Frank P. Stephens.
The Pitch
Autumn’s Return
This focuses on elves, namely one elf in Lomathien Autumnborn. She’s an elf in the House of Autumn. A large part of her family lands have been abandoned and she wishes to reclaim them, restore to them how they were in her childhood. She’s a daughter and heir apparent to the rulership of her house. This is how she plans to show that she is worth the title, her lineage.
In her eyes, these are not just her ancestral lands. They are an important flank to be held against all comers. These lands offer access to trading routes, land and sea based. As well as that they’re fertile lands. A great forest occupies the plains at the end of a mountain range. Wineries and vineyards were once the talk of all elves.
The Elves -
I’d like to offer the following to help you understand the setting and characters. As this focuses on elves, I’ll start there.
Summer elves are the most industrious of the elves. They have a heat to all of their actions. Blacksmiths and those who work under the sun on a whole. They’re hard workers and occasionally short of temper. While not as taken in the passions of Spring, they are wanderers and wonderers. Thinkers, philosophers they bring the news of the other realms, places, to the elves who stay among their own. In everything they do, they give it heat, drive, to see the best for their world and their kind.
Spring elves are bright in spirit and in colour. They’re singers and song writers, musicians, poets and dancers. They’re builders and artists of the highest order, they’re the ones who tend crops and make wine, brew the beer. When a home is finished, it’s the work of Spring elves who have made the furniture and woven the cloth. The very bright heart of the elven nation and what most humans expect when they met an elf. Often and frustratingly flippant, they can move from place to place, project to project at the drop of a hat.
Autumn elves are the most practical of the elves. Autumn is a time when things must be done and done quickly. They’re the elves who are the merchants and planners, the ones who are out there doing what they feel needs to be done. This leads to perhaps their greatest weakness, an isolation, often not bothering with the formalities of their kin. The same can be said for some of their merchants, overpromising and then struggling to deliver.
Winter elves are the opposite, while they can seem to be dull, they are the cold edge of the elven nation. Soldiers beyond all others, they protect the elven cities and towns with a focus unlike any other. They rarely look beyond their own borders and prefer their own kind to any others. Many travellers have received a deeply cold shoulder, if not pushed away like a cold winter wind.
All elves tend towards the colours of their house. Winter elves tend towards paler colours, blue or brown eyes. Blonde hair often in the spectrum of platinum is quite common. Midnight black is rare, but not unheard of. They also have pale skin, near alabaster is another common sign of their house.
Autumn elves are quite dark hued next to the Winter kin. They have the colour that comes from spending many hours under the sun, both working and relaxing. Hair range in colour from dirty and dark blondes, deep browns and well into the reds. Eye colour is often hazel, through straight green or brown are not uncommon.
Summer elves are bright and this shows in their eyes and hair. Bright green, blue eyes are common, as is vibrant blonde hair. Black and brown hair is not uncommon, but it’s a rare feature for elves of this house. Like Autumn, they have a colour from working under the sun. Not quite as dark as Autumn elves, it’s more than enough to set them apart from Winter elves.
Spring elves occupy a place between their Summer and Winter kin. Borrowing equally from both houses, bright green eyes to dark black hair with very pale skin. Others are bright blue eyed with blonde hair, yet closer in skin tone to Summer. Spring is a house that can blend into almost any of the other houses.
Names -
An elf will go by many names in their life. They will first be known by their family name, generally as the son or daughter of their parents. Some can be known by a famous grandparent or ancestor. As they reach adulthood, they can choose a name to suit their path through life. Some choose last names to show their marriage, bonds of choice. It’s truly on each and every elf to choose their own name.
Philosophy -
Elven thinking can loosely be described with a simple statement. If there’s time to be taken in doing something, time should be given. However there’s more to it than simply taking time to do things. Harvests are only taken when the moment arrives that everything is ready. Forging swords and armour is a complex process that is mastered by few, for the timing required to temper and shape a sword or harness takes so long to master. Apprenticeships can take up to a century to complete, thirty, forty years considered a short period of time. A sign of mastery among elven master craftsmen is a simple focus on the job. That it is so well known that it comes as easily as breathing. There’s only one proviso to this, that when it is time to do something, it’s done. Sometimes with fanfare, others with a simple quiet practicality.
Magic -
Magic is perhaps the greatest and rarest gift the elves have. What seems to be magic often is simple practise on the part of the elf who performs it. Some of the masters have centuries of experience and lessons behind them, this doesn’t compare to those who can see the Weave of the world. This Weave is unique to each elf who can see it. For some it’s like the wind or water, flowing around them, others see it as a realm of spirits and entities .
There are two things that can be agreed on by those who are fortunate to see the Weave is that the more unnatural the effect, the harder it is to produce. To bind something in pure metal is difficult, but earth is not. Heat can be produced with great difficulty, but fire is much easier. Even simpler with fuel in the Weaving of the element. The other is that more you understand something, the better you can communicate it to the Weave. Though it’s a personal relationship, the Weave draws from you as much as you draw from it.
In practise, almost no effect is beyond a talented or powerful practitioner. Illusions are simple tricks next to the walls of forts which only those permitted to pass through. Items can be enhanced, some of these call to the seasons. Summer brings heat, Winter brings the cold. Others call to talents, like dancing or singing. Armour enhanced with dancing is light and flexible, singing weapons have a rhythm which is that much harder to break. Calls to creatures, mythical or real, will channel some of those features into an item. Even the memories of someone can change the nature of item, notable masters can give power to an item. These can be looms, hammers, anvils, weapons or armour.
Character Names and pronunciation
Anilas -
An-e-las
Calamaethor -
cala-May-thor
Faradion -
Fah-rah-de-on
Isondir -
e-Son-dir
Lomathien -
lo-Ma-th-en
Nerith -
Ney-rith
Remethiel -
Rem-eth-heel
Varanien -
Va-ran-e-en