 In the broadest view, the Strands series deals with the immortal Elves, who have been around since the forming of the world, and their interactions with humans.They are immortal in the sense that they don't die of old age or disease (the eldest of them is roughly four and one half billion years old), though they can be killed or die from grief.The purpose of the Elves is to provide "aid and comfort" to all living things, but especially their beloved human cousins.