The Elfstones of Shannara
Encyclopedia
The Elfstones of Shannara is an epic fantasy
novel by Terry Brooks
. It is the first sequel to The Sword of Shannara
and the second book in The Original Shannara Trilogy
. It provides the history of the Elves
, which was only hinted at in the preceding story, and follows Wil Ohmsford
, grandson of Shea
(the hero of the first book) and inheritor of the Elfstones.
The novel intertwines two plotlines: the quest of Wil Ohmsford
and Amberle Elessedil
to find Safehold and create a new Ellcrys
, and the attempt by the Elven army and their allies to slow the Demons
to give them time to find it.
, in fall 1975—having begun it in 1967—he began work on another book soon after. The plot he originally chose featured the son of Menion Leah as the protagonist
and a girl with a Siren
-like song that could manipulate the properties of objects around her. Brooks outlined about three-quarters of the story before beginning to write; he refused an attempt by Lester del Rey
to see it because Brooks wanted to impress the editor. However, when Brooks finished three-quarters of the tale in fall 1977 after writing around his law practice hours, he found himself stuck and could not think of a suitable ending. He decided to send the story to del Rey to get his opinion on what the end should be. The reply he received was quite unexpected; del Rey firmly believed that Brooks needed to simply get rid of the started novel and start anew due to a plethora of problems he saw. Once del Rey finished a full line-by-line examination of the plot, Brooks leafed through the comments and found them to be disturbingly accurate.
So, Brooks started over. This time, he created an outline for the full story and mailed it to del Rey and his wife for comments prior to delving into the writing process once more. In his frustration about the old story, though, he decided to forget about his former protagonist—even that character's entire generation. Instead, he gave the protagonist role to the grandson of the hero in Sword, Wil Ohmsford
. In place of the siren-oriented tale, he took on the history of the Elves
. del Rey approved this new plan, and Brooks began weaving the tale in late 1978. He finished it in late 1980 and sent it off to del Rey. He replied in February 1981 with 25 single-spaced pages-worth of errors or problems, including a roughly 200-page span where he felt that the action and dialogue was seen from the author's viewpoint—not a character's. To address this, Brooks utilized Ander Elessedil
, formerly a minor character with little impact on the plot, and turned him into the focus of a majority of the book. Four months later, he sent the story out once again. This time it only required minor alterations.
) came. The Elves, extremely long-lived and possessing great magic, created the Elfstones. However, as a necessary balance to the light, darkness was also created in the beginning of time; from this darkness the Demons
were born. After years of battle between the light and the dark, the Elves summoned their greatest magic and created the Forbidding, a spell that imprisoned the Demons beyond the confines of the world. They also created the Ellcrys
, a beautiful silver tree with crimson leaves to maintain the Forbidding. Unfortunately, this drained nearly all the strength of the Elves, leaving them with very little magic. Most of the creatures of Faerie died out in this period of waning magic; yet the Elves survived, though diminished in splendor. In time, they came to resemble more and more the human race that had recently evolved, both in strength and longevity. Afraid of the rapidly multiplying humans, Elves went into hiding, remaining one with nature, ever guarding the Ellcrys. Even when mankind nearly destroyed the world in the Great Wars
, the Elves lived on, spending their last remaining magic to save the Ellcrys. In the aftermath of the destruction, as mankind split into four distinct races, the Elves took that opportunity to come out from hiding. Indeed, most believed that the Elves were just another offshoot of mankind, like the Dwarves, Gnomes and Trolls. The Elves emerged as leaders in the new world; it was the Elf Galaphile who summoned the first Druid council at Paranor
.
tree was beginning to die, thus weakening the spell that held the Forbidding. The Ellcrys spoke to the Chosen, telling them of a rebirth, a process which enables a new Ellcrys to be born--but this can only be done at the fountain of the Bloodfire. The Chosen then informs their Prince Ander Elessedil
and King Eventine Elessedil
of the matter. However, there is no one who knows of the location of the Bloodfire. A search in the ancient Elven library reveals one reference to the Bloodfire. It states that it lies in a place named "Safehold". At the same time, a powerful Demon, the Dagda Mor, escapes from the waning Forbidding, bringing with it the Reaper and the Changeling. The Dagda Mor then sends the Reaper to kill all the Chosen. Eventine finds himself at a loss, for only the Chosen can make the rebirth of the Ellcrys happen.
The Druid Allanon appeared and went to the ancient Druid keep, Paranor
, in an attempt to locate Safehold. After learning its location, Allanon
was ambushed by the Dagda Mor and a handful of Furies.
He retreated to Storlock for a time, and then went to Havenstead with Wil Ohmsford
--who is a Healer, a descendant of Jerle Shannara
and bearer of the Elfstones--to find Amberle Elessedil
, who is King Eventine's
granddaughter and a Chosen, who abandoned her duty to the Ellcrys
and fled the Elven capital, Arborlon
. She eventually agreed to return to Arborlon with them, only giving in when Demon Wolves were closing in upon them.
En route, close to the Silver River, Allanon, Amberle and Wil were ambushed by Demon wolves. Allanon fended off the Demons while Wil and Amberle escaped to safety. The King of the Silver River
took them in and sheltered them just before they would have been caught; after talking with him, the duo managed to regroup with Allanon and return to Arborlon
. Amberle received a seed from the dying Ellcrys
and prepared to go to Safehold with Wil, six Elven companions and the Captain of the Home Guard, Crispin.
After they journeyed by boat to the Elven outpost at Drey Wood, the group found the entire garrison that had been stationed at the outpost dead--and the Reaper, who had killed all of them. They managed to escape by setting off down the river once more, but two of the Elven guards were run down and killed in the process. The party then goes to the Matted Brakes, where another two of the group are killed by an unknown massive creature. After escaping from the Brakes, the remaining group of five found themselves at an ancient Elven fortress named Pykon. The group made the decision to rest the night there, but the Reaper found them again and killed the final two Elven hunters. Wil and Amberle ran into the network of tunnels inside of the Pykon to try to find Crispin, who had gone into there to try to find a way out. Wil and Amberle finally lost the Reaper by destroying a bridge over a gorge, but they lost Crispin as well. The duo met the young Wing Rider Perk soon after, who agreed to take them into the Wilderun on his Roc, Genewen.
Meanwhile, Allanon and the Elves went to war with the Demons, beginning the War of the Forbidding. The Elven army took up two positions in two mountain passes named Halys Cut and Worl Run. Having no weapons, the Demons used human-wave tactics
in the ensuing battles and literally ran over the Elven army, even managing to injure King Eventine. Ander's brother, Arion Elessedil, was killed as well in Worl Run. Defeated, the Elven force retreated first to Baen Draw, successfully defending it until it was discovered that they were being flanked. They then retreated to Arborlon
, their last line of defense. In the process, they lost their commander, Kael Pindanon. Shortly after their return to Arborlon, Dwarf and Troll contingents joined them, uniting banners from all four of the Four Lands for the first time in history.
Amberle and Wil traveled to the Hollows, domain of the Witch Sisters, but they found out that the Elfstones were stolen by Cephelo, a Rover. Wil leaves Amberle and pursued Cephelo. Eretria, daughter of Cephelo, helped Wil to locate Cephelo only to find that he and the rest of his followers were killed by the Reaper. Wil regained the Elfstones and traveled back to the rim of the Hollows with Eretria. He found Amberle missing. Hebel appeared and agreed to track Amberle for Wil. Together with Hebel's dog, Drifter, they tracked Amberle to Mallenroh's tower. Mallenroh captured them and decided to keep the Elfstones for herself , locking them up.
After the Witch Sisters fought and killed each other, Wil, Eretria, Hebel, and Drifter escaped with Amberle, the Elfstones, and Mallenroh's servant, Wisp; who brings them to the Bloodfire. Amberle absorbs both the Bloodfire and the seed of the Ellcrys. The Reaper attacks them and kills Wisp, but Wil destroyed him by focusing the power of the Elfstones upon his cloaked face. Wil had Amberle call Perk, who brought Wil, Amberle and Eretria back to Arborlon.
By this point, the Demons had begun a full frontal assault upon Arborlon
. Despite desperate attempts to blunt the attacks, the seven gates fell one by one to the superior numbers of the Demons. The Demons eventually broke through the last of the Elven capital's major defenses (the seventh gate). At this point, Allanon engaged and defeated the Dagda Mor in a titanic battle while the forces of "good", now severely depleted, regrouped at their last line of defense: the Gardens of Life
, where the Ellcrys resided. The Demons tried to reach the Ellcrys to destroy her, but they were held back by those forces of "good" just long enough so that Wil and Amberle could fly in. Amberle touched the dead Ellcrys and was transformed into the new Ellcrys; and with this action, Amberle restored the Forbidding, banishing the Demons back to their alternate universe.
With the Demons banished once again, the survivors the War return to their homes. After conversing with Allanon, Wil visits the Ellcrys and comes to terms with Amberle's sacrifice. He then leaves Arborlon with Eretria.
novels have been sold to Warner Bros until 2010. These rights have now expired, though Brooks continues to receive inquiries from film studios.
High fantasy
High fantasy or epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in invented or parallel worlds. High fantasy was brought to fruition through the work of authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, whose major fantasy works were published in the 1950s...
novel by Terry Brooks
Terry Brooks
Terence Dean "Terry" Brooks is an American writer of fantasy fiction. He writes mainly epic fantasy, and has also written two movie novelizations. He has written 23 New York Times bestsellers during his writing career, and has over 21 million copies of his books in print...
. It is the first sequel to The Sword of Shannara
The Sword of Shannara
The Sword of Shannara is a 1977 epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks. The first book of the Original Shannara Trilogy, it was followed by The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara. Inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and historical adventure fiction, Brooks began writing...
and the second book in The Original Shannara Trilogy
Original Shannara Trilogy
The Original Shannara Trilogy consists of the first three Shannara novels by Terry Brooks...
. It provides the history of the Elves
Elves (Shannara)
Elves are one of the races in the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. They are the only race of the faerie creatures still in the World, though they now have become mortal. Though Elves usually refers to the Westland Elves, Elves can be split into two: the "Land Elves" and the...
, which was only hinted at in the preceding story, and follows Wil Ohmsford
Wil Ohmsford
Wil Ohmsford is a fictional character from the Shannara series by Terry Brooks, appearing in two novels: The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara. He is the grandson of Shea Ohmsford and the grand-nephew of Flick Ohmsford....
, grandson of Shea
Shea Ohmsford
Shea Ohmsford is a fictional character and the protagonist of Terry Brooks' epic fantasy novel The Sword of Shannara. In the universe, he is the last known person with the blood of Jerle Shannara, making him the only one who can wield the powerful Sword of Shannara to vanquish the Warlock Lord.-...
(the hero of the first book) and inheritor of the Elfstones.
The novel intertwines two plotlines: the quest of Wil Ohmsford
Wil Ohmsford
Wil Ohmsford is a fictional character from the Shannara series by Terry Brooks, appearing in two novels: The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara. He is the grandson of Shea Ohmsford and the grand-nephew of Flick Ohmsford....
and Amberle Elessedil
Amberle Elessedil
Amberle Elessedil is a fictional character from the epic fantasy novel The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks. She was meant to be the "strong female lead" that was lacking in The Sword of Shannara....
to find Safehold and create a new Ellcrys
Ellcrys
The Ellcrys is a fictional sapient tree with silver bark and crimson leaves that was "created by the bonding of earth and life". She appears in two novels of the Shannara series. She is the magical linchpin of the barrier that keeps the Demons that once overran the Four Lands trapped in an...
, and the attempt by the Elven army and their allies to slow the Demons
Demons (Shannara)
Demons is a common name for many different creatures in the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. The 'true' demons were sealed long ago within an alternate universe, named the Forbidding; this prison is 'maintained' by the Ellcrys, a sacred Elven tree; if she dies, the Forbidding...
to give them time to find it.
Background
After Terry Brooks had completed all work on his first novel, The Sword of ShannaraThe Sword of Shannara
The Sword of Shannara is a 1977 epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks. The first book of the Original Shannara Trilogy, it was followed by The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara. Inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and historical adventure fiction, Brooks began writing...
, in fall 1975—having begun it in 1967—he began work on another book soon after. The plot he originally chose featured the son of Menion Leah as the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
and a girl with a Siren
Siren
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli...
-like song that could manipulate the properties of objects around her. Brooks outlined about three-quarters of the story before beginning to write; he refused an attempt by Lester del Rey
Lester del Rey
Lester del Rey was an American science fiction author and editor. Del Rey was the author of many of the Winston Science Fiction juvenile SF series, and the editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and science fiction branch of Ballantine Books, along with his fourth wife Judy-Lynn del Rey.-Birth...
to see it because Brooks wanted to impress the editor. However, when Brooks finished three-quarters of the tale in fall 1977 after writing around his law practice hours, he found himself stuck and could not think of a suitable ending. He decided to send the story to del Rey to get his opinion on what the end should be. The reply he received was quite unexpected; del Rey firmly believed that Brooks needed to simply get rid of the started novel and start anew due to a plethora of problems he saw. Once del Rey finished a full line-by-line examination of the plot, Brooks leafed through the comments and found them to be disturbingly accurate.
So, Brooks started over. This time, he created an outline for the full story and mailed it to del Rey and his wife for comments prior to delving into the writing process once more. In his frustration about the old story, though, he decided to forget about his former protagonist—even that character's entire generation. Instead, he gave the protagonist role to the grandson of the hero in Sword, Wil Ohmsford
Wil Ohmsford
Wil Ohmsford is a fictional character from the Shannara series by Terry Brooks, appearing in two novels: The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara. He is the grandson of Shea Ohmsford and the grand-nephew of Flick Ohmsford....
. In place of the siren-oriented tale, he took on the history of the Elves
Elves (Shannara)
Elves are one of the races in the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. They are the only race of the faerie creatures still in the World, though they now have become mortal. Though Elves usually refers to the Westland Elves, Elves can be split into two: the "Land Elves" and the...
. del Rey approved this new plan, and Brooks began weaving the tale in late 1978. He finished it in late 1980 and sent it off to del Rey. He replied in February 1981 with 25 single-spaced pages-worth of errors or problems, including a roughly 200-page span where he felt that the action and dialogue was seen from the author's viewpoint—not a character's. To address this, Brooks utilized Ander Elessedil
Ander Elessedil
Ander Elessedil is one of the main characters in Terry Brooks' epic fantasy novel The Elfstones of Shannara. He is the second son of King Eventine Elessedil, being the younger brother of Arion Elessedil and the older brother of now-deceased Aine....
, formerly a minor character with little impact on the plot, and turned him into the focus of a majority of the book. Four months later, he sent the story out once again. This time it only required minor alterations.
History of the Elves
Before the dawn of mankind was the age of Faerie, an era from which many powerful spirits (such as the King of the Silver RiverKing of the Silver River
The King of the Silver River is a fictional character from the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. He has appeared in many of the novels in the series as a recurring character.- Biography :...
) came. The Elves, extremely long-lived and possessing great magic, created the Elfstones. However, as a necessary balance to the light, darkness was also created in the beginning of time; from this darkness the Demons
Demons (Shannara)
Demons is a common name for many different creatures in the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. The 'true' demons were sealed long ago within an alternate universe, named the Forbidding; this prison is 'maintained' by the Ellcrys, a sacred Elven tree; if she dies, the Forbidding...
were born. After years of battle between the light and the dark, the Elves summoned their greatest magic and created the Forbidding, a spell that imprisoned the Demons beyond the confines of the world. They also created the Ellcrys
Ellcrys
The Ellcrys is a fictional sapient tree with silver bark and crimson leaves that was "created by the bonding of earth and life". She appears in two novels of the Shannara series. She is the magical linchpin of the barrier that keeps the Demons that once overran the Four Lands trapped in an...
, a beautiful silver tree with crimson leaves to maintain the Forbidding. Unfortunately, this drained nearly all the strength of the Elves, leaving them with very little magic. Most of the creatures of Faerie died out in this period of waning magic; yet the Elves survived, though diminished in splendor. In time, they came to resemble more and more the human race that had recently evolved, both in strength and longevity. Afraid of the rapidly multiplying humans, Elves went into hiding, remaining one with nature, ever guarding the Ellcrys. Even when mankind nearly destroyed the world in the Great Wars
The Great Wars
The Great Wars are a fictional conflict from the Shannara series by Terry Brooks.According to legend, the Great Wars were a result of several things. These things were common to most societies: territorial dispute, political disagreement, and so on...
, the Elves lived on, spending their last remaining magic to save the Ellcrys. In the aftermath of the destruction, as mankind split into four distinct races, the Elves took that opportunity to come out from hiding. Indeed, most believed that the Elves were just another offshoot of mankind, like the Dwarves, Gnomes and Trolls. The Elves emerged as leaders in the new world; it was the Elf Galaphile who summoned the first Druid council at Paranor
Paranor
Paranor is a fictional location in Terry Brooks' epic fantasy Shannara series. It is the home of the Druids, but it has fallen to enemies of the Druids several times since its initial construction...
.
Plot summary
The magical EllcrysEllcrys
The Ellcrys is a fictional sapient tree with silver bark and crimson leaves that was "created by the bonding of earth and life". She appears in two novels of the Shannara series. She is the magical linchpin of the barrier that keeps the Demons that once overran the Four Lands trapped in an...
tree was beginning to die, thus weakening the spell that held the Forbidding. The Ellcrys spoke to the Chosen, telling them of a rebirth, a process which enables a new Ellcrys to be born--but this can only be done at the fountain of the Bloodfire. The Chosen then informs their Prince Ander Elessedil
Ander Elessedil
Ander Elessedil is one of the main characters in Terry Brooks' epic fantasy novel The Elfstones of Shannara. He is the second son of King Eventine Elessedil, being the younger brother of Arion Elessedil and the older brother of now-deceased Aine....
and King Eventine Elessedil
Eventine Elessedil
Eventine Elessedil is a character from The Sword of Shannara and The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks.- The Sword of Shannara :...
of the matter. However, there is no one who knows of the location of the Bloodfire. A search in the ancient Elven library reveals one reference to the Bloodfire. It states that it lies in a place named "Safehold". At the same time, a powerful Demon, the Dagda Mor, escapes from the waning Forbidding, bringing with it the Reaper and the Changeling. The Dagda Mor then sends the Reaper to kill all the Chosen. Eventine finds himself at a loss, for only the Chosen can make the rebirth of the Ellcrys happen.
The Druid Allanon appeared and went to the ancient Druid keep, Paranor
Paranor
Paranor is a fictional location in Terry Brooks' epic fantasy Shannara series. It is the home of the Druids, but it has fallen to enemies of the Druids several times since its initial construction...
, in an attempt to locate Safehold. After learning its location, Allanon
Allanon
Allanon is a fictional character from the epic fantasy Original Shannara Trilogy and the trilogy's prequel, First King of Shannara; all four are by Terry Brooks. Described as Brooks' "most enigmatic character", Allanon is very secretive and appears only when needed...
was ambushed by the Dagda Mor and a handful of Furies.
He retreated to Storlock for a time, and then went to Havenstead with Wil Ohmsford
Wil Ohmsford
Wil Ohmsford is a fictional character from the Shannara series by Terry Brooks, appearing in two novels: The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara. He is the grandson of Shea Ohmsford and the grand-nephew of Flick Ohmsford....
--who is a Healer, a descendant of Jerle Shannara
Jerle Shannara
Jerle Shannara is a fictional character from Terry Brooks' Shannara series of epic fantasy novels. Only mentioned as a long-deceased person in the Original Shannara Trilogy, he is one of the main characters of the prequel novel First King of Shannara.- Biography :Jerle begins the story as captain...
and bearer of the Elfstones--to find Amberle Elessedil
Amberle Elessedil
Amberle Elessedil is a fictional character from the epic fantasy novel The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks. She was meant to be the "strong female lead" that was lacking in The Sword of Shannara....
, who is King Eventine's
Eventine Elessedil
Eventine Elessedil is a character from The Sword of Shannara and The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks.- The Sword of Shannara :...
granddaughter and a Chosen, who abandoned her duty to the Ellcrys
Ellcrys
The Ellcrys is a fictional sapient tree with silver bark and crimson leaves that was "created by the bonding of earth and life". She appears in two novels of the Shannara series. She is the magical linchpin of the barrier that keeps the Demons that once overran the Four Lands trapped in an...
and fled the Elven capital, Arborlon
Arborlon
Arborlon is the capital city of the Elves in the fictional Shannara series of novels by Terry Brooks. In the Original Shannara Trilogy, the first 3 books, Arborlon is located in the Westland of The Four Lands. In The Elfstones of Shannara, the defense of Arborlon is one of the central plot lines...
. She eventually agreed to return to Arborlon with them, only giving in when Demon Wolves were closing in upon them.
En route, close to the Silver River, Allanon, Amberle and Wil were ambushed by Demon wolves. Allanon fended off the Demons while Wil and Amberle escaped to safety. The King of the Silver River
King of the Silver River
The King of the Silver River is a fictional character from the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. He has appeared in many of the novels in the series as a recurring character.- Biography :...
took them in and sheltered them just before they would have been caught; after talking with him, the duo managed to regroup with Allanon and return to Arborlon
Arborlon
Arborlon is the capital city of the Elves in the fictional Shannara series of novels by Terry Brooks. In the Original Shannara Trilogy, the first 3 books, Arborlon is located in the Westland of The Four Lands. In The Elfstones of Shannara, the defense of Arborlon is one of the central plot lines...
. Amberle received a seed from the dying Ellcrys
Ellcrys
The Ellcrys is a fictional sapient tree with silver bark and crimson leaves that was "created by the bonding of earth and life". She appears in two novels of the Shannara series. She is the magical linchpin of the barrier that keeps the Demons that once overran the Four Lands trapped in an...
and prepared to go to Safehold with Wil, six Elven companions and the Captain of the Home Guard, Crispin.
After they journeyed by boat to the Elven outpost at Drey Wood, the group found the entire garrison that had been stationed at the outpost dead--and the Reaper, who had killed all of them. They managed to escape by setting off down the river once more, but two of the Elven guards were run down and killed in the process. The party then goes to the Matted Brakes, where another two of the group are killed by an unknown massive creature. After escaping from the Brakes, the remaining group of five found themselves at an ancient Elven fortress named Pykon. The group made the decision to rest the night there, but the Reaper found them again and killed the final two Elven hunters. Wil and Amberle ran into the network of tunnels inside of the Pykon to try to find Crispin, who had gone into there to try to find a way out. Wil and Amberle finally lost the Reaper by destroying a bridge over a gorge, but they lost Crispin as well. The duo met the young Wing Rider Perk soon after, who agreed to take them into the Wilderun on his Roc, Genewen.
Meanwhile, Allanon and the Elves went to war with the Demons, beginning the War of the Forbidding. The Elven army took up two positions in two mountain passes named Halys Cut and Worl Run. Having no weapons, the Demons used human-wave tactics
Human wave attack
Human wave attack, also known as human sea attack, is an offensive infantry tactic, in which an attacker conducts an unprotected frontal assault with densely concentrated infantry formations against the enemy line, intended to overrun the defenders by engaging in melee combat.-Definition:According...
in the ensuing battles and literally ran over the Elven army, even managing to injure King Eventine. Ander's brother, Arion Elessedil, was killed as well in Worl Run. Defeated, the Elven force retreated first to Baen Draw, successfully defending it until it was discovered that they were being flanked. They then retreated to Arborlon
Arborlon
Arborlon is the capital city of the Elves in the fictional Shannara series of novels by Terry Brooks. In the Original Shannara Trilogy, the first 3 books, Arborlon is located in the Westland of The Four Lands. In The Elfstones of Shannara, the defense of Arborlon is one of the central plot lines...
, their last line of defense. In the process, they lost their commander, Kael Pindanon. Shortly after their return to Arborlon, Dwarf and Troll contingents joined them, uniting banners from all four of the Four Lands for the first time in history.
Amberle and Wil traveled to the Hollows, domain of the Witch Sisters, but they found out that the Elfstones were stolen by Cephelo, a Rover. Wil leaves Amberle and pursued Cephelo. Eretria, daughter of Cephelo, helped Wil to locate Cephelo only to find that he and the rest of his followers were killed by the Reaper. Wil regained the Elfstones and traveled back to the rim of the Hollows with Eretria. He found Amberle missing. Hebel appeared and agreed to track Amberle for Wil. Together with Hebel's dog, Drifter, they tracked Amberle to Mallenroh's tower. Mallenroh captured them and decided to keep the Elfstones for herself , locking them up.
After the Witch Sisters fought and killed each other, Wil, Eretria, Hebel, and Drifter escaped with Amberle, the Elfstones, and Mallenroh's servant, Wisp; who brings them to the Bloodfire. Amberle absorbs both the Bloodfire and the seed of the Ellcrys. The Reaper attacks them and kills Wisp, but Wil destroyed him by focusing the power of the Elfstones upon his cloaked face. Wil had Amberle call Perk, who brought Wil, Amberle and Eretria back to Arborlon.
By this point, the Demons had begun a full frontal assault upon Arborlon
Arborlon
Arborlon is the capital city of the Elves in the fictional Shannara series of novels by Terry Brooks. In the Original Shannara Trilogy, the first 3 books, Arborlon is located in the Westland of The Four Lands. In The Elfstones of Shannara, the defense of Arborlon is one of the central plot lines...
. Despite desperate attempts to blunt the attacks, the seven gates fell one by one to the superior numbers of the Demons. The Demons eventually broke through the last of the Elven capital's major defenses (the seventh gate). At this point, Allanon engaged and defeated the Dagda Mor in a titanic battle while the forces of "good", now severely depleted, regrouped at their last line of defense: the Gardens of Life
Gardens of Life
The Gardens of Life are a fictional location in the epic fantasy Shannara series by Terry Brooks. Being the home of the Ellcrys, the magical tree that keeps the Demons of old locked away in an alternate universe , it was one of the central locations in The Elfstones of Shannara.- Description :The...
, where the Ellcrys resided. The Demons tried to reach the Ellcrys to destroy her, but they were held back by those forces of "good" just long enough so that Wil and Amberle could fly in. Amberle touched the dead Ellcrys and was transformed into the new Ellcrys; and with this action, Amberle restored the Forbidding, banishing the Demons back to their alternate universe.
With the Demons banished once again, the survivors the War return to their homes. After conversing with Allanon, Wil visits the Ellcrys and comes to terms with Amberle's sacrifice. He then leaves Arborlon with Eretria.
Film rights
The rights to movie adaptations for all of the ShannaraShannara
Shannara is an epic fantasy series of novels written by Terry Brooks, beginning with The Sword of Shannara in 1977 and continuing through Bearers of the Black Staff which was released on August 24, 2010, as well as a prequel, First King of Shannara...
novels have been sold to Warner Bros until 2010. These rights have now expired, though Brooks continues to receive inquiries from film studios.
Main characters
- AllanonAllanonAllanon is a fictional character from the epic fantasy Original Shannara Trilogy and the trilogy's prequel, First King of Shannara; all four are by Terry Brooks. Described as Brooks' "most enigmatic character", Allanon is very secretive and appears only when needed...
- Amberle ElessedilAmberle ElessedilAmberle Elessedil is a fictional character from the epic fantasy novel The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks. She was meant to be the "strong female lead" that was lacking in The Sword of Shannara....
- Ander ElessedilAnder ElessedilAnder Elessedil is one of the main characters in Terry Brooks' epic fantasy novel The Elfstones of Shannara. He is the second son of King Eventine Elessedil, being the younger brother of Arion Elessedil and the older brother of now-deceased Aine....
- Changeling (demon)
- Dagda Mor (demon)
- EllcrysEllcrysThe Ellcrys is a fictional sapient tree with silver bark and crimson leaves that was "created by the bonding of earth and life". She appears in two novels of the Shannara series. She is the magical linchpin of the barrier that keeps the Demons that once overran the Four Lands trapped in an...
- EretriaEretria (Shannara)Eretria is a character from the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks; she appears in The Elfstones of Shannara and aids Wil Ohmsford and Amberle Elessedil in their quest to find the Bloodfire.- Pre-Elfstones :...
- Eventine ElessedilEventine ElessedilEventine Elessedil is a character from The Sword of Shannara and The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks.- The Sword of Shannara :...
- The Reaper (demon)
- Stee Jans
- Wil OhmsfordWil OhmsfordWil Ohmsford is a fictional character from the Shannara series by Terry Brooks, appearing in two novels: The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara. He is the grandson of Shea Ohmsford and the grand-nephew of Flick Ohmsford....
Minor characters
- Amantar
- Arion Elessedil
- Artaq (horse)
- Browork
- Cephelo (deceased)
- Cormac (deceased)
- Crispin (deceased)
- Dancer (roc)
- Dardan
- Dayn (Wing Rider; Perk's uncle)
- Dilph (deceased)
- Drifter (dog)
- Ehlron Tay
- Emer Chios
- Flick OhmsfordFlick OhmsfordFlick Ohmsford is a character in The Sword of Shannara, a novel by Terry Brooks....
- Flyn
- Gael
- Genewen (roc)
- Hebel
- Herrol
- Jase
- Kael Pindanon
- Katsin (deceased)
- Kerrin (deceased)
- Kian (deceased)
- King of the Silver RiverKing of the Silver RiverThe King of the Silver River is a fictional character from the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. He has appeared in many of the novels in the series as a recurring character.- Biography :...
- Kobold
- Lauren
- Manx (dog)(deceased)
- Mallenroh
- Morag
- Ped (deceased)
- Perk
- Rhoe
- Rin
- Spitter (horse)
- Went (deceased)
- Wisp (deceased)