The true richness of Sphaera lies in the diversity of its Ortus Rerum. That is, the many intelligent species whose cultures define the way our world lights up the universe. In this particular post I will describe the five elven houses, but only in limited detail. The stories that I will release to you in semi-monthly intervals will fill in the gaps.

The five elven houses are well represented by the five points of an upside down pentagram and the interior geometries within it. Each house sits comfortably within the space between the pentagram’s points. High elves are at the top left. Dark Elves to the top right. Wood elves are at the bottom left and sea elves are at the bottom right. Finally, the mysterious star elves are at the middle of the top of the pentagram. These sacred geometries, established ages ago, will need to be explained in time. A diagram will be provided in the near future.

The first elven house, the high elves of Zinzala, are ruled by King Lumen Luarien and his family. The term “High Elves” was coined by other midling races as a tip of the hat to the greatness of the first kingdom. The true, elven name for this house is complicated to pronounce and I do not wish this to be your first lesson in elven language. The high elves of Zinzala are respected all over Sphaera for their complex building architectures, intelligence, and ability to effectively wage war. One of the best known generals in all of Sphaera is General Calean, master of Altus’ sky troops. Every dragon rider and griffon trainer in the world respects General Calean for his ability to understand three dimensional warfare fought off the backs of flying creatures.

The high elves of Zinzala are peace loving at heart, choosing war as a last possible option.

The first elven house is the third oldest elven kingdom, younger only than the star elves of the fifth kingdom and the sea elves of the fourth kingdom.

High elves are some of the best weapons makers in the realm. While the dark elves of the second kingdom are better known for such things, the high elves have constructed some incredible weapons and other magical items. In general, the high elves are seen more and heard more across all of Sphaera, and because of that, their fame is great.

Once a year, the first elven kingdom invites representatives from all five kingdoms to come to Zinzala in order to discuss the Balance and other important issues affecting Sphaera. Elves are the caretakers of our world and the high elves take that responsibility very seriously.

You should know that the high elves of Zinzala are closely linked to Altus and King Asir. The elves worship a different god than the majority of Altus, but both gods represent many of the same beliefs, and so, the two kingdoms are close. The high elves, and many of the other elven kingdoms’ citizens worship the high elven god of light, Alluviel. King Asir and the people of Altus worship Vilagir.

On the top right of the pentagram sits the second great elven house. It is the kingdom of the dark elves. Onix is the kingdom’s name and it is ruled by the Aldruil family. Known as dark elves because of their skin color and demeanor, the house of Onix is truly rich indeed. Some of the midling races seem to think that dark elves are evil, but that is entirely untrue. Dark elves are sometimes cynical, oftentimes mysterious, and always loyal to those that have earned their trust. Dark elves love a bit of mischief, but not to the point in which an innocent is harmed. Take, for example, the tale of Nelak. Though Duorum Aldruil, the dark elven prince, was there, it was Nelak’s own fault for attempting to teleport into Altus uninvited.

The dark elves are master craftsmen, forging the most powerful and well known weapons in all of Sphaera. King Asir’s sword, Dhoradil, was made by a dark elven master. Some think that because of their close relationship to the ground and the fact that their kingdom is underground, it gives them intimate knowledge of all things that come from the ground. Whatever the reason, dark elves are the best craftsmen of enchanted items using vorril and any other rare metals and stones that come from Sphaera’s ground.

You may attempt to question me on this as most of the fantasy tales on your planet talk of dwarves handling such delicate crafting. It’s funny you should have such an opinion as dwarves and elves do not exist on your planet Earth. On Sphaera, dark elves and dwarves often work side by side, and, in fact, the royal castle within Onix was co-crafted by dwarves and dark elves working together.

While high elves represent the sky and the sun, dark elves represent the deep, dark earth, and the night. Both have an equal affinity for the Balance and share in its protection.

Now that I’ve spoken of the two best known elven houses, let me take some time to explain the other, more mysterious houses.

I’ll start with the third elven house, the wood elves. Here, on Sphaera, wood elves are fierce protectors of the forest and the Balance. Their kingdom, Avital, is a wondrous place hidden deep in the Castian Forest. Not many midlings have ever seen the kingdom of the wood elves as it is extremely difficult to find. Neither word of mouth nor maps help. The Castian Forest is enchanted. Some would even go as far as to say it is haunted. Whatever your belief, the truth is that the forest actively seeks to hide the wood elven kingdom from unwanted eyes.

You would not want to stumble upon it uninvited. The ruler of the kingdom, King Ren Romuil, does not enjoy intruders, and anyone that is not invited is seen as such. The wood elves are fierce fighters and enjoy their drink. Their music is haunting and beautiful. When last I stayed in King Ren’s fortress, I listened to a concert held in our honor. I would have drank their wine, but for the fact that I am sworn to never impair my vision. In essence, the wood elves are wild, intelligent, and imposing. They are a credit to the elven race and are respected by all other kingdoms.

As unique and interesting as the wood elves are, let me now baffle you with an explanation of the fourth elven kingdom. Imagine a kingdom of great wonder, hidden deep under the ocean. A place where men never tread. A kingdom of great color, diverse magic, and rare antiquities. It is also a place of great danger. A realm of never before seen creatures and plants. I am not referring to the mermen as they are a separate race altogether. I’m talking about the sea elves.

Mighty King Okekai rules over all six oceans on Sphaera. Each ocean is watched over by another family, but King Okekai and the Allinui family rules them all from the kingdom of Honuahona within the Malakian Ocean.

As difficult as it is to find the wood elves’ kingdom, multiply that number by one thousand to understand how difficult it is to find the underwater castle of King Okekai. I was there once, not long ago to meet with King Okekai, per King Asir’s request. Novus gave me a Breathing Brooch which allowed me to breathe underwater. She then cast an Adnecto spell upon it while it sat against my chest. The purpose of that spell was to permanently bind the brooch to myself. It cannot be taken or removed by anyone except myself, and only upon utterance of a special word which I will not reveal to you.

Unlike any of the land based elves, the sea elves have a connection to every living thing in all the waters of this world. Creatures of the ocean pay homage to King Okekai in one way or another. All sea creatures know him and his kin and none of them will ever harm the royal family. It is said that King Okekai controls the mighty sea dragon Nauphylaks when it suits him.

Even the fresh waters of Sphaera respect the rule of King Okekai, though within them there lives some evil creatures outside of his control.

Soon, I will reveal to you one of the grandest tales you have ever heard. It is the story of The Land Versus the Sea. That story, I will release in the store of this website within the coming months. You will need to be patient.

In brief, long ago a powerful king in a powerful kingdom of the land wanted to rule the oceans as well as the lands. He confronted King Okekai and challenged him for the right to rule the entire planet. That is all I will tell you for now. The rest, you must wait for.

Just know that the sea elves are one of the most ancient species on the planet. They are older than the high elves, but not as old as the star elves. King Okekai has great power, but never abuses it. His kingdom is hard to describe to one who has never been under the ocean. I’ve done my best in that regard.

Please allow me to move on to the last, and oldest, of the elves, the fifth elven kingdom. They are known as the star elves, or in their own tongue, the Eluandir. Within the pentagram, they sit in the middle of the top, above all others.

The star elves have lived on Sphaera longer than any other race. They are the knowledge keepers. If anyone on Sphaera has any questions regarding the Balance or any issue of planetary concern, it is the star elves who ultimately recommend which direction is the right one to take. Their kingdom is not like any other. It resides in the place between places. To get there, one does not travel on a map to a specific destination. To get there, one must know how to astral travel or be invited for one reason or another. Star elves can manifest physically, if needed, but they are truly creatures of light that live in dimensions not travelled by most.

The kingdom of the star elves is sometimes referred to as Saediralis. It is a place of light and non-violence. Literally, violence is simply incapable of occurring there. Saediralis is watched over, but not ruled, by the eldest of elder elves, Gradior Et Stellas. He is the wisest and most patient of all of us. 

I do not know the true number of star elves, nor do I know exactly what they do on a daily basis. What I do know is that they are our representatives.  They speak directly to the interdimensional beings that exist on the first dimension of our planetary triad. I will tell you more on that later.

Be well. I will speak with you soon.

Sapien the Wise