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My elders worked with humans and got robbed of all they had. And when they fought back, they were slaughtered. 'The Great Cleansing', humans called it. I called it digging a mass grave for everyone I loved. And now the humans proudly watch these very fields grow... our babies fertilizer for their grain. I don't wish to bury anyone else. I was once Filavandrel of the Silver Towers. Now I'm Filavandrel of the Edge of the World. |  | |
| - Filavandrel to Geralt, Four Marks | |||
Filavandrel aén Fidháil was a king of the elves. He and his people were forced to retreat into the mountains after a war with the humans.
Biography[]
Early life[]
It's unclear how Filavandrel and the young witcher Vesemir met, but by 1165 the two considered each other friends. When Vesemir had taken care of a leshen near Ard Carraigh that had spoken in an odd language, he called on Filavandrel who revealed it was Ellylon, a dead elven dialect that many associated with darker times and thus, hardly anyone spoke it anymore. He then revealed over the past four years, young elven girls had been going missing, the first one having been Kitsu, who incidentally knew Ellylon. However, Vesemir refused to get dragged into an affair that didn't concern him or a generous reward, so Filavandrel left to continue his search for the missing girls by himself.
The knowledge he gained from talking to Vesemir led him to an abandoned elven school in the mountains near where the leshen attack happened. It was here he discovered Kitsu had been transformed into a crossbreed between an elf and a mahr and had been kidnapping the girls to experiment on but all had died. Kitsu found him in her den but instead of killing Filavandrel, she merely tied him up ad left to continue her hunts. Vesemir and Tetra, a sorceress who viewed such mutations as impure, showed up soon after and found and released the elf. However, the trio soon discovered one young girl had survived. Filavandrel moved to pick her up when Tetra fired an arrow at the girl, intending to kill the "monstrosity", but Filavandrel managed to block it by taking the hit to his own hand. Vesemir then drew his sword to Tetra's neck to allow Filavandrel to leave with the girl, with Filavandrel promising if the girl ever turned out to be as deadly as Kitsu had become, he'd allow Vesemir to kill her and himself.
Capturing a witcher[]
Many years later, Filavandrel, king of the elves, Torque, and Toruviel confronted Geralt of Rivia and Jaskier after apprehending them in the mountains. Torque had been stealing goods for the elves ever since they were forced out of Dol Blathanna. This came as a surprise to Jaskier, who had been under the impression that the elves willingly left to return to their "golden palaces," when in reality they retreated to simple caves. Unfortunately, they couldn't allow Geralt and Jaskier to leave in fear that Posada would learn that they had been stealing, causing the humans to attack, which will undoubtedly result in casualties on both sides. To avoid war, Filavandrel believed he had to kill them.
Geralt advised that Filavandrel bring his people out of the caves, however, the elf explained that his elders worked with humans and got robbed of all they had. Then when they fought back, they were slaughtered in a battle that would come to be known as the "Great Cleansing." Bringing his people down from the mountains would mean bowing down to the humans, who would make them slaves. Geralt advised them to rebuild elsewhere and grow in numbers. Toruviel informed Filavandrel how a new generation of elves who wished to fight had come. She'd rather bring war to the humans than live cowering from them. Instead, Filavandrel decided to let Geralt and Jaskier go.
At some point after the betrothal banquet of Princess Pavetta and before the Slaughter of Cintra, Filavandrel led a failed uprising against at least Cintra after which Queen Calanthe ordered the massacre of the elven populace including the family of Dara.[1] After this point, he stepped down and his wife Francesca took over as queen of the elves.
Capturing Yennefer and Fringilla[]
Filavandrel and his men captured Yennefer and Fringilla in the woods after killing several Nilfgaard guards and brought them back to Francesca as a gift. Unfortunately, she saw no gain in keeping them hostage and questioned why Filavandrel hadn't killed them yet. The reason being that he believed they could be of use, but Francesca wasn't convinced, nor was she moved when Yennefer revealed she was an elf. Francesca took the opportunity to remind Filavandrel that he no longer led their people and how she was the one often visited in her dreams by the "White Robed One," not him. Once they found what they were after, she wanted Filavandrel to ship Yennfer and Fringilla's heads back to Aretuza as a reminder of elven glory.
Filavandrel, Francesca, and Gage sat around a fire, where they ate what little food the hunters could find. Filavandrel hope that maybe the others in Temeria or Redania had better luck, but they lick the boots of humans, which Francesca refused to do herself. She promised them Dol Blathanna, which was a promise she intended to uphold. They mustn't lose faith in a bright elven future.
Yennefer and Fringilla attempted to convince Filavandrel to hear them out, asking about elven songs and if he truly led the elves as the bard's songs claimed, but Filavandrel was no longer their leader. He was voted out when he couldn't beat Calanthe, and the elves turned to Francesca. She offered them faith. Fringilla then revealed that both she and Yennefer had dreams of robed figures as well, which Filavandrel reported to Francesca just after they found a temple, where runes of the Conjunction of the Spheres had been inscribed along the walls. There, Yennefer, Fringilla, and Francesca discussed the robed figures in their dreams and discovered that they'd been brought together by the Deathless Mother. Suddenly, the altar slid open and revealed a passageway, which the ladies investigated while Filavandrel and Gage remained above ground to stand guard. When they finally re-emerged, Francesca revealed that she had learned of the means to strengthen the elven community. They did this by forging an alliance with Nilfgaard.[2]
Safe haven in Xin'trea[]
Through her alliance with Fringilla, Francesca had turned Xin'trea into a place of refuge for elves. However, Filavandrel feared that their immigration to Xin'trea had inflamed tensions. While there was knowingly a cost for partnering with Nilfgaard, it was a cost Francesca was willing to pay.[3]
Elves were coming in from all over to seek refuge in Xin'trea. However, they first had to declare themselves before entry. Upon Cahir's return to Cintra after having been taken prisoner by the Brotherhood and escaped, he was met by resistance, as Filavandrel wasn't aware of who he was until Fringilla joined them.[4]
Birth of a pure blood[]
Filavandrel checked in on Francesca, who hoped that training was going well with the elves. Death was a part of life, and perhaps that was the cost of them getting their land back, Francesca concluded. Filavandrel wasn't so sure it would still happen given Cahir's return, but Francesca insisted that she was taking care of it. Filavandrel then explained that he didn't come to tell her what to do. He came to ask what she needed of him, as he'd do what whatever she asked. Francesca simply sought for him to stay by her and their child's side.
Later that evening, Filavandrel and Cahir nearly came to blows after an incident between him and Dara during training, but Filavandrel lowered his blade after getting word that Francesca was going into labor. He, Fringilla, and a midwife were at her side to assist as she gave birth to a baby girl, though quiet for a moment, with some provided warmth from Fringilla, the baby was alive and well.[5]
Filavandrel and Francesca were discussing baby names when Fringilla confronted them about their fighters having missed training. However, Filavandrel and his men had a change of heart. They never intended to fight for Nilfgaard, but Francesca convinced him, that was until she'd given him a far better reason not to fight with the birth of their child. It was time for them to rebuild and grow strong again. While they were grateful for the home Nilfgaard provided in Xin'trea, they had no intentions of dying in someone else's war.
Filavandrel and Francesca would make a horrifying discovery not too long after. They discovered that their daughter had been killed whilst they slept (by order of the emperor).[6]
Filavandrel and Francesca mourned the death of their daughter, though they did not blame Dara, who came forward and revealed that for a time, he was spying on them for Redania, who they suspected were responsible for their baby's death. Instead, they rallied up a small army of warriors and charged into Redania, where Francesca slaughtered all the Redanian babies in her path.
After the massacre, the elves retreated to the woods, where Francesca explained that this attack wasn't about revenge, rather justice, as she recalled how when the humans first arrived, the elves welcomed them as peers, which led to a mass grave they dug themselves. From Istredd, who was captured while spying on them, they learned that Cirilla of Cintra was alive and of Elder blood.[7]
Ciri's Search[]
Filavandrel was not convinced to believe a human mage's words that Princess Cirilla of Cintra is the daughter of the Elder Blood, but he still joined the search. The elves tracked down Ciri in the ruins of Shaerrawedd, sparking a fight between Yarpen Zigrin's men. During the confrontation, Filavandrel helped Gage remove Francesca, after Yennefer knocked her down. Then Filavandrel prevented Francesca from helping his brother, who was killed by Geralt and them retreated. Later, he informed her that he heard a rumor that Cirilla was seen in Maribor, but it didn't lead to anything. He also suggested eating to have energy.
Later, Cahir brought for the elves Nilfgaardian supplies and weapons, asking them for cooperation at the White Flame's request. When Filavandrel asked where Gallatin was, Cahir said that he instigated a rebellion and abandoned his post. The White Flame invited they to join him again. When Francesca decided to join Nilfgaard again, succumbing to Emhyr's manipulations, Filavandrel fought for her to the last drop of blood. Filavandrel ended up sacrificing himself during the Thanedd coup in Aretuza, protecting Francesca from a magic ball at her by Tissaia, destroying himself into dust.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Season 1, Episode 02: Four Marks
- ↑ Season 2, Episode 02: Kaer Morhen
- ↑ Season 2, Episode 03: What Is Lost
- ↑ Season 2, Episode 05: Turn Your Back
- ↑ Season 2, Episode 06: Dear Friend...
- ↑ Season 2, Episode 07: Voleth Meir
- ↑ Season 2, Episode 08: Family