Muir's question was an interesting one, and to those unaware, it might seem meaningless because in the Yarran World, the image of the elves had almost taken on a fixed form among other intelligent races: elegance, beauty, gentleness, kindness, and a love for nature. Each of these words, when applied to the elves, met no significant objections from the other races. However, only those familiar with the elves knew that beneath the surface of this grace and beauty, their souls were marked with a madness that was uniquely theirs. Under normal circumstances, they were indeed gentle and kind, but once madness took hold, these vindictive elves would carry out many acts without any consideration for consequences or cost, actions which were unimaginable to other races, at least to humans.