Quendikin
Eldians
Once the guardians of the Ether Tree, the Eldians stood at the heart of Skyland’s balance. When the Great Catastrophe struck and Drako’s corruption spread, they turned inward, retreating behind their shimmering ethereal dome in Yal Elunore. What began as a refuge became a prison of ideals, where knowledge and memory replaced the world they once protected.
Their society grew around silence and precision. From artisans to scholars, they devoted themselves to perfecting Ether manipulation, crafting sigils, conduits, and devices of remarkable power. They believed understanding Ether would one day end the corruption that still stains Skyland and find an end to Drako. Many trace the creation of the Abyss Gate to an Eldian mind, though even that seal was never meant to last.
Generations of isolation have left them pale and distant, their grace hardened into pride. To outsiders, they are seen as cowards who abandoned their duty, observers who only record what others suffer. Yet not all have forgotten their purpose. Some still look beyond the dome, carrying the weight of guilt and a quiet wish to set right what their kin turned away from.
“I once met an Eldian beyond the dome. Her voice was calm, but in her eyes I saw just a husk colder than the stars. She spoke of duty as if it was all there is in life. I cannot tell if they are prideful… or if they’ve simply forgotten how to live.”
The Identity
The greatest challenge in shaping the Eldians was to imagine a true ancestor of elves that did not belong to Earth. We explored more alien-inspired features while retaining the elegance that tied them to their descendants. The goal was to make them fair and striking, but without falling into the familiar tropes of fantasy elves.
To ground them in Skyland, we avoided clichés of wizards or archers and leaned into their role as intellectuals and scholars. Their culture is tied to knowledge, Ether study, and a long history of scribing. As artisans of sigils, their designs needed to feel precise, refined, and elegant. This led us toward silvery hair, elongated faces, and robes marked with blues and purples, echoing refinement over spectacle.
The Mood
Once the concept felt right, we turned to splash art compositions. The challenge here was not only to capture their beauty but to create an image that worked as both a stand-alone illustration and as a card layout in the game.
After selecting the angle, we refined poses to fit the mood: poised, thoughtful, and calm, always more scholar than warrior.
The Essence
Lighting became a key element in shaping the atmosphere. Instead of a generic magical glow, we aimed for something softer, a light that felt alive, emerging from the ruins and fragments around her and tying her to Ether’s natural presence.
With mood and pose resolved, we moved into final detailing. The splash art was polished to highlight Eldian beauty and presence, while extra line art was developed to represent both male and female Eldians for the Unbound codex.
Final Design
Hope you enjoy this glimpse into the Ethereal Masters, the Eldians.
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