The Blue Elves

 

A sub-group of the Elves, they are called ‘Irawenti’ in the language of the Green Elves. ‘Ira’ meaning ‘Blue’ and ‘Wenti’ meaning ‘Elves’ in lingua Llewenti. They were so named because their first king’s eyes were the colour of tropical seas and azure reflections emanated from his black hair. Their race is similar in appearance to the Green Elves but darker and wilder, with greater physical powers and a closer empathy with water. They are for the most part a free, joyful and adventurous people, famous for their navigation skills. Possessed with a natural connection to rivers and oceans, they are at their most productive and skillfull when onboard ships. The Blue Elves are wise in the ways of the sea.

 

Appearance

Less tall and lordly than the High Elves, all tend to be slender, with wiry but muscular agile bodies. Blue Elves have an average size of 5’ to 6’. Their build is similar to the Green Elves, while their skin is darker, lightly tanned because of their preference for living outdoors in the sun. While their skin is dull, their eyes are the colour of tropical seas, and azure reflections emanate from their black hair. Blue Elves are invariably more handsome in appearance than their other Elvin brethren. Their senses are extremely keen, especially hearing, and they possess the rare ability to breathe underwater. Highly resistant to the extremes of hot and cold weather conditions, their clothing is worn for decoration and modesty. They wear light garments or loincloths when outdoors and favour long togas when participating in ceremonies or important events.

 

Lifespan and death

Blue Elves live shorter lives than their green brethren, usually between four to five centuries. They tend to have multiple children, though generally less than four. Due to their carefree nature, they do not age in appearance, always looking like beautiful, careless youths until they grow very old and weary of the world. They are immune to disease and infection. They heal quickly and their bodies do not scar. They also recover easily from injuries. Those Irawenti who reach an advanced age of more than four hundred years, hear the ‘call of the sea’ and will thereafter become obsessed with their last journey. When the time has come, they set out in a canoe or small boat, sailing their way down torrents and rivers until they eventually reach the sea. Their fate beyond that is unknown, but it is commonly believed that Gweïwal Uleydon reincarnates them into dolphins. Providing their corpses are returned to rivers or to the sea and appropriate offerings are made, the souls of those that suffered violent death are also summoned by Gweïwal Uleydon. The Greater God of all waters calls them to the depths of the Eastern Ocean, beyond the gates of sunrise. It is thought that they are changed into marine spirits, which will thereafter roam the oceans at his service.

  

Origin

The Blue Elves are counted among the nine nations of Elves that awoke by the shores of the Inner Sea, in the centre of the Mainland. At first, they too were a collection of wandering elfin bands, naturally drawn to river banks. They eventually formed a tribe that decided to settle by the shores of the Inner Sea. They were initially fishers and gatherers with a relatively nomadic life. The Blue Elves spread into the Mainland, going up the rivers that flowed to the Inner Sea. Their first Guide, Azuw, participated in the council of the Elder Kings. He decided not to accept the gift of immortality offered by the Greater Gods, thus the Blue Elves were counted among the seven tribes who chose to remain free. They were counted among those Elvin tribes called ‘Wenti,’ as opposed to the two nations of the ‘Hawenti’, the High Elves. ‘The Wenti’ may have several meanings depending on the context used. The literal sense means ‘Elves’ but it often implies ‘Free Elves’ or ‘Simple Elves’.

 

Early History

The Blue Elves were nomads and explorers who roam the plains of the Mainland along the banks of rivers and streams, until, in -2,950 LC, raids by monstrous creatures and demons forced them to find refuge along the torrents of the Ivory Mountains, north-west of Essawylor, where they settled in -2,906 LC. After the death of their First Guide Azuw in -2,306 LC, his numerous heirs formed the Irawenti aristocracy. Blue Elf society became clan-based: a community divided into homogenous groups. When Eïwal Ffeyn’s meteorite hit the antipodes of the Mainland in -2,900 LC, they ignored the Deity of storms’ call. They chose the familiar security of their mountains over the hypothetical search for the lost Archipelago beyond the Antipodes. The Blue Elves broke out of their isolation in -2,885 LC, when the Green Elves discovered Essawylor and settled there. Trade routes are organized between the paths of the Ivory Mountains and the vast Forest of Five Rivers. For more than two millennia, the Blue Elves lived peacefully in their high valleys, away from the chaotic turmoil of the Mainland. They extended their realm into secret vales and along cascading rivers of the Ivory region, under the protection of their high mountains’ peaks. Becoming ever closer to the Llewenti clans, they developed trade and alliances. Their culture, skills and crafts benefited greatly from contacts with the Green Elves. Discovering the Austral Ocean’s shores, they understood that their destiny was bound to the domain of the mighty Lord of all waters, Gweïwal Uleydon. This very long period of prosperity ended when a large horde of Men, coming from the far North, attacked the Green Elves that dwelled in Essawylor’s western borders, marking the beginning of a long war, called 'The Wrath of the Trees' (-132 LC). The Blue Elves were sworn allies of the Green Elves during the first years of the war. In -129 LC, however, they withdrew behind the protection of their mountains, when they realized that the legend of the fallen star had become the Llewenti matriarchs' sole obsession, and that the Green Elf clans were organizing expeditions across the Austral Ocean to find the last refuge of the Elves. For over four centuries, the Blue Elves hid behind their high-mountain passes, until, in 268 LC, a distant heir of their first Guide Azuw, captured and tortured by their human enemies, was freed from his bonds thanks to an intervention from Gweïwal Uleydon. He returned to the Blue Elves, wearing the insignia of his new charge as messenger of the Lord of all Waters. The Blue Elf hero took the name of Iraw and was soon crowned King of all the Irawenti clans (271 LC). Possessed by his new faith, he convinced his people to worship the God of Seas and to free the shores of the Austral Ocean from the presence of the repugnant Men of the desert (Y 301 LC). The Irawenti warriors pledged their souls to the safekeeping of Gweïwal Uleydon, in exchange for victory in the war against the horde of Men (Y 314 LC). In 315 LC, the Irawenti clans marched on Essawylor and destroyed the horde, driving them off into the confines of the desert. King Iraw recognized twenty-nine children from relationships with his many lovers. These numerous heirs (both male and female) formed the new aristocracy of the Blue Elves. The Irawenti finally settled in the tropical forests. Their domain was located in the tropical latitudes of the Mainland, by the shores of the Austral Ocean, along the banks of the Five Rivers to the peaks and secret vales of the Ivory Mountains. After the death of King Iraw in 354 LC, his heirs shared the realm of Essawylor between their twenty-nine clans. They adopted the Llewenti calendar and script.

 

Language

Irawenti is the mother tongue of the Blue Elves. It has both Llewenti and Hawenti roots, which makes it easy to understand for other Elves, but it is also rich and subtle. The script is directly inspired by Llewenti letters. The Blue Elves also speak a simplified version of the Hawenti tongue, although a typical exotic accent colours their pronunciation. Those few who settled on the Lost Islands are also fluent in the Llewenti, the common language of the Archipelago.

 

Political structure

Given their reckless and adventurous nature, the Blue Elves have no overall unity and do not accept authority lightly. Only three times in their history has a single ruler managed to unite them:

      - Azuw, their first Guide, who led them safely to the Ivory Mountains’ vales; 

   - Iraw the Messenger, the only Irawenti king ever crowned, who earned them the protection of Gweïwal Uleydon and who bequeathed to them their clan leaders, who thereafter formed their aristocracy. His twenty-nine direct heirs, offspring of his numerous love affairs, and their descendants, were granted leadership over each clan and honoured with the title of ‘dyn’;

     - Aranaele Dor, the Hawenti Queen who introduced the Cult of Cir to the Irawenti clans.

 

The clan is the basis of Irawenti organisation. It is headed by a guide, assisted by priests, commanders and captains, mostly of noble blood (honoured with the title ‘dyn’). Noble females have influential positions as priestesses, seers and keeper of pearls. The guide, a noble ‘dyn’ whose bloodline can be traced to King Iraw, effectively rules the community. He is elected by the clan elders. However, his influence is balanced by the council of the ‘dyn,’ whose prerogatives are to make new laws and pronounce judgments. Only a king or queen’s authority can interfere with each clan’s internal affairs. The guide and the ‘dyn’ commanders and captains are responsible for the clan’s protection. While there are twenty-nine Blue Elf clans in Essawylor, only one Irawenti group reached the Lost Islands. The clan of Filweni achieved this great feat twice: Filwen’s sons, the dyn Filweni, led the fleet of the Hawenti Princes to Nyn Llorely in 529 LC, while Feïwal took the Alwïryan to Nyn Llyvary much later in 2,708 LC. he clans rarely deal with each other, except when forging trade agreements and coming together to make military decisions. Their soverreign can summon all the clans for specific councils. They only meet when called upon in times of great need. This gathering must occur in a sacred place, such as the Temple of Cir or the Creek of Gweïwal Uleydon (the site where the God of Seas is said to have freed Iraw from the Desert Horde), where rituals are conducted. The sovereign directs the debate but it is the clans’ guides who make the final call.  In times of war, the sovereign is entrusted with the command of the army. All clans of Blue Elves are hostile towards Men, who they consider to be enemies, almost as dreaded as the Demons. Their admiration for High Elves led them to accept their tutelage and become their obligors. 

 

Social structure

Blue Elves still live according to ancient traditions and customs that date back to the early days, long before they dwelled in Essawylor. Their obedience to Queen Aranaele royal authority did not alter these principles. Adventurous, always inquisitive for the outside world, the majority of the Blue Elves are nomads, who make their home in tents or wooden huts. They roam vast territories, travelling in canoes and small boats along rivers. Others live on the sea’s shores and are great sailors, who have applied their nomadic instincts to the Austral Ocean. Their clan’s society is strictly patriarchal (traced though one’s father) and the guide of the clan is the undisputed leader. He relies on the noble ‘dyn’ of the clan for counsel, and will generally listen to the wise advice of a seer, versed in the lore of the three stars. The moral standards are very liberal among the Irawenti community, and both males and females are free to choose their partners according to their feelings within or more rarely out of the clan. The duration of these relations is most of the time temporary, but there are also examples of undying love across centuries. However, children are sacred for these communities; both parents and the clan always take great care of their education and mentoring. 

 

Military structure

The organization during times of war is very similar to that of the Green Elves, who historically were their great allies in conflicts against Men. All males above the age of thirty are engaged in training with weaponry and are skilled at tracking, stalking and hunting. They make fierce, mobile and wily fighters. There is no formal army as such. The sovereign can call upon the clans’ guides and the noble ‘dyn’ to provide fighters for the defense of the territories. The fighters regroup in small units, composed of twenty-five combatants and commanded by a commander or captain, who leads them into battle. The virtue of his conduct and the glory he earned in sport during festivals are the foundations of his authority. The units gather under the command of the clan’s guide, who sits at the war council and is responsible for the strategy of his troops. The sovereign coordinates the efforts of the guides. Note that Hawenti units directly serving Queen Aranaele operate on their own without comingling with their Blue Elf allies. Thus the army of Essawylor is organized into a disciplined, heavily armed central block, surrounded by many fast and mobile units able to strike at any moment and retreat as fast as they came. Irawenti fighters wear small helmets and their light chainmail is covered in fine cloth. They are expertly built as warriors; there is a conscription whereby all Blue Elves of the realm have to be given specialised training. They are educated in the rudiments of warfare and are skilled with the broad sword. Most of all, however, they are renowned as deadly archers. The short bows of the Irawenti are made from overlapping layers of exotic wood, taken from the tropical forests of Essawylor, which endow them with great flexibility and speed. Although the range of these weapons is limited, the archers can unleash accurate volleys of arrows down upon their foes with remarkable frequency. 

 

Settlements and Housing

The Blue Elves live mainly in tents or wooden huts and travel vast territories so that their communities can utilize natural resources across wide areas. Each band maintains a number of fixed campsites inside its territory which are each occupied over the course of the year. The rivers provide them with protection, as they can quickly load all of their possessions into their canoes and small boats to escape. Other Blue Elves live in large ships which are most of the time anchored at rivers’ mouths, but who can also travel the seas or sail upriver depending on the season. Each is named after its respective clan, and constitutes a place of worship to Gweïwal Uleydon and a majestic work of art: a symbol of what Irawenti craft can achieve.

                                                                                  

Currency and trade

No currency is used among Blue Elves. Barter is the norm. Precious metals are prized primarily for their value in making ornaments.

Sea Pearls, which are considered to be direct gifts from Gweïwal Uleydon, are the cornerstone of Irawenti valuation. Each clan elects a ‘Keeper of Pearls’, responsible for allocating the clan’s pearls among those particularly valuable to the community. Irawenti are only permitted to wear the sea pearls at special occasions, such as feasts, contests or clan gatherings. Goods and services are available freely to each clan member. In return, each Blue Elf is compelled to work for the community. Every day, food, drink and raw materials, but also furniture, tools, weapons, and all sorts of other goods, are available at the camp. The Irawenti conduct their business freely, relying on the keeper of pearls to arbitrate and find resolutions to disputes. Precious metals are prized primarily for their value in making ornaments. The Blue Elves only trade what they cannot produce themselves. Barter between the clans is the norm. As a result, commerce is limited.

 

Diet

Seafood, including fish and shellfish, from both fresh and saltwater, forms the basis of the Irawenti diet. Fruits, berries, wild grains and various trees’ syrups are also eaten, while whale meat is served only for festive events. Dolphins are considered sacred.

 

Worship

Gweïwal Uleydon, Lord of all Waters, has been their only God since the days of King Iraw, the Messenger. The Blue Elves consider him as their almighty father and offer him sacrifices to appease his wrath. They rely on his favours to provide them with sustenance and protection. They also consider him to be the caretaker of their spirits, responsible for reincarnating their souls into marine spirits or dolphins. The Blue Elves have knowledge of the other Gods’ influence, but they despise them and consider them to be a distant threat. Since the days of Queen Aranaele, this sentiment has grown into fear. After the arrival of the High Elves in Essawylor, the Goddess Cim, who fertilizes and illuminates the sea, appeared from the depths of the tropical ocean. She shines like a star, absorbing all light and transforming it into most unusual and luminous azure tones. Two other stars are worshiped as Goddesses by the Blue Elves: Cil, the star of the heavens, and Cir, the star that is prisoner within the earth’s depths. The Blue Elves firmly believe in the influence of stars over their destiny. They worship three in particular: Cil, Star of the West, high in the sky, divinity of hope and promise; Cim, Star of the Sea Depths, which dwelt deep in Essaweryl Bay, revered as the divinity of wisdom and regret; and, finally, Cir, Star of the Earth’s Core, divinity of despair and degradation. The wisest Irawenti, visionaries of the clans, know how to interpret their positions. The three sacred stars which, according to their beliefs, hold their destiny, are honoured and praised with ardent singing and fervent prayer. The positions and the interactions of Cil, Cim and Cir are believed to set the stars of the heavens so that the future can be perceived in the night sky. Cil, the symbol of hope that shines so brightly in the western night’s sky, is celebrated with effervescent fireworks. Cim, gleaming light of the sea’s depths and dearest in the hearts of Blue Elves, is venerated according to their ancient traditions. Enchanted shimmers of light cast from the deck of ships illuminate the surrounding waters, drawing many dolphins of the bight into a wild dance. The deadly influence of Cir, divinity of despair and dark light of the earth’s core, is warded off by sacred fires that are lit on land. There is no particular place of worship for the Irawenti’s different cults, with the exception of the high temple of Cir, built by Queen Aranaele on the shores of Essaweryl Bay. There is no clergy to preach, lay down the doctrine or enrich the liturgy. Independent priests or priestesses celebrate their faith in natural surroundings within the clan’s territories. They act as healers and seers.

​

​