The Long Lakes

The Elves are the largest of the Faerie races, and the most human-like in appearance. Elves are very long-lived, and some remember the cataclysm, Melantalen as they call it.

Elves prefer to live near large amounts of fresh, clear water. The central Elven culture is in West Highland, by the Long Lakes, but some also live in the River Valley of East Highland. These are the Kiero and the Kimel, respectively.

The elves of Highland consider themselves visitors to this world. There are still a handful of Elves who vaguely remember the Melantalen, or Cataclysm. There are even more Elves who grew up as the Elves rebuilt their living spaces and “city” after they were cut off from their older, far grander, city. The Elves are only one and two generations away from the Elves who lived before the Cataclysm.

There are also rumors of an evil Elven race living in the Dark Forest, or somewhere in the Underground, the Kivian. Then again, there are rumors of an evil Halfling race in the Dark Forest. You can’t believe everything you hear. The Kivian are used mostly as a cautionary tale for children, and most adult Elves believe that if the Kivian existed they would be found. The Elven scouts are not known for their fear of traveling, even into the Forest.

Elves gather most of their food from the forests and fields, and grow the rest. Elves can subsist on a very small amount of food. If they are eating well, they need about one quarter of the food a human needs. If they start eating meat or dry rations, however, they will require a more normal amount of food. Most Elves will not eat meat, and are unused to it. Warriors, especially the Rivelaelfte, have learned to eat a wider variety of foodstuffs.

Time

Normally Elves do not measure time more precisely than talen, the day, and that’s more precise than they like to get. Precise appointments among the long-lived race are difficult. They do not have a unit of time smaller than a day, though they can use night, day, dawn, and dusk as times when absolutely necessary.

Their medoral is somewhat equivalent to the human month, though it is measured by constellations (somewhat like the human zodiac) rather than by phases of the moon. Elves measure two seasons: erilen, winter, and karvan, summer.

The Elven year is kilanv, seven years is temas, ninety-eight years is timostine, and nine hundred and eighty years is ralmostine, about an Elven lifetime. The next temas and timostine are in 994, and the next ralmostine is in 1092.

Elves have long lives, and their lifestyle leaves them much free time. They use it to visit and celebrate with friends, to carry on hobbies such as gardening, sailing, creating musical and visual arts, or many more. They also may spend their time traveling from village to village around the Careleran, the Elven Long Lakes. Some few also spend their time traveling about the known world and learning the languages and cultures of other races.

Medorale

Except for Medoralenalveron, the Elves keep their “months” by the stars. When the three stars of Toralne Deme come over the morning horizon in the spring, a new kilanv has begun.

Note that the Christian dates slowly shift over time as the constellations change in relation to the years, and there can also be slight differences over the four-year leap year cycles.

The first day of Medoralenalveron and Vonorel are holy days for the Elven people, and begin a one to twenty-seven day celebration. Every temas the celebration lasts three days. Every timostine the celebration lasts seven days and every ralmostine the celebration lasts the full medoral.

The Council of Sages

The Elves of Highland are guided by a group of sages known as the Ilendor, the oldest and wisest of the long-lived and wise race. The Ilendor meet every temas or so at the Long Lakes to exchange new knowledge, organize old knowledge, and discuss concerns old and new.

The Ilendor are self-appointed guardians of the Elves. Some are powerful wizards, prophets, or warriors, but all are learned sages and have proved their worth over the Elven ages.

Vel amean Tirtalien evano

The traditional farewell of the Rivelaelfte to comrades heading into danger and death, vIHOmaOn DerDOHeWn avOno, means “walk safely under Tirtalien’s light”. The Rivelaelfte are a semi-secret society of warriors and scouts charged with the protection of the Elven lands. Rivelaelfte warriors travel throughout the lands gathering information and looking out for the future of Elvenkind.

Members of the Rivelaelfte will often be warriors, thieves, or at higher levels multi-typed thief-warriors, warrior-sorcerors, or thief-sorcerors. Their specialties will tend to be nature friend, vigilant sleep, animal companion, and perhaps charismatic healing, exemplar, team combat, weapons master, or contacts.

The Rivelaelfte maintain a view on the present as well as the future. There is a saying among them that “alen tenolfey ri anofey Careleran” (OHIn DhnoHVa re OnoVa carIHarOn) which is to say that “the sun rises and sets on the Elven lands.” This is a reminder to them, and to their more long-winded fellows among the Elven sages and council, that some troubles do not respect the long-term Elven worldview. A day is the same for an Elf as it is for a Giblen or Magiblen. Some things must be handled “today”, not merely “now”.

The Priests

All Elven priests are prophets. The prophets of the Elves often work loosely with the Ilendor and the Rivelaelfte to guide and protect the future of the Elven lands. You can find more information about the Elven deities in Divine Lore at http://www.godsmonsters.com/.

The Forest Language of the Elves

The so-called “forest language of the Elves” is actually known by only a few Elves. Any of the Rivelaelfte will recognize it. It is used mostly by non-evil Faerie of the wood.

The forest language is a language of signs. Rocks, twigs, and leaves may be arranged to sign the language; markings may be made in dirt or on wood. For those who are unaware of the language, the markings are difficult to see. They blend in with the foliage and look as if they naturally belong.

The forest language may be used to discuss fairly complex but concrete topics. It can be used to discuss things, races, directions, times, colors, actions, and numbers. It is more difficult to use the forest language to discuss individuals, philosophical concepts, and specific items.

The Leaves of History

The Elves have a library filled with scrolls detailing the history of their race and their gods. There are three libraries: one open to any Elf or Elf-friend, one open to trusted Elves or trusted friends, and one open only to the Ilendor. The second library includes much information brought back by the Rivelaelfte about the cultures and ruins of Highland and the surrounding areas.

The third library includes more secret information brought back by the Rivelaelfte, but also includes ancient scrolls predating the Melantalen. Some of these scrolls describe a world completely unlike that in which the Elves currently live.

The Language of the Elves

Alphabet

The alphabet of the Elves uses seventeen basic glyphs, with two variations of each glyph. You can download what is currently a very unstable truetype font of the Elven alphabet at http://www.godsmonsters.com/library/downloads/Elvish.ttf.zip. This version does not handle circling multiple letters.

Vowels (maROmE)

For vowels, the first variation is a “sharp” (cri) and the second (circled) a “flat” (wol).

Lip-Consonants (maZU)

For consonants, the first variation is a “soft” (leng) and the second (circled) a “hard” (mug) pronunciation.

Mouth-Consonants (maDIZ)

Punctuation

Two slashes (.) end a sentence. If slashes appear also at the beginning of a sentence, it is an emphasized sentence, or an exclamation. Elvish rarely uses commas, but if it does, a less than and greater than symbol are used (,). Likewise, parenthetical expressions are rare in writing. But when used, the parenthetical is separated by a less than (()and then a greater than ()).

There is no question mark. Questions are preceded by “gar” (CUr). If it is obvious that the statement is or will be a question, however, the “question mark” is omitted.

Word Order

Sentences tend to be in Subject Verb Object order. Adjectives tend to follow the noun they modify.

There is little distinction between nouns and adjectives. If two nouns occur next to each other, the first one tends to be the noun, and the later ones adjectives. Such constructions can be, but are not always, combined into a single word. If such a thing is encountered often or is emblematic, “the tall ruins” is “dimiler”, and “these tall ruins” is “dimileril”. Otherwise, these would be “dimi ler” and “dimilil ler”, respectively.

There are a few exceptions. For example, viredor, or king, will always be preceded by its adjectives.

Dictionary

Word Modifiers

When a modifier connects via a vowel with another word that has the same vowel in that place, the vowel will either be contracted into a single vowel, or an ‘l’ or ‘t’ will be placed between them. In general, if the nearest consonants in the word are mesa, an ‘l’ will be used. If the nearest consonant in the word is a metess a ‘t’ will be used.

bel+ (bIH): empty of, void of

+de (dI): you [verb] (plural you)

den+ (dIn): long, wide

+dor (dor): high, leading, exalted

+(e)da (adU): [noun] was verbed from, verbed out of

+il (eH): this specific [thing]

(+)fey (Va): (does) to, on (something)

ki+ (ce): gerund/noun-ify a verb

+le(+) or +len (HI): (something) of (something else)

+lva (HvE): in, with (service, feeling) for something

+me (me): you [verb] (singular you)

+na+ (nO): like the, as the, of the, as in a comparison between two things

+neng (nIN): southern [thing]

+ore (ora): at the [thing]

ral+ (rOH): 10 of

+rie (rea): passing of, death of

(+)ri (re): [something] and something else

+ta (DE): across the, though the

+thon (tUn): son of [person]

+tie (Di): we [verb]

+tieh (DiI): they [verb] or he, she, it [verbs]

(+) vey (va): [did] to or on something

+vo (vo): in/at a/the [thing or place]

+ya (RE): I [verb]

Nouns and Verbs

adril (OdreH): steel

adrilamean (OdrAHOmaOn): a bright, hard, meteoric metal that rivals mithril

alel (OHIH): sky

Alen (OHIn): the Sun

Alveron (OHvaron): the male ruler of the Alvirel

Alvirel (OHvirIH): the Elven pantheon

ambe (Omba): great, powerful, strong

ambean (OmbaOn): death

Ambelide (OmbIHeda): The Tyrant (a constellation and medoral)

amean (OmaOn): illumination, light

amro (Omro): pour (refreshing liquid)

ano (Ono): to set (as sun, star, moon)

Arador (OrEdor): Goddess of Memory and Learning

ark (Urc): paper

arkil (UrceH): book

arlie (OrHeI): wisdom, understanding

arlin (UrHAn): forest

Arlindor (UrHAndor): High Forest of the Alvirel

Avieglien (UveaCHeIn): messenger-god and trickster

bari (bUre): is for, exists for

bedaroltav (badUroHDOv): juggler

Bedaroltav (badUroHDOv): The Juggler (a constellation and medoral)

bien (bean): until such time as, until

caero (cUaro): the lands, the countries

Careleran (cOrIHarOn): Elven Lands (Long Lakes)

Carenarlindor (cOrInUrHAndor): High Forest, the Elven homeland

caro (caro): ground, land, country

Cartoril (carDoreH): Elven Island (Eastern Continent)

cri (cre): a sharply pronounced vowel

dagla (dOCHE): to guide, to lead

danvir (dOnver): spiders

daro (dOro): to bear, carry, use

daya (dURE): I am [something]

deme (dIma): three

dier (dear): carried, transported

dimi (deme): ruins

egla (aCHE): message

eglien (aCHeOn): messenger, courier

elanvedo (IHOnvado): welcome to (a place)

elda (IHdE): sight, eyesight

eleber (IHabar): to appear as from nowhere, to come into sight as a surprise

elessan (IHIIZOn): swords, weapons

elessar (IHIZUr): starlight

elide (IHeda): eyes

eran (arOn): snow

Erilen (arAHIn): Winter

ero (aro): to snow

evano (avOno): from henceforth, from now on, in the future

eyanvir (IROnver): butterfliders

fedama (VIdUmE): to defeat in battle

fediam (VIdeOm): [someone] defeated in battle [someone else]

fien (VeIn): wind

gar (CUr): the following sentence is a question

genesiervel (CInIZearvIH): the screaching dead

Genesiervel (CInIZearvIH): The Banshee (a constellation and medoral)

Giblen (CAbHIn): short Night Troll

hik (hAc): new

idal (edOH): care

idali (edOHe): carefully

Ilendor (eHIndor): Elven Council

iltava (eHDUvE): weaving

ire (era): silence

Iredana (eradUnE): The goddess of weavers and the bearer of the thread of life

Karug (caruC): Dwarves, as a race

Karvan (carvOn): Summer

Kiero (cearo): Elven peoples (Long Lakes)

Kilanv (ceHOnv): year

Kilian (ceHeOn): Elven peoples (Dark Forest)

Kilon (ceHUn): Halflings

Kimel (cemIH): Elven peoples (River Valley)

Kir (cer): Elves (of Cartoril)

kiriev (cereIv): love

kirivel (cerivIH): living

komor (comor): squirrel

Komor (comor): The Squirrel (a constellation and medoral)

komorleran (comorHarIn): snow squirrel

lanvo (HOnvo): to circle, revolve

lavel (HOvIH): to protect

lear (HIUr): smith

leece (HeZ): hatred, racial

lelanv (HaHOnv): during, in the time of

lelern (HIHarn): bird, sparrow

Lelern (HIHarn): The Sparrow (a constellation and medoral)

lene (HInI): above

Lenecarilestetel (HInIcarAHIZDIDIH): The Deep Forest

leng (HIN): a soft consonant

lentav (HInDOv): fire

Lentav (HInDOv): The Fire (a constellation and medoral)

ler (HIr): tall

Leralv (HIrOHv): the Long Lakes

lero (HIro): tallest

Lerovian (HIroveOn): North Star

lian (HAOn): tree

Lian (HAOn): The Tree (a constellation and medoral)

lilen (HeHIn): protector

lirel (HerIH): sword

Lirel (HerIH): The Long Sword (a constellation and medoral)

lon (HUn): an animal burrow in the ground

madra (mUdrE): to forge

maedra (mUadrE): forged

Magiblen (mOCAbHIn): large Night Troll

mayama (maROmE): vowel

Medoral (mIdorOH): star's month

Medoralenalveron (mIdorOHInOHvaron): Alveron’s month

Melantalen (mIHOnDOHIn): the Cataclysm

mele (mIHI): humans

melo (mIHo): to rain

mentav (mInDOv): magic

mentavassar (mInDOvEZUr): sorcerors

mesa: a lip-formed consonant

metess (maDIZ): a mouth consonant

meth (mIt): our

Mien (meIn): Dragon

mithril (metrAH): Elven steel

Morefien (moraVeIn): the god of ocean, lake, and river

morilvan (morAHvOn): traveller, wanderer

morlv (morHv): river

Morlv (morHv): The River (a constellation and medoral)

mug (mEC): a hard consonant

natang (nEDON): battle, serious fight

ngor (Nor): cold, adjective

panvono (BOnvUno): victory

rael (rUIH): peace, serenity

Ralmostine (rOHmoZDen): 980 years

ralv (rOHv): lake

ralvana (rOHvUnE): boat

Ralvana (rOHvUnE): The Boat (a constellation and medoral)

rejh (rIj): stone, rock

rerar (rIrOr): forget

ril (reH): metal

rivel (rivIH): life

Rivelaelfte (rivIHaHVDI): Elven scouts

rugo (ruCo): earth

samessang (ZOmIZON): armies, troops

siero (Zearo): horrible

siervel (ZearvIH): undead

Talen (DOHIN): day (sunrise)

tang (DON): war

tava (DOvO): craftsmanship

tel (DIH): deep (below)

Temas (DamUz): 7 years (14, old)

teno (Dano): to rise (as sun, star, moon)

thlien (tHeIn): turned back, sent away, forced away

tial (DAOH): reign

Tialnambe (DeOHnOmba): A great princess of the elder race of man

tien (DeIn): eagle

Timostine (DemozDen): 98 years (196, old)

tir (Der): moon

Tirtalien (DerDOHeIn): the female ruler of the Alvirel

tor (Dor): high, exalted

toraln (DorOHn): star

Toralne Deme (DorOHnadIma): The Three Stars (a constellation and medoral)

toril (DoreH): silver

torilvan (DoreHvOn): constellation

valon (vOHUn): along side, along with, joined with

vana (vUnE): horse

vaneda (vUnadU): to appear/arrive (somewhere)

vano (vOno): to ride (a riding animal), to sail (a boat)

vel (vIH): under, protected by, shrouded by

velire (vIHera): to disappear (from sight)

vera (verO): gratitude, thanks

vest (vIZD): cavern

Vestelerivel (vIZDIHIrivIH): Caverns of Life

vi (ve): not, no

vian (viOn): rolling plains

viredor (verIdor): ruler, king

virethon (verITUn): prince

vlang (vHUN): scream, yell

vonorel (vUnorIH): unicorn

Vonorel (vUnorIH): The Unicorn (a constellation and medoral)

wenthes (mInTIz): was presented to, was gifted to

weos (MaUz): present to, gift to, give to

were (MIrI): mountain

weta (MaDA): to leave, go, disappear (from somewhere)

wol (MUH): a flatly pronounced vowel