Elant'il

Elant'il, the Pale Inside, is the myth surrounding the Hills of Elant'il -- a small outcrop of grass-covered hills in the fields towards the east of the Kalka'shar lands where potential soulmates travel to have their marriage blessed by the Gods.

Summary

The myth of Elant'il tells of an ancient Kalka'shar -- one of the first who set foot on land from the skies -- and their journey across the green to find another like them. The verse claims that Elant'il met the gaze of a beautiful woman; her body torn and twisted but still perfect to Elant'il. The Kalka'shar of the skies warned Elant'il that to love would lead him apart from his kin for all time, doomed to remain in the ground-place with none but their twisted lover for company, and threatened to return them to the sky where they belong.
The tale ends with Elant'il laying with his lover underneath the burning sun for a century and a day, until the ground arose around them and buried them for all eternity, just as their kin warned -- but they were happy, and the Gods blessed their eternal union by making the sun shine every day on the hills where their bodies once were, creating the beautiful Hills of Elant'il and the wildflowers that adorn them.

Historical Basis

Though the tale is disputed, word of mouth tells that Elant'il and his lover were, in fact, early Kalka'shar settlers who fell in love. It is said that their family killed them rather than see their child marry a girl who could not shapeshift properly, for there are early songs which suggest the mastery of shapeshifting was a gift from the Gods, and that those who were not able to were cursed. The hills are where many believe the couple were killed, their bodies left there to become the hills over time.

Spread

The tale of Elant'il is a popular song sung to children by their parents to this day -- it would be difficult to find a Kalka'shar who doesn't know their family's versionof it by heart. The myth is widely considered to be the 'true' story of the Hills and couples must always visit them for the Gods' blessing before marrying their chosen partner.

Variations & Mutation

As all songs are told by memory there is no doubt the tale has mutated over time. While none remember the origin of the story, every family has a different twist -- in some versions, the girl is as beautiful as Elant'il and the family grew jealous. In others, Elant'il is the one unable to correctly shapeshift and it is the girl who takes pity on him.

Telling / Prose

The Song of Elant'il

Related Species

• Kalka'shar