Elena

Dusk Twilight Across Sky

Overview

As the leader of the Dusk Settlement at the end of the Era of Firstlight, she led her people to victory against the invasion of Droy in the First Dusk War. During the Second Dusk War, she was exiled to the Abyss due to the "Taboo and Betrayal" incident.

Chapter One

Elena Campbell (Era of Firstlight 10835–Era of Rebirth 5210) was the leader of Dusk Settlement and one of the last two Primal Elves born of the Heartwood, Gloryhylan.
Gloryhylan gifted each of its offspring with a natural affinity for the elements, and Elena was exceptionally skilled.
She was a powerful mage, surpassing even ordinary Elves. Her mentor, Nean Hitzer, saw her potential to surpass even the renowned Ereno Campbell. Nean gave Elena her own surname, hoping she'd push magic to new heights.
Elena was also a skilled warrior. From a young age, she excelled at hunting, stealth, and combat. By ten, she hunted a jungle leopard with a dagger and bow, giving it to her mentor as a birthday gift.
Her gift was slightly overshadowed by Beccas' cliff tiger, who focused on hunting. But Elena's skills were more diverse and balanced.
Guided by Nean, Elena focused on magic. In the Era of Firstlight, mages like Yagol mainly manipulated distinct magical energies—fireballs, hurricanes, or healing.
Elena's research went deeper, aligning with the elements themselves, likely influenced by her gifts from Gloryhylan and her natural sensitivity.
Elena recognized that her predecessors had made significant advancements in extracting, isolating, and purifying magical energies. She wanted to break new ground. Existing technologies could break down magical energies into the six primal elements, so Elena wondered if she could use these elements to create things.
She observed that in nature, elements like fire and water never existed in pure forms—even the clearest flow is a mix of all six elements. This insight led her to theorize that mages might be able to craft objects by recombining elements.
She observed that in nature, elements like fire and water never exist in pure forms—even the clearest water is a mix of all six elements. This led her to theorize that mages could craft objects by recombining elements.
Her discovery revolutionized magical research, making her the first mage to create tangible objects, not just temporary effects.
Her advancements were fully demonstrated during the Second Sunset War, where she mirrored natural phenomena using fire, lightning, and water. Scholars later considered her theories a pivotal evolution of magic practices.
Yarve scholars believe Nean groomed Elena as her successor from a young age.
Velarra scholars disagree, arguing that Beccas' actions after the fall of Dusk Settlement showed leadership equal to Elena's. They believe Nean had specific reasons for choosing Elena.
Yarve scholars speculate that Nean always intended to choose between Elena and Beccas Hitzer as her successor, and her involvement in their development reveals her preference. For the Sunset Woods, long isolated under a magical barrier, a powerful mage was a better leader than a warrior.
Moreover, Elena's impact on the battlefield surpassed Beccas' after the barrier disappeared. The assessment of both seemed like nothing but a tradition in Sunset Woods. This debate continued until the early Era of Eternal Flame.
Recent insights suggest that at the time of Nean's passing, Elena possessed qualities that made her a better leader. She was courageous, determined, and wise, commanding more respect within the clan. In contrast, Beccas' potential only emerged after the Second Sunset War—before her conversion to Jancis and the establishment of the Hitzers, she hadn't shown remarkable leadership. Nean's decision was based on her deep understanding of both.
Considering their later accomplishments, it's clear Nean was an exceptional mentor.

Chapter Two

Before the barrier around the Sunset Woods vanished, the Elves lived in peace and harmony. Elena and Beccas were born into this tranquility. Unlike the reticent Beccas, Elena was driven to bring every spark of her imagination to life.
She adeptly navigated the edge of acceptable behavior, balancing between others' tolerance and her ambitions. Interestingly, Beccas managed to strike a balance as well, participating in Elena's adventures while avoiding their punishment.
This trait hinted at her potential for political strategy. The settlement's indulgence towards Elena was apparent in their lenient punishments, reflecting their hope in her.
Under Nean's guidance, Elena once led a delegation to Droy. She seemed to represent the settlement's future and the aspirations of the Gloryhylan Elves.
In 10869 of the Era of Firstlight, upon Nean Hitzer's death, Elena ascended as the settlement's new leader. That same year, driven by ambitions, Droy declared war on the Dusk Settlement, igniting the First Sunset War.
Initially, the Elves leveraged their home advantage, repelling Droy's multiple assaults. However, as more human mages joined the fray, the Elves' resistance began to falter. Unexpectedly, the Elves managed to uncover Droy's logistical plans, launching a successful attack on their supply lines.
Following this, the Elves seemed to be able to anticipate Droy's assaults and strike back effectively. Eventually, the Droyans retreated from the Sunset Woods and agreed to a ceasefire.
Retrospectively, it appeared that a mysterious force had aided the Elves. Some speculated it was Gloryhylan's unique perceptual abilities, while others believed a fallen angel was assisting her creations.
Given the vast geography of the Sunset Woods, Droy's defeat was inevitable; their resources were insufficient to sustain a prolonged campaign in such an expanse.
From the inception of their plan to "destroy the Sunset Woods", Droy's defeat was preordained.
The Droyans soon shifted its focus to arenas where they had more expertise. They began engaging with the Elves, portraying themsElves as regretful losers.
They fostered an anti-war sentiment, and lamented the devastation of war more passionately than the Elves themselves, expressing regret over the scorched forests.
Meanwhile, subtle influences reached Elves' ears. Some Elves were swayed by arguments that "Elena's refusal of Droy's proposal brought war to the Sunset Woods, and countless Elves' deaths cemented her status as a savior!"
Or the whispers that "Elena meant well, but Beccas failed in execution... She was the one who destroyed the barrier and rejected Droy's proposal!"
Despite Elena's objections, Beccas left the Sunset Woods. In those days, Elena was despondent—a leader's spirit crushed by the humiliation and exile of a warrior.
The Droyans' conspiracy taught Elena some harsh and dirty realities of political maneuvering. But who learned more, Elena or Beccas, remains a mystery.

Chapter Three

After the First Sunset War, Elena initiated major reforms, drawing from her diplomatic experiences in Droy.
She established schools, guilds, mines, factories, and stockpiled military resources. She organized tribal hunters into a military force and introduced a collective economy, rapidly advancing the Dusk Settlement.
Within a year, the Settlement began to resemble a city-state military with logistical, intelligence, guard, and magical operations units.
Elena particularly focused on what she called "cognitive weapons", integrating the Elves' reverence for Gloryhylan with magic to legitimize her rule and establish a religious authority that countered Droy's propaganda.
She also exploited the discord among Droy's five major factions, covertly supporting Beccas' efforts within Droy to prepare for future conflicts.
Unexpectedly, the next threat did not come solely from the Droyans. In 10873 of the Era of Firstlight, the Church decreed the Sunset Woods blasphemous, sparking the Second Sunset War.
At this juncture, Elena had just completed her reforms and was inviting Beccas back to the Sunset Woods to clear her name publicly. However, Beccas returned with alarming news: all nations worshipping Jancis had declared war on the Dusk Settlement.
Elena's preparations over the years afforded her ability to resist. The human armies, diverse and lacking a unified command, were less effective.
Elena kept the main battles within the woods, using mysterious prophetic power gained in the previous war to repel the attacks.
However, when Droy's main forces, after months of preparation, advanced into the Sunset Woods, Elena faced a formidable disparity in strength.
She decided to employ a powerful but experimental magic, despite the potential for severe harm to her. With Beccas's assistance, the enemy's main force was drawn into a trap, and a spell was cast, igniting a massive rock that set the Sunset Woods ablaze—considered by future scholars to be the first forbidden spell.
The human coalition fell into panic and began to retreat. As the Elven forces pressed their advantage, all present, both Elves and humans, witnessed the descent of an angel.
Sarah, the Archangel, descended with the artifact "Glory", and with a mere gesture, severed the Elven Heartwood Gloryhylan.
Her visit was brief and detached. She did not glance at the carnage below, as if cutting down a blade of grass. The towering tree fell so slowly it was almost imperceptible.
Gloryhylan took a full day to reach the ground. As it burned and crashed, embers filled the sky, transforming the Sunset Woods into a fiery inferno as the Heartwood crushed to dust.
This catastrophe devastated the Elves linked to the Heartwood, who fled to the depth, awaiting their fate.
Desperation pushed Elena to the edge of madness. Her forces, significantly weakened, could no longer defend their home. To the Elves, survival seemed impossible without powers akin to Sarah's.
In the aftermath, a semblance of calm settled. The fall of the Heartwood left the Elves questioning their ability to endure. Sarah had not only cut down their Heartwood but also their future. Elena, refusing to succumb to despair, sought a path forward for her people, though it seemed only death awaited.
Driven mad, Beccas proposed surrendering to the humans, abandoning the god who created the Elves, and pledging allegiance to the true God to secure a future. Elena rejected this idea, causing a bitter split between the two.
In her desperation, Elena uncovered a profound truth—the Elves' god was an angel under Jancis—they were creations of an angel. This angel, having blasphemed, was to be banished to the desolate Abyss.
Attempting to leverage this information, Elena considered recreating the Abyss within the Sunset Woods or unleashing another forbidden spell based on her understanding of the Abyss, aiming to destroy both her enemies and herself...
On the final day of judgment, Elena opened the gates to the Abyss, but she did not kill anyone. She led a group of Elves who refused to convert to Jancis into the Abyss, marking a new, uncertain path forward.

Historical Notes

Beccas Hitzer:
(Era of Firstlight 10837–Era of Rebirth 89) A Primal Elf from Gloryhylan and the last leader of the Dusk Settlement.

Elves:
Before the Era of Eternal Flame, Elves were deeply connected to the Elven Heartwood. Proximity to this tree enhanced their strength and lifespan, while distance weakened them and reduced reproductive abilities. Some scholars view Elves as extensions of the Heartwood rather than a standalone species. The fall of Gloryhylan and the rise of Karianthillae brought the Elves to the brink of extinction.

Dusk Settlement:
At the end of the Era of Firstlight, angels planted Gloryhylan on Mirren to explore Jancis' creation power. Ereno Campbell, an elemental mage, supervised its growth, leading to the evolution of Elves. After Ereno's death, his disciple Nean Hitzer organized the Elves and founded the Dusk Settlement. Following the Taboo and Betrayal, the settlement was ruined, and Beccas led the survivors to establish the Hitzers in Droy.