Elves

Ümbria's nimble and wise race of mages, rangers, and druids

Basic Information

Anatomy

Elves are a humanoid race. Elves's muscles are smaller in size than that of a Human's but will out preform that of a Human muscle of the same size. Elves also have fewer muscles and muscle groups than Humans. An Elf's jaw, hands, and feet are often smaller in size to that of a Human's. Elves have pointed ears that point upwards in varying sizes depending on the type of Elf. Elves have more brittle bones when compared to Humans. This plus the fewer muscles lead to Elves being more susceptible to most types of physical damage. Due to the genetic combination of extreme light weight with the maintained muscle strength (even with the smaller size/weight of said muscles), Elves are naturally nimble and are born with the ability to control their balance almost perfectly.
High Elves: Lighter skin tones, usually taller than Humans, tall pointed ears, straight hair, blonde/brown/black hair color.
Wood Elves: Mid range skin tone/tanned, usually the same or shorter than Humans, pointed ears, brown/black hair color.
Dark Elves: Grayish skin tones, usually the same height as Humans, tall pointed ears, straight hair, white/gray/black hair color.
Snow Elves: Light (almost white in some) skin tones, usually the same height as Humans, pointed ears, curly hair, blonde/white hair color.
Sun Elves: Draker skin tones, usually the same or taller than Humans, pointed ears, dark hair color.

Genetics and Reproduction

A female Elf will carry her unborn child for close to a year before giving birth. Unlike Humans (and many other Ümbrian races) that may become pregnant after only one session of productive mating, it may take an Elven couple closer to ten sessions of productive mating for a female Elf to become pregnant.

Growth Rate & Stages

Live for around 400 - 500+ years. 5 stages of life: 0-9 baby, 10-19 child, 20-99 young adult, 100-349 adult, 350+ elder. (all in years)

Ecology and Habitats

High Elves: High Elves typically live in large ornate cities on Ümbria's surface. High Elves tand to stick close to or within these cities (often seeing going into the outside world as beneath their race) but many High Elves have left and made contact as well as allies with many kingdoms of Humans.
Wood Elves: Wood Elves tend to live in deep, heavily wooded areas such as forests or jungles. Many tribes of wood elves build interconected wooden cities within the forest/jungle canopy.
Dark Elves: Dark Elves typically live in stone cities based within the Underdark. These cities can made from cut stone or simply hollowed out rock structures found in the Underdark.
Snow Elves: Snow Elves live in in cold and snowy climates ranging from mountains to tundra and some even have lived on the Northern/Southern Wastes.
Sun Elves: Sun Elves live in very arid climates such as deserts and barren valleys.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Like many of the other Ümbrian races, Elves eat a mixture of meats, vegetables, and fruits.

Additional Information

Social Structure

High Elves: High Elves have many kingdoms across Ümbria with grand cities as there capitals. Some Elf kingdoms are ruled by a king/monarch with other being run by a ruling council. High Elves tend to look down on other races, even other Elf types, but will do business with non-Elves as trade between High Elves and Humans is highly profitable as Humans will pay much to obtain rare and beautify Elven items (weapons, armor, trinkets, clothing, furniture, books, potions, etc.). While some High Elf groups use the non-Elf races for profit, others choose to seperate and keep seperated from the other races. Many High Elves worship Selûne and Lathander.
Wood Elves: Many Wood Elves are primarily hunter-gatherers with strong bond with nature and their tribe. These elves live together in heavily wooded areas such as forests or jungles. Most groups of Wood Elves have constructed and live in tree-top villages with larger groups building wooden cities within the forest/jungle canopy. These Wood Elf tribes are usually structured around a single or group of elder elves who make the larger decisions for the tribe. Most Wood Elves, like High Elves, try to avoid unnecessary contact with non-Elf races. There are a handful of Wood Elf tribes that live near/with other races whether for trade, security, or even political reasons. It is more common for a tribe of Wood Elves to be allied/friendly with a town or village of foreigners than a large city. Many Wood Elves worship Silvanus or Chauntea.
Dark Elves: Dark Elves (aka Drow) are found underneath Ümbria's surface in the large sprawling, interconnected network of caverns and caves known by surface dwellers as The Underdark. The Underdark does connect to the surface but these connections are few and far between as well as being quite difficult to find. Over the centuries Dark Elves have built many extremely large underground cities reaching for miles in all directions making some the size of some surface countries. These cities each have their own unique structures of government. One aspect of these cities that is present through out the Underdark is the Church of Shar. The Church of Shar and its members are usually seen to be above any standing form of government even by said forms of government. The Church acts as the overarching governmental body, discribing Shar's wishes and carrying them out when need be. Seeing as nearly all Dark Elves worship Shar, almost exclusively and fanatically, it is easy to see why almost everything the Drow do is in service of Shar. Many of the practices the Drow employ in order to honor Shar could be found by many of the surface races as "improper, obscene, and/or immoral."
Snow Elves: Snow Elves tend to be a nomadic race moving over and through the tundra of the north and south to follow game for hunting.
Sun Elves: Sun Elves like to construct their communities in rock faces usually inside canyons or on the side of rocky hills / mountains.

Facial characteristics

Tall pointed ears. Tall / long faces. Pronounced cheekbones. Large eyes. Thin eyebrows. Very little facial hair, if any.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Worldwide

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Elves see through their eyes, hear through their ears, smell through their noses, feel through their skin, and communicate through their mouth / throat. Elves have larger eyes allowing them to have far better eye sight than that of most other races beeing able to see further and with much more clarity.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Common, Elvish

Origin/Ancestry

One of the many races created by the gods to populate Ümbria.

Lifespan

400 - 500 years

Average Height

5' 7" - 6' 5"

Average Weight

110-170lbs. male. 70-125lbs. female.

Average Physique

Lean but muscular. Thinner than Humans.