Continuity/Elysa, Thorsten, and Borelean

There are details about Elysa Strathelar, Thorsten Cragstone, and Borelean Strathelar that have been somewhat inconsistent over the years. This article will address the following:

• The basic background of Elysa and Thorsten.
• The death of Thorsten, Elysa's pregnancy, Borelean's birth, and how these three elements relate to each other.
• Elysa moving off the mainland to live with Asheron.

Due the the nature of these elements, there will be some overlap between this article and the Olthoi Rebellion.

Overview

Beta / Release

The Microsoft Games article Asheron's Call Historical Archive went into great detail about the Olthoi Rebellion. A nearly identical copy of this appeared in the Asheron's Call: Sybex Official Strategies and Secrets book. The following is a summary of the portions of those texts that relate to this article:

Thorsten Cragstone was a tailor turned warrior. He had escaped the Olthoi prior to Elysa, and had become the leader of his band of nomads. He had no wishes to free the Aluvians, he just wanted to survive.

Elysa Strathelar was born a minor Aluvian noblewoman. She was a slave longer than Thorsten. She eventually escaped and was rescued by Thorsten's band. She was good at deciphering languages, and was able to translate an ancient manuscript which led her to Asheron. In Portal Year 9, on the anniversary of Thorsten's death, Elysa disappeared.

The Asheron's Call manual's The Story of Asheron's Call section and the Zone article Dereth: A Brief History for Travelers both contain the same brief summary of the Olthoi Rebellion:

For many years the humans lived as Olthoi slaves, but a band of rebels—led by the noblewoman Elysa Strathelar and the warrior Thorsten Cragstone—chose to fight. Aided by Asheron's Magic, they slew the Olthoi queen and won freedom, though the fight cost Thorsten his life. Now, ten years later, Elysa has vanished and Asheron's whereabouts are unknown.

The Asheron's Call manual's The Way of Steel section and the Zone article The Way of Steel: Strategy both contain the same information about Thorsten:

Even the legendary Thorsten Cragstone started out not knowing which end of a sword has the point. He learned quickly, however, or he would have met his death much sooner, and we might all still be thralls of the Olthoi.

The text The Days of the Olthoi is authored by a freed slave, and contains many details about the lives of the slaves. After the Olthoi queen was killed, when the author finally made it to the surface, she was met with sunlight on an open, grassy field.

The Quick Reference Card tells us that Thorsten's funeral was held at Chapel Blackspire, a simple outdoor church.

The Zone article Writing Contest Results mentions that Elysa was merely the daughter of a scribe.

Dark Majesty

The AC:DM manual's Long Ago section contain the following summary of the Olthoi Rebellion:

For many years the humans lived as Olthoi slaves, but a band of rebels led by the commoner Elysa Strathelar and the nobleman Thorsten Cragstone rose up to fight. Aided by Asheron's Magic, they slew the Olthoi queen and won freedom, though the fight cost Thorsten his life.

The AC:DM manual's The Tale Thus Far section opens with the following statement:

Eleven years after the Isparians won their freedom from the Olthoi, the skies chilled and the snowline dipped from the peaks of the Lost Wish and Linvak mountain ranges, until the entire island of Dereth was coated in snow.

The AC:DM CD Lore's Ages of the Empyrean contains the following information related to the Olthoi Rebellion:

The year Isparians were delivered from bondage to the Olthoi was, by Yalaini reckoning, ME 579. In the common calendar, this is called Portal Year (P. Y.) 0.

Humans began arriving in Dereth in ME 564.

The One Queen of Dereth was slain by Thorsten Cragstone and Elysa Strathelar in 579. Borelean Strathelar, Prince of New Aluvia, was born the following year.

A month after AC:DM was released, the lore piece The Eyes of a Child was published. It contains the following information related to the Olthoi Rebellion:

Summer had melted into autumn, leaving the days shorter. The boy didn't care, he just wanted to chase the butterflies. Six years old and full of life. Seven years had passed since the Olthoi queen was killed, since Elysa had lost Thorsten, since Borelean had lost his unknown father.

Seven years was not that long after all, and this time of year always came too quickly and too quietly.

"When I knew. . . that I was carrying him, I should have told Thorsten. He should have known that he would have this child. . . but--"