Dark Elves and the Shillien Elder: Player Guide
The Dark Elf race and the Shillien Oracle / Shillien Elder path
A player-written guide to the Dark Elves: a short history of the race, its lands and starting stats, an overview of the second professions available at level 40, and a detailed look at the Shillien Oracle / Shillien Elder, the author's main class. It reflects personal experience and opinion, not official advice.
Historical background
Originally the elves were not divided into dark and light - all of them were children of Shillien. But after Einhasad exiled and imprisoned the Dark Goddess, her daughter, and after many wars between the races, elven society split apart.
Among the elves who called themselves the Wood Elves, a group known as the Brown Elves stood out. They insisted on continuing the struggle for power, even with forbidden black magic, but the other elves did not share these views. It was to the Brown Elves that the great human wizard Dasparion came, offering to teach them dark magic in exchange for the secret of their immortality. The Brown Elves did not know what price the dark teaching would cost and agreed.
War broke out between the elves. Dasparion's dark spells destroyed entire armies of Wood Elves. Defeated, they used the last of their strength to curse their former brothers, and the race split into light and dark. Because of the curse the sun burned the skin of the Dark Elves and they went blind, so for hundreds of years they lived underground. Centuries passed, the curse was lifted, and the Dark Elves began to settle on the surface, no longer fearing the sun.
The Dark Elves declared Gran Kain and Shillien their patrons, while the Wood Elves, obeying Einhasad, chose Eva as their goddess.
The leader of the Dark Elves is Patriarch Mithrael. He was the first to learn the secrets of Dasparion's dark magic and gained enormous magical power through a contract with Dre Vanul. At the height of the war against the light elves, human mages took the side of the light and together cast a powerful sealing spell on Mithrael. The spirit of the dark ones was broken, and having almost won the war they were forced to retreat. The Patriarch was not only the political leader but also the main source of dark magic, and his loss weakened the race catastrophically. To this day four of Mithrael's disciples - the Tetrarchs, who rule in his absence - seek a way to free their leader. The Dark Elves believe that once the Patriarch is free, they will become the rulers of the world of Aden.
Dark Elf lands
Because of the curse the Dark Elves settled underground in Dark Elven Village. Later, when the curse was lifted, they came to the surface and settled in the northwest of the continent by the ocean: impassable mountains shield them from the light elves to the east, rough waters lie to the north and west, and the Dark Forest to the south.
- Dark Forest - the forest around the village, a dangerous place full of goblins, orcs and other unpleasant creatures. Among them are the Imps - creatures one of the Tetrarchs made from gremlins with black magic as slaves. During the war against the light elves the imps somehow broke the binding spell, killed their overseers and fled into the forest. The Tetrarchs suspect these primitive creatures possess magic.
- School of Dark Arts (Black Magic Laboratory) - in the northwest, a former laboratory where dark experiments were performed on all kinds of creatures. It is now abandoned and inhabited by the results of those experiments; young warriors and mages go there to test their courage and strength.
- Marshland - swamps near the School of Dark Arts that formed from the dark magic used in the war against the light elves. Now inhabited by undead and orcs.
Appearance
Dark Elves look like light elves but noticeably older: where the light elves resemble eternally young teenagers, the dark ones are majestic, strikingly beautiful beings with marble skin and cold grandeur in their faces. At night they can melt into the darkness and grow stronger, although daylight no longer hinders them. Their lifespan is much shorter than that of their light kin. In the author's opinion almost any armor looks great on Dark Elves.
Starting stats
| Stat | Fighter | Mystic |
|---|---|---|
| STR | 41 | 23 |
| DEX | 34 | 23 |
| CON | 32 | 24 |
| INT | 25 | 44 |
| WIT | 12 | 19 |
| MEN | 26 | 37 |
- Fighter: the highest STR of all races. Good DEX gives decent run and attack speed and shield block chance. High INT for a fighter makes draining energy from enemies effective, and high MEN helps resist enemy magic. But low CON means few HP and a high chance of being stunned.
- Mystic: the highest INT of all races - maximum spell damage. But low WIT makes casting slow.
Second professions
Dark Elves become great masters of the dagger and sword, and their knowledge of black and wind magic is unmatched. Below are the second professions available at level 40.
Shillien Knight
Knights in heavy armor performing deeds in Shillien's name. Unlike other races' tanks, they have attack skills, at the cost of some tanking ability. At first glance they are much more fragile than, say, human knights, but in skilled hands the class is very strong thanks to good DEX and energy drain. In many respects it matches, and in some even surpasses, the Dark Avenger, traditionally considered the best warrior in the game. Its ability to summon uncontrollable helpers - cubics - makes the class both powerful and spectacular. Summoning costs crystals, but the cubics heal the knight and lower the enemy's attack or run speed.
Blade Dancer
The only class that can master dual swords and battle dances. For two minutes the dances make the party much stronger: they raise accuracy, magic power and critical damage. A niche but very useful class.
Abyss Walker
The Abyss Walker is a dagger master who also handles a bow well; dark skin helps him hide and ambush enemies. The strongest dagger user, but with the lowest critical chance. A very flexible class with many varied skills, including debuffs that lower the opponent's stats. A strong and dangerous support class.
Phantom Ranger
A Dark Elf who prefers to kill enemies from a distance. The strongest archer, but with the lowest critical chance. Good speed, good self-buffs and varied skills. Unlike the light-elf archers he depends more on the party and is more useful in it. Under buffs he is deadly.
Spellhowler
A dark mage who has mastered wind magic. Hurricanes scatter enemies, Vampiric Claw restores health, Death Spike kills an approaching spy, and Silence keeps an enemy mage quiet for a long time. Low WIT brings a serious drawback - slower casting than other mages. Still, these are the strongest mages in the world.
Phantom Summoner
A summoner whose creature tears enemies apart. A very interesting and versatile summoner class.
Shillien Elder
The author's main class, described in detail below.
Shillien Oracle and Shillien Elder
According to legend, the Shillien Oracle is a servant of Darkness who prophesies by studying the Darkness and Death born of Shillien and the spirits of Destruction and Chaos that serve her; many of them read the future in the bones of the dead. Unlike light elves and humans, who worship only the gods of Light, Shillien Oracles understand the essence of both Light and Darkness: they heal allies with white magic and curse enemies and drain their energy with black magic. The most spiritually enlightened among them become Shillien Elders - the spiritual leaders of the Dark Elves, who understand the divine nature of Shillien and Gran Kain better than anyone.
Black magic is the source of all Dark Elf magic. Other races forbid it: they do not understand Darkness, do not use it and fear it. But where there is Light there is Shadow, and the Dark Elves, touching the Darkness without fear, can control its power.
Skills
SO/SE have quite a few passive skills, and there is no point covering each one. Like any support, SO/SE can wear light armor thanks to the passive Light Armor Mastery, which raises defense, attack speed, casting speed and MP regeneration in light armor. However, casting speed drops by 9% in light armor.
The SO/SE buff set is unique and well balanced. Their unique buff is Empower, which raises M.Atk - the most desired buff for every mage. Dagger users and archers love Wind Walk, Focus, Might, Death Whisper and Guidance. Three of these are often confused:
| Buff | Effect |
|---|---|
| Focus | Increases critical rate |
| Death Whisper | Increases critical damage |
| Guidance | Increases accuracy |
There is also the standard set: Concentration (mages have it too), Kiss of Eva, Shield, Mental Shield. Every race has a unique buff that resists one type of magic - for SO/SE it is Resist Wind, probably because the Dark Elves have mastered wind magic. Every class does well in a party with an SO/SE, from mages to tanks.
Other skills:
- Disrupt Undead - the only attack spell (this is not a combat class); works only on undead. It does not level after 40 and has no replacement, unlike the light elves'.
- Dryad Root and Sleep - very useful while leveling. Sleep does not level after 40.
- Wind Shackle - a handy debuff that lowers the enemy's attack speed: the target becomes slow and hits much less often.
- Recharge - restores MP. Like Wind Shackle, only elves, dark and light, have it. Especially handy when leveling in a party with mages.
- Greater Heal and Greater Group Heal - strong healing (all healers except the Prophet get strong heals, but the set differs by class).
- Resurrection - party members only.
- Purify - removes paralysis, poison and bleeding.
Buffs by class
| Class | Buffs |
|---|---|
| Dark Avenger, Shillien Knight, Blade Dancer | Shield, Might, Empower, Focus, Death Whisper, Guidance |
| Destroyer, dwarves, Swordsinger | Shield, Might, Focus, Death Whisper, Guidance |
| Temple Knight | Shield, Might, Focus, Death Whisper, Guidance |
| Other fighters (damage dealers) | Might, Focus, Death Whisper, Guidance |
| Mages | Empower, Shield, Wind Walk, Concentration |
In the original some buffs were marked as priority ones - those to cast when mana is short or no other buffs are available.
Armor
No-grade
- Devotion Set (+15% casting speed) - the only no-grade set. Very convenient for Dark Elves, since it offsets their main weakness, slow casting. Some players like it so much that they wear it up to level 40.
D-grade - from this grade the oracle can wear both robes and light armor.
| Set | Bonuses | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge Set (robe) | P.Def 75, MP +239, M.Atk +10%, -5% MP regeneration | Sleep and Dryad Root land better. Handy while the mystic's attack spells still work and a party is hard to find (up to level 30): you can kill any mobs of your level with wind or vampiric spells. The regen penalty is barely noticeable - about 1 MP less per 5 seconds, so you sit about a minute and a half longer. Cheaper than other armor and, many say, better looking than other robes |
| Elven Mithril Set (robe) | P.Def 84, MP +274, +7 run speed, +1 WIT, -1 INT | The run speed bonus is barely noticeable but nice; +1 WIT is hardly felt; the M.Atk loss is not fatal. Compared with Knowledge Set it gives 35 more MP and slightly higher P.Def |
| Sage's Rag (robe) | P.Def 90, MP +320 | A one-piece robe, only obtainable by crafting/collecting. Pluses - lots of mana and a character who stands out |
| Manticore Skin Set (light) | MP +91 | Good for solo leveling, e.g. with duals, and in places with many aggressive monsters: P.Def is higher than the robes'. Big minuses - -9% casting speed and much less mana |
Which robe to pick is personal: some value M.Atk for party play, others slightly faster casting and a bit more mana, others only the mana pool.
C-grade
- Karmian Set (robe, +5.24% P.Def, +15% casting speed) - very good for an SE, noticeably speeds up casting. Top and bottom can be bought in Luxor; the gloves must be bought from players. An excellent start.
- Divine Set (robe, +5.24% P.Def, +171 MP, +1 WIT, -1 INT) - the casting bonus is much weaker than Karmian's; it would be a copy of the Elven Mithril Set if not for the mana. In the author's view it is the best set for an SE, but it is crafted only, and the complete pieces drop only from Antharas.
- Theca Leather Set (light, +5.24% P.Def) - the best C-grade light set for solo fans. Drake Leather Set (+5.24% M.Def) is better skipped, but if you already have it, it is not bad. That said, after level 40 the author does not recommend buying light armor at all.
B-grade
- Avadon Magic Set (+5.25% P.Def, +15% casting speed) - a very convenient set with no drawbacks, it lowers nothing.
- Blue Wolf Magic Set (+206 MP, +5.24% MP regeneration, +3 WIT, -2 INT, -1 MEN) - in the author's opinion the best B-grade set: a bit of everything and, crucially, more mana. For a support that matters - whether the party survives depends on your mana.
Armor choice depends entirely on how you level.
Weapons
Only top weapons are considered (P.Atk / M.Atk).
Sword + shield. Average damage against monsters and fairly frequent misses. Shield blocks are rare - there are no special buffs like the Prophet's. P.Atk and M.Atk of the top shop weapons are average; a crafted Elven Long Sword has slightly higher M.Atk than the top D-grade duals. Usually this combo is used while saving for a second sword to make duals. A poor choice for constant leveling.
Duals. One of the best and most balanced options. Forums claim duals are just for looks on a Shillien Elder, but the experience of the author and her friends says this is one of the best choices. Good P.Atk - enough for soloing with Soulshots - and good M.Atk - enough for Dryad Root and Sleep to land (use Blessed Spiritshots if needed). Good damage, few misses, high attack speed, decent critical chance. Solo leveling is essential for a support: parties can be hard to find, partymates' mistakes get tiresome, and so does the endless "buff - heal - heal - buff". The buff set lets a Shillien Elder solo comfortably. Many duals share the same P.Atk/M.Atk, so pick by looks or market price.
Fists and claws. Higher accuracy but a very low critical chance. In D-grade the crafted claws are stronger but much more expensive, while shop claws are worse than shop duals. In C-grade shop claws are worse than shop duals, and crafted ones equal crafted duals.
Polearm. Convenient for soloing: Dryad Root the mob and hit it. The mob cannot reach you (only with special attacks), so you take no physical damage. Compared with duals it stands like the claws. Its drawback and advantage at once - it hits all nearby mobs.
Dagger. The author has not tried it, but some say it is a decent option. High attack speed but P.Atk far below everything above. M.Atk is like that of claws and polearms. The dagger also has a negative accuracy modifier, bad for a character that is not very accurate anyway. Shillien Elder buffs offset many minuses, but the author does not consider it the best choice.
Bow or crossbow. One of the best options. For soloing it is contact-free: Dryad Root the mob and shoot. Minuses: a bow uses far more Soulshots, but its P.Atk is high enough that you charge a shot only once or twice per mob, so consumption roughly matches duals; also the bow uses mana, so you will sit now and then. Bow accuracy is low but frequent crits compensate - especially since after level 40 the Shillien Elder gets a buff for critical damage, and from 25 one for critical rate. Attack speed is low. In D-grade the crafted bow is stronger but expensive, and the shop bow is worse than shop duals. In C-grade the shop and crafted bows have the same M.Atk as crafted duals.
Book or staff. There is little difference between books, staves and magic swords except P.Atk: highest on magic swords, then staves, then books. Their main strength is high M.Atk. Great for party play and soloing undead; up to level 30 you can solo any mobs while you have Empower and the mystic's attack spells are still relevant. Take one only if you are sure you will always level in a party or will find undead to solo (after Execution Ground that gets difficult). Soloing here means leveling like a mage: kill a couple of undead, then sit and regenerate. The author sees little point in this weapon - you are always tied to a party. The one plus is that Dryad Root and Sleep land more often without Blessed Spiritshots.
| Type | D-grade | C-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Sword | Sword of Revolution 79/47; Elven Long Sword 92/54 (craft) | Sword of Delusion 139/76; Samurai Longsword 156/83 (craft) |
| Duals | Bastard Sword*Elven Sword 107/51 | StormbringerStormbringer 175/78; KatanaKatana 190/83 |
| Claws | Bich'Hwa 96/47; Scallop Jamadhr 112/54 (craft) | Fist Blade 169/76; Great Pata 190/83 (craft) |
| Polearm | Winged Spear 79/47; Glaive 92/54 | Poleaxe 139/76; Orcish Poleaxe 156/83 |
| Dagger | Maingauche 69/47; Mithril Dagger 80/54 | Dark Screamer 122/76; Crystal Dagger 136/83 |
| Bow | Strengthened Long Bow 179/51; Light Crossbow 191/54 | Akat Long Bow 315/83; Eminence Bow 323/83 |
| Staff/mace | Demon Fangs 67/66; Atuba Mace 90/72 | Sage's Staff 135/101; Demon's Staff 152/111 |
The author's verdict: duals up to level 44, duals plus a bow after 44 (if your clan's funds allow). At level 50 the author herself used dual Katanas and was slowly collecting an Eminence Bow.
Leveling spots
Spots up to level 20 are well known. The author suggests leaving the Dark Elf lands at level 15 for Gludio, taking the Grim Collector skeleton quest there and leveling in the Ruins of Agony.
| Level | Where to level |
|---|---|
| 20-23 | At 20 the oracle does not yet have the needed skills, so leveling is the same as for a plain mystic: Ruins of Despair (undead and others) or Abandoned Camp - if you do not spare Blessed Spiritshots, you can hunt level 23-26 Ol Mahums |
| 23-30 | A party in Orc Barracks: mobs have double HP, so double experience and adena, and decent drops. You need a good party, ideally with a fighter who does not spare Soulshots. The author liked parties with dagger users and dwarves; it is too early to level with mages |
| 25-30 | At 25 you get a good set of new skills, and leveling with both mages and fighters pays off. The author's solo routine: top D-grade duals, Knowledge Set, Dryad Root on an orc, two Wind Strikes with Blessed Spiritshots, then finish with the duals. Fast, the BSpS pay for themselves, and you can sell buffs on the side. You can comfortably level in Orc Barracks up to 30 |
| 27-28 | If Orc Barracks gets boring - Forgotten Temple with a capable fighter: good drops (Stones of Purity, ore), some mobs with double HP. The water half (blue, left of the entrance) is easier |
| 30-48/50 | Cruma Tower, 1st floor: healers and buffers are in demand, so parties are easy to find. For variety - Execution Ground, soloing undead (there are always people around: sell or give buffs, resurrect, go for the boss). Go to the 2nd floor after 44 - healers are always in short supply there |
| 35+ | Alternatives to Cruma: Dead Pass (Soul Scavengers), the Lizardmen near Oren. From level 35 you can also solo in Dead Pass. Better not to solo Fettered Souls: although undead, they have double HP - lots of mana for little gain |
| 40+ | Plenty of spots, but few solo options. The SE is not a solo class, but with good weapons (top C-grade bow, duals) soloing is possible. With duals the entrance to Dragon Valley is convenient |
After level 25 a party with a mage is very convenient: many find being the "battery" tedious, but the author liked it - nonstop leveling.
By level 40 the author advises finding a good clan:
- The clan should be friendly, united and honest.
- Friends are nice, but if your friends' clan lacks these three qualities, do not join it.
- The clan must remember it has an oracle or elder who cannot solo well: you need the clan no less than it needs you. It is not that the clan must level you: a party with an oracle benefits every class and leveling becomes more productive even with a big level gap. You level them - they level you.
- Sooner or later the clan should help you get armor and weapons. It is not obliged to equip you, but it should help.
With such a clan the question "where and how to level" answers itself. The Forgotten Gateway, Cemetery and Lair of Antharas are "train" (mob-pulling) spots: leveling there is very fast, beaten only by a party with a mage of about your level. But do not get carried away with trains - they badly weaken your playing skills. As long as trains are possible, the author recommends alternating them with other kinds of leveling.
Original article author: Ан Джей