Three Planes of Power
The First conjured three distinct existences from the Void, called the Planes of Power. The highest of these is the Empyrean, a plane of perfection. Elven legends talk of the four spheres: the spheres of light, air, life, and dreams. These spheres exist in such an unadulterated form in the Empyrean that the cares of hunger, age, and discomfort are utterly unknown there.
The lowest of the Planes of Power is the Ynfernael. Whether the First intended the Ynfernael, or whether it was through the influence of some other malign power, is quite unknown. What is clear is that it is a dismal place populated by monstrous entities that crave to visit torture and degradation upon mortals. The Elves speak of several spheres that they associate with the Ynfernael, and these include (but may not be limited to) Darkness, Pain, Death, and Hunger.
Between them, the Aenlong was formed, the realm to which the plane of physical existence is connected. The Aenlong is a spiritual plane, however, believed to be the same as the fabled Grey Lands spoken of in the practices of the Dream Walkers. Over time, the Aenlong became full of the refuse of creation, half-tangible, unfinished things that belong in neither the Empyrean, nor the Ynfernael, nor the mortal realm.
The Verto Magica
The First then set into motion the Verto Magica, which is also known as “the Turning.” According to Elven sources, to create the Verto Magica, the First employed a sort of spiritual mechanism involving the rise and fall of the Empyrean and the Ynfernael planes. Without the Verto Magica, everything would be fixed in place, and time would stand still. Learned beings propose that for something to occur, the energy for such an occurrence must exist, and it is speculated that all such energy is due to the Turning.
The Elves
The First then undertook the creation of more familiar beings, and prominent among them were Lord Emorial and Lady Latariana, called Father and Mother to the Elves. If the Elven myths are true then light (in the form of an archetypal sun) and air (in the form of a primeval sky) were initially created separately, but then “light was drawn in to bask in the sky” (as the Legendum Magicara has it), and the two were married.
This tale may well relate to the creation of Emorial and Latariana and the relationship between them, for he was said to be the Lord Protector of Light and she the Lady Protectress of Air. Quite what light and air needed protection from is a mystery to scholars, but the granting of such offices nevertheless seems to have been a source of great pride. The Elves dwelt within the Empyrean, and had little to do with true physical existence in the mortal realm. Instead, their spirits were nourished wholly through their relation to the spheres.
It is not entirely clear whether Emorial and Latariana were themselves the progenitors of the Elven people, or merely the first of them to be created and gain particular recognition. If they were the literal Father and Mother of the Elves, they must have made a fecund pair, for soon enough the Elves numbered in legions. Certainly they were lovers, and wedded in the fashion of their folk.
Desire and Betrayal
The Turning turned and time passed, and Lady Latariana slowly began to covet more than her current existence. She longed for greater power than the Elves had in the Empyrean plane, and she told Emorial of her heart’s fervent desire, a Crown of Dreams and Life.
She cajoled her husband and made ceaseless requests for him to win her dominion over the primary spheres, or perhaps all the spheres, of the Empyrean. Emorial eventually agreed to her pleas, and to please his love he set off to grant her wish. He traveled to the farthest edge of creation and called for the First to relinquish control. The First did not so much as deign to respond, leaving Emorial humiliated and wrathful.
He returned to the Elves and marshaled them in mutiny against the First. He marched his host through the Gate of Years, Lady Latariana at his side. The Elves thought they would pass into the halls of the First, but instead found themselves on a bridge over a great river. Though they did not realize it, they were crossing the River Taare into the Aenlong. Through the Aenlong the elves would arrive at the mortal realm of Mennara, where they have been exiled ever since.
The Elves were sorely grieved to have lost their Empyrean abode, but as a result of her repentance and sacrifice, Latariana brought into existence the stars in the night sky, the first of which, according to Elven tradition, provides a tiny but open window into the Empyrean.
The Empyrean Arts
There are four known spheres of the Empyrean: light, air, dreams, and life. All four spheres are believed to have been utilized by the Yrthwrights in the creation of Mennara. In channeling the energies of the Empyrean, an Elven priest may draw from a single sphere to work their magic, or devise a more complicated ritual to pull from two or more spheres.
Of Light and Air
Before their Fall, the original pair of Elves embodied light and air, and through Latariana’s Door their descendants still have access to these spheres. Learning spells that affect light and air come very easily to the Elves, and even Elves who do not devote themselves completely to the Elven priesthood are able to create or extinguish small globes of light or conjure up a faint breeze.
Subtle differences exist between spells that manipulate existing light or air in the Firma Dracem and those that summon light or air from the Empyrean itself. Illuminating a darkened corner requires only that the Elf redirect light from one part of a room to another—a relatively minor fear. By contrast, casting a spell to conjure daylight in an otherwise pitch-black cavern would mean summoning light directly from the Empyrean, requiring much more strength of will and concentration.
Of Life and Dreams
The stuff of life and dreams were greatly coveted by the Elves in the time before their Fall. Latariana's desire for power over those two spheres of the Empyrean drove her husband to commit his great folly, ironically imprisoning their people in a world where light, air, life, and dreams could all take shape.
Although they do not have the same connection to life and dreams as they did their previous domains, Elves who join the priesthood of the Starlight Council are taught the mysteries of the remaining two spheres. With study and practice, their healers may tap into powerful life magic to perform feats of mending the likes of which is rarely seen outside the boughs of the Aymhelin. Flesh wounds knit closed effortlessly and painlessly, and broken bones come together once more as a solid whole. Illnesses of body and mind can be assuaged, and unsettled emotions may be calmed, all fear and anger taken away.
The dreamers spend most of their time in slumber, using their dreams as a portal to the Aenlong. There, they may walk between worlds and catch glimpses of that which was, is, and may be.
The Path to the Stars
Latariana opened a path by which her descendents could atone for her and Emorial's ancient crime. The very first priests and priestesses were those who devoted themselves to finding and ascending Latariana's Stair through meditation, self-reflection, and prayer. In the intervening millennia, however, the priesthood has become divided as to the role of the Elves in greater Mennara and whether involvement or seclusion is the answer.
References
- Realms of Terrinoth