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Elven Cycle of Generations

The elven cycle of generations, know as the ka, is the result of elves very long lifespan, but limited time when they can bear children. Elves are only fertile for about 30 years, when the roots of Aldanor tie them to the Material Plane, but can live to be hundreds, or even thousands, of years old. This means that each generation is distinct and non-overlapping, and the elves count these, numbering from when the planes were separated and the Taelgar was created.

Mela and Leya

Each new ka begins with the mela, when the the Living Tree, Aldanor, puts roots into the material world. All elves feel the pull of this connection to Taelgar, as it grows over the first few years of the mela. An elf experiencing their first mela feels a particularly strong pull towards Aldanor, and those who accept this connection are able to bear children, until the mela ends. Elven children are born only during the mela, and as it ends they enter the Dreaming, the 50 year childhood of dreams and magic during which elves sleep for the only time in their lives.

The Dreaming ends with the Rite of Awakening, which marks the beginning of the leya, the time when Elmerca, the Wild Star, is dominant, and elves feel a pull to disperse, to journey. Children are considered adults when the experience their first Awakening, and those new adults are encouraged to travel, until the mela and the Rite of Return pulls them back, and the cycle repeats.

Aging and Leaving

The pull of the mela gets fainter and fainter as elves age. Elves in their first mela feel the pull most strongly, and many become parents. In their second, and third mela, many elves take on roles as nurturers of children and elven society, or caretakers of the world. By their fourth mela, some elves begin to stop feeling the roots of Aldanor, the pull of Taelgar, and many begin to forget the past, or even pass on entirely. Elves of this age and older are considered elders. By their fifth mela, many elves being to depart, and only those who have a strong reason to stay connected to the world remain for their 6th mela and beyond to become ancients.

The Years of the ka

Elves do not usually concern themselves with the passing of mere years, focusing instead on the cycle of ka, mela, and leya. Still, for those who must translate the elves into the history of other species, the dates of each ka in the Dwarven Count of Years (CY) and in Drankorian Reckoning (DR) are provided.

ka period CY DR nuturer ka caretaker ka elders/unifiers ancients
1 mela 0 -4133 0 0 0 0
1 leya 80 -4053 0 0 0 0
2 mela 160 -3973 1 0 0 0
2 leya 240 -3893 0 1 0 0
3 mela 320 -3813 2 1 0 0
3 leya 400 -3733 1 2 0 0
4 mela 480 -3653 3 2 1 0
4 leya 560 -3573 2 3 1 0
5 mela 640 -3493 4 3 2 0
5 leya 720 -3413 3 4 2 0
6 mela 800 -3333 5 4 3 0
6 leya 880 -3253 4 5 3 0
7 mela 960 -3173 6 5 4 1
7 leya 1040 -3093 5 6 4 1
8 mela 1120 -3013 7 6 5 2
8 leya 1200 -2933 6 7 5 2
9 mela 1280 -2853 8 7 6 3
9 leya 1360 -2773 7 8 6 3
10 mela 1440 -2693 9 8 7 4
10 leya 1520 -2613 8 9 7 4
11 mela 1600 -2533 10 9 8 5
11 leya 1680 -2453 9 10 8 5
12 mela 1760 -2373 11 10 9 6
12 leya 1840 -2293 10 11 9 6
13 mela 1920 -2213 12 11 10 7
13 leya 2000 -2133 11 12 10 7
14 mela 2080 -2053 13 12 11 8
14 leya 2160 -1973 12 13 11 8
15 mela 2240 -1893 14 13 12 9
15 leya 2320 -1813 13 14 12 9
16 mela 2400 -1733 15 14 13 10
16 leya 2480 -1653 14 15 13 10
17 mela 2560 -1573 16 15 14 11
17 leya 2640 -1493 15 16 14 11
18 mela 2720 -1413 17 16 15 12
18 leya 2800 -1333 16 17 15 12
19 mela 2880 -1253 18 17 16 13
19 leya 2960 -1173 17 18 16 13
20 mela 3040 -1093 19 18 17 14
20 leya 3120 -1013 18 19 17 14
21 mela 3200 -933 20 19 18 15
21 leya 3280 -853 19 20 18 15
22 mela 3360 -773 21 20 19 16
22 leya 3440 -693 20 21 19 16
23 mela 3520 -613 22 21 20 17
23 leya 3600 -533 21 22 20 17
24 mela 3680 -453 23 22 21 18
24 leya 3760 -373 22 23 21 18
25 mela 3840 -293 24 23 22 19
25 leya 3920 -213 23 24 22 19
26 mela 4000 -133 25 24 23 20
26 leya 4080 -53 24 25 23 20
27 mela 4160 27 26 25 24 21
27 leya 4240 107 25 26 24 21
28 mela 4320 187 27 26 25 22
28 leya 4400 267 26 27 25 22
29 mela 4480 347 28 27 26 23
29 leya 4560 427 27 28 26 23
30 mela 4640 507 29 28 27 24
30 leya 4720 587 28 29 27 24
31 mela 4800 667 30 29 28 25
31 leya 4880 747 29 30 28 25
32 mela 4960 827 31 30 29 26
32 leya 5040 907 30 31 29 26
33 mela 5120 987 32 31 30 27
33 leya 5200 1067 31 32 30 27
34 mela 5280 1147 33 32 31 28
34 leya 5360 1227 32 33 31 28
35 mela 5440 1307 34 33 32 29
35 leya 5520 1387 33 34 32 29
36 mela 5600 1467 35 34 33 30
36 leya 5680 1532 (1) 34 35 33 30
37 mela 5760 1627 36 35 34 31
37 leya 5840 1712 (2) 35 36 34 31
38 mela 5920 1787 37 36 35 32
38 leya 6000 1867 36 37 35 32
39 mela 6080 1947 38 37 36 33
39 leya 6160 2027 37 38 36 33
40 mela 6240 2107 39 38 37 34
40 leya 6320 2187 38 39 37 34

(1) an early leya, marked by dreams of war, and an abrupt awakening
(2) a slightly delayed leya, marked by a long dreaming of healing rest