#elves lore

[deletarius-draws]

Jhulqira's Role and Axi Creation

Axi Creation, Genetic Alteration and Training

The creation process begins in large, plantlike gestational pods resembling enormous flowers filled with alchemical elixirs and Feywild flora extracts. These pods nurture Aximand Axia embryos, infusing them with powerful arcane energy and genetic enhancements. Some Aximand Axia are selected as recruits at birth, usually from two Aelvaren Warrior parents, preferably veterans.

Mental Conditioning

Recruits undergo excruciating mental conditioning to purge fears, attachments and weaknesses. Jhulqira, the Drow bio-alchemist employs tortuous methods using alchemical potions, torturous instruments and psychological manipulation, turning them into living weapons capable of withstanding the horrors of war.

The Process

“Fascinating, how one’s spirit shivers and falters when the mind is suddenly compromised.” – Jhulqira Frier’athen

Deep within the labyrinthine confines of Jhulqira’s laboratory lies the Chamber of Scrutiny. This dark, foreboding room is where the most harrowing of his experiments take place. The walls are lined with arcane symbols and enchanted crystals that amplify the mental energies within.

At The center of the chamber stands an intricate apparatus designed to interface directly with the mind of the recruit. The apparatus consists of a series of enchanted needles and conduits that connect to the recruit’s head, allowing Jhulqira to delve into their deepest thoughts and memories.

Jhulqira begins by activating the apparatus, sending tendrils of arcane energy and electricity into the recruit’s mind. These tendrils crawl through the synapses, seeking any traces of vulnerability, anxiety, or even corruption. The recruit screams and convulses as their mind is exposed throughout the agonizingly painful procedure.

The mental agony can lead some recruits to insanity, leaving them as shriveled shells, frothing and babbling at the lips. These unfortunate souls are then cast into the wild planes of the Feywild, where they are likely to be processed, recycled and absorbed by the realm itself. To Jhulqira, he see this as a way to give back the feywild, though he only says this to alleviate the concerns of those of the Feywild.

Those with the mental fortitude to grit their teeth, endure and survive this harrowing process are not yet free. They find themselves tested again facing more trials that would challenge even the most hardened veteran soldiers. These trials are designed to push their mental, physical, and magical abilities to the absolute limit, ensuring that only the strongest and most resilient recruits become Axi warriors.

[eloquentsisyphianturmoil]

Elf names got more complicated as parents strove to create new ones instead of handling the political whiplash of reusing an old one. So if you meet an elf called ‘silver-river-water-voice’ they’re pretty young, but if some guy says ‘hi I’m Tree’ you best believe that bitch is ancient.

[kayderrart]

My version of Auri-El in a Falmer form.

He is God of the Sun, so I added some glowing freckles to his skin and sunlight to his crown.

Check my other links to stay in touch Bluesky | Insta

[fangsandfeels]

Playing Veilguard and making it everyone's problem

I am going to rant, and I will rant a lot, and there will be spoilers, so if you're not afraid of them and the game criticism, buckle up.

Elves and their gods

I am absolutely fucking livid about how Veilguard handles the Dalish and elves in general. The events of Trespasser made it clear that the elves started flocking over to Solas, including the elves working for the Inquisition:

After the events at the Winter Palace, elves left the Inquisition under mysterious circumstances, as did elven servants across Thedas. None could say where they went, but those who believed the Inquisitor's story about Fen'Harel wondered just how large the Dread Wolf's forces were... and what the ancient elven rebel had planned.

Solas had multiple spies working for him during Trespasser, and If I remember correctly, there was even a note, left by one of the elves - they were anticipating the great change and the return of the elven glory. Anyways, the established fact is that: elves learned that the stories about their gods were true and one of them now was going to restore the world as it used to be. At least, this is how they interpreted it (maybe, this is the version Solas didn't debunk) and so they started following him.

You might think, the Inquisitor and their allies are going to have a huge problem with breaking it to elves that their chosen leader isn't going to make things better and that their gods don't love them. Especially, if the Inquisitor is a human or anyone who isn't an elf. You'd imagine any attempts will end in failure because of course elves aren't going to listen to outsiders trying to explain their own culture and gods to them. You'd imagine that their trauma caused by centuries of oppression and discrimination will make it impossible for the Inquisitor and anyone else to make them see the truth.

You'd assume anyone who tries to find and stop Solas will be sabotaged every step of the way, feeling themselves horrible for having to clash with people desperate for a chance of a life without injustice - even if it means burning the rest of the world down.

You'd imagine that they will only change their mind if/when they see the harm done by Solas' actions and get to witness their gods true intentions by themselves - which would lead to a massive crisis of faith and schisms happening between elven tribes and groups.

You'd imagine will get all this incredible drama in the Veilguard, with elves initially resisting the group's attempts to stop Solas, then trying to pull themselves together after the revelation. You'd assume there will be zealous groups doubting Solas (because the Dreadwolf is a liar and a deceiver) and intending to use him to actually free the elven gods. You'd think this is how actually some of them get out.

But, NOPE. Not only Solas ends up working alone, with none of his followers throwing themselves at Rook and the party to buy him time, but also all elves now hate Solas because...Varric said so?

You meet a group of Veil Jumpers (elves devoted to exploring their ancient culture and history, learning more about their gods and reclaiming their heritage) and their leader instantly calls Solas an asshole. Based on WHAT?

I get it, Varric had met them before and told them that Solas was Fen'Harel...

(needless to say if you expect players to find and read other media in order to make sense of the events in the game, you are doing something wrong)

...but why were they so fucking calm about it, instantly eating up the "yep, he's bad" version? Even if the Dread Wolf is vilified in the Dalish mythology, wouldn't they be curious about what that means? Wouldn't they have gotten tempted or excited by the implication that other gods exist too? They weren't told the full story - why the fuck did they instantly accept the "Solas is an asshole" narrative? Especially when Solas comes with a promise of a world for the elves like it was meant to be?

WHY?

The Veilguard has no response for that. I guess, Dalish never cared about their history and traditions, and city elves were dandy about Alienages and oppression, so they easily believed some randos over a literal god promising a new, better world.

I don't even play Dalish, but I love their plotline and arcs - and I was bracing myself for some downright painful choices and conflicts during the next Dragon Age. But it felt like the writers couldn't be bothered with developing such a nuanced narrative, so they just waved it all down with "Nah, elves are chill now and they never really cared about their gods in the first place".

[sadtimo]

Nerdanel must have painted, too

Something I don't think I've ever seen discussed in the Silm fandom is that Nerdanel must have had skills in painting as well as sculpting. I mean, the History of Middle-Earth says people often mistook her sculptures as real people, and, well... I don't think I'd ever mistake an unpainted white marble statue for a real person, no matter how realistically it was carved. Realistically, they would have most likely been painted. Statues in real life were often painted in antiquity anyway, and the paint was worn off or forcibly removed over time.

And yet, I don't believe I've ever seen fanart or anything of Nerdanel painting her statues, and her works are typically in plain white marble. But I think it would be really cool to show how she has a masterful understanding of color as well as 3D space.

Something to think about! I'd love to see more fanart of Nerdanel with statues she painted. Maybe at some point I'll make some myself.

[dunmeshistash]

Do you know if it's been explained how elves like Flamela and the Queen have black skin? Like is it just a genetic thing amongst royalty or do they paint themselves or something??

yes

No paint just fantasy color skin, Flamela is painted a really dark grey in the adventurers bible

[igorlevchenko-blog]

A dunmer shows a (supposedly) filled grand soul gem to his fellow adventurers at a tavern in Maar Gan.

A 2014 overpaint of Rembrandt's Supper at Emmaus. A gimmicky painting to be sure, but my mind was in the right place with this one.

[sakasakiii]

started off as me redrawing some of my initial mairon designs and ended up going on an rpg tangent 😭 i really wish i could have done the portraits in a pixel art style to better fit the aesthetic but my canvas wasnt the right size!!! i ended up changing annatar completely (im still contemplating how much i prefer this one compared to his old one however...!) and adjusting post-numenor sauron a bit when compared to their old 2022 sketches! im probably gonna do more redraws in the months to come cause of all the stuff i wanna change when i look back to some of my old designs haha 😳

bonus: void delusions (nebula background designed by Freepik)

i like to think each 'form' sauron takes eventually has different mannerisms and likes/dislikes the longer he stays in them without shapeshifting into something else, but one thing they all have in common is being predisposed to nagging melkor 😎

[lunastrophe]

BG3 Drow Lore 🕷️Minthara's Age and Name Meaning

🕷️Year Of Birth - Minthara was born before 1297 DR. In one of her lines, she mentions that she remembers a scandalous event from the past – when Viconia DeVir, a noble female drow and a daughter of the fourth house of Menzoberranzan, disgraced her family:

Two hundred years ago, she disgraced her family - the DeVirs - by refusing to obey a divine order from Lolth. It was quite the scandal, and I was young enough that it left an impression on me.

House DeVir fell out of favour with Lolth because of Viconia's transgression and ultimately, in 1297 DR, they were attacked and destroyed by House Do'Urden. During this time, Minthara was likely in the first decade(s) of her life, since by drow standards, she was still young and impressionable.

It would mean that she was born at least several years earlier, likely between 1270 DR and 1290 DR.

🕷️Age In BG3 - during the events of Baldur's Gate 3, Minthara is over two hundred years old, but probably less than two hundred and thirty.

🕷️Name Meaning - Minthara's name means „minor / second rune” or something similar, being composed of female prefix Min- („lesser, minor, second”) and female suffix -thara („glyph, marker, rune”). The name was probably given to her by her mother shortly after birth, according to drow custom.

We do not know if the meaning of Minthara's name was important in any way to her mother. Sometimes drow names seem to be connected to the child's future profession, ambitions or fate, but in many cases, there is no such connection and a name is just a name. For example, the eldest daughter of Matron Mother Yvonnel Baenre was named Triel, which means simply „wing” or „bat”.

🔹If Minthara's name meaning is not accidental, it could imply that she is her mother's second daughter (but at the same time, the eldest living daughter).

Noble drow females typically value their eldest daughters the most, from early years grooming them to become their successors. Who knows - maybe in this case, the first daughter did not survive, ending up being assassinated by enemies, or simply failing to meet her mother's expectations. Then Minthara would be „the second try” kind of a child – her mother's second chance to raise a worthy successor, to strengthen her position in the family and in the society.

🔹It might explain why Minthara's mother considered her so special and important: I have been told that I am special since my mother first held me in her arms. The burden of expectation.

Normally, drow children are not considered overly special by their mothers. The usual exception is the eldest daughter, expected to take her mother's place in the society one day.

In the next post - thoughts about Minthy's childhood, family and the identity of her mother 🙂

For more of my drow lore ramblings, feel free to check my pinned post 🕷️

[m4rs-ex3]

i guess we never considered this but like sure. astrid has the star arcanum. i mean that makes sense. ok. that is sick

[christowitch]

One of my bosses likes to randomly throw out religious folklore..

Today I was buying a dragon stuffie for my niece and he decided to go into the Bible lore of dragons

I responded with the lore that the elves and fae were the first children of Eve who she had not washed and tried to hide them from God and he turned them invisible and they and their generations after took to the trees and hills cursed to be “ The Hidden Ones”.

He was shooketh. He changed the subject to beetles that shoot chemicals like fire.

I love lore.

[deletarius-draws]

The Founding Core of the Axi Military

~ Illaikus Aximand

Raised amidst the turmoil of the Astral Sea, Illaikus early years were marked by survival. His innate leadership and strategic inclination were recognized early on, earning him a position among elite defenders of the Aelvaren even before their transition to the Feywild. Illaikus possesses an unbreakable will and exceptional strategic acumen.

His prowess in martial combat is matched only by his tactical brilliance. He is the embodiment of stoic resilience, guiding his troops through the fiercest of battles with an unwavering calm.

Illaikus exudes a quiet strength that commands respect. His presence alone can inspire confidence and courage in those around him. He’s not one for grand speeches but uses precise, impactful words to lead.

His intense focus on duty sometimes blinds him to the emotional needs of his soldiers. He can be overly rigid, expecting others to match his exacting standards without considering their limits.

~ Priallia Axia

Priallia’s journey began similarly, but her approach to survival was through adaptability and empathy. She forged connections with Fey beings, learning their ways and using that knowledge to help her people navigate the new plane.

Priallia’s strength lies in her ability to adapt and her deep understanding of the Feywild’s magic. Her combat skills are formidable, but her true power is in her ability to inspire and rally the Aelvaren. Her magic is intricately tied to the Feywild, enhancing her abilities significantly.

Priallia is a charismatic leader, capable of forging strong bonds with those she leads. Her empathy and openness make her approachable, and she has a knack for lifting spirits and fostering unity.

Priallia’s empathy can sometimes be a weakness. She can struggle to make hard decisions if they involve significant sacrifice. Her desire to protect everyone can lead to overextending herself and her resources.

Together, Illaikus and Priallia balance each other perfectly. Illaikus’ steadfastness provides the backbone to their strategies, while Priallia’s empathy ensures that their troops remain motivated and supported. They often confer in private, Priallia tempering Illaikus’ rigid plans with her adaptable solutions, making their combined strategies both robust and flexible.

~ Jhulqira Frier’athen

The Drow alchemist who’s twisted methods of genetic augmentation and mental conditioning forge the Aximand Axia. Driven by a desire to redeem his family in Menzoberranzan, he creates living weapons to assert rightful dominance. Jhulqira, his Drow colleagues and kin are deeply influenced by Lolth, the Spider Queen. Lolth’s teachings emphasize the survival of the fittest, the ruthless elimination of the weak, and the pursuit of power through any means necessary. This influence manifests in Jhulqira’s sadistic methods, which he sees as a way to create the strongest possible warriors. The pain and suffering he inflicts are viewed as necessary steps to weed out the weak and ensure only the most formidable warriors remain. Jhulqira would faithfully apply these teachings and inflict them on the Axi warrior recruits, implementing them in their Axi psychological program training. Jhulqira derives a twisted pleasure from the agony he inflicts. He takes a perverse delight in crawling through the minds of recruits, scraping their synapses raw to uncover any signs of weaknesses, fears, or potential corruption. The agony he induces is not just a tool for purification but also a source of enjoyment for him, a testament to his alignment with the dark and brutal aspects of culture.

~ Supreme Captain Arkadius Aximand

Supreme Captain Arkadius Aximand – A highly respected grizzled, seasoned commander with a golden-bladed great sword, known for his tactical brilliance and combat prowess. Rides a majestic Elder Fey Dragon “Lyrianthra”, with iridescent scales that shimmer in shades of white, emerald and sapphire. Her eyes, a deep piercing gold exude strange wisdom and whimsy. Arkadius aided Lyrianthra during a mission where him and his small battalion of Aelvaren and Eladrin went missing. He was stranded deep in the more harrowing locations in the Feywild fighting invading Feydark minions of Hylromis while nursing Lyrianthra back to health. Lyrianthra and Arkadius form a deep bond, Lyrianthra’s joining the Arkadius upon his return would lead to the incorporation of other Fey Dragons into the Aelvaren Axi military.

Lyrianthra, calm and wise, brings a sense of tranquility and playful curiosity to every situation. Her demeanor is a perfect balance to Arkadius’ strategic intensity. Arkadius is also accompanied by a Sprite named “Trixanne”, a diminutive sprite, her aura and wings have a very dim appearance that helps with stealth and concealment. Her hair, a jet black though iridescent with a shimmer shade of burgundy. Her sclera a vivid white but have two abyssal spheres with white spiraling rings within the irises, a quite hypnotic, for some, unsettling gaze. Trixanne’s dead-pan comedic nature and eccentric behavior brings a unique charm to the group. She has an often dry and dark sense of humor, but can at times lighten even the most gravest situations.

Born into a lineage of esteemed Aelvaren warriors, Arkadius was educated from a young age for leadership. His early years were marked by harsh training and unbreakable commitment to the principles of honor and duty. Upon Arkadius’ return he would willingly volunteer to become one of the first Aximand Axia volunteers, an inception that began with veteran warriors. Arkadius, despite being one of the elder warriors prefers to lead on the battlefield rather than from a war table.

Friendship with Illaikus & Priallia

Illaikus and Priallia, the mighty duo leading the Aximand Axia military, recognize the value of Jhulqira’s work despite his questionable ethics. They understand that the end results – formidable and unyielding warriors are crucial for the defense of Rubellyn. Their friendship with Jhulqira is based on a mutual respect and shared goal creating the ultimate defenders. While they may not agree with his methods, they acknowledge their necessity in ensuring the strength and resilience of their warriors. Illaikus appreciates Jhulqira’s strategic mind and his contributions to the military’s strength. He sees Jhulqira as a necessary force, albeit one that must be carefully managed and watched.

Priallia, while more empathetic and concerned about the well-being of recruits, she understands the importance of Jhulqira’s work. She often acts as a mediator, ensuring that Jhulqira’s methods do not cross certain boundaries. Illaikus and Priallia keep a watchful eye on his more sadistic tendencies.

Illaikus and Priallia met Jhulqira on the material plane during their ventures in defending Lymenos and traversing the many lands of “Abeir-Toril". Seeing his alchemical and experimental skills as a necessity for a project in developing a new kind of soldier. Playing off his desire for creation and ascension, they would soon have him and those he worked closely with to begin the Axi project.

Perception Among the Feywild

The other inhabitants of the Feywild find Jhulqira’s methods unsettling. Fey beings, known for their whimsy and love for nature, are often disturbed by the brutality and ruthlessness of his technique. However, they cannot deny the effectiveness of his results. This dichotomy creates a complex and distant relationship between Jhulqira and other Fey beings. Many Fey beings respect Jhulqira for his but fear his methods. They maintain a cautions distance, wary of becoming his next experiment. Some pragmatic Fey beings accept Jhulqira’s presence, recognizing that his work ultimately strengthens Rubellyn. They tolerate his methods as a necessary evil.

Perception Among the Archfey

The Rubellyn Archfey council, as the ruling entities of the Rubellyn Feywild, have a more nuanced view of Jhulqira. They are powerful and wise, capable of seeing the bigger picture. While they may find his methods distasteful, they also understand the importance of having strong defenders. Other Archfey are divided in their opinion. Some view him as a necessary part of their defense strategy, while others fear that his methods could corrupt the delicate balance of the Feywild. Despite his unsettling nature, Jhulqira’s work is crucial for the Aximand Axia military. His methods produce results, creating warriors capable of the direst threats.

(Note - These are only three of the individuals that were involved in the creation of the Axi Military. I wanted to provide brief bios of the major players that formed the organization at its core. I may add more influential characters over time, especially recording those that came after.)

[tomcat-tapes]

Middle earth ponies; fellowship is magic

More doodles below💚

(The earth ponies are Thorin and Bilbo adjacent)

[lizzybeeee]

DATV explaining the 'Regret Prison'

A REGRET PRISON IS STUPID AND I'M TIRED OF PRETENDING THAT ITS NOT

TL;DR: a prison can serve as a metaphor but it shouldn't be entirely comprised of a metaphor.

From what I understood from what the game gave us: Solas has made a new prison to move the God's too - since bringing down the veil would free them from the Black City. This new prison is separate(?) from the fade or so far removed/contained that bringing down the veil would not compromise it...apparently. We interrupt his ritual, Solas gets sucked into the new prison he made, and the elven gods are free.

When Rook gets kicked into the fade they're physically there - which means it's a physical place in the fade, like how it was a mixture of physical/thought when we entered it in DAI. Which makes sense - the gods are real and living beings, they need to be in a place, there must be some aspect of physicality to it.

Alright, cool, it's a Black City 2.0 - I assume it's better defended to prevent people breaking in/out again?

NOPE.

We get there and it's a 'regret prison'?? It's tied to the regrets of those within it? Composed of regrets??? Solas had to wait for the right moment for Rook to be sufficiently 'full of regret' that they could switch places?

So is the prison tied to Solas's regrets? If so, how can Rook escape? The prison seems to work around the idea that it relies on the regrets of the person it's holding to work - which is how/why Rook was able to be trapped and later free themselves (along with whatever remains of the team apparently being able to do something on their end, not that we hear about it).

WHICH IS STUPID!

Are you telling me the prison intended to hold to megalomaniac elven gods was going to imprison them based on their own regrets? Is Solas assuming that Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain are as self-pitying as he is? They'd break out quicker than Rook did! He made a time out corner for the elven gods to sit in and gave them an out if they reflected on their emotions/regrets or decided that they don't regret what they did. Elgar'nan, a spirit of tyranny, is not going to 'regret' his actions - he is going to justify them by telling himself and others that he knows what's best.

We can come across some of Solas's regrets in the prison if you run around a bit and explore:

Remnant of Failure - talking about the orb from Inquisition.

Remnant of Parting - talking about Mythal

Remnant of Reflection - more vague, talking about the Titans I believe.

So maybe he altered it - maybe he intended the prison to be 'locked' with his own regrets because after a millennia of having a pity party he still can't bring himself to self-reflect and look to the future. But what if Solas died? Or if his guilt lessened - would it diminish the strength of the regret prison?

We already have pre-established lore (though DATV has shown they don't really give a crap tbh) that once the being that has claimed/altered an area of the fade is slain, it's influence diminishes both in and outside of the fade. So if the prison was tied to his regrets then it would require Solas to basically live forever to keep it stable - especially if he brought down the veil and removed the one barrier that kept the world and the fade apart.

Rook and Solas needed some assistance to exit - but it doesn't seem like it was much! Solas used his dagger and Rook just...got out through a fade tear? This is Solas's 'more secure' second prison? It has a worse track record than the Black City! If Rook - who is not an elven god - managed to escape the regret prison what is to stop anyone else from breaking in and out of the prison?

And what did Solas intend to do with the blight - the bulk of which is apparently in the black city?? If bringing down the Veil would free the gods in the black city doesn't that mean that the blight would also be released?! Did he have a plan? Why does he go fully ahead with bringing down the veil at the end if the black city is still there and filled with blight?!

I get it: the 'regret prison' is a metaphor for how Solas holds onto the past and how Rook can move past their regrets and grow. He's trapped by the past - it's a prison. Cool. But this prison is supposed to by a physical place to contain the gods - not just to solely contain Solas. The mission is literally called 'A Cage for Gods'.

The Black City is an actual place that's so far out of reach of anywhere else in the fade that no mage can ever reach it while in dreams - let alone physically, which was only done once and took tremendous effort/blood sacrifices. It made sense - it was cool to see floating in the sky in DAO!

Though it's not said specifically, it's strongly implied that Arlathan is the Black City. You can see in the concept art that floating elven city is exactly the same as the black city in DAO! It's this foreboding thing just lurking in the sky - a constant reminder of the sin that led to the horrors of the blights and darkspawn. A real place with lore and history that also serves as a metaphor for the hubris and destruction of those who call themselves gods and act as tyrants -> for both the evanuris and the magisters.

I WANT TO UNDERSTAND THIS BIOWARE!

WHAT IS THIS KINGDOM HEARTS NONSENSE???!!

[eloquentsisyphianturmoil]

Gandalf said ‘do not offer me that’, Galadriel said ‘I would be a queen, great and terrible,’ but Elrond said ‘get that the fuck away from me’ and this is nonsensical.

The other keepers of the elven rings were most challenged by the One, why not Elrond? Is his struggle merely hidden? Is it his Maia blood? Is it simply his mixed blood? Is that why Aragorn withstood, too?

Canonically the race of men are most easily corrupted, yet Elrond half-elven, who is almost 40% man, doesn’t notably bat an eyelash. Why?

[nataliabdraws]

imagine you're Maedhros, you're at least thousand years old, have survived (and took part in) several kinslayings, survived the Horrors™ and are trying to recruit a reclusive elven people to join your fight only to end up being violently humbled by said elven people's princess who happens the elven equivalent of a 13 year old at the time.

anyway i was thinking about the one time Narien meets Maedhros while he was still alive and how much of a menace she was about it (she absolutely had a crush on him but you'd have to pry that info from her cold dead hands). i did write a short story about their meeting but idk if it will ever see the light of day