The elves...the original grays of Invaria and guardians of
the forests of Nylan.
History
The elves of Invaria didn't always live within the forests of
Nylan. Once, they ranged across the lands as nomad clans, sometimes mixing
freely with humans, sometimes coming into conflict with them. After the
change of the world by the angels and demons, strange things began to happen in
elven society. Children would inexplicably leave their homes and families
and wander toward the forests of Nylan, returning sometimes years later
profoundly changed by their experience. The journey became a rite of
passage for the elves, and thus the Trials were born.
Elven Clans and
leading families |
Rivers
- Songblade
- Tarsonis
- Jistani (by Wren)
Caelis
- Shire
- Daevan
Impere (lost)
- Travell
- Marion
Urbem
- Bladesong
- Katran
Donare
- Tintagel
- Justinian
Fox
- Dravis
Petrus
- Yarel
Olcanda
- Vincens
Venete
- Aquaes
- Maris
Redwood
- Dentre
- Carline
Lucis
- Cardalyi
- Jistani
Maerlis
- Ostia
Hawkbeak
- Merlin
- Nimua
Spires
- Rydin |
The elves began to settle in the woodlands of Nylan several
generations after the angels and demons left Invaria. The Songblade family
from the Rivers Clan of elves became the leading family of the elves, and when
the elven kingdom became more firmly established, the patriarch of the
Songblade family at the time, Quartel, became ruler of Nylan.
With the formal establishment of an elven nation came the
formalization of the journey most young elves take to a region of the forests of
Nylan where all become gray. The journey became known as the Trials and is
now viewed as the final step from childhood to adulthood in elven society.
In more recent years, the elves have fought to free the
nation of Myst from White aggression and force the White Armies back into Portus
and Nanu. They were among the first to recognize the angels' claim to the
peaks of the Arcas Mountains and welcomed to their capital as a liaison the
magic engineer Justen, architect of Spire. The royal family of Nylan, the
Songblade family, produced one of the greatest leaders of the age -- the
legendary Silver Falcon, Sean Jistani, nephew of Nylan's current king, Caravel
Songblade.Social Structure, Observations, and Notes
The elves of Invaria pride themselves on individuality, but
also on the bonds of blood and clan. Any elf must answer for their actions
first to their personal code of honor and ethics, second to the elders of their
family, third to the elders of their clan, and ultimately to their leaders and
rulers.
There are fourteen known elven clans, although one, Impere,
disappeared almost three generations ago and none from the clan have been heard
from since. Each clan is lead by the patriarch or matriarch of the leading
family of the clan. That leading family and sometimes one other are
considered noble and sit on the Council of Elders, the advisory body to the
royal family. Traditionally, the patriarch or matriarch of the Songblade
family has always been an Earth Mage, thus has the ruler of Nylan ever been an
Earth Mage with little exception
Also within elven society are found many guilds and
societies. Most require an elf to have passed their Trials in order to
become a member. Notable societies include the Order of the Silver Sword,
the Highlanders, and the Ladyhawks. Notable guilds include the Fraternal
Order of Bladesmiths, the Quilter's Circle, and Adriana's Web (a weavers guild).
The major rite of passage in elven society is known as the
Trials, when a young elf enters an area of the forests of Nylan known in the
elven tongue as locus sine lumen, or the Place Without Light. If
the elf survives whatever ordeal they suffer within the region and cross out
again, they emerge gray (ie, the chaos in their bodies is now locked in order)
and have gained the near-agelessness that is a trademark of their people.
As with all gray individuals, their aging slows to a crawl. Most elves who
fail their Trials voluntarily remove themselves from elven society, which bears
them no malice or ill will, just sadness.
The current leader of the elves is Caravel Songblade, son of
Ralaven Songblade of the Rivers clan and Mirella Jistani of the Lucis
clan. Aalander, the Crown Prince, has lately disappeared inexplicably
while riding on dragon-back -- his mount returned not remembering much of the
trip. Aalander's son by Misha Hawklight, the Dragonslayer, Devin Songblade (who has
been raised as Devin Jistani), is the next in line for the crown, despite
Aalander's reservations about a half-elf ascending to Nylan's throne. The
current king is an aberration in the family line -- he is a Storm Wizard rather
than an Earth Mage. However, Aalander was an engineer-smith and Misha
Hawklight was an Earth Mage, and now the young Devin Songblade (Jistani)
shows the same promise of his uncle, Sean, who was one of the most powerful
Earth Mages in history.
Notable Elves and half-elves
- Caravel Songblade, clan Rivers - king of Nylan, father of Aalander.
Caravel Songblade is a powerful Storm Wizard from clan Rivers. He is
the oldest child of Ralaven Songblade and Mirella Jistani and was crowed
King of Nylan shortly after his marriage to Trieste Cardalyi of clan
Lucis. Their only child to date is Aalander Songblade, who in turn has
sired a son, Devin, by Misha Hawklight, the Dragonslayer, a pupil of Sean Jistani in
order manipulation. Caravel has helped the Black nations maintain a
balance between order and chaos with his wisdom and tactics. He
resides in Myrdinn, the capital of Nylan.
- Wren Jistani, clan Rivers - mother of Sean and Rowan, princess of Nylan.
Wren Jistani was named matriarch of the Jistani family shortly after her
Trials, a position once held by her mother, Mirella. Wren, a Healer of
some talent, spent a lot of time in the regions bordering Nylan to the west,
doing what she could to help refugees and warriors escaping from or
regrouping before returning to the fighting against the White armies that
was almost constant both before and after the Fall of the angels.
While working there, she met and fell in love with the warrior John Wolf,
whom she married and bore two sons to: Sean Jistani and his younger brother,
Rowan. Since the death of her husband ten years after Rowan's birth
and twenty after Sean's, Wren has remained at the side of her sons, helping
them in the fight to retake the world from the White armies and protect
Invaria from their predations. She resides at Castle Mirdreth, the
ancestral stronghold of the Jistani family, now capital of Myst.
- Aalander Songblade, clan Rivers (created by Nick Diggs) - prince of Nylan, father of Devin.
Aalander Songblade is the only child of Caravel Songblade of clan Rivers and
Trieste Cardalyi of clan Lucis and is the Crown Prince of Nylan. He
was the nominal leader of the original Guard as commissioned by his cousin,
Sean Jistani and fought in the Balance War as the co-leader of Nylan's
forces. Shortly after the war's end, Aalander became a member of the
Order of the Silver Sword, defenders and uniters of the elves and Black
nations. He is the father of Devin Songblade (Jistani) by Misha
Hawklight. Aalander disappeared while riding on dragon-back over
the Cadaran Sea and Northern Ocean when Devin was eight. Once Devin
comes of age (thirteen) he will be named the new Crown Prince of Nylan.
- Ardus Cardalyi, clan Lucis - second-in-command of Sean Jistani and the
armies of Myst. Ardus Cardalyi is the nephew of Queen Trieste Cardalyi
-- his father, Theodorus, is Trieste's older brother, and sits on the
Council of Elders representing their family. Ardus is the long-time
best friend and self-appointed protector of Sean Jistani, King of
Myst. They fought together in the Liberation and Balance Wars, with
Cardalyi serving as Sean's second in command during both conflicts and
between. Now, with the disappearance of the king, he has been named a
regent of Myst and Protector of the Crown and Sean's beloved Firecat, Kaven
Morytz. Ardus splits his time between the garrison at Riven and Castle
Mirdreth, with his official permanent residence being at Castle Mirdreth.
- Sean Jistani, clan Rivers - king of Myst, son of Wren. The
half-elven son of Wren Jistani and John Wolf, at age twenty-two Sean Jistani
began his war against the White armies, seeking to free the ancestral home
of his mother's family and his father's tribe. His fight grew until
the goal became to force the White armies back into the nations from whence
they had originally sprung, Portus and Nanu. He enlisted the help of
the elves, the angels, the humans, the gnomes and some say the reclusive
dwarves to win his fight. Ten years after it began, the war was over,
and Jistani was king of Myst. Peace held for ten years before Sean
created the Guard, an elite group of men and women who quietly became the
most trusted of Jistani's forces aside from Ardus Cardalyi, Kaven Morytz,
his brother Rowan, the angel Dayala, and his dragon-mount, Midnight.
Sean disappeared during the Balance War, only to return in Myst's greatest
hour of need.
- Devin Songblade Jistani, clan Rivers - prince of Nylan, son of Aalander, adopted by
Rowan and Dayala Jistani. Devin Songblade (Jistani) was born several
months after the disappearance of Sean Jistani and the close of the Balance
War and is the son of Crown Prince Aalander Songblade of Nylan and Misha
Hawklight, the
Dragonslayer, of Myst. The half-elven child was raised by his maternal
grandmother and by his father's cousins, Rowan Jistani and his wife, Dayala,
at Castle Mirdreth. The boy has been secretly recognized by Caravel Songblade
as second in line to ascend to the throne of Nylan behind his father,
Aalander, although the boy has no knowledge of who his parents may be, and
shows great promise as an Earth mage. His true identity as the son of
Aalander Songblade and Misha Hawklight is known only to a select few --
their companions in the Guard, Misha's mother, Caravel Songblade, Wren
Jistani, Sean Jistani, Rowan Jistani, Dayala, Kaven Morytz, and Ardus
Cardalyi.
- Rowan Jistani, clan Rivers - regent of Myst, son of Wren. Rowan
Jistani, son of Wren Jistani and John Wolf, was twelve years old when his
older brother Sean began the war against the White armies. He was
fighting as part of his brother's house forces by the end of the Liberation
War and was a trusted confidant of his brother. He met and married
Dayala during the war and they had a daughter, Kadara, seven years before
the Balance War. With the disappearance of his older brother, Rowan
has been named a regent of Myst and has taken responsibility for his cousin
Aalander's son, Devin. Rowan resides with his wife, Dayala, his
daughter Kadara, and surrogate son Devin at Castle Mirdreth and leads the
house forces for House Jistani.
- Kaven Morytz, the Firecat, clan Fox - regent and spymaster of Myst, fiancée
of Sean Jistani. Kaven Morytz is the daughter of a soldier of Nylan
and a human woman named Adyn Garrell. Her father, a member of the
clan-exclusive Black Foxes, taught her the arts of archery, scouting, and
information gathering. She met Sean Jistani a year prior to the
Liberation War, and during the war, she became his spymaster and
lover. She continued to serve in that capacity until shortly before
the end of the Balance War, when Sean asked for her hand in marriage, which
she willingly gave. After Jistani's disappearance, in addition to being the spymaster of Myst,
she became the highest-ranking
regent of Myst. She returned to being a "simple" spymaster
and archer with Sean's return to the world of the living.
Game Mechanics
As elves from the Player's Handbook, with the following
exceptions:
- Invarian elves are in no way
xenophobic as a race. They mix freely with the other races of Invaria.
- Religion is the Balance, tending
toward order. All elves embrace the Balance when they become Grey, which
is seen as the living embodiment of the Balance
- Elven Lands: Whereas once the elves
were a nomadic race, they now reside in many grand cities within the forests of
Nylan. However, many elves are found wandering the world for various
reasons and there are notable populations in Myst and other nations.
- Bonus languages: Temple, gnomish,
dwarven, draconic, and regional dialects.
- Names: Elves are named by their
parents at birth and retain that name throughout their lives. They are
further identified by their family name and their clan. Only the leading
families of the clans are listed in this document.
