Vulmar's Mission
Not Vulmar's only mission, just the first one we see him execute.
Forewarned by Blue, a courier headed to Loh'ran delivered an order to Carsi that was originally internal to a military branch of the Mountain Elves. The document describes the stockpile of explosive black powder they plan to make use of in upcoming conflicts, mostly likely with the Forest elves to their West or the various Plains elves to their North. This, combined with other intelligence detailing lists of operatives in this military branch, Carsi seeks Vulmar's help.
Vulmar's Gift is extremely helpful for the primary mission objective: to eliminate all of the stockpiled powder. Vulmar's Gift allows him to become actively immune to various sources of fire/explosive energy. The plan, then, is to infiltrate the compound where the stockpile is being stored (with Yumanea's help) and convince Vulmar's friend in that military branch to walk out of the store room while he ignites it. Since they know the layout of the store room and greater compound, casualties are expected to be minimal, one of the primary reasons Vulmar agrees to it.
The other reason is to protect his new child, Mas'ildran.
This mission should play out to be the bulk of the first chapter, introductions to various characters and their Gifts, and glimpses into their complex relationships and history. I want it to be apparent from this chapter that:
- Elves, frequently living hundreds to thousands of years, often know many other elves, even if they don't live nearby or are part of entirely different groups of elves
- Gifts are a form of natural, active magic, unique to the elf. Using these unique Gifts strategically, a single elf can accomplish an extremely difficult or otherwise impossible task.
- Elves live in societies or groups with very different organizational structures. The Hunter elves we see interacting with one another feel they are equal to one another and value each other's individual contributions to their whole. In contrast, the conversation with Vulmar's friend reveals that Mountain elf society is structured more around power relationships where orders are dictated down.
- Mas'ildran's birth is special.
- Elves leaving their natural environment for too long start to suffer. It's discussed as a barrier to the mission and experienced directly
- We see Vulmar easily walk through explosions and fires
- We see Yumanea use her Gift (impossibly sharp blades) as an intimidation tactic
- We see Blue's gift detect an incoming courier more than a mile away
- We see the results of an unnamed elf's Gift: a perfectly replicated handwritten document
- We get hints at Elidyn's Gift. (Vulmar's partner; Mas'ildran's dad)
Plot type
Chapter main plot
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