Council of Elders

Council of Elders are the leaders that govern the unnamed dark elf village.

Background
The Council of Elders were among the pillars of authority in elven villages, alongside the roles of Master of the Hunt, Chief Pharmacist and the Rite Master.

Ascension to a seat on the Council was reserved to those who were the eldest in the village and deemed to have accumulated wisdom in their years.

However in recent years, in one village of dark elves a faction known as the Youth Faction arose. It was composed of young dark elves that held the belief in ability supremacism. They began challenging the elders' respect for convention and tradition, seeing them as weak and obsolete oldsters.

Since the current long-lived elders did not possess any outstanding ability, the Youth Faction called for them to relinquish their leadership roles, as they questioned why they should follow the elders l, who were inferior in ability, when there were several members of the younger generation who were by far superior to them.

So far the tension between the Council of Elders and Youth Faction had not developed into total conflict, due to the youth respecting four people of the village: Master of the Hunt Apple, Blueberry Egnia, the Chief Pharmacist and Rite Master-who did not wish to oppose the elders. Thus the division between those who supported the elders and the Youth Faction was kept at a passive aggressive stance.

However the status quo would be interrupted by the arrival of visitors from beyond the forest.

The Half Elf God-kin Arc
and The Half Elf God-kin II Arc The Council of Elders were alerted by Master of the Hunt Apple of a possible ankyloursus in the area, which the elders then proceeded to disseminate the information to the rest of the village. The ankyloursus turned out to the Ankyloursus Lord which entered the village and began attacking the elf trees. During the attack the elders tried to prepare oil to douse the ursus in flames, but it proved unnecessary as the monster continued to be unpredictable.

The village was saved thanks to the intervention of the young dark elf child named Aura Bella Fiora who single-handedly drove away the ursus.

Aura was granted an audience with the elders, though during the greetings, some members of the Youth Faction were unsatisfied by what they perceived as the Council's show of proper respect towards the savior of the village. Through the simmering argument of philosophies, Aura was quick to catch on the tension and dissolved it by warning both sides to act accordingly in front of her as she took the time to come to their village at personal expense.

With the Council and youth now acting more cordially, the elders asked Aura's purpose for coming to their village. The village was given the story that Aura was a traveling with her family to find other dark elves. Her story of coming alone ahead of her 'uncle' and brother, who would arrive shortly in three days, was accepted by the Council who planned to host a welcoming reception for them when they arrived.

The elders became interest when Aura mentioned about talking about her home, particularly the Trail of the Fey. While most of the younger members of the village dismissed it as a legend, the elders were intrigued when Aura confirmed its existence. After Aura was provided lodging to stay until her family arrive, the elders convened for a meeting to discuss what Aura had told them. The Grand Elder was suspicious that Aura claimed to be familiar with the Trail of the Fey, wondering if she could have used it to travel from the north. The other elders believed it was plausible given the distance and the absurd strength she displayed against the ursus and her bow which they attributed to being bestowed by the fey.

This in mind, one of the elders hoped Aura could remain in the village, though it was wishful thinking as it was more likely that the youngling would travel to another village with her family. To give a lasting impression the elders agreed to host a grand welcome and make preparations in the next three days. Doing so would bring them ire from the Youth Faction, but the elders believed that the youths would tolerate it for their savior. The Grand Elder was fixated on the Trail of the Fey and hoped to ask Aura's uncle, since many of the other villages including his had lost the Fey Blessing and saw an opportunity to regain it. In doing so they Council of Elders believed that maybe the younglings in the village would change their opinion of them. In addition to that the elders aimed to also paint a good reputation of the village so that their home and people would not be seen in a bad image.

Strength
Originally the Council of Elders were pillars of authority in their village. But due to lacking in special abilities, their clout over the village waned as some of the younger generation began to doubt their ability to lead them through their perilous life in the Great Sea of Trees. The elders were not without their own skills and had extent of knowledge of trees and plants as well as memory of what remained of the dark elves oral history.

Known Members

 * Raspberry Nabar (Grand Elder)
 * Peach Orbea
 * Strawberry Pischa

Trivia

 * Green Claw had their own council of elders, though acted as an advisory body to the tribal chieftain.
 * According to Apple, an elven village should only have three seats on the council as any more seats would be deemed too many.
 * The elders seem to be the only dark elves who recall their ancestral homeland in the Great Forest of Tob.