Elaith Craulnober
Encyclopedia
Elaith Craulnober is a fiction
al character in the Forgotten Realms
fantasy
campaign setting
for the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
. Elaith is often used by author Elaine Cunningham
and has appeared in many of her novels, namely, Elfshadow, Elfsong, Silver Shadows, Dream Spheres, and briefly as a very young child in Evermeet: Island of Elves. He is often portrayed as a cunning and opportunistic elven
rogue
with an infamous reputation, although the Forgotten Realms
campaign setting presents him as a fighter
/wizard
. The author uses him both as an antihero and a recurring villain, and is often referred as "The Serpent." Elaith has also made an appearance in Neverwinter Nights
as a merchant who has taken up a calmer outlook on life.
noble with sharp, handsome features and a graceful build. In one of the novels, he is described to be as tall as Arilyn Moonblade (making his height approximately 5'8 feet) Elaith has silver hair and the pale skin common to his people, the moon elves (gray elves). His eyes are often portrayed as having an amber color. He favors to wear his trademark black cape and elven daggers, which he often uses to solidify his already fearsome reputation. He is often likened to a "silver snake" because of his appearance, which gave him his alias, "The Serpent".
to the brutal and heartless crime lord he is today has given him oft contrasting qualities. Before meeting Arilyn Moonblade, Elaith has been a heartless crime lord with a penchant for cruelty. He was portrayed as a manipulative and evil elf whose canny intelligence managed him a worthy position in Waterdeep
's nobility. Elaith is also portrayed as a very proud elf, where any slight made to him is answered brutally. Despite his often unforgiving manner, Elaith has a twisted sense of honor, and seems to fully respect (albeit in a twisted fashion) many elven traditions - including his use of "Elf-friend." During the events of the Song and Swords series, Elaith has undergone a drastic change. He became more questioning in his moralities, and even began to actively seek redemption - through any means possible. Currently, Elaith is still an evil crime lord, albeit with a little less than cruel streak.
Elaith tends to be hard on his allies; in other words, few live to tell the tale of their travels. Tavern stories tell of several adventuring bands that Elaith has organized to go off after some treasure or other. Invariably, Elaith is the only member to ever return from these expeditions.
While his sinister reputation precedes him these days, Elaith has few foes that live long enough to be identified as such. After his recent involvement in one of their plots, the Knights of the Shield can be considered an enemy.
. He is also the owner of a large portion of the city and numerous magical trinkets, not to mention a fortune in gold. Elaith often prefers to hire mercenaries to perform his illegal activities for him.
But aside from his wealth and reputation, Elaith is also very capable in combat. Elaith, the Serpent, is a highly skilled master warrior even by the highly exacting elven standards, as shown in the book Elfsong. Elaith is also a master in wielding daggers, and often dual wields them to confuse (or to toy with) his opponents. He has also exhibited various magical capabilities, including Scrying
and Invisibility
.
Elaith is also quite familiar with the criminal underground, and practices larceny quite easily. He is known to deactivate locks and traps with ease. And he is also known for blending well into shadows. Whether he performs these by mundane means, or by magical means is still up for debate.
Elaith prefers melee combat to magical but will often soften up his foes with a dramatic fireball or lightning bolt and then close to the up-close-and-personal contest of blades. Elaith’s foes are lucky in a way. They get to see firsthand a display of Elaith's dazzlingly graceful swordwork. More than once has Elaith taken a certain black glee in toying with an opponent in the midst of a tavern brawl, much to the entertainment of those not involved.
His dormant Moonblade, an elven artifact that previously rejected him as its owner (because of his questionable character) - inevitably causing his exile. It has been reactivated in the novel, Elfsong.
Elaith also owns a magical dagger that returns to his hand after it is thrown. He obtained it through a trade from the harper, Danilo Thann.
Finally, Elaith owns a scrying ball, which he uses in conversing with prospective clients - and potentially spying on them.
Elaith has two children, although only one of them is known to him. Azariah Craulnober, for whom he sacrificed a lot to recover the dormant Moonblade, is currently being fostered in Evermeet and being trained as blade-heir. Elaith also has a son by the Princess Amnestria. However, she gave birth to him in secret after Elaith moved to Waterdeep. The lost prince's story has not yet been told.
Elaith's other closest companion was, ironically, the harper who was formerly his most hated enemy, Danilo Thann. After the events in Elfsong, Elaith named Danilo Thann an elf-friend in return for the Waterdhavian bard saving his life, though he has been known to refer to this as an act of supreme folly.
He views the half-elven assassin Arilyn Moonblade as elven royalty - and possibly as the daughter he never had with Princess Amnestria (as evidenced in Elfshadow). Initially mistaking her for Princess Amnestria, he has forged a tentative alliance with the brooding half elf.
Elaith has professed a seething hatred for Arilyn's human father, the Harper Bran Skorlskun - a former friend. Whether this hatred stems from his human heritage, or to the human's inability to protect Amnestria, or to the fact that she loved the human more than she loved him - is unclear in the novels.
Elaith also briefly met the charming rogue, Bronwyn Caradoon, secretly a Harper Agent sent to sabotage one of his plans in Dream Spheres. He has displayed an uncharacteristic attraction with Bronwyn, an attraction that constantly prevented him from killing the sly female rogue.
He also has a somewhat awkward "treaty" with Khelben Blackstaff and the Lady Laeral, as he had saved the archmage's life from a powerful charmed state during the events in Elfsong, and provided aid to Laeral and her sisters in Silverfall.
Elaith was formerly a captain of the guard on Evermeet
, a highly skilled warrior and a very respected elf. He was betrothed to Princess Amnestria, the mother of Arilyn Moonblade, whom he dearly loved. He was due to inherit a moonblade, and, although well aware that many had been judged unworthy of wielding it, it never occurred to him for a second that he might not be considered worthy. He lived what he himself felt was a charmed life.
However, Elaith had a fatal flaw. Although not truly evil at this time, he lacked depth of character. He excelled at fulfilling the rules and laws of Evermeet and meeting, even exceeding, expectations of what an elf should be, but only because this was what was expected of him. He obeyed the rules only because he was supposed to. This failing was enough for the moonblade to judge him unworthy.
Elaith's world was shattered when the moonblade rejected him. Usually, a moonblade's rejection is fatal to the one who draws the sword, but because Elaith was the last of his line, the sword merely became dormant (although Elaith surely would have preferred death.) Unable to face anyone on Evermeet, particularly Amnestria, after his failure, he fled, finding himself in Waterdeep. He soon found that utilizing his great skills in ventures that were not necessarily ethical (or legal) could prove immensely profitable—and that indulging in acts of cruelty could allow him to sublimate the great pain he felt at his own loss.
He took passage on a vessel to Waterdeep. Once in Waterdeep, he discovered the cold rage and icy temper that have come to mark most of his life since then. Putting his own interests and survival above all, Elaith has grown to quite the notorious figure in and around the City of Splendors.
He soon became a rogue elf, and began building his own underground empire in Waterdeep
. He acquired a reputation for ruthlessness as both an assassin and crime lord, which he went to great lengths to keep for some time. He has a fondness for magical items, and retained his family Moonblade, though this was of course dormant.
Elaith met Danilo Thann and Arilyn Moonblade in the events of Elfshadow, and aided them in their quest to find the Harper Assassin. However, despite Elaith's fondness for Arilyn, he had his own personal agenda and vendetta - which caused no little difficulty for the pair. Especially Danilo Thann, whom he arranged to be assassinated - a job he later rescinded. He later aided both of them in solving the puzzle to finally defeat Kymil Nimesin and his personal plan to usurp the elven throne.
In the events of Elfsong, Elaith hesitantly joined forces with his hated enemy, Danilo Thann - in order to solve a riddle of the ancient Green Dragon, Grimnoshtadrano - and to hunt down an artifact to stop a sorceress from destroying Waterdeep. With a rag-tag army of minstrels, mercenaries, and riddlemasters - Elaith and Danilo solved the riddle and regained the artifact, wherein Elaith finally reveals his true intentions. He steals the artifact in an attempt to reactivate his dormant Moonblade to rehonor his bloodline for his new daughter, Azariah Craulnober. The Moonblade was later reactivated, not because of the artifact, but because of his selfless sacrifice for his daughter.
In the events of Dream Spheres, Elaith discovers the magical qualities of the Dream Spheres - a mercantile product used to create dreamscapes for the upper nobility of Waterdeep. In an attempt to test the "evil" of his soul, Elaith took a legendary intelligent Mhoarkiira - a magical artifact used to magnify a person's magical capability. Legend says that the Mhoarkiira would bend an ordinary person's soul to evil, but if wielded by a truly vile being, the artifact would bow down to his will completely. Temporarily fooled by a false copy of the artifact - Elaith, believing himself beyond redemption, sank down to the evil streak of cruelty and ruthlessness he was previously known for. However, at the end, he once again aided Arilyn and Danilo in destroying the evil Mhoarkiira to restore order in Waterdeep.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character in the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. Elaith is often used by author Elaine Cunningham
Elaine Cunningham
Elaine Cunningham is an American fantasy and science fiction author, especially known for her contributions to the Dungeons & Dragons role playing game campaign setting of Forgotten Realms, including the realms of Evermeet, Halruaa, Ruathym and Waterdeep.-Biography:Elaine Cunningham grew up in New...
and has appeared in many of her novels, namely, Elfshadow, Elfsong, Silver Shadows, Dream Spheres, and briefly as a very young child in Evermeet: Island of Elves. He is often portrayed as a cunning and opportunistic elven
Elf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
rogue
Rogue (Dungeons & Dragons)
The rogue or thief is one of the standard playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks...
with an infamous reputation, although the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting presents him as a fighter
Fighter (Dungeons & Dragons)
The fighter is one of the standard playable character classes in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A fighter is a versatile, weapons-oriented warrior who fights using skill, strategy and tactics....
/wizard
Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)
The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
. The author uses him both as an antihero and a recurring villain, and is often referred as "The Serpent." Elaith has also made an appearance in Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights , produced by BioWare and published by Infogrames , is a third-person perspective computer role-playing game that is based on third edition Dungeons & Dragons and Forgotten Realms rules. It was originally to be published by Interplay Entertainment, but the publisher's financial...
as a merchant who has taken up a calmer outlook on life.
Appearance
Elaith Craulnober is described as a tall elvenElf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
noble with sharp, handsome features and a graceful build. In one of the novels, he is described to be as tall as Arilyn Moonblade (making his height approximately 5'8 feet) Elaith has silver hair and the pale skin common to his people, the moon elves (gray elves). His eyes are often portrayed as having an amber color. He favors to wear his trademark black cape and elven daggers, which he often uses to solidify his already fearsome reputation. He is often likened to a "silver snake" because of his appearance, which gave him his alias, "The Serpent".
Personality
Although Elaith can be quite ruthless, even cruel, in the pursuit of his goals, he is also a tragic character who seemingly never recovered from his initial fall. His descent from the Captain of the King's guard on EvermeetEvermeet
Evermeet is an island in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons game, located far west of the continent of Faerûn...
to the brutal and heartless crime lord he is today has given him oft contrasting qualities. Before meeting Arilyn Moonblade, Elaith has been a heartless crime lord with a penchant for cruelty. He was portrayed as a manipulative and evil elf whose canny intelligence managed him a worthy position in Waterdeep
Waterdeep (city)
Waterdeep is a fictional city-state that forms part of a popular Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game campaign setting called the Forgotten Realms. It is a port city that is located along the western coast of the Faerûn sub-continent...
's nobility. Elaith is also portrayed as a very proud elf, where any slight made to him is answered brutally. Despite his often unforgiving manner, Elaith has a twisted sense of honor, and seems to fully respect (albeit in a twisted fashion) many elven traditions - including his use of "Elf-friend." During the events of the Song and Swords series, Elaith has undergone a drastic change. He became more questioning in his moralities, and even began to actively seek redemption - through any means possible. Currently, Elaith is still an evil crime lord, albeit with a little less than cruel streak.
Elaith tends to be hard on his allies; in other words, few live to tell the tale of their travels. Tavern stories tell of several adventuring bands that Elaith has organized to go off after some treasure or other. Invariably, Elaith is the only member to ever return from these expeditions.
While his sinister reputation precedes him these days, Elaith has few foes that live long enough to be identified as such. After his recent involvement in one of their plots, the Knights of the Shield can be considered an enemy.
Talents and abilities
Foremost to his abilities would be his fearsome reputation and his willingness to commit the vilest, cruelest acts. Elaith has honed his reputation to a point where he is nigh untouchable in the City of WaterdeepWaterdeep (city)
Waterdeep is a fictional city-state that forms part of a popular Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game campaign setting called the Forgotten Realms. It is a port city that is located along the western coast of the Faerûn sub-continent...
. He is also the owner of a large portion of the city and numerous magical trinkets, not to mention a fortune in gold. Elaith often prefers to hire mercenaries to perform his illegal activities for him.
But aside from his wealth and reputation, Elaith is also very capable in combat. Elaith, the Serpent, is a highly skilled master warrior even by the highly exacting elven standards, as shown in the book Elfsong. Elaith is also a master in wielding daggers, and often dual wields them to confuse (or to toy with) his opponents. He has also exhibited various magical capabilities, including Scrying
Scrying
Scrying is a magic practice that involves seeing things psychically in a medium, usually for purposes of obtaining spiritual visions and less often for purposes of divination or fortune-telling. The most common media used are reflective, translucent, or luminescent substances such as crystals,...
and Invisibility
Invisibility
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be invisible . The term is usually used as a fantasy/science fiction term, where objects are literally made unseeable by magical or technological means; however, its effects can also be seen in the real...
.
Elaith is also quite familiar with the criminal underground, and practices larceny quite easily. He is known to deactivate locks and traps with ease. And he is also known for blending well into shadows. Whether he performs these by mundane means, or by magical means is still up for debate.
Elaith prefers melee combat to magical but will often soften up his foes with a dramatic fireball or lightning bolt and then close to the up-close-and-personal contest of blades. Elaith’s foes are lucky in a way. They get to see firsthand a display of Elaith's dazzlingly graceful swordwork. More than once has Elaith taken a certain black glee in toying with an opponent in the midst of a tavern brawl, much to the entertainment of those not involved.
Magical Items
Elaith is a veritable collector of magical items, and as such, his entire inventory would be impossible to note. His more notable magical trinkets are as follows:His dormant Moonblade, an elven artifact that previously rejected him as its owner (because of his questionable character) - inevitably causing his exile. It has been reactivated in the novel, Elfsong.
Elaith also owns a magical dagger that returns to his hand after it is thrown. He obtained it through a trade from the harper, Danilo Thann.
Finally, Elaith owns a scrying ball, which he uses in conversing with prospective clients - and potentially spying on them.
Relationships
Elaith's strongest bond was with the Princess Amnestria, Arilyn Moonblade's mother, and his supposed betrothed. Elaith left her and the elven community after he was rejected by his Moonblade - inflicting himself with a self-imposed exile. Elaith's unresolved emotion for the princess is as such that it is one of the few things that can break his iron self control. During the Dream Spheres event, he was almost killed because of this weakness.Elaith has two children, although only one of them is known to him. Azariah Craulnober, for whom he sacrificed a lot to recover the dormant Moonblade, is currently being fostered in Evermeet and being trained as blade-heir. Elaith also has a son by the Princess Amnestria. However, she gave birth to him in secret after Elaith moved to Waterdeep. The lost prince's story has not yet been told.
Elaith's other closest companion was, ironically, the harper who was formerly his most hated enemy, Danilo Thann. After the events in Elfsong, Elaith named Danilo Thann an elf-friend in return for the Waterdhavian bard saving his life, though he has been known to refer to this as an act of supreme folly.
He views the half-elven assassin Arilyn Moonblade as elven royalty - and possibly as the daughter he never had with Princess Amnestria (as evidenced in Elfshadow). Initially mistaking her for Princess Amnestria, he has forged a tentative alliance with the brooding half elf.
Elaith has professed a seething hatred for Arilyn's human father, the Harper Bran Skorlskun - a former friend. Whether this hatred stems from his human heritage, or to the human's inability to protect Amnestria, or to the fact that she loved the human more than she loved him - is unclear in the novels.
Elaith also briefly met the charming rogue, Bronwyn Caradoon, secretly a Harper Agent sent to sabotage one of his plans in Dream Spheres. He has displayed an uncharacteristic attraction with Bronwyn, an attraction that constantly prevented him from killing the sly female rogue.
He also has a somewhat awkward "treaty" with Khelben Blackstaff and the Lady Laeral, as he had saved the archmage's life from a powerful charmed state during the events in Elfsong, and provided aid to Laeral and her sisters in Silverfall.
History
Elaith was born and grew to maturity amid the splendor of the isle of Evermeet. He had a home, love, and he was heir to the Craulnober moonblade.Elaith was formerly a captain of the guard on Evermeet
Evermeet
Evermeet is an island in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons game, located far west of the continent of Faerûn...
, a highly skilled warrior and a very respected elf. He was betrothed to Princess Amnestria, the mother of Arilyn Moonblade, whom he dearly loved. He was due to inherit a moonblade, and, although well aware that many had been judged unworthy of wielding it, it never occurred to him for a second that he might not be considered worthy. He lived what he himself felt was a charmed life.
However, Elaith had a fatal flaw. Although not truly evil at this time, he lacked depth of character. He excelled at fulfilling the rules and laws of Evermeet and meeting, even exceeding, expectations of what an elf should be, but only because this was what was expected of him. He obeyed the rules only because he was supposed to. This failing was enough for the moonblade to judge him unworthy.
Elaith's world was shattered when the moonblade rejected him. Usually, a moonblade's rejection is fatal to the one who draws the sword, but because Elaith was the last of his line, the sword merely became dormant (although Elaith surely would have preferred death.) Unable to face anyone on Evermeet, particularly Amnestria, after his failure, he fled, finding himself in Waterdeep. He soon found that utilizing his great skills in ventures that were not necessarily ethical (or legal) could prove immensely profitable—and that indulging in acts of cruelty could allow him to sublimate the great pain he felt at his own loss.
He took passage on a vessel to Waterdeep. Once in Waterdeep, he discovered the cold rage and icy temper that have come to mark most of his life since then. Putting his own interests and survival above all, Elaith has grown to quite the notorious figure in and around the City of Splendors.
He soon became a rogue elf, and began building his own underground empire in Waterdeep
Waterdeep (city)
Waterdeep is a fictional city-state that forms part of a popular Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game campaign setting called the Forgotten Realms. It is a port city that is located along the western coast of the Faerûn sub-continent...
. He acquired a reputation for ruthlessness as both an assassin and crime lord, which he went to great lengths to keep for some time. He has a fondness for magical items, and retained his family Moonblade, though this was of course dormant.
Elaith met Danilo Thann and Arilyn Moonblade in the events of Elfshadow, and aided them in their quest to find the Harper Assassin. However, despite Elaith's fondness for Arilyn, he had his own personal agenda and vendetta - which caused no little difficulty for the pair. Especially Danilo Thann, whom he arranged to be assassinated - a job he later rescinded. He later aided both of them in solving the puzzle to finally defeat Kymil Nimesin and his personal plan to usurp the elven throne.
In the events of Elfsong, Elaith hesitantly joined forces with his hated enemy, Danilo Thann - in order to solve a riddle of the ancient Green Dragon, Grimnoshtadrano - and to hunt down an artifact to stop a sorceress from destroying Waterdeep. With a rag-tag army of minstrels, mercenaries, and riddlemasters - Elaith and Danilo solved the riddle and regained the artifact, wherein Elaith finally reveals his true intentions. He steals the artifact in an attempt to reactivate his dormant Moonblade to rehonor his bloodline for his new daughter, Azariah Craulnober. The Moonblade was later reactivated, not because of the artifact, but because of his selfless sacrifice for his daughter.
In the events of Dream Spheres, Elaith discovers the magical qualities of the Dream Spheres - a mercantile product used to create dreamscapes for the upper nobility of Waterdeep. In an attempt to test the "evil" of his soul, Elaith took a legendary intelligent Mhoarkiira - a magical artifact used to magnify a person's magical capability. Legend says that the Mhoarkiira would bend an ordinary person's soul to evil, but if wielded by a truly vile being, the artifact would bow down to his will completely. Temporarily fooled by a false copy of the artifact - Elaith, believing himself beyond redemption, sank down to the evil streak of cruelty and ruthlessness he was previously known for. However, at the end, he once again aided Arilyn and Danilo in destroying the evil Mhoarkiira to restore order in Waterdeep.
Quotes
- "As you will learn, my pride has a very high price indeed." —Elaith Craulnober, Elfshadow
- "Elaith Craulnober, under different circumstances I believe we could have become very good friends." - Laeral of the Seven Sisters in grim agreement with Elaith's twisted justice, Elfsong
- "Better to embrace evil than to become overcome by it." - Elaith Craulnober, Dream Spheres
- "Thanks, but I don't want you to get troubled on my account. No offense, but who will believe that you fought to protect my honor?" - Bronwyn gently refusing Elaith's offer to help, Dream Spheres
- "The difference between a rogue and a hero often comes down to who tells the tale." - Danilo Thann describing Elaith, Dream Spheres