Page 39 - Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes Deluxe

ADULTHOOD
The Drawing of the Veil marks an elf's passage into
adulthood, which typically occurs at the end of the first
century of life.
Losing access to one's primal memories can be a
traumatic experience. Elder elves look for signs of this
change in young elves and try to guide them through it.
Most elven cultures mark the Drawing of the Veil with a
ceremony of pride or celebration, as a way of offsetting
an individual's melancholy. For some young adults, this
might be a time to contemplate Labelas Enoreth, while
H ALF- ELF, H ALF SOUL?
in another community the Drawing of the Veil is occa-
From the elven perspective, the birth of a half-elf rep- sion for a celebration that invokes gods such as Alobal
resents a disruption of the natural order of reincarnation. Lorfiril and Zandilar.
Elves in different communities and across different worlds After the Drawing of the Veil, an elf enters the prime
have numerous ideas about the nature of the disruption,
of life, a span of centuries during which most elves
because the gods have never given an answer that seems
applicable to all. The soul of a half-elf might be an elf soul strive to engage with the world. An adult elf learns how
whose connection to the Seldarine has been weakened, or to control the memories that bubble up during trance,
it might be a true elf soul trapped in the body of a half-elf choosing to recall experiences from its waking life that
until death, or the soul that lies beneath one's elf-like vis- enhance its training or give it solace in bad times.
age might be human. This is the stage of elven life that others are most
Many elves, especially the younger ones, view the ex- familiar with because it's the age when elves move out-
istence of half-elves as a sign of hope rather than as a side their reclusive communities and interact with the
threat- an example of how elf souls can experience the
larger world. They strive to have a permanent effect on
world in new ways, not bound to a single physical form or
the world, to change things for the better (as they see it).
a particular philosophy.
Elves want to leave a mark on the world that future gen-
erations will remember.
that can be fulfilled only if they are raised together. Elf Over time, an adult elf can become accomplished
legends are filled with tales of misfortune and tragedy in many endeavors while pursuing its destiny. It isn't
that comes to pass when twins are separated and kept
unusual among elves to meet someone who is expert in
too long apart. One might be compelled to reunite with
disparate disciplines, such as a battle wizard who also
the other, at risk of life and limb; identical twins could is a settlement's best vintner and famous for creating
become entangled in a case of mistaken identity; or the delicate wood carvings. This versatility speaks to every
siblings might grow up as opposites, each determined to adult elf's eagerness for new experiences, because mem-
seek out and defeat the other. ories of adventures, escapades, and accomplishments
During a young elf's first few years, the memories will fuel the next and possibly longest phase of one's life.
evoked during trance are drawn not from current life ex-
periences, but from the fantastic past adventures of the ELDER ELVES
elf's immortal soul. Parents of young elves and priests
At some point during adulthood, the reverie of an elf's
of Erevan Ilesere encourage the youths to explore these
memories and talk about them with one another, but trance is first interrupted by a new form of unbidden
thought. This seemingly errant memory arises not from
they aren't to be discussed with adults until a memory of
the elf's personal experience, nor from the memories
waking life first intrudes upon a youngster's trance. This
of the elf's primal soul, but comes from another life
experience, called the First Reflection, marks the end of
and another time. An elf's first experience of this sort
childhood and the start of adolescence.
is often referred to as the Remembrance and attributed
ADOLESCENCE to the influence of Labelas Enoreth. Or it is called the
Revelation, and Araleth Letheranil is honored for its
Most elves experience their First Reflection in their sec- occurrence. Regardless of its label, this event marks the
ond or third decade. It marks the beginning of the pe- start of a new phase in an elf's life.
riod when an elf must focus on acquiring the knowledge
and skills needed for the elf's role as an adult.
DREAMS FROM BEYOND MEMORY
As a means to this end, elves in adolescence learn
Elves can sleep and dream just like any human, but almost
how to use trance to evoke memories of their waking
all surface elves avoid doing so. Dreams, as humans know
lives, giving them opportunities to reflect on the joys of
them, are strange and confusing to elves. Unlike the actual
the mortal world and to reinforce the principles of any memories of one's primal soul, present life, or past lives,
training or practice undertaken while awake. At the dreams are uncontrolled products of the subconscious,
same time, the memories of long ago that came so easily and perhaps the subconscious minds of those past lives
during childhood now arise less and less frequently. The or primal souls as well. An elf who dreams must always
Drawing of the Veil is the name that elves give to the wonder whose mind these thoughts first arose from, and
occasion when a young elf no longer experiences primal why. Priests of Sehanine Moon bow are an exception: they
memories during trance but instead recalls only the sleep and dream to receive signs from their god, and elves
events of its current mortal existence. consult such priests to interpret their own dreams.

CHAPTE R 2 J ELVES