The elf link for Elmal probably was part of what went to the Yelmalio cult, but the Godtime Aldryami of and around the Spike have three ancestral deities (spirits, whatever): Aldrya (earth, green and yellow elves), Halamalao (sun, white elves) and Eron (water, possibly the blue elves). Humans made the connection between Eron and Arroin, and Yelmalio and Halamalao, and indeed the cults (or subcults) involved are generally friendly to each other.
> So lets say Arroin and Elmal meet up somehow during the LBQ. Or it
> might not be during LBQ since Time wouldn't exist at that point(??).
It is a definite possibility that both lingered in or around Dragon Pass during the Greater Darkness. At some point, Elmal was bound to Kero Fin, but that may have been after your events.
Basically, Elmal guarded the "stead" (aka Dragon Pass) throughout the Vingkotling Age. Orlanth spent much "time" away - in exile, being king, raiding or avenging, at the Hill of Gold, whatever.
> My whole idea is stretching things since the group probably isn't
> fully ready for a HQ but "dramatic" is why I'm playing in the first
> place. Their going to have to rely on those enigmatic aldryami to
> guide them part of the way.
Who is going to be the quester? An elf hero? Borrowing the story from the Heortlings in the party?
I find that quest a very un-group-friendly effort. One hero stands and faces them all. Not that far away from a "mystic" sitting on a mountain top, with a quarterstaff across his lap should anybody disturb his circles... (i.e. too active for true mysticism, but the suffering certainly points to this direction)
One problem I see is that all the damage that is reknit is taken as part of the quest. But that's why you need the elves, I suppose...
Another thing troubling me is the absence of any healer (magical or not) in the quest. That's sort of the point of the quest.
But then there are other quests for Elmal we haven't heard about yet, like Elmal shields the raid (Vingkotlings vs Dara Happans). While he didn't resurrect Lastralgor, we have Jorganos the Archer disappearing after his land was cursed. The way I read the hints in DP:LoT, he may have disappeared somewhere in southern Peloria, near Rist.
Jorganos used the bow (which returned to his descendants). He once shot an arrow into the ground which grew into a bush. I wonder whether this marks him as an elf-friend. The idea of resurrection as a tree has potential (or in his case, possibly as a live bow - do aldryami regard their bows as weapons or as fellow aldryami? Though the same could be asked about Humakti and their blades...).
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