Startouch Elves

Information
Name	Startouch Elves
Type	Star Primal
Home	The heavens

Startouch Elves, also referred to as the First Elves and the Great Ones, are one of the six races of elves and are the only ones that originate from the heavens of Xadia. They are connected to the magical energy of the Stars. Their primary home and nexus are currently unknown. They are the rarest of the elven races.

All Startouch Elves in the series can be found here.

Characteristics

Startouch Elves are rare, and few others have ever come across them. They are immortal beings of the cosmos who can live for more than 5000 years, outliving even the lifespan of Archdragons. They experience "a time scale that is more like the Stars than other elves", which gives them a detached, "big picture" perspective of the world. Startouch Elf mages are extremely rare, with only one Star mage being born in generations.

Startouch Elves commonly appear with skin that ranges in colors from midnight tones of indigo and blue, to a soft pearl gold, as well as tones of silver. Their hair comes in white to stark black extremes, as varied as starlight. They are usually depicted with horns that are much grander and elaborate than those of the other five elven races. Clothing worn by Startouch Elves has been shown to include open chest tunics, as well as overlapping, layered robes. All known robe designs incorporate a dark color scheme with accents reminiscent of constellations, planetary orbits, and other celestial phenomena. The most well known Startouch Elf, Aaravos, wears an elegant dark blue tunic with golden ornaments, decorated with the symbol of the Star arcanum. His physical features include dark blue-tinted skin with hair of a light blue hue. He also has yellow eyes.

When the stars of Startouch Elves align with the world of Xadia, they may choose to materialize a mortal vessel for their essence to inhabit, allowing them to interact and walk with mortals.

When the members of the Startouch Elf council manifested their faces during the trial of Aaravos's daughter Leola, it appeared as if the fabric of space itself in the background materialized as a three-dimensional entity. If they shed tears in their non-corporeal form, they appear as stars.

The Startouch Elves' true physical forms tower over every other being in Xadia. Leola's physical remains at the bottom of the Sea of the Castout are titanic in scale. After Aaravos was freed from his prison, he appeared as a giant of a being, attaining a stature so grand that a human like Claudia was able to fit in the palms of his hands.

Abilities

Being connected to the Star Primal, Startouch Elves are able to use magic that allows them to gain the power of divination, cosmic vision, and "seeing into the beyond."

Other abilities include teleportation, flight, and telekinesis. Like Star Cuddlemonkeys, Startouch Elves are known to (rarely) open portals to an alternate location. These portals are not seen to connect to an interdimensional space like those of Stella, but they can teleport a human-sized being to elsewhere on the same planet. They can also telepathically speak to a specific being of their choosing; this power works in private conversations and may or may not work to communicate with a larger group.

If a Startouch Elf chooses to materialize a mortal vessel, they can disguise said vessel as any other type of sentient bipedal creature, including all other elven races and humans. However, this has only been shown when the vessel is the appropriate size. If the Startouch Elf is still in their true titanic forms, they can use illusions to disguise themselves as a rock formation or a small island temporarily.

Weaknesses

The poem "The Death of the Immortal" indicates that Startouch Elves are vulnerable to a magical sword known as the Nova Blade. In actuality, Startouch Elves are vulnerable to the teeth and the bite of an Archdragon. The Nova Blade was made from the fang of the Archdragon Shiruakh, and so it possesses the power to destroy the Startouch Elves' mortal vessels. However, even if their mortal vessels are destroyed, the Startouch Elves' immortal essence will simply return to the heavens and wait for their stars to align with the world of Xadia again, at which point, they can create a new mortal vessel.

Additionally, if a Startouch Elf's mortal vessel is destroyed, it creates a massive explosion akin to a supernova that is capable of killing multiple Archdragons and destroying nearly everything in the vicinity.

Startouch Elves can only be permanently killed by others of their race. When a Startouch Elf dies, they do so in a violent event similar to a supernova, and become a shooting star that falls down to earth, creating a massive, powerful and incredibly destructive shockwave. When Leola was executed, her death resulted in a massive crater.

Culture and Customs

Not much is known about Startouch Elf culture or their customs. But according to Aaravos, saying, "I will savor their fall from the sky," suggests that they are born from the stars and watched the many beings below even their own kind once they maintain a physical form. However, he also describes Startouch Elves as arrogant beings blinded by their incandescent light, who do not need patience and do not even care for the fate of mortals.

Startouch Elves become "Fallen Stars" when they commit a treachery so heinous that they are stripped of most of their powers, as seen with Aaravos. Once a Startouch Elf is put into that status, it is unknown how they can gain their full powers back.

Startouch Elves are governed by a council of sorts who oversee what they call the "cosmic order" of the universe. This council consists of the Merciful One, the Stern One, and at least three others, who appear as floating faces composed of constellations. Such laws that they followed in the time of Aaravos's daughter, Leola, was to never give humans the gift of magic. They follow their laws absolutely and will spare no one.

If a Startouch Elf is found guilty of disrupting the cosmic order, they are sentenced to death, then their remains are ejected from the heavens, almost resembling a fallen star, which can leave huge impacts on Xadia as Leola's remains created the crater for the Sea of the Castout.

History

Startouch Elves were the first of the six elven races to live in Xadia, which was the reason why they are also known as the "First Elves". They are rumored to have made significant marks on Xadia's ancient history, though beyond legends, little evidence of their existence is left. While mentioned in some scrolls and poems, scholars still debate the meaning of the words written. The notable literatures are the Scrolls of the First Elves kept in the Great Bookery of Lux Aurea that detail Startouch Elf cultural practices and prophecies, as well as "The Epic of the Void" poem kept in the Royal Library of Evenere.

The most notable Startouch Elves that humans encountered were Aaravos, an Archmage who was born during the era of the First Elves, 5000 years before the birth of Azymondias, and his daughter, Leola. When Leola gave magic to humans, the Startouch Elves found her guilty of breaking the cosmic order and chose to execute her. Aaravos pleaded for his daughter's life, and the Startouch Elves offered to take his life as well as their only concession. As such, Aaravos developed a deep-seated hatred towards his people and the need to avenge Leola.

3000 years before the birth of Azymondias, the Startouch Elf Laurelion battled the Archdragon Shiruakh for unknown reasons. Shiruakh managed to destroy Laurelion's physical form at the cost of her own life, and one of her great fangs was then forged into the Nova Blade, a magical sword that can end a Startouch Elf's mortal existence.

Startouch Elves were allied with the dragons and other elves in deciding to banish all of humanity to the west of the continent. The successful banishment was overlooked by Aaravos. Many disagree on Aaravos's role in historical events. Inside two history books, Aaravos is glorified as the savior and benefactor of the ancient human city of Elarion. He is the one who contributed to the rise of dark magic within the city, and also saved a few of its inhabitants from Sol Regem's genocide. 300 years ago, during the reign of Avizandum, Aaravos became a "fallen" Startouch Elf, thus becoming known as "The Fallen Star" to other Xadians. During this time, he was locked up in a magical prison through a collaboration between the elves and the Archdragons after a young human helped them to learned that he orchestrated every great crisis in the world. Aaravos was eventually freed from his prison by Claudia.

Among the few records of Startouch Elves are the "Scrolls of the First Elves" kept in the Great Bookery of Lux Aurea, as well as a poem titled "The Epic of the Void" kept in the Royal Library of Evenere, written by an unknown poet. This document predates the fall of Elarion, which makes it even more valuable and thus enjoys the highest protection.

“

Where do the fabled Great Ones hide? What secrets have you locked inside? From rising Sun to Moonlight’s grace I search the Sky for any trace Of Starfolk, fabled, fallen, found Once everywhere, now none around. Is all we are to know of thee Consumed by Dark, or cast to Sea? So bound to Earth, are we denied The touch of Stars? Have our Gods died? Where do the fabled Great Ones hide?

”

Trivia

• Startouch Elves have American accents.
• Along with unicorns, Star Dragons, an Adoraburr subspecies, a Cuddlemonkey subspecies, Starweaver Spiders, and Shimmercrows, Startouch Elves are the only known magical creatures to be connected to the Star Primal.

Gallery

Startouch Elf concept

Early concept

Early concept

Early concept

Two large statues depicting a Startouch Elf known as the "Merciful One" lending their hand to a grieving Aaravos.

A Startouch Elf among the stars

Laurelion and Shiruakh battled each other

Aaravos and baby Leola

The Startouch Elf council