Ander Elessedil

Shannara character


name=Ander Elessedil
nickname=
race=Elf
gender=Male
hair=Dark
eyes=Dark
loyalty=Elves
appearance="The Elfstones of Shannara"
magic=the Staff of the Ellcrys until the Ellcrys died
birth=Unknown
death=Unknown

Ander Elessedil is one of the main characters in Terry Brooks' epic fantasy [cite web |url=http://www.terrybrooks.net/novels/index.html |title=Terry Brooks' official website|accessdate=2008-05-02 |last= Speakman |first=Shawn |authorlink= |year=2008 |publisher= ] novel "The Elfstones of Shannara". He is the second son of King Eventine Elessedil, being the younger brother of Arion Elessedil and the older brother of now-deceased Aine.cite web |url=http://www.alitheia.org/shannarafiles/Elfstones_ABC.php|title="The Elfstones of Shannara" Character List|accessdate=2008-04-08 |last= Gong |first=Minnie |authorlink= |year=2007 |publisher=The Shannara Files ]

Conflict with Arion

Ander is the younger Prince of the Elves, but Arion's sword prowess and his superior leader abilities has always made Arion his father's favorite.Fact|date=July 2008 Also, in the years prior to the events of "The Elfstones of Shannara", Ander was often turned to for comfort by his niece Amberle, after Aine's death. This made Arion very jealous, and he later blamed Ander for the departure of Amberle from the Chosen. Seeking seclusion from the numerous allegations, he moved out of the palace, but remained in Arborlon.

Biography

Role in "The Elfstones of Shannara"

When the Ellcrys began to die, Ander was the first one alerted; he guided the messenger to Eventine. He was also the first to discover the deaths of the Chosen, and he also was the first to meet the Druid Allanon.

In the time that followed, Ander became a reliable aid to his father. When Amberle returned and was brought before Eventine's advisors (they were to decide if they should help her in her quest for the Bloodfire), Ander was the first to stand with her. After Amberle and Wil left, Ander was delegated by his father and Allanon to met the Legion Free Corps, led by Stee Jans, in his father's place. He later accompanied Eventine to Halys Cut while Arion led another army to a parallel pass, Worl Run. These were the places where the Elven army first engaged the Demon horde. During the subsequent battles, Eventine was felled by a thrown club that hit his head and Arion was lost while attempting to recover the fallen battle standard. Forced to be at least the interim king, Ander commanded the 'forces of good' in the conflict, named the "War of the Forbidding".

After the Forbidding was restored, Ander was the last of his bloodline alive. His younger brother Aine had died years before, and Aine's only child, Amberle, become the new Ellcrys. His father, Eventine, died from mortal wounds inflicted by a Changeling demon. Lastly, Arion had died in the war (see above) and had been childless; so Ander became King of the Elves. The last mention of him in "The Elfstones of Shannara" was when he watched as Wil Ohmsford departed Arborlon with his future wife, Eretria.

Role in "The Wishsong of Shannara"

During the war against the Mord Wraiths in "The Wishsong of Shannara", Ander sent a command of Elven Hunters to Culhaven under the command of his son Edain Elessedil as a token force while the Elven army mobilized. Though Edain died in the conflict, the Elessedil line was continued on through Wren Elessedil, as she appeared 300 years later in the "Heritage of Shannara" series.

References