Elves are typified as having the same approximate stature as humans, but having a tendency to be slimmer and more fine boned. Their ears and eyes are slightly larger in proportion to their faces than is typical for a human. The ear cartilage is upswept and pointed, this trait being most noticeable in Wood-elves. The eyes of elves have a luminous phosphorescent quality that is noticeable even in daylight. This ‘glowing’ quality enables elves to have exceptional vision at night, being able to resolve reasonable details in approximately half the light necessary for human viewing. Elven vision is tuned to longer ranges (being able to resolve at 40 feet what a human does at 20). This trait is at the sacrifice of close-up vision. As a consequence, Elven script tends to be quite large and their books rather thick. They often employ vision aides when it is necessary to read smaller print in any volume.
The other characteristic of elves is their lifespan, which is typically over five hundred cycles. The gray elves are the most long-lived of elves, their lifespans extending well beyond two millennia. In fact, it is unknown exactly how long they do live because few that become great elders ever die of natural causes.
See Also: magic
elven — Of or being related to Elves. see Elf.
elves — Plural of Elf. see Elf.
elvish — The language of Elves. Elves have several distinct dialects, most notable among these being the high tongue spoken by the gray elf nobility. The most widely spoken dialect is called Dikreen or Dikreeni which simply means ‘dialogue’ or ‘speech’. The various tribes of wood, sea, and mountain elves speak variants of Dikreeni.
energy — (generic) of or pertaining to any spectral force which can perform work (change states in matter).
eternals — The seventh generation Eternals were evolved for the purpose of fighting of invasions of ‘foreign bodies’ and the cancerous infestation of germane life (temporal ‘trouble makers’). Each entity was imbued with complete mastery over a certain element, energy or power, and lesser control over other forms.
Since the matrix provided more raw power than even than Eternals could control, the eternals were given the ability to surrogate their powers to other creatures. This surrogation is commonly referred to as avatarism. This same technique is practiced by the deities of the outer planes, and in some instances by grand magi. The surrogates of the eternals were dubbed the ‘Shael Dal’. The number of surrogates each Eternal can have is unknown. The time guardians, who also possess this power, and have been known to have as many of sixty-one functioning surrogates at one time. See Eternity. See also time guardians.
Roster
Name: Koass Vinax
Title: Prime Commander
Shaladen: Sharonsheen
Power: Reality
Name: Foross Kerall
Title: Strategic Commander
Shaladen: Stellaraac
Power: Shape Shifting
Name: Nethra Argos
Title: Tactical Commander
Shaladen: Nova
Power: Space
Name: Garn Ellon
Title: Tactical Leader
Shaladen: Warstar
Power: Time
Name: Sroth Mephista
Title: Covert Ops Leader
Shaladen: Korvel
Power: Life Energy
Name: Areth Jalt
Title: Intelligence Ops
Shaladen: Starsong
Power: Sound
Name: Aurra Levon
Title: Psych Tactics
Shaladen: Starwind
Power: Mind/Control
Name: Yi Esperantil
Title: Chronal specialist
Shaladen: Krelstar
Power: Time
Name: Zarthel Benwarr
Title: Magic/Tech spc
Shaladen: Pulsar
Power: Mind/Forces
Name: Jarella Kepsforia
Title: Security specialist
Shaladen: Cataract
Power: Dimensions
Name: *Culavera Sajaer
Title: Tactical specialist
Shaladen: Jemfire
Power: Reality/energy
Name: **Leto
Title: Satieroth Tactical specialist
Shaladen: Cybersong
Power: Fire/energy
*Culavera is one of the oldest living beings in the universe, and the only creature surviving of the third generation of the Protectorate. Her powers are in actuality greater than those possessed by the prime commanders. Unfortunately, she cannot exert herself at those levels for very long.
**Leto is a product of the fifth generation of the protectorate, and, like Culavera, much older than the rest of their peers. Leto suffers from energy ‘seizures’ as a result of not being sufficiently synchronized with the eternal’s power matrix.
Roster of Shael Dal (surrogates)
Name: Koass Vinax
Title: Prime Commander
Shaladen: Sharonsheen
Surrogate(s): Megan Vinax
Name: Foross Kerall
Title: Strategic Commander
Shaladen: Stellaraac, Snowfire*
Surrogate(s): Aarlen Frielos, Beia Targallae, Corim Vale
Name: Nethra Argos
Title: Tactical Commander
Shaladen: Nova
Surrogate(s): Talorin Falor
Name: Garn Ellon
Title: Tactical Leader
Shaladen: Warstar
Surrogate(s): Algernon D’Tarin
Name: Sroth Mephista
Title: CovertOps Leader
Shaladen: Korvel, Swiftwind*, Blightscythe*, Flameripper*
Surrogate(s): T’Gor D’Shar, Tigress D’Shar, Vulcindra Skybane, Suda Nightrhmer
Name: Areth Jalt
Title: Intelligence Ops
Shaladen: Starsong
Surrogate(s): Arabella
Name: Aurra Levon
Title: Psych Tactics
Shaladen: Starwind
Surrogate(s): Elsbeth Crowninshield
Name: Yi Esperantil
Title: Chronal specialist
Shaladen: Krelstar
Surrogate(s): Adwena Swiftwing
Name: Zarthel Benwarr
Title: Magic/Tech spc
Shaladen: Pulsar, Darkbane*, Golnir*
Surrogate(s): Zedar Cloudseeker, Aleesha Cloudseeker, Bertram Terrantil
Name: Jarella Kepsforia
Title: Security spc
Shaladen: Cataract
Surrogate(s): Gwenafra Tristar
Name: Culavera Sajaer
Title: Tactical spc
Shaladen: Jemfire
Surrogate(s): Terra Karlin-Falor
Name: Leto Satieroth
Title: Tactical spc
Shaladen: Cybersong
Surrogate(s): Damrosil Terranath
*Shaladen names so marked are “honorary” imbued weapons.
See Also: D’Tarin, Algernon, Falor, Talorin {Tal}, sharonsheen, shaladen, Targalle, Beia {Regaura} (Queen)
Eternity — The name ‘Eternity’ is only a concept. However, it is popularly addressed as a living, breathing creature, and is often worshipped as a god. Eternity itself is actually a composite consciousness. It is the pooled psychic resonances of all living things. It is suspected that, after the first expansion, outside influences planted the seeds that would eventually develop into the super-consciousness that is Eternity.
One speculation points to a “Father” and “Mother” force (Alpha and Gaea) as being the originators of these seeds. These two beings are cited throughout the records made during the early development of the Protectorate, but their actual presence is never recorded. These two creatures are also cited as the progenitors of the First Ones, the race from which the original stock, and many later generations of universal protectors originated.
During the earliest stages of evolution, Eternity was little more than an infinitely large amoeba with a few basic responses. The thoughts of the myriad forms of life that were evolving began to etch neu
ral paths on this receptive blank slate. At some point, the populations of life grew large enough that the resonances activated the ‘seeds’. These twelve gigantic gems began to pick up and enhance the neural responses, and themselves take on the sophistications necessary for stimulus and response.
As Eternity evolved, lifeforces were drawn into the matrix of gems. A residual imprint of these first primitive creatures created the first evolutionary steps in Eternity’s progress toward awareness.
A billion cycles ago, both Eternity and life had diversified to a point where major changes could be undergone. During these changes, creatures began to be physically drawn into the matrix. From that point, these creatures became Eternity. The composite awareness saw all of time and space as a body. The body lacked defense mechanisms, and this fusion of living and unliving essences could sense wounds that threatened the health of ‘the body’.
Forces brought the ‘seeds’ to a central ‘womb’ to focus the consciousness. With this centralization, further powers became realized, and development increased in speed. Hosts were cultivated from the vastness of evolving creatures; these would be the anti-bodies that would attack and destroy infestations, and heal wounds.
The matrix continued to assimilate living creatures; its power multiplying as it grew.
Initially, twenty-four hosts came into being; two were linked to each seed. These hosts were incubated, forged, and evolved to fulfill special roles in the universal defense. These were the first Guardians.
These first creatures were far less refined than the Eternals and Guardians that evolved later. They did have a purpose and a design. They built defenses around the womb, and created the pocket dimension Siderous Chronous.
These first defenders oversaw the choosing of their predecessors. They learned ways to make them stronger and more durable, having longer life-spans and broader capabilities.
The second-generation Guardians were more in tune with the matrix, capable of tapping into its now-immense powers themselves, physically and mentally superior to their parent races. Their life-spans were greatly extended, some ten times that of their parent races. These were the generation of savants that would eventually shape the ‘seed-womb’ into Eternity’s Heart. The ‘seeds’ were faceted, and refined, to amplify their consciousness-projecting powers. They amassed the knowledge and powers to build defenders far more advanced than themselves. At this time, the defenders were broken into two groups: The savants and the warriors. The savants were to evolve mentally, with consciousness that extended through time and space. The warriors would tap directly into the cosmic forces now funneling through the matrix.
The Protectorates third generation was fraught with disappointments. Many forms of life did not survive the rigorous incubation processes, or the radical alterations in their physical and mental structures. The projects of this generation were shelved as too ambitious after 47 of 48 subjects died through body failure or instability. The sole survivor (Culavera) was stasised as a borderline case, and took part later in the scaled-down mutations.
By the time the scaled-down projects were underway, the second generation Guardians were nearing the end of their lives. The survivor of generation three, and two other volunteers, underwent the fourth generation treatments. All three came through alive, but mentally shattered. Only Culavera, who was the result of the far more ambitious 3rd generation group, was salvageable for further treatment. Culavera was put into stasis pending further review.
Three of the second-generation guardians had died by the time the fifth generation process went into affect. One volunteer (Leto) went through the process and survived physically and mentally intact, but undershot expectations for the desired matrix synthesis. The subject was put in stasis for review by his predecessors.
All but three of the second-generation guardians were dead when the sixth evolution forging was undertaken. Five subjects underwent the rigorous process, and all survived. Only one second-generation guardian survived to see the seventh evolution, which birthed five time Guardians and ten Eternals. He died before the final annealing of the subjects was completed.
The seventh generation Eternals and Guardians was a near perfect synthesis of power, longevity, and durability. Possessing hardened mindsets, expanded mental power and flexibility, they evolved into the Eternals and Guardians known today, about 10 million cycles ago.
See Also: eternals
ether — The somewhat dated notion of a fundamental fabric that binds matter together—in other words the vacuum where things AREN’T. (The author notes that its a dated concept in light of quantum theory. However, since most of the readers don’t have a doctorate in physics—we’ll stick with easier concepts.)
ethereal — Typically it means to be insubstantial. It however can be used to indicate ‘out-of-phase’ state. The Ethereal plane is an alternate interpretation of real space much like the astral. See astral plane.
etherlock — An etherlock is caused when a time-driver, mage, or device causes the probability fields in a specific area to become static. Essentially all matter in the target area is forced to assume the same inertia, temporal phase, and energy potential as designated by the ‘lock’. This has the effect of rooting an area in time and space absolute to either a specific set of coordinates or a given vector. The etherlock prevents any kind of matter or time transference within its confines. The process takes a tremendous amount of power, and is the most demanding discipline practiced by a time-diver.
See Also: energy, magic, temporal
— F —
Fabrista — The race of Kriar occupying the ‘Fabrista’ Homeworld.
See Also: kriar
Falor, Talorin {Tal} — Talorin Falor is one of the more storied figures in the Ring Realms, a warrior with a truly mythical ability to find himself in the ‘hotspots’ of legends in the making. Tal’s history is a complex knot of twists and turns that involves many enterprises and tragedies. After a few seasons spent treasure hunting, Tal retired while still young to invest his gold and become a businessman. He ended up in the unlikely role as the proprietor of a brothel, an enterprise he shared with his adventuring partner Kaas Windsbane. The two men, while running a house of ill repute, were known as the ‘softest touches in town’. They never bound their girls to contracts, nor did they ask more than a token percentage of any fees collected. In fact, the two men even helped their ‘girls’ get ‘legitimate’ work should the seamy life no longer appeal. Perhaps it was this low-pressure approach that made their business so successful. The endeavor was not to last, Tal grew bored and started looking for adventure again. He took up with king Tradeholm’s eastern front regulars as an experienced captain. It was during this tour of duty that he met and fell in love with an Elven woman named Deirde Silkere. Tal continued his borderland tour and kept house with Deirde for several seasons. What might have been an idyllic life for the warrior turned tragic when raiding parties from the east realm overran several villages and cities along the border. Tal and the troops under his command were quick to respond, and over a period of days drove back the enemy. It was during this conflict that Tal showed mercy to one of the enemy commanders. An act of altruism which would see an entire village of elves sacked as revenge, and result in the loss of his wife of only a few seasons. This experience would harden the man for the many adventures to come.
After this harsh lesson, Tal’s tactics and demeanor took on a darker tone, the bitterness over his loss one not quickly forgotten or left behind. He went back to active adventuring and campaigning now in a more serious vein. It was shortly after that he met up with members of the Band of the Crescent Moon, and learned more of the Death Spectacles run by Meridian Arcturan. He met Beia Targallae and T’Gor D’Shar and began assisting them in shutting down the arenas. It was during this time that Tal began adding to his fighting skills, learning to combat the arena pit fighters on their own ground. He began studying and mastering the harsh art of the Dan Sadad.
During the cycles that followe
d Tal would be involved in the recovery of the amulet of Tarkimaar, he would fight all manner of creatures from adamantium golems to skellar. He would take part in the revival of the Eternals slain by Garfang, and help organize many of the quests to recover the Shaladen swords. He himself would recover the shaladen blade Warstar. He would foray repeatedly in the cities of Dream Merchants and even fight the rogue elements belonging the deposed Kriar leader Daergon Surr.
Tal’s hard heart would soften and there would be romantic interludes with Desiray Illkaren (then single) and Dominique Ariok. However, it was a fellow Shael Dal, Terra Karlin whom he often adventured with that eventually captured his eye and heart. After a courtship of several seasons, they would become the second married couple in the Shael Dal (T’Gor and Tigress being the first).
Tal’s adventures would continue. He became a key figure in the Shael Dal, the indomitable spirit to succeed against all odds. He would prove instrumental in several missions including a special cooperative mission with the Fabrista Kriar to Karanganoi homeworld, where they would learn of the Baronians and their mysterious ‘masters’.
Tal remains active in the Shael Dal and few would dispute his being their spiritual core. He and his wife Terra continue their efforts to remove all traces of the Arcturan death spectacles. Tal created several schools for adventurers, that serve as sources of income as well as recruiters for the various causes that he takes part in.
See Also: eternals, Felspar, Desiray Illkaren, kriar, shaladen
Falor, Terra Karlin — Active member of the Shael Dal wielding the Shaladen blade Jemfire.
See Also: shaladen
Felspar, Annawen Kel’Ishtauri — Annawen is the silent sister to Cassin. The two sisters are as different from one another as they are alike. Where Cassin represents restraint, logic, and intellect, Annawen represents hedonism, creativity, and passion. Annawen is extremely promiscuous, outgoing, and spontaneous. While Cassin plans things down to the last detail, Annawen simply makes it up as she goes. Each sister represents the pure forms of the extremes that might occur in a normal personality. This is why Annawen is so good at magic. It is a skill that requires confidence, the slightest shred of doubt can ruin or cripple a spell. Annawen literally has no worries, and no fear or compunction about the consequence of her actions. By that token, she has nothing holding her back. This is, of course, why she has problems with control.
Reality's Plaything 5: The Infinity Annihilator Page 80
