Page 37 - Mordenkainen's Tome Of Foes

These primal elves were much akin to Corellon, not would be mortal, fixed in the forms they had adopted in
nearly as powerful but just as changeable and auda- defiance of Corellon's will. The elves who most revered
cious. Splendid fey creatures, they traveled in Corellon's Lolth became drow, and the others divided themselves
shadow, sparkling like the reflections from a finely cut into a multitude of surface-dwelling groups, each wor-
gem. When Corellon came to notice these glorious shiping some or all of the Seldarine in their respective
echoes, the god tarried with them in the place that enclaves.
became the realm of Arvandor. While enjoying the com- As a consequence of this rift, no elf would ever fully
pany of these primal elves, Corellon came to appreciate return to Corellon's embrace to enjoy life eternal in
their ideas, which were both novel and familiar, and Arvandor. Instead, when an elven soul returns to Arvan-
singled out those of great repute for special treatment. dor, it is adopted by the other gods of the S eldarine and
Corellon gave each of these luminaries a unique name- given respite from the world for a time, during which it
Aerdrie, Keptolo, Solonor, Naralis, Erevan, Hanali, Tar- is left alone to contemplate its creator's disappointment.
sellis, Rillifane, Zandilar, Labelas, and many more- and Then the soul emerges from Arvandor, to be reborn into
with each name uttered, a new elf god was born. a lissome, graceful body that lives for an incredibly long
One of these beings, although privileged to be elevated time- evidence that their creator holds a love for them
above the rest of the primal elves, was not satisfied with that, deep down, is boundless.
being one of Corellon's trusted underlings. She-for she
had declared herself thus- saw in the multiverse around THE ELVEN DIASPORA
them other beings making an impact in various worlds.
The entity who called herself Lolth spoke to the other The primal elves cavorted on various planes of existence
new gods and wove an enticing tale of how the elves before the rift between Corellon and Lolth. Outside the
could attain superiority if only they could relinquish a bit glory of Arvandor, their favorite place was the Feywild,
of their individual freedom. Together, united in purpose, also called Faerie-a realm of unbridled passion. It is to
the gods could be the vanguard of this effort. Wasn't that place of splendors that the elves fled after they were
losing freedom to achieve greatness worth the price? flung from Corellon's presence. It is in that place where
Through this argument, Lolth persuaded the primal en- they transformed from fey creatures into humanoids.
tities to take static forms, largely resembling what elves Afterward, they often wept as they realized what they
look like today, and thereby turn away from the example had lost, their sorrow made even deeper by the influence
of Corellon's wild, ever-shifting ways. of the Feywild. But it was also in the Feywild where
As these primal reflections of Corellon changed their they discovered the potential joys of being a person in a
nature and defined themselves, they came to see Corel- world of fixed forms.
Ion and Lolth in new lights. They now viewed Corellon Most of the elves eventually spread from the Feywild
as their father, the one who had sired them, and Lolth to other worlds, as wanderlust and curiosity drove
as their mother, the one who set them on the path to them to the far reaches of the multiverse. In those other
their destiny. Each of the other primal elves, as children worlds, the elves developed the forms of culture and so-
will do, favored one parent or the other. Corellon was ciety that are now associated with their people. In some
revolted by this perceived betrayal and railed against places, the name Corellon has passed from the memory
Lolth's intrusion. Some of the primal elves rose to her of the elves, but the god's blood flows within them still,
defense. They argued that no entity who sprang from even if they know nothing of its source.
Corellon, no matter how rebellious, should be attacked. No matter where they are in the multiverse, elves of all
Those who remained advocates of Corellon insisted that sorts feel a special connection to the realm of Faerie, for
their sire also wanted greatness for the elves and that it was their race's first home after they were cast adrift.
such greatness could be achieved if all the primal elves Even if they can't name that realm or don't know how to
followed Corellon's lead. return there, vestigial memories of the place sometimes
The primal elves gathered in great hosts around Lolth glimmer in their minds when they trance.
and Corellon as each entity pleaded its case. At a time One group of elves, the eladrin, never left that first
when Corellon became distracted and lost in thought, refuge. After being exposed to the pervasive magic of
Lolth crept up on him and sought to strike a mortal the Feywild for centuries, these elves have a supernat-
blow. The elves who favored Corellon helped to blunt ural quality not shared by their cousins on the Material
the attack, but those in Lolth's camp remained aloof and Plane. Some eladrin have been transformed so thor-
detached, doing nothing to prevent her onslaught. oughly that they have become fey creatures again and
This act rent the elves asunder. Lolth and Corellon have been permitted to return to Arvandor, where they
parted ways, Lolth to become a demon lord in the Abyss are a fascination and a delight to the Seldarine.
and Corellon to become the de facto leader of a pan-
theon that could no longer be trusted. The elf gods who LIVING IN REVERIE
sided with Corellon became the Seldarine, and those HISTORY, MY YOUNG FRIENDS? }UST BECAUSE YOUR
who fled along with Lolth became the Seldarine's dark
reflection. Save for those who had been named gods, lives are as fleetingly swift as a hummingbird's flight is no
Corellon cast out the primal elves from Arvandor and cause to say mine constitutes history. History is the weave
consigned them to a physical existence on the Material of things outside life, not for those still within its loom. Still
Plane and other worlds of the multi verse such as the
Feywild and the Shadowfell. From then on, all elves I shall tel/you of my lifetime and my clan's lifetime, as my
clansong has not been sung in over a centwy. In reverie,

CHAPTER 2 I ELVES