LIGHT ELVES versus DARK ELVES

First of all, the terms light and dark have nothing to do with appearance. Both types of elves are as varied in appearance as human beings, which also means that they aren’t all beautiful. After all, true beauty comes from within. In the case of the dark elves, also known as Selenites (sell-en-ites), this is because they were all once human.

The light elves are also known as the Loinnai (low-in-eye). Like most elves in works of fantasy, they are wise, graceful, benevolent, and possess superior/heightened senses. The Loinnai can either be Born as purebloods from two Loinnai parents, or they can be humans who were Elevated upon death. Physically, the Born and the Elevated are indistinguishable, including pointed but human-sized ears.

Only the kindest humans with the purest hearts are chosen to be Elevated, and only if they agree to the process. No matter how old or unhealthy a Chosen human is when they die, their initial Elevated appearance is that of a healthy, robust adult who would appear to us to be around twenty years old. This means that the only Loinnai children and young adults are Born purebloods.

Loinnai do age, but at a rate that is imperceptible to humans. One hundred human years approximates one Loinnai year. Likewise, they can be killed.

Because Loinnai exist in perfect balance with nature, they can access each of the magical elements (earth, air, fire, water, aether) equally.* They can also perform runic magic and basic magic and are masterful potion makers. Some are also powerful healers.

Loinnai live on an island called Bontiritir (bon-teer-it-teer). Its exact location is unknown and humans are forbidden. Portals connect the continents to Bontiritir, but only the pure of heart can use them. In other words, humans are out of luck, but animals can be taken through the portals in the company of Loinnai. The locations of these portals are kept secret and the magic they possess cloaks them from view. Loinnai can also travel back and forth between the continents and Bontiritir via flight (aboard gryphons) or teleportation, known as Transommination (or, as Lexi likes to call it, Transamming). It is too great a distance for them to fly on their own.

The Loinnai are descended from the goddesses and gods and were sent to Ayandoh (the planet, pronounced eye-an-doe) soon after the planet’s creation.** Their purpose was, and is, to serve as advisors to the humanoid inhabitants on all five continents (including non-human races such as halflings, dwarves, and grotts) and as guardians of the planet and nature.

Loinnai can procreate with humans, producing half-elves, although doing so is rare.

They are ruled by a Council, at the head of which is the elf lord/lady. The Council includes a Seer and a Potions Master, among other positions.

Loinnai are the most revered and respected race on Ayandoh. Even more revered and respected, especially by their fellow Loinnai, are the shapeshifters, usually shortened to shifters. They can take the appearance of any mammal. In today’s terms, we would probably call shifters gender-fluid or non-binary. Older language would refer to them as androgynous. They appear neither male nor female and are referred to with the pronouns they/them.

Loinnai sound pretty great, right? Well, the same cannot be said for the Selenites.

There are no Born Selenites. They are all created from the worst, most evil and cruel, examples of humanity. The process of becoming a Selenite is called Transcendence. It was created by the first Selenite, a former Loinnai who was sent to investigate the island and became corrupted by the magic contained within the crystals. He is the only Loinnai in history who became a Selenite.

Because Selenites are evil and destructive, they are completely out of balance with nature and cannot perform elemental magic. Instead, they derive their magic from purple crystals, called Selith crystals (sell-ith), that are sourced from their home island. This creates their major limitation – they cannot perform magic unless they are in close proximity to crystals. Therefore, all Selenites wear jewelry made with the crystals. The crystals are also seen as a status symbol. The higher the Selenite’s rank, the more crystals they wear and have access to. Punishment can involve barring a Selenite’s access to the crystals, including stripping them of their adornments.

Another limitation is that the supply of crystals is finite and the magic they contain depletes over time, like a battery running out of power. They have not yet discovered a way to recharge them.

The Selenites are the source of Earth’s vampire legends; they possess sharp upper fangs and survive on blood. Every Selenite bears a tattoo on their chest of a purple crystal surrounded by a circular ouroboros (a snake eating its own tail). Their eyes are the same shade of purple as the crystals.

Selenites do not have portals, but they can Transomminate and they have flying mounts called wyrms that are much like our dragons of legend.

They can be killed by decapitation or a stake to the heart, and they are vulnerable to silver.

The only creature they fear are the Loinnai.

 

*The magical system will be explained in a future post.

**The creation of the planet will be explained in a future post.