Elves and Faeries
Elves and Faeries are recurring races in the Dragon Quest series. Two of the fundamental fixtures of fantasy folktales and literature, the terms are used interchangeably in Dragon Quest to refer to feminine beings of otherworldly nature. Often just outside the ken of men, the are nevertheless as important to the ways of the world as humans are.
Appearances
Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation
The faeries live in a hidden village north-west of Norvik. They greatly distrust humans out of fear of being kidnapped, and the faerie queen forbids any interaction between her subjects and humanity. When young love bloomed between a man from Norvik and the queen's only daughter and the two of them eloped, the queen assumed that the villager done away with her as she feared and in retaliation placed a curse upon Norvik that sent the entire village into an eternal slumber.
The only one to escape this morphean malfliction was the boy's father, who traveled to the hidden village to explain that his son had grown angry with his folk's trepidation regarding the fair folk, and had disappeared after announcing his love for the queen's daughter. Both the queen and the old man assume the duo to be in hiding in the depths of a near-by cave, prompting the player to spelunk within. Upon reaching the bottom, the party will find the lover's suicide note--they had drowned themselves to be together in death instead of allowing their peoples' laws to keep the apart. Bearing the tragic news to the queen will cause her to undo the curse on Norvik.
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen
Elves play a substantial role in the story of IV, being the original impetus of the world-shaking events.
In Chapter 2, Alena and co. see an elf named Oopsy and her sister Daisy at the top of Birdsong Tower. Though the pair leaves as soon as they see the party, they mistakenly leave behind a phial of Birdsong Nectar that is necessary to restore the voice of the Tzar of Zamoksva's supernatural silence.
Later, in Chapter 5, the party will meet Rose, an elf who was hunted by humans because her tears transmutate into small rubies. Her lover is Psaro, the game's main antagonist, whose resolve to crush humanity is fortified after saving the lass from a trio of bandits. The master of monsters builds a tower to protect his love, around which the town of Rosehill grows. A few other elves also live in Rosehill, as it gradually became a shelter for dwarves, talking animals, civilized monsters, and other supernatural beings from the machinations of greedy and malicious humans.
Towards the end of the game the party will also travel to Yggdrasil, at the roots of which the elves have built their main city, El Forado. As yggdrasil grows in a vast desert barricaded on all sides by colossal mountain ranges, the elves of El Forado are safe from the worst of humanity and do not shun the chosen ones. Oopsy, Daisy, and an unnamed third elf are also seen again in Zenithia's garden.
After the chosen ones defeat Estark at his tomb in Mamon Mine, one of Psaro's lieutenants will inform him that Rose has been slain, claiming it was done by humans. In reality, it was Psaro's second in command, Aamon, who arranged for the girl's death; he desired for Psaro to give into blind rage and allow himself to become more easily manipulated and thus allowing Aamon to rule monster-kind from behind the figurative thrown. With the loss of his love, Psaro gives into despair and utilizes the secret of evolution to become a hideous beast with enough power to crush all of humanity.
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
Faeries are considerably more playful characters than in the previous two games, acting more akin to the mischievous fey of English folktales than tragic figures. Here, they dwell in the Faerie Lea, a separate world in which the faerie queen, Treacle, guides and initiates the changes in the human realm's weather. During the hero's youth he is enlisted by the wily Honey to help the faeries retrieve the Herald of Spring, a powerful instrument necessary to put an end to winter, from the villainous Winter Queen.
Years later, the hero and his own children would be aided by the denizens of the Faerie Palace. Not a place detached from the human world, the palace is hidden away in a deep forest far from civilization, and rests a top a placid lake. The ruler of the palace, Queen Caramel, aids the party in restoring Zenithia to its former splendor and grants the hero a final chance to speak with his departed father.
Dragon Quest X
Elf is a race that can be chosen for the player's character in Dragon Quest X.
After starting out as a human, the player may become this race or any of the other seven races, including Dragon, Ogre, Dwarf, Puklipo or Weddie.
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Trivia
- Until the release of X, all elves and faeries were shown to be female.
- Though never outright stated to be an elf herself, Eliza's heritage is speculated by fans due to her sprite having pointed ears. If this were, true, it would mean that the Hero and Psaro are mirror images of one another.
- The stock art of the male elf in X greatly resembles the Eastern Kaioshin of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball manga, with only the clothing and hair being different.
