The Elvish Elemental Bonds
By: Brianna Lee Hubler
Copyright © 2022 Brianna Lee Hubler. All rights reserved. Both the text and the images provided are the intellectual and creative property of Brianna Lee Hubler.
Introduction:
Magic flowed in and through all things. The Elfera were the beloved children of Patriarch Legendroe. They were innate casters and lovers of the natural world. They were courageous, compassionate, curious, and exceptionally powerful.
Nevertheless, too intense or too frequent communion with the elements altered their physiology. They considered this affliction an incurable disease. The elementally bound were incapable of melding minds with the Elferan Collective, and for the Elfera, disconnecting from the Collective was a fate worse than death.
When the extermination of the Elfera ensued, those bound to the elements survived the onslaught. Those who plagued the predecessors of the bound passed over them. The bound came to be known as the Katheermor (the elves). The elements divided the Katheermor into sects. These sects were similar to ethnicities among humans or breeds among animals. The elemental affliction of the Katheermor bent them to war among others of their kind, but similar does not mean same; the Katheermor readily remind humans how incredibly unjust wars among ethnicities are.
The Katheermor consider themselves a single race. The War of the Eternal Divide—the never-ending war among Anmorkatheermor (Light elves) and Zalirkatheermor (Dark elves)—is considered a brutal, civil war, and its existence is linked not to differing complexions, but to differing natures, imbued by the naturally conflicting elements. The Katheermor cannot comprehend why any intelligent, sentient beings might measure worth by complexion. They rage against internal racism, and each Elvish elemental bond boasts a variety of colors. Their conflicts are primarily elemental or philosophical.
The Elfera were synchronized but the Katheermor are discordant. The Katheermor clash, as the elements clash, and they suffer greatly for it. To date, there are ten Elvish elemental bonds. Each Katheer (elf) echoes his or her bond in mind, body, and soul. Bonds are grouped by components of Matriarch Ordera’s elemental recipe for material life. Examples are provided and summarized below.
Bonds of the Imashteh (the Scepter of Sentience):
Inthrithe (Bond) and Alshowna (Mind).
Inthritheckatheermor (Emotional elves):
The Emotional elves are bound to the element of Bond. All forms of bonds: ionic, physical, emotional, and relational are putty in their hands. The true strength of their power remains largely unrealized until futuristic times, thus they are considered a standard among elves. They are the most diverse and the least containable. No trap has ever been laid that an accomplished Inthritheckatheer could not break free from. They are natural escape artists and compassionate companions. Enthrallers and unworthy partners beware: The Inthritheckatheermor can break bonds as easily as they can forge them.
Alshaltekatheermor (Intellectual elves):
Alshalte is most accurately translated as intellectual, but this has never dissuaded humans from referring to the Alshaltekatheermor as High elves. The Alshaltekatheermor obtained this moniker for their vanity. They pride themselves as being the only Katheermor sect capable of creating a mock Collective. Among the Katheermor, they consider themselves the smartest, most beautiful, and most alike their Elferan ancestors. Their skin, hair, and eyes are various shades of golden. They clad themselves in white robes with golden trim. They rarely get along well with other elves, but they fair least well among the Inthritheckatheermor. The Alshaltekatheermor cannot condone acting according to the heart, they discourage emotion, and encourage sound judgment. They are bound to the element of Mind. Knowledge, wisdom, and innovation are their most lucrative exports. Few are lucky enough to stumble across their settlements. They are not welcoming of outsiders.
Bonds of the Norbayah (the Mantle of Form):
Fierey (Fire), Quera (Water), Rel (Earth), and Vaos (Wind).
Norbayahkatheermor (Mantle of Form elves):
The Norbayahkatheermor are equally bound to each of the material elements. They treasure balance among all else and have the unique ability to create serenity with a single touch. They dress to represent each ingredient of the Mantle of Form. Their attire looks silly to outsiders, so they are sometimes mistaken for court jesters. However, foolery is not at all common among the Norbayahkatheermor. They are reserved, as balanced as their bond. Their features mimic the magenta color of raw, untamed magic, which testifies to the intensity of their innate powers. They tame the untamed in nature, and they appear to contain untamed magic in their hair and their irises. The Norbayahkatheermor are the most cruel and unaccepting of half-elves. Humans are too chaotic for their tastes and are constantly disrupting the balance of nature. Unions among humans and Mantle elves are shunned; it is traitorous to disrupt the balance, and worse to curse children to be forever unstable, or so the Norbayahkatheermor believe.
Thayquakatheermor (Ice elves):
The Thayquakatheermor and the Querathoskatheermor share a bond to Water, but their societies differ greatly. While the Querathoskatheermor take to the seas, the Thayquakatheermor carve industrious cities from the ice. White and blue are standard hair and eye colors among Thayquakatheermor. Faintly blue, pale skin is most common among Thayquakatheermor, but other very pale shades are possible. Some of the Ice elves’ complexions appear darker when they spend significant time away from their artic climate.
The Ice elves are known for their craftsmanship. Those who have witnessed the elegance of sharp, Elvish blades, of sturdy, lightweight, Elvish armor, or of beautiful, Elvish jewelry, owe their admiration to the Ice elves. Unlike their bond twin, they value order before will. They ally with the Zalirkatheermor in the War of Eternal Divide, because their coldness is as akin to darkness as it is to ice. The great war also provides the Ice elves an opportunity to face off with their eternal opposite: the Faomekatheermor.
Querathoskatheermor (Sea elves):
The Querathoskatheermor are known as “the pirates who never leave the sea.” They tend to be tan-skinned. Their hair and eyes match the sea. While wet, highlights of blue or green brighten in their hair, like bioluminescence. The Sea elves have retractable, closeable gills on their necks, which allow them to breathe underwater indefinitely. Their ships open directly to the sea as often as they open to land. The Sea elves wave their hands to drain the water from the lower decks back into the sea, close the door, and sail onward.
In times of trouble, or when docking at one of their underwater settlements, Querathoskatheer ships dive and travel beneath the waves. Treasure hunting and exploring are favored professions of the Querathoskatheermor. Their nature is as fluid as water. They take little interest in the War of Eternal Divide and are more likely to sell their bond twin’s weapons to both sides of the war, than to take a side in the fray.
Faomekatheermor (Flame elves):
The Faomekatheermor rage as their namesake; their internal fire alights whenever tensions rise. They are the most militaristic sect, favoring a crimson-dyed combination of cloth and leather as their everyday attire, solving their disputes with their swords, and allying with the Anmorkatheermor in the War of Eternal Divide. Their kinship with Light elves goes back many generations, as both Fire and Light emit light and rebirth. Records show that in ancient times, the Flame elf orphan, Maima, was adopted by a descendant of Lord Aeohrin I, directly linking Faomekatheermor society to Anmorkatheermor royalty.
Faomekatheermor settle where the earth is warmest and can breathe easily in smoky skies. They absorb fire and cannot be burned. Skin colors vary, but the sun-tanned look is most common among Flame elves. Their hair and eye colors mimic fire and ash. Blue is the rarest color, representing fire at its hottest, and appears in the hair and eyes of the strongest Faomekatheer sorcerers.
Vaoskatheermor (Wind elves):
The Vaoskatheermor are bound to the element of Wind. They dwell at the peaks of the highest mountains and are the only elves to dwell atop the Obsidian Range. They are pale and grey enough to appear as ghosts to travelers, even though their skin is always as fresh and new as any immortal’s. Their clothing is often shredded to echo the erosive quality of Wind. They join with the wind, dissolve into it, and then piece themselves back together when they have reached their destination. They can also increase their walking or sprinting pace by bending the wind currents around their limbs. They enjoy the company of birds but dislike the idea of owning animals. Animal companions of Vaoskatheermor are considered partners rather than property. Music is popular among Wind elves, especially music produced through song or wind instruments. Vaoskatheermor prioritize will. Most Vaoskatheer adventurers are drifters, more interested in what they can experience than where they are going. Some of them specifically travel to brave storms.
Relaunkatheermor (Wood elves):
The Relaunkatheermor are bound to the element of Earth. Earth and nature are considered a single element in Katheermor culture, so it is common for Wood elves to have features that are either green or brown. Green is generally limited to hair and eye color, but brown appears everywhere. Lighter complexions are also possible, as the Relaunkatheermor echo all natural shades. Red, blue, and purple are the only colors unlikely to be seen among the Relaunkatheermor.
The Wood elves live in forests, building treehouse settlements from nature’s recyclables. They never waste materials. They craft bowstrings from their own hair, take furs only from the dead, and carve petrified wood into weapons. They are the most precise archers and are entirely unashamed of conversing with the trees. Herbalists and alchemists value the knowledge Wood elves possess.
Bonds of the Ecliyar (the Crown of Alignment):
Anmor (Light) and Zalir (Dark).
Anmorkatheermor (Light elves):
The bright-haired, bright-eyed Anmorkatheermor are the loyal servants of Light. They commit to elevated, moral standards, even as they war with their opposites. Their healing magic is supreme and their blades strike true. They are incapable of lying, though not entirely incapable of deceit. Light, life, and hope intermingle; the strength of Anmorkatheer magic is superior to many others. It is a form of fate bending matched only by that of the Zalirkatheermor, but the power of the Anmorkatheermor dips with the sun. Whenever the sun sets, or Light elves find themselves in especially dark places (e.g., underground), Light elves experience a magical drain, which limits their spellcasting ability, and further pales their skin. They feel tired in the evening, almost as if they are ill. The most prominent family among the Anmorkatheermor is zelth Histovia Lastrucus (the Pure Line).
The Pure Line of the Light elves raises up royalty and heroes. They are inexorably linked to the fate of the multiverse and the War of Eternal Divide. The Line stems first from an Elferan boy who bound himself with Light—taking within his own heart the Eternal Light (a sacred relic)—to combat his sister, whose desperate spell cast her into shadow.
Since the power of zelth Histovia Lastrucus surpasses that of all others, the loss of any of their own to darkness is treacherous to the fate of all. Elves of the Pure Line raise their young with strict rules and endow them with a strong sense of responsibility. Arranged marriages are a common regulatory measure and betrayal of the Line is equated to betrayal of hope. Magic likes to play games with the Pure Line, occasionally altering the appearance of a child of the Line to indicate favor or warning, such as Lathen’s green eyes and brown hair, or the golden eyes and dark hair of his cousin, Alueriden.
Zalirkatheermor (Dark elves):
Power replaces morality as the cardinal virtue of the Zalirkatheermor. Zalirkatheermor are bound to the element of Dark; staying true to righteousness is nigh impossible for them. They weave lies like thread, are at home in the shadows, and are not unfriendly with methods of torture. Their dungeons are the deepest and the darkest. Few if any return from their prisons. They clad themselves in the colors of midnight. Their skin is always a deep shade of blue. Their irises are various shades of crimson. Their hair shines either as ebony or as moonlight. Their power rivals that of the Anmorkatheermor.
Dark elves are capable of less savory forms of resurrection, such as zombification or the raising of skeletal armies. Their magic resonates death and despair. The door to their home realm—to Zaliradai—travels with the mists of the Shadowlands, and beneath the Shadowlands is the underworld: the Gravespawn Realm. As Light’s contrast, the Dark elves fall prey to the sun. Their power is strongest at night, under the moonlight. They suffer limitations during the day, same as the Anmorkatheermor experience in the evening. But a night raid by Zalirkatheermor is reminiscent of a chilling nightmare, an embodiment of worst fears.
In Zaliradai, lives a family as dangerous as the Pure Line. It is known as the Ever Taint, and originates with the lost sister of Lord Aeohrin I. The Ever Taint is as capable as the Pure Line of altering fate, but it acts as the Line’s stark opposite, almost as a regulator of balance between the elements of the Ecliyar. Traitors of the War of Eternal Divide are executed mercilessly. Although the fate of all would fair far better if the elves of the Ever Taint forsook their dedication to tyranny, fear and bond prevents it. Aidelai Darkshift is a notable exception, but he is a relentless coward, unwilling to expose his change of heart. He is credited most for spiriting the forsaken sister of Aucraylin away.
(Still feeling lost? More of Zreshicaia’s lore will be added as it is transcribed from thought to text. Currently, subjects of lore are prioritized by relation to posted short stories and poems.)
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