Page 45 - Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes Deluxe

and all these luminaries have ever been able to glean is
that it is a secret gathering of elves dedicated to Corellon
where a magical replaying of the elven myths of creation
is communally experienced.
The truth is that the Mysteries of Arvandor is a phe-
nomenon that elves recognize as a summons from their
creator, which they can choose to accept or disregard.
The event occurs on one plane or multiple planes within
the multiverse in a single moment, and there is no guar-
antee that it will ever occur again; the ability to hear
the call is a rare gift. Depending on Corellon's need, the
god might call a few dozen or several thousand elves to
gather, each elf returning to Corellon's body temporarily
for some task that only the god can comprehend.
Before this gathering begins, the elves who have been
selected start to have powerful dreams and waking
visions, urging them to travel to a certain location. At
this point, each of the summoned elves must choose
whether to follow the visions, because it is known that
not every elf returns from an encounter with Corellon.
It's true that to be absorbed into the god once more, and
returned to awareness before the Drawing of the Veil,
is the fulfillment of every elf's longing, but some elves
have grown attached to the mortal and mundane world,
and thus they turn away from their god's summons.
PR1EsT o F CoReuoN
Those who answer the call of Corellon are telepathically
prayer. Corellon wants them to enjoy life, to try new guided to their destination, often for hundreds of miles
things, to imagine what they desire and then pursue it, across unknown terrain, or even across planes.
and to be kind to others. In return for this freedom from Most elves who return to their homes from the Mys-
the usual requirements of religion, Corellon expects teries are forever transformed. These participants
them to address their own problems and not pray for generally remain silent about their experience, out of
aid in every crisis. These precepts are instilled within reverence and appreciation. Those who speak about the
every elf, since all elves are ultimately descended from Mysteries of Arvandor struggle for the right words, but
fragments of Corellon. When elves ask their priests how they all say in one way or another that experiencing the
one might become able to sense Corellon's presence, the Mysteries is a way for elves to join with Corellon, gifting
priests often say, "First, truly know yourself. Only then the god with their life force- and in return, they revert
can you feel our creator near." back to their free, formless nature for a time. After this
Services in Corellon's honor are typically conducted mystical communion, many elves have a deeper under-
in natural stone amphitheaters or bowl-shaped forest
clearings. In keeping with Corellon's chief command- THE BLESSED OF CORELLON
ment for everyone to be free, all who attend are allowed Ever changing, mirthful, and beautiful, the primal elves
to show their obeisance however they choose, as long could assume whatever sex they liked. When they bowed
as their way of contributing combines with the others to to Lolth's influence and chose to fix their physical forms,
form a grand display of reverence. Such a gathering has elves lost the ability to transform in this way. Yet occasion-
ally elves are born who are so androgynous that they are
the atmosphere of a festival rather than of an organized
worship service. proclaimed to be among the blessed of Corellon-living
symbols of the god's love and of the primal elves' original
Many elf wizards honor Corellon and adorn their
fluid state of being. Many of Corellon's chief priests bear
spellbooks and towers with the god's symbols. Some of this blessing.
them speculate that Corellon is the personification of The rarest of these blessed elves can change their sex
raw magic itself, the primal force that underlies the mul- whenever they finish a long rest-a miracle celebrated by
tiverse. Corellon is not magic tamed or shaped-not the elves of all sorts except drow. (The DM decides whether an
Weave, as some name it- but magic in its original form: elf can manifest this miracle.) Dark elves find this ability
a well of endless, splendid possibilities. to be terrifying and characterize it as a curse, for it could
The Mysteries of Arvandor. Only those long-lived destabilize their entire society. lfCorellon's blessing mani-
scholars who have researched the elves with the great- fests in a drow, that elf usually flees to the surface world to
seek shelter among those dedicated to Corellon.
est tenacity have heard of the Mysteries of Arvandor,

CHAPTER 2 I ELVES