Talk:Elves (Elfquest)

Alternative High Ones scenario

In the ways I have described here Hidden Years Years - 6_page=1#_1 6 – Years - 7_page=1#_1 7 contradicts the original series in several important ways. In addition I don't think there was any alliance between elves and wolves before Timmorn Yellow-Eyes. Neither do I think a High One who has just lost his arm could have survived on his own.

To replace the contradicting comics I have made up an alternative scenario. To my knowledge it does not contradict any of the comics made by Wendy and Richard Pini themselves. In this scenario Adya, Aerth, Deir, Gibra, Guin, Haken, Ima, Kalil, Kaslen and Sefra exist. Their looks roughly match how they are portrayed in Hidden Years. They also posses the magic powers they use in the comics. Other details used are:

¤ Adya being the first to be killed by humans.
¤ Ima and Guin being killed by humans.
¤ Sefra playing a crucial role when Timmain become their leader.
¤ A magical duel between Haken and Timmain which Haken loses (including his right arm).
¤ The surviving High Ones taking shelter in a cave during their first winter.
¤ Timmain giving birth to the first elfin child born on the World of Two Moons.
¤ Gibra and Deir being the parents of Voll.

The Starship/Palace of the High Ones had an elfin crew of 34 people. Only four of these died in the crash-landing. Three of these were the “Guiders” which were the ones flying the Palace. They died due to being immobilized by the Wrapstuff they were suddenly woken up from. Orolin also died due to being woken up from Wrapstuff too fast and no-one being there to help him. Eight more were killed by humans including Adya, Ima and Guin. After the initial attack 22 High Ones where still alive. They were named Aerth (♂), Ammalin (♀), Bikasut (♀), Deir (♂), Gibra (♀), Haken (♂), Jomma (♀), Kalil (♂), Kaslen (♀), Lanith (♂), Lethain (♀), Mariven (♂), Mennoa (♀), Nufrahim (♂), Omalin (♂), Orasen (♂), Piroth (♂), Rannain (♀), Sefra (♀), Timmain (♀), Tirskil (♂) and Vellea (♀). With their previous leader Adya dead Sefra took the initiative to elect a new one. Timmain got more than half of the votes and was as such elected their leader.

Of cause some of the High Ones were disappointed over the result of their election. Five of these were Lethain, Mennoa, Nufrahim, Orasen and Piroth. These five wandered away from the others within weeks of the event. All five froze to death the first winter. Combined with Piroth's failed firemaking attempt this created the pool of bad magic from which the monster Madcoil was born.

Before the winter come Haken, Kalil, Rannain and Timmain had learned to hunt by observing wolves. During the winter Timmain and her 16 followers took shelter in a cave. There they kept a fire burning throughout the winter. They also made primitive cloths out of animal hides. The methods used to keep the hides together developed into sawing during the following years.

After surviving her first winter on the World of Two Moons Timmain fell pregnant to Aerth outside Recognition. Two years later her daughter Ethain was born. Shortly afterwards Gibra and Deir Recognised. After another two years Gibra gave birth to her son Voll. So it continued with the High Ones having children both with and without Recognition.

After trying for decades to manipulate Timmain with little success Haken openly challenged her to duel. He did not only lose the duel but also his right arm. Afterwards he left the other elves only to die from hardship. But before the event he had a son and a daughter with Vellea outside Recognition.

About a century after the crash-landing the planet's climate started to cool down. (This cooling phase would last for about 600 years.) Four of the High Ones died from hardship before they realised they could use Wrapstuff to survive it. These four were Ammalin, Bikasut, Deir and Gibra. However, no-one of these died childless. Gibra and Deir did not only have a son but also a daughter. Ammalin had two daughters and Bikasut two sons, both with Tirskil.

The elves on the World of Two Moons remained a single people for more than five hundred years. During these centuries 22 children and nine grandchildren of the High Ones were born. In four additional cases a High One reproduced with the child of two other High Ones. Eventually, Ekuar was born as the High Ones' first great-grandchild. All the other elfin children existing during his childhood were grandchildren of the High Ones. These were Mekda, Osek and his older brother Tolek. By the time these four were born only four of the High Ones were still alive. These were Kaslen, Kalil, Timmain and Tirskil. On the other hand, only two of the children of the High Ones had died. Those were two women named Girelah and Sefalil. Fortunately, Girelah had a son and Sefalil a son and a daughter. All these three were still alive.

While still children Osek, Ekuar and Mekda were captured and enslaved by the trolls. After the other elves failed to free their kidnapped children they decided to leave the area. Because they could not agree on the direction or speed the elves splintered into three tribes. The largest was the Rootless Ones which was led by Ethain. Apart from the High Ones Tirskil, Kaslen and Kalil it consisted of three families and two more women. Ethain's own family was her lifemate Raleth, his half-brother Kenik and Kenik's (but not Raleth's) two half-brothers Tomin and Yanithem. A second family consisted of Rammak and his sister Riynah. A third family was Misalin, her half-brother Satuken, her lifemate Yanek and their son Miyek. Then there were Hammah and Tirken who was the daughter of Misalin's sister and Hammah's brother.

This scenario also contain an explanation of the origin of the Wave Dancers. After discovering how to shape-shift into a mer-elf Tirskil founded a splinter group. His six followers were Eyokar (♂), Gimmah (♀), Jaleth (♂), Keshayah (♀), Nadyah (♀) and Yenoth (♂). All six had been born among the Rootless Ones. These seven become the founders the Wave Dancers. Tirskil taught all younger members how to shape-shift into mer-elves. After two thousand years of such shape-shifting the change become hereditary and all children were born as mer-elves. This happened during the lifetime of Tirskil who was also their first chief. It is worth noting that his youngest daughter was the maternal grandmother of Coral.

Please note that in this scenario Savah and Yurek were first cousins. They were both children when the Sun People was founded. The two adult men were the fathers of these two which were also brothers. They were named Zhulek and Tessokah. The adult woman was of cause Savah's mother. Her name was Romahyeen and she was the Sun People’s first leader. Except for her two youngest ones the all children born amongst the Sun People are the result of Recognition.

Another tribe formed at the first splintering of the elves was Gliders. From start they were led by Voll who had 13 followers. His own family consisted of his lifemate Lasen, their son Povrel and Povrel's lifemate Jilda who was also Lasen's brother's daughter. (Jilda and Povrel were the parents of Ekuar.) Another family was Tirrah, her half-brother Skaber, her lifemate Yoken and their daughter Bevonal. Usmal and Moffah were brother and sister. Omran was their maternal uncle and Patiyah their paternal aunt. Tolek was Patiyah's son and Rannen his paternal aunt. Rannen and Omran were the parents of Tyldak. Bevonal was the mother of Winnowill whose father was yet to be born. He was in turn the son of Patiyah and Skaber. Similarly, Aroree is the daughter of Moffah. Her father was the brother of Tyldak. Ironically, there were never any true High Ones among the Gliders. On the other hand, all the surviving Preservers followed this group. They lived with the Gliders until Winnowill fooled them to settle in a place eventually known as the Forbidden Grove.

The third tribe was led by Timmain and gave rise to the Wolfriders. Her followers were:

Arotheel was the son of Vellea and Yanek (son of Sefra and Omalin). His firemaking ability was crucial for the tribe's survival during the first few decades. Through Recognition with Uyoha (daughter of Rellah and Esakorn) he had three children. These were two sons named Zarhan Fastfire and Nefahrin and a daughter named Zithee. Nefahrin was the father of Seeree and Menolan. Zithee was the mother of Segray and Khyra.
Eldolil was the son of Rannain and Tomin (son of Jomma and Lanith). As a pure-blood healer he knew that elves with wolf blood have a limited lifespan. But he never felt the need to tell it to anyone. He was still alive at the time of the Wolfriders' splintering. Eldolil then stayed with Skyfire together with Enlet and Talen. His son was killed by humans while Skyfire was still alive. Talen died from an accident earlier the same year as Skyfire’s son Freefoot. Upon realising that he was the last immortal in a society of mortals Eldolil was driven into suicidal depression. He committed suicide mere days after the death of Freefoot.
Esakorn was the son of Kalil and Girelah (daughter of Gibra and Deir). As a treeshaper he made some of the tribe's earliest wooden weapons. Through Recognition with Rellah he had two daughters and two sons. These were Jennah, Talen, Uyoha and Marrek. Jennah was the mother of Almek and Oraynah. Uyoha gave birth to Nefahrin and Zarhan Fastfire. Talen was the father of Willowgreen.
Guvayin was the daughter of Mariven and Tirrah (daughter of Tirskil and Ammalin). Her telekinetic ability was of great use for transportation. With her lifemate Eldolil she had a son named Enlet and three daughters named Valloa, Sofee and Merrolah. Enlet was the father of Almek, Oraynah, Segray and Khyra. Merrolah was the mother of Seeree and Menolan. Sofee gave birth to Willowgreen.
Rellah was the daughter of Timmain and Aerth. This meant she was the sister of Ethain and half-sister of Timmorn Yellow-Eyes. She was an astral projector which could sometimes be annoying. Rellah was still alive when the Wolfriders splintered. She then chose to follow Two-Spear. Rellah herself died from an accident before he did.

The rest of the story of how the Wolfriders originated follows the explanation in ElfQuest - 13_page=1#_1 ElfQuest 13 Secret of the Wolfriders. In order to survive and provide food for her followers Timmain recurrently turned herself into a wolf. However, she once stayed a wolf for so long she could not turn herself into an elf again. She mated with a wolf and gave birth to a son who turned out to be half elf and half wolf. His mother's friends named him Timmorn Yellow-Eyes. Timmain disappeared a few years later. But her son grew up to become the tribe's leader. At the age of 26 he allied his tribe with wolves. This is how the Wolfriders were founded.

Please note that Timmain and Orolin are the only High Ones named in any of the Pini’s own comics. Her son Timmorn Yellow-Eyes is first mentioned as the first chief of the Wolfriders in ElfQuest - 4_page=1#_1 Elfquest 4 Wolfsong. As described above his and the Wolfriders’ origin is explained in ElfQuest - 13_page=1#_1 ElfQuest 13 Secret of the Wolfriders.

Except for the ones which names are external links these are the sources of the persons mentioned above:

¤ Lethain (♀), Mennoa (♀), Nufrahim (♂), Orasen (♂) and Piroth (♂) are shown but not mentioned by name in ElfQuest - 4_page=1#_1 Elfquest 4 Wolfsong. The same event is described more in detail in - In All But Blood_page=1#_1 Full Circle.
¤ Almek has been mentioned in writing as a pure-breed elf among the Wolfriders. I decided that he was the son of Jennah and Enlet which have also been mentioned as such.
¤ Arotheel is one of the founders of the Wolfriders in ElfQuest - 13_page=1#_1# Elfquest 13 Secret of the Wolfriders. He is shown but not mentioned by name. I have decided that he is the firemaker creating the hovering fire at the beginning of the explanation.
¤ Bevonal is shown in an image depicting Voll's memory in ElfQuest - 13_page=1#_1 Elfquest 13 Secret of the Wolfriders. She is depicted as a woman resembling Winnowill but not looking quite like her.
¤ Coral is shown as a dead chief of the Wave Dancers in the series with the same name as her tribe. I consider it non-canon but I found her useful as the paternal grandmother of their present-day chief.
¤ Eldolil is featured in of Ten Chiefs - 17_page=1#_1 Blood of Ten Chiefs 17 Howl for Eldolil. I have decided that he is the male healer shown in ElfQuest - 13_page=1#_1# Elfquest 13 Secret of the Wolfriders.
¤ Enlet has been mentioned in writing as a pure-breed elf among the Wolfriders. I decided that he was the only son of Guvayin and Eldolil.
¤ Esakorn is one of the founders of the Wolfriders in ElfQuest - 13_page=1#_1# Elfquest 13 Secret of the Wolfriders. He is then shown but not mentioned by name.
¤ Ethain is the name I have chosen for Timmain's unnamed daughter in Years - 7_page=1#_1 Hidden Years 7. Savah also reveals in of the Broken Wheel - 4_page=1#_1# Kings of the Broken Wheel 4 that she is a descendant of Timmain. To explain this I decided that Ethain was her maternal grandmother.
¤ Freefoot is mentioned in the original series as the sixth chief of the Wolfriders. He is featured in Blood of Ten Chiefs of Ten Chiefs - 7_page=1#_1 7 and [ http://elfquest.com/comic_viewer.php?fd=/gallery/OnlineComics/TC/TC17/_Blood of Ten Chiefs - 17_page=1#_1 17].
¤ Guvayin is one of the founders of the Wolfriders in ElfQuest - 13_page=1#_1 Elfquest 13 Secret of the Wolfriders. She is shown but never mentioned by name.
¤ Jennah has been mentioned in writing as a pure-breed elf among the Wolfriders. I decided that she was the oldest daughter of Rellah and Esakorn.
¤ Khyra has been mentioned in writing as a pure-breed elf among the Wolfriders. I decided that she was the daughter of Enlet who has also been mentioned as such.
¤ Lasen is shown in an image depicting Voll's memory in ElfQuest - 13_page=1#_1 Elfquest 13 Secret of the Wolfriders. I have decided that she is the woman with short hair depicted in this image.
¤ Marrek has been mentioned in writing as a pure-breed elf among the Wolfriders. I decided that he was the youngest son of Rellah and Esakorn.
¤ Mekda is featured in the original series as a childhood friend of Ekuar. Her gender is non-obvious (she is shown as either a pre-pubescent child or a living torso wrapped in a bag) but is revealed to have been female in - Rogues Curse_page=1#_1# Rogue's Curse.
¤ Menolan has been mentioned in writing as a pure-breed elf among the Wolfriders. I decided that she was the youngest daughter of Nefahrin who has also been mentioned as such.
¤ Miyek is shown just killed by a human in a relief in Savah's house in ElfQuest - 3_page=1#_1 Elfquest 3 The challenge.
¤ Nefahrin has been mentioned in writing as a pure-breed elf among the Wolfriders. I decided that he was the son of Arotheel.
¤ Oraynah has been mentioned in writing as a pure-breed elf among the Wolfriders. I decided that she was the daughter of Jennah and Enlet which has also been mentioned as such.
¤ Osek is described by Ekuar in ElfQuest - 18_page=1#_1# Elfquest 18 The treasure as a childhood friend. His escape from his slave owners explains the elfin skeleton found in ElfQuest - 9_page=1#_1 Elfquest 9 The lodestone.
¤ Raleth is shown in an image depicting Voll's memory in ElfQuest - 13_page=1#_1# Elfquest 13 Secret of the Wolfriders. I have decided that he is the man who turns from Voll in the image.
¤ Rellah is featured as a tall, pure-breed elf-woman in Blood of Ten Chiefs of Ten Chiefs - 3_page=1#_1 3 - of Ten Chiefs - 4_page=1#_1 4. She is also shown in ElfQuest - 13_page=1#_1# Elfquest 13 Secret of the Wolfriders as one of the founders of the Wolfriders.
¤ Romahyeen is shown as an adult woman on a relief depicting the founders of the Sun People in ElfQuest - 3_page=1#_1 Elfquest 3 The challenge.
¤ Seeree has been mentioned in writing as a pure-breed elf among the Wolfriders. I decided that she was the oldest daughter of Nefahrin who has also been mentioned as such.
¤ Segray has been mentioned in writing as a pure-breed elf among the Wolfriders. I decided that he was the son of Enlet who has also been mentioned as such.
¤ Skyfire is mentioned in the original series as the fifth chief of the Wolfriders. She is featured in Blood of Ten Chiefs of Ten Chiefs - 3_page=1#_1 3 - of Ten Chiefs - 4_page=1#_1 4. Her spirit turns up in Years - 24_page=1#_1# Hidden Years 24 Fire, fire, burning bright and explains how the Wolfriders splintered. She has also been mentioned in writing as the daughter of Prey-Pacer and half-sister of Two-Spear.
¤ Sofee is featured in Blood of Ten Chiefs of Ten Chiefs - 3_page=1#_1 3 - of Ten Chiefs - 4_page=1#_1 4. She is depicted as a black-haired, blue-eyed, pure-breed elf-woman whose name is never mentioned. Someone called her “Rellah” but in the comic a different woman is called that.
¤ Talen is featured as a taller than average, pure-breed elf-man in Blood of Ten Chiefs of Ten Chiefs - 3_page=1#_1 3 - of Ten Chiefs - 4_page=1#_1 4.
¤ Tirrah is shown in an image depicting Voll's memory in ElfQuest - 13_page=1#_1# Elfquest 13 Secret of the Wolfriders. She is only shown as a black silhouette which could sensibly be a woman.
¤ Tessokah is shown on a relief depicting the founders of the Sun People in ElfQuest - 3_page=1#_1 Elfquest 3 The challenge. I have decided that he is the adult man with shorter hair in this relief.
¤ Two-Spear is mentioned in the original series as the fourth chief of the Wolfriders. He is featured in of Ten Chiefs - 3_page=1#_1 3 - of Ten Chiefs - 4_page=1#_1 4 and shown in Years - 24_page=1#_1# Hidden Years 24 Fire, fire, burning bright. He has also been mentioned in writing as the son of Prey-Pacer and half-brother of Skyfire.
¤ Valloa has been mentioned in writing as the lifemate of Timmorn Yellow-Eyes. She has also been mentioned as the mother of Laststar and Rahnee She-Wolf. I decided that she was the oldest daughter of Guvayin and Eldolil.
¤ Yoken is shown in an image depicting Voll's memory in ElfQuest - 13_page=1#_1 Elfquest 13 Secret of the Wolfriders. He is depicted as a brown-haired man who can be perceived as locking shady.
¤ Zarhan Fastfire has been mentioned in writing as the lifemate of Rahnee She-Wolf and father of Prey-Pacer. I decided that he was the son of Arotheel and brother of Nefahrin.
¤ Zhulek is shown on a relief depicting the founders of the Sun People in ElfQuest - 3_page=1#_1 Elfquest 3 The challenge. I have decided that he is the adult man with longer hair in this relief.
¤ Willowgreen is featured as Two-Spear's lifemate in Blood of Ten Chiefs of Ten Chiefs - 3_page=1#_1 3 - of Ten Chiefs - 4_page=1#_1 4. I decided that she was the daughter of Sofee and Talen which are featured in the same comics.

The rest of the people mentioned have been made up by me:

¤ Ammalin (High One), mother of Tirrah.
¤ Bikasut (High One), the mother of Winnowill’s paternal grandfather.
¤ Eyokar (Rootless One/Wave Dancer), half-brother of Eldolil.
¤ Gimmah (Rootless One/Wave Dancer), half-sister of Mekda.
¤ Girelah (Firstborn), daughter of Gibra and Deir, sister of Voll, mother of Esakorn.
¤ Hammah (Firstborn/Rootless One), daughter of Haken, sister of Yoken, half-sister of Arotheel, mother of Zhulek and Tessokah.
¤ Jaleth (Rootless One/Wave Dancer), son of Ethain and Raleth, brother of Romahyeen.
¤ Jilda (Glider), daughter of Ethain and Raleth, sister of Romahyeen, mother of Ekuar.
¤ Jomma (High One), maternal grandmother of Osek, paternal grandmother of Eldolil and Mekda.
¤ Kenik (Firstborn/Rootless One), son of Kaslen, half-brother of Lasen and Raleth, father of Zhulek and Tessokah.
¤ Keshayah (Rootless One/Wave Dancer), daughter of Tessokah, half-sister of Yurek.
¤ Lanith (High One), maternal grandfather of Osek, paternal grandfather of Eldolil, Mekda, Zhulek and Tessokah.
¤ Mariven (High One), paternal grandfather of Osek, maternal grandfather of Mekda and Tyldak.
¤ Merrolah (Wolfrider), daughter of Guvayin and Eldolil, sister of Enlet, Valloa and Sofee, mother of Seeree and Menolan.
¤ Misalin (Firstborn/Rootless One), sister of Tirrah, mother of Miyek.
¤ Moffah (Glider), half-sister of Mekda, mother of Aroree.
¤ Nadyah (Rootless One/Wave Dancer), sister of Miyek.
¤ Omalin (High One), paternal grandfather of Arotheel, Miyek and Tyldak.
¤ Omran (Firstborn/Glider), son of Sefra, father of Tyldak.
¤ Patiyah (Firstborn/Glider), mother of Osek.
¤ Povrel (Glider), son of Lasen and Voll, father of Ekuar.
¤ Rammak (Firstborn/Glider), half-brother of Eldolil, father of Osek.
¤ Rannain (High One), mother of Eldolil, paternal grandmother of Osek, maternal grandmother of Mekda and Tyldak.
¤ Rannen (Firstborn/Glider), half-sister of Eldolil, mother of Tyldak.
¤ Riynah (Firstborn/Rootless One), half-sister of Eldolil, mother of Mekda.
¤ Sefalil (Firstborn), daughter of Sefra.
¤ Skaber (Firstborn/Glider), half-brother of Tirrah, paternal grandfather of Winnowill.
¤ Tirken (Rootless Ones), daughter of Tirrah and Yoken, sister of Bevonal.
¤ Tirskil (High One/Rootless One/Wave Dancer), father of Tirrah.
¤ Tolek (Glider), brother of Osek.
¤ Tomin (Firstborn/Rootless One), father of Eldolil.
¤ Usmal (Glider), half-brother of Mekda.
¤ Uyoha (Wolfrider), daughter of Rellah and Esakorn, sister of Jennah, Talen and Marrek, mother of Nefahrin and Zarhan Fastfire.
¤ Vellea (High One), mother of Yoken and Arotheel.
¤ Yanek (Firstborn/Rootless One), son of Sefra, father of Arotheel and Miyek.
¤ Yanithem (Firstborn/Rootless One), father of Mekda.
¤ Yenoth (Rootless One/Wave Dancer), half-brother of Zhulek and Tessokah.
¤ Zithee (Wolfrider), daughter of Arotheel, sister of Nefahrin and Zarhan Fastfire, mother of Segray and Khyra.

What do you think about this? I have made up clever schemes to minimize inbreeding. Before the elves splinter into three tribes no-one reproduce with anyone more closely related than first cousin. Even after the tribes are formed there is no parent-child incest. Brother-sister incest can’t be ruled out altogether. However, no-one is ever stated to have reproduced with a sibling or half-sibling.

2015-01-06 Lena Synnerholm, Märsta, Sweden.