have done so. Some of these tales, par-ticularly those of the Silver elves, seemed eitherexaggerations or outright fabrication, but I wasconvinced that a few of them were true.

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Fauns

A small band of these fun-loving creaturesinhabits the forests of Evermeet. Again, theelves feel respect and fondness for the fauns,and often join them in their sylvan ceremonies.The elves are aware of the rumors regardingfauns and dryads (that they mate to producemore fauns and dryads), but do not wish to pryinto these beings personal lives.

The fauns worship the god Damh and invokehis name in their exuberant religious festivities.Other sylvan species such as pixies, centaurs,and especially dryads also participate in theserites.

During the Faerieluck celebration (the sameone in which I gained such painful bruises), Inoted that several fauns were present, laugh-ing, dancing, and capering with the best of theelves. I was unable to actually meet one ofthese unusual creatures, but I was overjoyed ateven the simple opportunity to observe them ata distance.

Faerie Dragons

These attractive, mischievous creatures inhabitEvermeet in substantial numbers. Most elvespretend to be annoyed by their impish andplayful pranks since that is the faerie d

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