Gifts of the Dawn
The Gods once gave their favor to the elves, in times long ago. As such they were granted ... gifts, though naturally they squandered the potential and lost those gifts over time. How else is it humanity rose to take the world? They had their time ruling, and now it is our time.When the world was created and the elves first were placed into the world of Erisdaire, the Gods gave to their children three gifts. These gifts were at first embodied in three relics which symbolized their purposes, providing great power to those who held them. Yet as the elves grew in number and developed these relics became weaker, with their energies spreading outwards into the people. Eventually, the relics became lost to the people - yet their legacy remains through what they have inspired.
Summary
When the Gods released elves into the world of Erisdaire, they bestowed upon them the greatest gifts which could be given. Three relics of immeasurable power, representing the qualities the Gods considered to be the most important for the elves to prosper. The first Houses kept these relics safe, and with them the elves would grow to prominence in this realm. Yet over time, the power of each relic waned as the elves spread and formed their empire - the gifts became part of the people, and as such the relics became mere objects to be remembered and respected.
The Dawnblade. The Sword of Unyielding Light represented the strength and will to fight against enemies who would snuff out the fire of the elven people. It was a slender, long sword made of a metal which was unique to the realms of the Gods. Through its power, the first Houses pushed back their dark enemies in the world and carved themselves a place to create their grandest cities. The first elven weapons tended to borrow heavily from the Dawnblade's design, until their growing understanding led them to move away from such things. As they did, the Dawnblade ceased to be more than a symbol of their prowess in battle - and so the world moved on.
The Tree of Knowledge. With Roots of Truth and Branches of Understanding, the Tree represented the elven understanding of arcana and the mysteries of their new world. Its leaves held inscriptions which could be combined together to compel magical energies into various forms. These would form the basis of their oldest writing system, as well as the core of their magic. As the elves began to develop their arcane talents into broader scopes than the Tree hinted at, and once they developed a new script to write with the Tree's power waned to a purely ceremonial purpose. The Tree was tended primarily by those who deserved some small honor and had earned nothing greater - and so the world moved on.
The Moon-Lamp. The Cold Flame of Hope represented optimism in the face of all which could go wrong. It took the form of a sphere of silver which cast a cool light which waxed and waned as the moon itself did. Thus the moon became a symbol itself to the elves, a supposed connection to optimism and a companion to the warmth of the sun itself. As the people grew in number, and spread out into the world, they fashioned small silver vessels to mimic the Moon-Lamp to carry with them. As the light was shared among those vessels, the source lost fractions of its brightness, until it had become a simple silver vessel. The lightless Moon-Lamp came to rest in a place of safety, remembered but no longer seen with such importance - and so the world moved on.
When the all three relics faded from prominence, so too did the elves find the Gods had turned from them. Destiny no longer gave the elves the right to rule, and so it was this great people faded and lost dominance over the world.
The Dawnblade. The Sword of Unyielding Light represented the strength and will to fight against enemies who would snuff out the fire of the elven people. It was a slender, long sword made of a metal which was unique to the realms of the Gods. Through its power, the first Houses pushed back their dark enemies in the world and carved themselves a place to create their grandest cities. The first elven weapons tended to borrow heavily from the Dawnblade's design, until their growing understanding led them to move away from such things. As they did, the Dawnblade ceased to be more than a symbol of their prowess in battle - and so the world moved on.
The Tree of Knowledge. With Roots of Truth and Branches of Understanding, the Tree represented the elven understanding of arcana and the mysteries of their new world. Its leaves held inscriptions which could be combined together to compel magical energies into various forms. These would form the basis of their oldest writing system, as well as the core of their magic. As the elves began to develop their arcane talents into broader scopes than the Tree hinted at, and once they developed a new script to write with the Tree's power waned to a purely ceremonial purpose. The Tree was tended primarily by those who deserved some small honor and had earned nothing greater - and so the world moved on.
The Moon-Lamp. The Cold Flame of Hope represented optimism in the face of all which could go wrong. It took the form of a sphere of silver which cast a cool light which waxed and waned as the moon itself did. Thus the moon became a symbol itself to the elves, a supposed connection to optimism and a companion to the warmth of the sun itself. As the people grew in number, and spread out into the world, they fashioned small silver vessels to mimic the Moon-Lamp to carry with them. As the light was shared among those vessels, the source lost fractions of its brightness, until it had become a simple silver vessel. The lightless Moon-Lamp came to rest in a place of safety, remembered but no longer seen with such importance - and so the world moved on.
When the all three relics faded from prominence, so too did the elves find the Gods had turned from them. Destiny no longer gave the elves the right to rule, and so it was this great people faded and lost dominance over the world.
Historical Basis
Scholars in the Empire have been studying the mysteries surrounding the myth for some time, but have not quite identified anything concrete. Their efforts are, naturally, focused on trying to determine where such objects might have been originally held rather than verifying the more detailed aspects of the whole myth's telling. The difficulties in a true effort is somewhat compounded as the elves are not very keen on sharing their secrets to outsiders with a purely academic intention. What can be known for certain is the existence of an empire belonging to the elven people which spread across a large portion of western Erisdaire, though it predates the Rhyliss Empire by several millennia.
Considering actual evidence to be presented, there are a number of issues which wind up keeping things murky. Unscrupulous antique dealers have sold "reproductions" of the Dawnblade - but there is no evidence those reproductions are accurate. Similarly, there are always false maps said to lead to the 'The World Tree', or rumors the Moon-Lamp has been found. Most of these occurrences are met with amusement by any elves who are asked for help in verifying these things, and rarely lead to any useful information.
Considering actual evidence to be presented, there are a number of issues which wind up keeping things murky. Unscrupulous antique dealers have sold "reproductions" of the Dawnblade - but there is no evidence those reproductions are accurate. Similarly, there are always false maps said to lead to the 'The World Tree', or rumors the Moon-Lamp has been found. Most of these occurrences are met with amusement by any elves who are asked for help in verifying these things, and rarely lead to any useful information.
Spread
The myths surrounding the relics and their final dispositions are shared mostly among the elven people, and only a vague form is available to outsiders. The full form of the myth is only kept by the great Houses which remain in their own sanctuaries, hidden from the world. Various fragmented versions can be found in elven settlements, as the 'complete' written version is extraordinarily rare. Sages from Myrisic have long attempted to gather the fragments to make a whole, and as such there are several compilations which exist in the Great Library.
Variations & Mutation
The fracturing of the ancient elven empire into the current variation of cultures has caused the story's nature to change over time. The nobility among elves tell it as a somber remembrance of what they lost, while the 'wood elves' who live in the wilderness tell it as a reminder of the divine gifts which live on in each person. Regional variations have existed, though these tend to only expand on the nature of one of the relics or another. As an example, elven settlements which exist near the ocean sometimes focus on the Moon-Lamp and claim towers were made with devices installed which were derived from the silver globe, as guidance for boats and ships in the night.
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