Fae, the Mother of Many

Faen and Faren

In long years past, when the elves first awoke upon Great Mountain, they were split between those who chose Faen as their paramount and those who chose Faren. The elves of Faen were those who would kill to eat, but the elves of Faren were those who gathered only, saying, “We shall not gorge ourselves upon flesh and blood as beasts do.”

So Faren led his people into obscurity upon the surface, while the people of Faen prospered and took to the skies.

Now the elves of Faren were few and proud. They wandered the surface, gathering sustenance and shunning the other races, until they came to a great wood, which they named Neirmalas, and sought to make their home.

But a spirit of the old world already dwelled there, and in its wrath forbade them to remain, harrying them at every turn. For the spirit had foreseen that should any dwell in Neirmalas, the wood would be consumed by fire. But Faren entreated the spirit on behalf of his people, saying, “We eat not the flesh of animals and have no need of fire.”

And the spirit relented. So it was that Faren seduced this spirit, and by their union peace was struck and Faren called her Wyld. Thus the elves of Faren were permitted to remain. Therefore the elves of Faren lived out their lives having no offspring, fading slowly from the world, until their numbers were no more.

The Children of Faren in Neirmalas

But Faren sired three offspring by Wyld, and he named them Fae, Falth, and Feere.

Falth and Feere were spirits of mischief, and great harm followed wherever they walked. Even Wyld despaired of their presence and exiled them from Neirmalas. But they had no offspring, and so Erenth was spared from the further harm their seed might have wrought.

But Fae of Wyld was loyal to her mother and gentle to her father. She remained in Neirmalas as a creature of two worlds.

The Children of Faen in Aranelmalas

While the elves of Faren dwindled in Neirmalas, the elves of Faen flourished and became Aranelmalas, the great realm of the air. 

Faen himself was slain by the ignorance of men, and so his line was extinguished in the realm. Of his two sons, who had contended since the womb, one was slain and the other banished for the deed.

Aedrie, wife of Faen, endured as matriarch, and from her later line came many heroes and people of song.

Now Faelon, son of Faen, was the one who was banished for the cruel slaying of his brother. His wings were torn from him, and his wife would not follow into exile. Yet Faelon the Torn took with him his infant son Fidran, and with his own hand cut the child’s wings away. Then in grief, he fled to the Forest of Neirmalas, where the spirits of wood and water laughed and sang though the world on the surface grew dark. There he entrusted Fidran Wingless to a river-spirit who dwelt within the forest and Faelon the Torn himself was slain in the war that then came.

Fidran and Fae

Fidran Wingless grew with no knowledge of his father and when he was grown took Fae of Wyld, daughter of Faren, to wife. She bore him nineteen daughters and only one son.

Her daughters were wild and could not be tamed, nor would they remain in the House of Fidran Wingless. Rather, they found mates across the wideness of Erenth and established houses of their own. From such houses rose the dryads, sylphs, nymphs, sprites, pixies, nixies, atomies, grigs, brownies, kilmoulis, and leprechauns.

Still others of their line were untamed and became like the beasts in form, but bore still the spirit of Fae within them—swanmays, centaurs, and the like.

Ilidor to Idrisier 

But Ilidor, the only son of Fidran Wingless and Fae of Wyld, was unlike his untamed sisters. He was calm and contemplative, and he followed the ways of his father, and he eschewed the passions of his grandfather Faelon the Torn.

He took to wife Herae, a warrior of Aranelmalas who fell into Neirmalas by broken wing. Ilidor nursed her to health, and though her strength returned, her wings would never bear her aloft again. She forsook her people, cut away her wings, and clung thereafter to Ilidor in the forest. There they dwelt until such time as the war consumed Neirmalas with fire, as was first foretold by Wyld.

From the union of Ilidor and Herae came Idrisier.

Idrisier the Elf was proud and noble. He did not speak of Faelon the Torn, nor remember his name. But his people prospered upon Erenth. They traded with mortals and with the elves of Aranelmalas, who recognized him as distant kin and honored him.

In look and bearing he was as the elves of old, though wingless. In time, he took Gaera, daughter of Aneri, to wife. And she, too, gave up the sky for love of the land and of him.

And Idrisier is counted in the lineages of Harandir, Silvandir, and Sashelas who were the grandsires of Wood Elves, Wild Elves, High Elves and Aquatic Elves.

Thus are all these the children of Fae.

A History of the Elfish Speaking People s.II

Throughout the First Age, all the Avariel were witness to the raging of the Urok, but they were forbidden by their Ranaa, Aerdrie Faenya, to interfere. After the dawning of the Second Age, when the Holbyt were given the rule of Teranis, the folk were once again forced to watch as the Urok returned in their numbers to lay waste, to destroy and to steal.

Many of the Avariel again petitioned Aerdrie to be allowed to descend to the floor of Teranis, but she would not grant it. Among her children, though, were five daughters who did not heed her, and neither did the many sons that were born unto them. Instead these unfaithful children went down to the surface to help the dwindling races. There they joined the wars on the side of the Holbyt who had been like Ranes over all Teranis. Now Aerdrie was not pleased by the disobedience, but she was even more angered by the gift the defectors took with them. For the Avariel that busied themselves in the affairs of those below took with them the Faestone which could be chipped from the heights of the Tablelands above Teranis. The Faestone held the secret of fire.

The Faestone was easy to shape and knapp. When it broke it could be made into many sharp points, which could cut and pierce easier than the weapons that Teranis had known until that time. For hardrock, antler, bone and stick, that which had been their weapons, became useless after breaking. But it is a property of the Faestone that even the smaller fragments become useful in the manufacture of darts and knives. And, even more importantly, are still useful for the building of fires.

Aerdrie was filled with wrath and sent a host against her own children. This host tried to take hold of them which departed and bid them return to their place in the sky. But they would not return and strove bitterly against those who would bear them off. So they were left alone. Now the five daughters of Aerdrie and all their sons knew that their Ranaa was angered, but they believed that if they acquitted themselves well on Teranis, that they would be permitted to return to what they viewed as their rightful home.

So it was that a long war was fought against the Urok and many of the folk did acquit themselves well and proudly. Many also died in that war, including four of the five daughters of Aerdrie, and many more of their sons. So when the wars were at last ended and the Urok were sent to whatever refuge they could find, the unfaithful children grew tired of war and desired to return home. They were not well received. For though they returned with the honors of the people that lived on the ground, they had disobeyed their Ranaa and she held them in contempt. So too, the sacred fire had been misused. For the people below had used it to set fire to the world below and scorch all of Teranis, which was like a wasteland from one end of the valley to the other. What had been lush and green was now reduced to cinder and ash.

"You have abandoned our home and our way of life," she said. "And you have shown all of the people down below the secret of the sacred fire which was our charge alone. Though you return as heroes to the people of Teranis, you are as strangers to us."

Then Aerdrie sent her unfaithful children away and pronounced them Teraniel -- Landbound. She swore then that those which used their wings thereafter to return to Aeranis would be punished. Then she cursed those which had left, saying that even their children would be born Landbound and wingless in every generation until Corellon Larethian himself intervene. "As you fought to win Teranis, so will you strive to live upon it."

So the Teraniel left her presence with great regret. For Aeranis was a place of exceeding beauty, but they would now only know it from afar. They could only gaze up into the sky by day and night with deep longing. On the ruined landscape of Teranis they would eventually become known as homeless wanderers and relentless pursuers of the Urok. They would have to content themselves to live for the glory heaped on them by the other people. This glory they did receive in songs without number and they became well-reckoned in the hearts of many. Regardless of their acclaim, however, deep in the hearts of most Teraniel was a sadness that did not pass.

Gadhelyn, the son of Aerdrie was not one of those filled with sadness, but rather with anger. It was he who took his Faestone knife in full view of Aerdrie and her court and cut the wings from his back saying, "As the Avariel shun me, so I now shun the Avariel." Gadhelyn lived for many ages upon Teranis and became a person of great renown. As a champion of six ages he lived and he did not know a natural death. Many children had he and from them are counted the folk now called Harandir. For until the Sixth Age and the coming of the Vyrum princes he lived, and his life was celebrated in every generation, but the tale of his end is told later.

Meanwhile, among the Teraniel,  Gilmad the Singer became the first Rane. He too was a great warrior and he was the husband of Vandria, last living daughter of Aerdrie. Together they had been champions of many battles and only a few ever lived which could match their prowess -- he with the spear and knife, she with her hammer of stone.

Gilmad was he who defeated the Warbands of Darkblood and was slain in single combat, though he also slew Nolek the Chieftain and personally ran 600 through with his spear. And Vandria is remembered for keeping her word, and honoring her husband, but avenging him all the same. Together they were the parents of the folk called Erandir.

After Gilmad was slain, Labelas the son of Enoreth the slain daughter of Aerdrie became Rane of the Teraniel. Labelas lived through all five ages and at the dawning of the 6th Age took the Mantle of White to become the Curate of his people. He is the father of the Silvandir through Celanil the Mother of Forests and daughter to Gadhelyn.

The Song of Gadhelyn

First of Archers,
Son of Aerdrie,
Father of the Bow,
Mighty Warrior,
Slayer of Urok.
You argued for Erenth.
You argued for the surface.

Servant for Gnummor,
Loyal to Holbyt,
Warden of Forests,
Keeper of All,
Hero of Six Ages
You fought for Erenth
You fought for the surface.

First of Fletchers,
One of the Skyborn,
Slayer of Evil,
Champion of Good,
Lord of Elves.
You stood for Erenth
You stood for the surface

First of Bowyers,
Bane of Tiamet,
Outlaw of Forest,
Protector of Poor,
Thief of Taxes.
You were slain for Erenth
You were slain for the surface.

The Song of Idrisier Llothdein

O Skyborn Warrior of old,
Slain by Aenirasa when you would not bow.
You slew scores upon your left
and hundreds upon your right.

Idrisier Llothdein of old,
Slain by Aenirasa for the love you bore.
You tore your wings from the left
and ripped your wings from the right.

Idrisier, lord of anger
Slain by Aenirasa for the wrath you showed
Is that you who battles on our left?
Is that you who battles on our right?

The Song of Aerdrie Faenya

Aerdrie Faenya,
Skyborn queen,
Mother of All
you abandoned those
who would not heed
to the surface.

Though we were your children
we listened not
and were cast off
to the surface.

We are barred from the
Forest Home of Wind.
Our children know our folly
and they too are born
to the surface.

The Seldarine

The Seldarine or The People of Tales is the name given collectively to the Mightiest Elves from the First Age to the present. It is a mistake to think that all the Seldarine are good or noble. They are merely noteworthy and they may be noteworthy for their counter example, as much as for their example. Among the Elves these sorts of songs and records are kept by the Curates, who are famous for not passing judgment, but merely recording facts as they have occurred.

The Elves consider themselves to be children of Corellon Larethian, a servant of the Ere of All. Larethian is often called Llordein, or Master of Magic, and to some the Lord of Making. For the Elves, magic use and the singing of songs are much the same thing. For the human listener, translation of the songs is a difficult process. All of them tend to evoke great emotional content and a strange affinity for the singer, and often act as a sort of lullaby to boot.

The question may arise as to when or how an Elf becomes regarded among the Seldarine. There is no vote or formal process which puts them there. Simply, some Elf will write a song about another Elf and the popularity of its subject matter will either add it to the status of those most requested and performed, or not. The following list of songs has the benefit of being regarded highly by all the Elves I spoke to in both the Mistwood Forest, the Deepwood Forest, and a delegation from the Greywood that I was fortunate to come across while guest of the Lord of the Deepwood. I consider it authoritative from that standpoint, but I do not claim that all of these songs have universal appeal amongst all Elves, everywhere.

It must be noted that there are three historical categories of Elves among the Seldarine. The Avariel or Sky Born were the first making of Larethian. Legend has it that they had wings and soared as birds do. They were inclined to keep to their own affairs, but the depredations of the Urok made them curious and caused them to intervene during the Second Age. The children of the Avariel are said to born to the surface and are called Teraniel or Land Born. Like their sires, the Teraniel are believed to have been immortal, but lost their capacity for flight as a sort of judgment by Corellon Larethian for their curiousity. Then, those that were born after the end of the Fifth Age are called Celariel or Mortal Born and though they are extremely long-lived can know a natural death. I have never met an Avariel and was only told by others that the Lord of the Deepwood was Teraniel. I suspect that is more legend than anything, though he does speak with some authority on matters from long ago.