I am right now reading the Alternate setting ShadowRun Book: Court of Shadows, who focus on the metaplane of the Sellie court of faeries. And it seem that no one discussing something it seem to imply.
That book seem to imply that there is no such things as Immortal Elves, that Those elves where actually using the fact that time was running much slower in the Sellie Court to pass the whole 5th age in a single lifespan, am i the only one who saw this? Did i got it wrong?
That's one of the confusing elements of Court of Shadows, and one of the reasons I wish they'd have included some clearer definitions of what is a fae and what isn't, what are the Ways of the Wheel, some memo on Tir Na Nog, etc. I love the book, but it can't stand stand on its own as a full setting book, there are too many holes that require to hunt info in old supplements before it makes sense.
However by re-reading
Aetherology and some older supplements (
Shadows of Europe notably, but also some
Earthdawn books), I think that's how it works:
- The Seelie Court's Tuatha de Danann and the Immortal Elves are completely different things:
-> The Tuatha de Danann are described in
Aetherology as "an elf-like fae with luminous skin." Their name is said to mean "Bright Shining Spirits". In several books it is implied they are the mythical ancestors of the elf metatype, possibly by mating with Metahumans in early Ages.
-> Immortal Elves, however, are only a handful and the result of something the Dragons have done (as revealed in Caroline Spector's
Scars). It is strongly hinted they are elves with Dragon blood.
- The Ways of the Wheel (described in
Tir Na Nog,
Shadows of Europe and others, mentioned in passing in
Court of Shadows with zero explanation) is an elven tradition allowing elves to claim their ancient Danann heritage and a place at the Seelie Court. It already existed back in the
Earthdawn era.
- The Seelie Court might actually be mentioned in
Earthdawn as well: "An elf sees all life as a journey of discovery, change, growth, and ascendancy. Throughout his life, the elf treads a metaphysical pathway represented by the Draesis ti’Morel, the Wheel of Life. (...) As an elf ages, his journey along the Wheel le ads him through each Path until he reaches the Wheel’s heart. At this still center of being, he prepares for ascension into the metaplanes, to the mystical place known as Tesrae ke’Mellakabal, the Citadel of the Shining Ones." (That's from the
Denizens of Barsaive /
Namegivers' Compendium). "The Shining Ones" seem to refer to the Tuatha de Danann a.k.a. Bright Shining Spirits, and so their Citadel is likely to be the old name of what is now known as the Seelie Court.
- The Seelie Court consists in Tuatha de Danann faeries, a lot of low faeries, and "a number of elves who have renounced the physical world to live with the Seelie in order to advise the court or better understand their place on the Wheel." (
Shadows of Europe, chapter on Tir Na Nog)
I have written a
more detailed article on my website, but it is in French ^^'