Elarithanys, the Moonborne Sentinel
“Speak gently beneath her boughs, for the Warden listens not with ears, but with memory.”
– Elder Thanduin of the Grovewatch
Overview
Elarithanys, known among druids and the wood elves as The Moonborne, is an ancient silver dragon who has chosen Silvanastra as her eternal vigil. She is a being of immense grace and terrifying calm—one who does not roar, but whispers, and yet the forest itself bends to obey.
Unlike her kin who often dwell in icy peaks or high mountains, Elarithanys descended to Silvanastra over a millennium ago, drawn by the valley’s sacred harmony between sky and root, starlight and sap. Some say she was not born, but *dreamed into being* when the stars kissed the forest canopy for the first time.
Appearance
Elarithanys is enormous, even for her kind, with scales like polished moonstone and wings that shimmer like a silk canopy in moonlight. Moss grows between the joints of her wings, and her horns curve like the branches of ancient trees. Wherever she lands, flowers bloom—not from magic, but from awe.
Temperament
- She speaks softly, but her presence compels silence.
- She is slow to anger, but once roused, she moves like winter—unstoppable and beautiful.
- She treats druids and elves as cousins, and even orcs and goblins as distant kin, provided they respect the sacred valley.
- She believes in mercy, but never forgets a broken oath.
“She once forgave a poacher for killing a hart. Then she made him the stag’s keeper for fifty years. When he died, he wept with joy.”
– Oral tale among the younger druids
Legends
- Some say she once dueled a *star serpent* from beyond the moon—slaying it not with fang or claw, but by singing it to sleep and burying it beneath the roots of the Moonweaver Tree.
- Others claim she is wed, in spirit if not in flesh, to an ancient treant lord who slumbers deep within the valley—*the Forest Bridegroom*, whose name is forgotten but whose roots still pulse with draconic magic.
- During solstice rituals, she is said to take the form of a white elk or a woman with silver hair and moss on her shoulders, dancing beneath the stars until dawn.
Current Role
Elarithanys is not worshiped, but she is revered. The druids consider her the valley’s living boundary—a guardian spirit who enforces balance. She offers no edicts, but those who come with violence in their hearts find themselves lost, turned around, or spoken to by the trees in voices not their own.
In times of dire need, she may stir. When she flies, her passage leaves frost on the leaves and a hush over the world.
Druids’ Prayer to Her
"By root and ray, by branch and blaze,
Moonborne Warden, turn thy gaze.
If fire comes or shadow lies,
Let silver wings eclipse the skies."
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