Faerun's Heroes and The Lost Wave Echo Caves

Arya Elderberry

Elvenport city is an outpost of elven civilisation in the North provinces of Faerun. After ancient battles between the underdark and mythical creatures of the High Forest at the beginning of the Age of Humanity, the elven people habited at the sacred Grandfather Tree were advised to evacuate to the forest's east side by the Treant King Turlang. The ancestry bloodline of High Elves still rule in the court at Elvenport city, but almost every kind of elf resides there in present day. Though effectively co-habiting, different kinds tend to stay together in cornered communities on the edges of the city. One elven kind in this region known for doing so are the Wood Elves.

Wood Elves thrive in forest conditions and have a fascinating connection to nature. While all elves live in places of beauty and divine glory, Wood Elves are great believers of the natural kind, mother nature's own pre-existing and almighty beauty and power. It is not unknown for some quarrel to exist between high elves and wood elves, particularly the division of sun elves, but strength in numbers works wonders for the wood elf kind, for they are the most commonly existing type in today's world. Although, their trust for non-elven species is known to be limited what with deforestation at the stake for the apparent development of human kind or dwarf kind, who tend to work against nature rather than with it. The magical ability of the wood elf kind is of often naturistic power, allowing them to not need to plough land or destroy trees. Their morals resolve around ideations of peace and harmony, at one with each other and with nature.

Hasaif-trazae was a delightful settlement with a deeply propitious community. It had soaring high trees of immense proportions with a maze of pathways of vines linking a network of 'trazaethe.' These living tree homes were modest, intricate but blended into the sea of leaves above the forest floor. There were ladders and steps made from various materials such as stone and wood sown together, fabricating a royal design, using vines in plaits as sophisticated ropes. Sounds of dancing and singing could be heard into the onset of night as traditional rituals around gentle fire and feast occurred in celebration events. On the first night of the first month of the calendar over a hundred years ago, the villagers of Hasaif-trazae were coming together for the spiritual birthing of a new young elf of the Elderberry family. Her name was chosen in between song and dance as Arya. She was a female, born delicate and smaller than average. Little Arya was passed to be kissed by the Coronals [elders] of the village, a welcoming into the world as a child of nature, part of the wood elf family, and as an individual on Abeir-Torr*.

Growing up, Arya was one of few younglings. As Elven kind live to such long ages, their reproductive rates are amongst the lowest of all the species on Abeir-Torr, the world. Arya got taught faer [magic] by the Aerister Coronals [teacher] [elders] and engaged in the songs and rituals with great pleasure. One of the elders took much of a liking to little Arya, and would cook special meals just for her to take home to her parents. Her father, along with other males in the group, would visit the main city on a weekly basis, to be invited to be involved with the Elven-kind politics of the area, but mainly to gather some specialised equipment or supplies. Some families had members away for a few days at a time with jobs in the city, but most of the residents of Hasaif-trazae work at home carving or cooking or making things, and sell that as their livelihood. None of them owned much, though, but they were happy, and satisfied with needs as opposed to wants such as the High Elves who ruled Elvenport council. They attempted to keep out of high-elven business as much as possible as it would often affect their harmony. Although, unfortunately, the cost of doing so turned out to be very high.

It was a very still evening, none of the trees making even the smallest of movements. The daylight was dimming and dipping beyond the horizon. Arya's bed was a pretty and complex woven design created by her father, in his fond circular shapes. She giggled and requested to sing before sleep. Arya's O'Si [mother] smiled and gracefully brushed some of Arya's long and luscious auburn locks behind her small pointed ears.