History Literature / Elantris

* AmplifierArtifact: [[spoiler: The entire city of Elantris is one. It and it's outlying cities both [[SuperEmpowering transform ordinary people of certain bloodlines into Elantrians]] and provides them a huge amount of investiture for their use of the Dor.]]

-->Discover where the magic began...

* GodBeforeDogma: [[spoiler: Hrathen eventually comes to this view after his HeelFaceTurn, saying "My problem is with Wyrn, not with Jaddeth.]]

* Broken Pedestal: DownplayedTrope with Sarene's opinion of her father. They love each other, but eventually [[spoiler: she is incredibly disappointed that he's willing to convert in order to protect his kingdom, and finds out that he probably usurped the throne from her favorite uncle.]]

* BrokenPedastool: DownplayedTrope with Sarene's opinion of her father. They love each other, but eventually [[spoiler: she is incredibly disappointed that he's willing to convert in order to protect his kingdom, and finds out that he probably usurped the throne from her favorite uncle.]]

* HonorBeforeReason: When Hrathen [[spoiler: uses his special poison to make Sarene appear to be an Elantrian, then exacts a promise from Eventeo to convert if Jaddeth can "heal" his daughter,]] Eventeo follows through on it, [[IdiotBall even after he finds out it was all a trick,]] because he gave his word.

* WordOfGod: There are two Shards of Adonalsium on Sel; Devotion and Dominion [[spoiler: but their holders (Aona and Skai) were killed by Odium's holder Rayse, who then splintered their Shards so they could not be used.]]

** [[spoiler:Jindo's [=ChayShan=],]] which apparently works by tracing patterns though special movements, sort of like a SupernaturalMartialArts. He cuts down [[spoiler:a superpowered monk]] with his ''eyes closed''.

* NotUsingTheZedWord: The Elantrians--no bleeding, no heartbeat, no healing, unable to die unless [[Franchise/{{Highlander}} beheaded]] or purged with fire, accumulating unfading pain with every minor injury, and constantly ravenous. Almost all Elantrians are reduced to moaning, immobile heaps within a year of transformation even if they avoid going insane from pain and hunger before then. Sanderson plays up those who've managed to keep their sanity as victims of something like zombie apartheid.
** Though there are two major distinctions between Elantrians and regular zombies: Elantrians don't spread their condition to anyone else. And the way they experience pain arguably makes them easier to injure and incapacitate than them humans.

** Though there's one major distinction between Elantrians and regular zombies: Elantrians don't spread their condition to anyone else.

* TheMessiah: Raoden.

* DespairEventHorizon: Elantrians who cross it turn comatose and spend all day whispering {{Madness Mantra}}s to themselves.

* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: Raoden and Sarene were engaged for political reasons, but this didn't stop them from [[LoveBeforeFirstSight starting to fall for each other through letters]].

* AllThereInTheManual: The planet on which Elantris takes place is named Sel. This fact was first mentioned in the [[WordOfGod annotations]] for Literature/{{Warbreaker}}, and in print [[Literature/TheAlloyOfLaw in another book]] set in the Franchise{{Mistborn}} setting, in an appendix that compares Allomancy with Aons.

''Elantris'' is the first published book by Creator/BrandonSanderson, who went on to write the ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' books, ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}'', and ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' for his [[TheVerse Verse]], Franchise/TheCosmere. He also later wrote the last three volumes of ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', and the YA Literature/AlcatrazSeries.

* AllThereInTheManual: The planet on which Elantris takes place is named Sel. This fact only pops up [[Literature/TheAlloyOfLaw in another book]] set in the {{Mistborn}} setting, in an appendix that compares Allomancy with Aons.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: To Hrathen: [[spoiler:"What happened to your faith?"]]

* HumanSacrifice: The cult of the Mysteries is known for this. [[spoiler:Iadon takes to it out of desperation.]]

* NoCureForEvil: [[spoiler:Dilaf notes that there is no healing mechanism in Dakhor, though thee is for Elantris.]]