The Staff of Dreams Myth in Dálnaes | World Anvil

The Staff of Dreams

Supposedly wielded by Lordaerel, the first King of the Elves, the Staff of Dreams was an artifact of immeasurable power. It was gifted to the elf by Malorel himself to combat the growing threat of Chaos during the elven unification. It is said that the Staff had the power to "make dreams reality". The Staff disappeared after Lordaerel's death, and legend claims that it is hidden somewhere on Dalnaes, and that whoever takes possession of it will wield the power of creation.

Historical Basis

Though many now doubt the true origins of the so-called Staff of Dreams, it is still known that Lordaerel did possess a staff of great power before and during his reign. At the time, the war with Chaos and its minions had spread to consume all of Dalnaes, and with the mistrust between elves and humans, the gods' servants were scattered and disorganized. With Staff in hand, Lordaerel approached the leaders of each elven clan, each human ruler, and each nelfyn godsinger to form an alliance against Chaos. When the others saw the power of his staff, they agreed. After Chaos was driven back into its own Realm, the elven clans united and named Lordaerel the first King. Just before Lordaerel died, his staff disappeared.

Spread

Though once known throughout the world, to humans, the Staff of Dreams is all but forgotten. Most elves still believe it existed, but few if any believe it's still around. Scholars and historians, both human and elf, occasionally debate the merit of the Staff's legend and theorize where it could have been hidden.

Cultural Reception

When asked about the Staff of Dreams, most humans would looked at you blankly. The few who know of it might respond with mild curiosity or disbelief. Elves are more open to discussing it, but to them the more important story is that of Lordaerel himself. Few care about his staff beyond the acknowledgement that it was a powerful weapon and helped him unite the elves.

In Literature

Though the elves only began regularly creating and using books in the last few generations, the story of Lordaerel was sung into the godchamber beneath C'Oros Baal by the first Woodspeaker after his death. The nelfyn godsingers also engraved his story on walls in several of their cities. Unfortunately, over time, the nelfyn disappeared and the elven language evolved enough that translation of the old stories is open to interpretation, which contributed heavily to the doubt that Lordaerel's staff was a divine instrument.

In Art

Almost every one of the surviving images of Lordaerel portray him with a staff. It's appearance varies slightly between portrayals, though historians believe it was made of woven wood with some sort of gem hanging from a curve at the top.
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Submitted for Day 21 of Inktober 2019 Art by me.

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