History of the Elvin Realm
There are four clans of elves. They are known for the region they reside in: Mountain, Forest, Desert and Sea. Each clan thought themselves superior to the others. This caused many wars throughout their long history. That changed when a plague struck the Forest Clan and began to spread. All feared it was punishment from the Gods for the clans’ constant squabbles. The ruler of the Mountain Clan, known as the One, sent his most gifted healers, the Daughters of IlluminatA, to help the Forest Clan . These powerful priestesses were able to end the plague. In gratitude, the Forest Clan formed an alliance with the Mountain Clan. It was decided the Mountain Clan would rule and the Forest Clan would have a voice in law making as well as protection from common enemies. The two clans became known as the United Elvin Nation. Then they reached out to the other clans to join them.
The Shiekh of the Desert Clan refused and does not recognize the United Elvin Nation. The Sea Clan is so far removed from the others that the Empress has been able to remain silent and ignore the request. However, it was recently discovered that the brother of the Shiekh, and a daughter of the Empress married. Perhaps the Desert Clan and Sea Clan have formed their own alliance?
The Four Clans
The Mountain Clan - closest to the sky and therefore, to the Gods. The mountain region is full of natural wealth; gold, silver, gemstones as well as plants used for healing. Magic flows through this Clan.
The One, the ruler of the United Elvin Nation resides in the House of the Third Moon.
The teachings of the Daughters of IlluminatA originated here.
Zyfan, future One, Prince from the House of the Third Moon, Engaged to Phae
Syrrah, Daughter of IlluminatA,
Princess from the House of the
Third Moon
Lita/Pica, Princess from the House of the Third Moon, second in line to the throne
The Forest Clan - closest to the soil, in touch with nature. Magic is rare among this Clan, however when it exists, it is very powerful. They are the advisors and diplomats
to the Mountain Clan. Most are merchants, farmers, or craftsmen. They are
the least prejudiced of all Elves which makes them excellent tradesmen.
Phae, future
Heart of the One,
Engaged to Zyfan
Fin
Karanthir
Brynie
Orrie
Esmodonti
The Desert Clan - rule over a harsh, unforgiving land and feel this has made them the strongest of all. They live in nomadic tribes. Magic is a gift of the females only, but it is not very powerful so the Shiekh relied on genie. Genie are scarce, only the most powerful own one. Io was owned by the Shiekh for centuries. Recently the nomadic tribes were united under one Shiekh. He then made an alliance with the Sea Clan.
*Washi, brother to
The Shiekh, husband of Usagi of the Sea Clan.
The Sea Clan - reside near or in the water, it is unknown to the other clans. It is said they have the power to control the tides. They are a Matriarchal Society, so only the women can master magic. When the Shiekh of the Dessert Clan had his brother marry the third-born daughter of the Empress, a powerful alliance was born. Magic exists in this Clan, mainly in the form of Necromancy. Members of the Sea Clan are immune to vampirism.
*Usagi, third-born to
The Empress. Wife of Washi of th Desert Clan
*Shichi, only son to
The Empress
The One and the Heart of the One
The One is high Ruler of both the Mountain and Forest Clans. This is a hereditary position, however it is not limited to offspring. The One rules from the age of 150 through their 1500th year. At that point, he or she must step down. If the One's offspring have not yet reached their 150th year, then the position goes to a sibling, niece or nephew.
The present One is Syrrah and Zyfan's Uncle, their mother's younger brother. His rein will end in less than 50 years. Neither of his two children will be old enough to take over, so Syrrah became next in line. She wasn’t interested and found a way out. She had herself tested for the healing gift. She passed and became a Daughter of IlluminatA.
Zyfan then, became the future One.
The Heart of the One sometimes called ‘The Heart ‘
is the honored title given to the One’s spouse.
Phae is the future Heart of the One.
Daughters of IlluminatA
The Daughters of IlluminatA originated in the Mountain Clan. Once the United Elvin Nation was formed, the sisterhood shared their secrets with the Forest Clan. They are an elite group of highly trained, very disciplined, gifted healers. They heal not only the body but the mind. They are tested early in childhood to see if they have the magical, physical and emotional strength to endure this path of life. They also must have the gift of foresight. They are respected and revered throughout all the realms for their wisdom and unbiased kindness.
The Daughters are also trained in the art of warfare and will follow warriors into battle. They can create illusions to disable the enemy. They know how to heal, therefore they know how to inflict pain on the body and mind, if needed. A war cannot be proclaimed unless the Daughters give their blessing. In their later years, they serve as advisors to the One .
Syrrah is one of their Honored Priestesses.
Marriage
Marriage is for life. Divorce does not exist in the Elvin realm. Most marriages are arranged, which is why monogamy is not a normal practice among these long lived beings. This does not mean one can act irresponsibly. The marriage contract contains rules pertaining to everything including extramarital affairs. Infidelity is considered dishonorable and is punishable by law. However, if the proper steps are taken, husband and wife may indulge. Since most elves are bisexual, having a spouse and lover is considered normal - as long as the Blessing is given.
The Blessing is permission from one spouse to another to pursue and engage in a serious extramarital relationship.
Rules of the Blessing
- Permission must be granted, before pursuing an intended lover. It must be noted that permission is a two-way street. Once granted, this second relationship is not to interfere with the family, however is not uncommon for the third party to become part of the household and treated as an honored family member.
- If the marriage itself produces no heirs, then it is acceptable for a third party to 'assist' in this matter.
- Liaisons without permission are considered dishonorable.
- The exception to these rules occurs during the Festival of the Flowers, a fertility ceremony that takes place in the Spring. All are encouraged to participate. A child produced as a result of the Festival is considered blessed by the Gods.
Phae has given her Blessing
to Zyfan and Karanthir
* no longer living in the home of the Lady with the Dog
ELVES
MAGIC VAMPIRES
~ MAGIC ~
Magic exists in all the lands, however it is strongest in the Elvin realm. All elves are born with magical abilities. It is more obvious in some. Most excel in one specific area. Fewer humans tend to have magical gifts and when they do, it runs in their family. Many humans that are gifted are unaware of it, so their powers remain dormant. Others will show signs of it when they reach puberty. Like elves, they also tend to excel in a specific area of magic.
Magic Users Among the Crew
Aless
Elementalist: has the ability
to draw power directly
from nature and control it.
example: lightening bolts
Brynie
Animal Charmer: instinctively communicates with animals.
Cammeo
Seeker: born with
supernatural powers
used to hunt vampires who were once human.
* Chinatsu
Time Traveler: her parents built a time travel device for each of their children. She has experienced life in the 2030s, 1910s and, now.
Daprima
Clairvoyant: perceives true events in the past and future.
Empath: feels another’s emotions.
Fin
Herbalist: a natural gardener and expert in the study of plants, which includes knowledge of their healing and magical properties.
Harmonia
Sorceress: performs all forms of magic. Unfortunately, she’s unstable due to her accidentally being placed
under a youth spell by Trey.
* Herita
Potions Master: excels in the art of combining magical components together to create specific potions. Once created, anyone can use them.
* Io
Genie: a magical entity linked to an object, serving its
owner. His destiny is tied to
the ruling or first family. Io has been freed and is now human.
Karanthir
instictively knows things about other people and places which he happily uses to manipulate a situation.
Lithium
Blinks: the ability to teleport himself at will.
Lu
born with a supernatural photogenic memory, her knowledge is vast, because of this she was placed under a youth spell by Xyla.
Orrie
has the ability to see the truth. He sees magic in its original form. He also gets glimpses of the future.
Pica / Lita
Time Traveler:
Lita is the future version of Pica, spending time with the Crew in this present day.
* Qualina
Sorceress: performs all forms of magic. In her later years,
she became an expert on vampires.
Quinn
Was born with the rare gift of being a dragon ride, Xyla is his dragon.
Tahariel
Practitioner of Wiccan spells, rituals and techniques.
* Usagi
Necromancer: has control
over the dead and undead,
is immune to vampire bites
and cannot be turned.
Vanni
Time Traveler: his parents built a time travel device for each of their children. Vanni originally
came to the Crew from the year 2040.
Wysh
Fairy: a small, mischievous, magical being from the land
of the Fae, uses wands to enhance her powers.
Xyla
Dragon: most powerful of all magical beings. She walks the realms in the guise of a human girl in search of her kind. She recruited Trey to assist her.
Racolo
Mage, gifted in Spell Writing - once written, anyone with the skills can cast it.
An expert in Runes.
Syrrah
Healer. She uses her powers to cure illnesses, injuries and imbalances of the mind. Also has the gift of foresight.
* Trey
Magical Archaeologist and patriarch to a magical family. His magic is limited, but his knowledge vast. Placed under
a youth spell by Xyla.
Miscellaneous
Portals - magical pathways that allow one to get from one place to another within seconds. Once a portal is created, all one needs to do is know where it is, and anyone, including non-magic uses, can access it.
example: Racolo has created a portal from the the Crew’s home to Magick School.
Runes - a writing system with magical powers. Runes can predict the future, counteract harmful forces, provide qualities to a person or object, can be used in incantations, curses and spells or as talismans.
example: Racolo uses rune tattoos for various reasons.
* no longer living in the home of the Lady with the Dog
~ VAMPIRES ~
When one becomes a vampire, they are 'brought across' or 'brought over' to the side of
the undead. Vampirism affects humans and elves in different ways. Elves become freer
and have less inhibitions, otherwise they are quite themselves. Humans however, become unstable and develop violent tendencies. They lose their humanity, their conscience, and some go mad. It is believed this is the after effect of becoming ageless. Elves, already being so long-lived, are unaffected by this.
Traits of Vampires
- develop fangs
- show no signs of aging / grow stronger as the years go by
- are immune to illnesses that affect the living
- are unconscious from sunrise to sunset
- their only source of nourishment is blood, although elves
can tolerate beverages
- can combust with the touch of the suns rays
- to end their existence they must be burned, decapitated,
or have a wooden stake driven into their heart
An Ancient Organization
The Committee - consists mainly of humans, devoted to the study of vampires. Their goal is to better understand these powerful beings and possibly control them. The Committee recruits ‘gifted' individuals who they train as Seekers.
Seekers are hunters of vampires that were once human. Seekers possess supernatural abilities which make them more than a match for vampires. Seekers are born, not made. The Committee finds and trains them in hand to hand combat, weaponry, basic spells and potions - which aid them in their battles.
Vampires Among the Crew
Esmodonti
is a vampire elf, brought over by an ancient vampire elf. She can go into the sun only because she has magical rune tattoos to protect her. She needs blood to survive. She no longer feeds off others, instead purchases the blood she needs. She has never brought another across.
Es loved being a vampire until she met her son, Lithium. This condition kept her from him since she couldn’t be with him during daylight hours. Racolo created a way for her tolerate the sun’s rays, and is working on a way for her to get her nourishment from food instead of blood.
*Herita
was a Seeker before she became a vampire over a century ago. She relished being a vampire. The hunt, the feed and the kill were all good sport for her. When she was turned, she went mad and became fixated on her twin sister, Cammeo. Cammeo was a Seeker and had no choice but to terminate her sister. Herita the human died by the bite of a vampire. Herita the vampire died at the hand of her sister - but her spirit lived on through strong magic performed on her twin, who didn’t know it at the time. It took a century for Herita to grow strong enough to manifest. Then she haunted Cammeo in the form of a ghost. Soon
after she was whisked into a human body through the magic of the genie, Io. Herita is now human but preferred life as a vampire. This obsession wreaked havoc on her fragile mind. She caused the Crew much heartbreak before her plans were revealed. Then the Committee stepped in, through their representative, Lu, and claimed her. Lu has entrusted her care to the Sisters of IlluminantA in the Elvin realm.
Karanthir
is half-vampire. He was not brought over by another, but was placed under a powerful spell by an evil sorceress. Unlike full fledged vampires, he can tolerate the sun. He has never fed from another but instead gets what he needs from other sources. He still needs blood to live and when he fails to have his proper share will suffer from severe headaches. He is able to eat whatever he chooses.
He doesn't know if he's capable of bringing another across, nor does he plan to attempt it. He doesn't like being a vampire, but since he can’t do anything about it, he lives his life as he sees fit.
Those Linked to Vampires
Cammeo
was born a Seeker and trained by the Committee with her twin, Herita. In their previous era, they terminated human vampires together. When Herita was willingly brought across, Cammeo had no choice but to slay her. This devastated Cammeo, so she asked to be put into a magical sleep by the Committee. They agreed. She woke a century later with her Seeker skills intact, but chose to keep them dormant. Then Herita became human again, but her mind was broken. Her actions forced Cammeo to be a Seeker once more. She hopes to never need to use her skills again - but is prepared to take up the battle, if necessary.
Lu
is part of the Committee. They sought her out for her supernatural photogenic mind. She agreed, solely to have access to their resources. While searching for a stolen book on Vampires, penned by Qualina, that her grandson, Racolo inherited, she moved into the home of the Lady with the Dog. Here, she became aware of the story of the twins, Cammeo and Herita. They were long over-due for an Advisor. She took the job - and not a moment too soon. It turned out Herita had stolen the book to use in her quest to become a vampire. In the process she lost her mind. Lu stepped in to save her.
*Qualina
becomes a sorceress, but while living with the Crew she was at the infancy of her powers. She got a glimpse of the future and saw that her great-grandson's mother was a vampire. This caused her to become obsessed with them. She conducted magical experiments on those willing to work with her, to give them back some of what they lost when they were brought over.
She wrote a book on her finds, which Racolo inherited. Herita stole it and caused much trouble for the Crew until she was caught. By then, Qualina had returned to her own time, in the past.
Racolo
Before Es became a vampire, she had a son with Racolo named Lithium. Due to circumstances beyond her control, she was separated from her baby (and Racolo too). Lithium reunited his estranged parents through magic. The two are now happily married. Racolo has come to realize that Es is a wonderful mother. He found a way to gain her more time with Lithium by modifying her vampire ‘symptoms’ using Qualina’s book, his magic and tattoos. Now, Es can be awake during the day and she’s immune to other external magic.
*Usagi
Only those of the Sea Clan have mastered the art of Necromancy - the ability to control the dead or undead, which includes vampires. Necromancers cannot be bitten or brought across. If a vampire attempts to feed off a Sea Elf, the vampire becomes ill. For this reason, vampires stay clear of this race.
Usagi is a skilled Necromancer. She can sense the undead instantly. Through her magic, she can end a vampire's existence with little effort. During her stay with the Crew, she placed Es in a magically induced sleep to repay a debt to Syrrah. Then she returned to her realm.
* no longer living in the home of the Lady with the Dog