Jeremy Thomas Fuller
The Metalwood Saga / Reference Guide

Full-series spoilers

Eldrim

Eldrim

The Eldrim (commonly referred to by humans as elves, and in the modern era on Eryn as ellr) are a long-lived, magical humanoid species. While historically believed to have originated on the highly advanced planet of Valaralda, they are actually descendants of an ancient extraterrestrial race. Eons ago, the ancestors of the Eldrim were "Seeded" onto Valaralda—one of several designated Seed Planets—via generation ships from their true homeworld of Starmist Prime to ensure the survival of their species against a cosmic threat. Following a much later event known as the Sending, populations of Eldrim were dispersed from Valaralda across the universe to the other Prime Planets, including Earth (Mar) and Eryn.

Biology and Appearance

Eldrim are biologically similar to humans, but possess a slightly different genome tailored for longevity and a slower aging process. They are distinguished by their finely-pointed ears, pale or deeply tanned skin, and lighter eye colors—frequently possessing striking blue, green, purple, or golden irises. Eldrim are typically slim but possess superior muscular anatomy and higher metabolisms, making them incredibly agile, graceful, and physically strong. They also possess the unique biological ability to see a small slice of the ultraviolet light spectrum.

Eldrim live remarkably long lives, commonly surviving for five hundred to a thousand years, or even longer. They stop visibly aging around their late twenties in human terms, and do not typically show physical signs of aging again until they reach five or six hundred years old. However, the elven birth rate is notoriously low, and it is common for elves to go their entire centuries-long lives without ever having a child.

Magic and The Ways

Roughly one in three Eldrim are born with magical "Talent". Traditional Eldrim exclusively practice lightprime magic (known as caladmain), which is powered by harvesting and burning small chips of primewood taken from massive, immortal Prime Trees. When near a Prime Tree, all Eldrim—whether they are mages or Mundanes (non-mages)—are granted a passive "soulmist" illusion that rounds out their ears and allows them to blend in seamlessly with human populations.

The Eldrim categorize their lightprime magic into seven distinct "Ways," which correspond to the Aspects of the soul:

  • Way of the Protector: Uses birch and spruce wood for soulsoothing (healing).
  • Way of the Scholar: Uses ash and hemlock wood for stormwarding (controlling weather).
  • Way of the Creator: Uses elm and fir wood for leafrunning (rapid, magical lateral movement and flight).
  • Way of the Destroyer: Uses poplar and yew wood for bladedancing (controlling the trajectory of arrows and weapons).
  • Way of the Builder: Uses maple and pine wood for mistweaving (creating complex illusions and architecture via carving).
  • Way of the Governor: Uses oak and cedar wood for strengthshaping (enhancing physical power and durability).
  • The Primal Way: Uses willow and cypress wood for soulsundering (the forbidden ability to sever a soul from its body).

Culture and Society

In contrast to the technologically advanced society on their homeworld of Valaralda, the Eldrim stranded on Earth intentionally eschewed advanced science and technology to live in perfect harmony with nature. Their primary settlement, Sylrantheas, was built organically into the ancient redwoods of the Muir Woods.

Eldrim society is strictly governed by the Council, which consists of "Mentors" who lead and teach the various magical Ways. At a young age, Eldrim children undergo an "Alignment" to test their souls and discover their specific magical affinities. They are not considered adults until they turn fifty years old, at which point they participate in a public "Waychoice" ceremony to formally dedicate their lives to a specific vocation and serve the village.

Factions

  • The Cothellon: A splinter faction of the Eldrim who abandoned the traditional, nature-focused lifestyle. They embraced advanced "magitech" (a blend of magic and technology) and darkprime magic, fleeing into massive floating sky cities to escape the ruined surface of Earth. The word Cothellon translates directly to "enemy elves" in the Eldrim tongue.
  • The Ellr: The rylak term for the Eldrim who were stranded on the jungle planet of Eryn. Without their magic, they were enslaved, brutally abused, and hunted by the native rylak packs. A small, hidden faction of free ellr eventually established the secret cliffside city of Aldaron to escape rylak subjugation.

Key Events

The Sending

Twenty thousand years ago, twenty-eight Eldrim volunteers were sent from Valaralda through exploratory gates to Earth (Mar). Their mission was to seed the planet with Prime Trees and begin constructing the Defense Mechanism, a system designed to stop the apocalyptic entity known as Xyclami (Guruthos). Because gatesending wiped their memories, the Eldrim forgot their mission and instead lived in secret among humanity for millennia.

The Sundering

Three hundred years prior to the events of the series, the Eldrim World Council determined that human-driven climate change and overpopulation had pushed the Earth past a critical tipping point. Utilizing the Primal Ritual found in the ancient Book of Souls, the Eldrim enacted the Soulsundering, a devastating magical event that wiped out ninety-nine percent of the human population to "reset the balance of life" and preserve the planet.

The Fall of Sylrantheas

During the era of the Ascension, the peaceful Earth village of Sylrantheas is suddenly decimated by heavily armed Cothellon forces arriving in flying fallcars. The unprovoked massacre results in the deaths of hundreds of Eldrim and the complete destruction of their woodland home.

The Dawn of Pano Sylrantheas

Following the ultimate defeat of the Cothellon and the permanent deactivation of all magic by Tarathiel, the surviving Eldrim must learn to navigate a world without their powers. They unite with the human Splinter faction to build Pano Sylrantheas, a groundbreaking, integrated settlement where elves and humans live, work, and rebuild side by side in peace.

See Also