Andrew Barton said "IMG at least, elves can get copper and maybe other
metals by growing it on trees - this was published but I'm not sure whether
the source is still in
print." Sure enough, copper growing plants are on page 103 (but are noted
as "fabled", which is good enough for me).
Other good stuff:
According to the family tree:
By Shanasse she birthed plants, Elder Sister, and an entity known as the
Gardener. Shanasse is responsible for the pixies. The Gardener is somehow
responsible for Runners. Dryads are the offspring of Elder Sister and
Gardener, Elder Sister's full brother. Aldrya also birthed HKE by
Grandfather Mortal. Elder Sister birthed Elves by HKE, her half brother.
According to the text:
Aldrya bore fruit on the slopes of the Spike without a father. The fruit
became the great trees and covered the earth with plants. Then she married
Shanasse and together, they brought forth the souls and spirits of the
plants, causing Dryads and Runners. Shanasse created the pixies as a
present for Aldrya. Aldrya and Grandfather Mortal made the elves.
Personnaly, I like the text better. The family tree looks like the work of a God Learner. I think the existence of an entity called "Gardener" has been Gregged, since it is not mentioned anywhere in RQ3 materials that I've seen. Perhaps this is yet another regional name for HKE/Yelmalio. Or perhaps this is a Yellow elf figure. Interesting, in both stories, elves are the only entities that have and association with the man-rune. Also, sea and black elves are not particularly distinguished.
2. Elves got the new Power Death by a wager with the trickster. They put it on the edge of their sacred earth tool, the axe and slew lots of Dwarves, turning stone cold. ZZ stole the axe and slew Flamal with it. In grief, Ernalda made her children sleep until Falaml returned. So Aldrya slept through the darkness. (p 96)
I think this fits well with my idea of HKE or whoever going after ZZ to recover death and get revenge. Then at some point he decides to try to resurrect Flamal. I wonder if the first "axe" was not a spade. (Soldiers in WWI and WWII used their digging tools as hand to hand combat weapons. Yech.) How exactly is an axe sacred to elves?
3. Here comes a quote about what I think is the SeedQuest: "The liberation of Flamal is sometimes called the "Secret Quest" of the Lightbringers, or the Greater Bonus by some." (p96)
I dunno what to think about this. Maybe this is God Learner propoganda. They'd want the LBQ to be responsible for everything. Obviously the Malkioni, Dwarves, and Dara Happans disagree with Orlanth & co being responsible.
4. The Protectors were led by HKE, who was aided by Arroin and Yelmalio. He "hated" Oakfed (the Wildfire god), who burned the forest of Prax. HKE was at the IFWW battle in DP. (p96)
I think the elvish Yelmalio got his light powers by stealing them from
Oakfed. I think he or HKE gets the idea of resurrecting Flamal after trying
to replant Prax and failing, because seeds would not sprout. Note that,
since this is RQ2, it is completely Gregged as to the separate existence of
"Yelmalio".
5. Aldryami believe in reincarnation. (p96)
6. "Whithin Aldryami communities the cult is the vehicle for religious and social organization and provides the fabric for daily existence as well as mystical satisfaction." (p96) Forests are governed by a council composed of a tree that has half the votes, HKE, Elder Sister HP, Gardener HP, Chief Priests of associated cults, and and empty seat for the Chosen One, who appears by prophecy. (p96) "Elf families are generally close-knit and clannish, with clans joining together to form tribes which worship at a common Great Tree." 30% of elves join the army. The remainder do things like tending dryads, serving Gerdeners, gather food for specialists, make implements of daily living like storage gourds or clothing, carve wood, be singers or healers, and teach weaponry or other skills. (p103)
This does not exactly support what I said before. Honestly, it sounds more like a corporation if I read it literally. With a little room for human misunderstanding, I think it does not contradict what I said before. One thing I would change is that the cult assigns elves to their geographies. Thus, really good gardeners get rewarded with more garden. The council is noted as moving very slowly, so I suspect there would only be changes to assignments on death or other disasters. Moreover, if elves are clannish, the council will not want to create disputes by reassigning land from a living gardener. The 30% that is in the army would simply be assigned to the border woods. While some specialists are contemplated, the vast majority of the other 70% will be generalists that garden and take care of the other aldryami in their gardens.
7. Aldryami lords and priests can use both leather and copper. (p100) They carve wood. (p103)
I think elfsense is a RQ3 invention, so perhaps we can say this is Gregged. I agree that elves should not enjoy touching dead stuff. Copper may be almost alive to them, however.
So here's a "time"line for HKE/Yelmalio: ZZ kills Flamal. Aldrya and her kids sleep. HKE/Y sets out to slaughter ZZ. Along the way, he fights Oakfed in Prax and wounds him, stealing his light powers. HKE/Y tries to replant Prax, to no avail. He conceives of the SeedQuest. (Maybe) ZZ catches HKE/Y on Vanch, but I don't know exactly what the story would be. HKE/Y rallies the elves for the IFWW in DP. HKE/Y completes the SeedQuest, causing the resurrection of Flamal, who tears open the ground, loosing the sun from Hell (which ignorant humans naturally overlook). What happens to HKE/Y after the dawn? Maybe he is apotheosized (sp?). Maybe he lives out his time on the lozenge and returns to Aldrya. On ocassion, he is reseeded and becomes the "Chosen One" in CoP. I'd say that Yellow Elf hero that set up that big empire in Plamaltela (you can tell I don't pay attention to the southern continent) was a reseeded HKE/Y.
Sorry for the length.
Archivally yours,
Chris Lemens
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