Elf
Elves, the long-lived, the fairest of beings, grace, beauty and delicate features hiding an often haughty outlook on life.
Elves are the Eldest species living in Anacharia, bar The Deep Ones and the Gods themselves. It is said that the first Elves were created when The Creator felt a need to start with something beautiful, and so he created the Elves to be an example to the rest of the races. While in beauty and physical grace he succeeded, many Elves later fell into a haughty demeanor, becoming anything but graceful as their spite and malicious nature grew even worse than humans.
Most Elves live between 1600-2000 years.
There are many sub-races of Elf-kind, and those known are listed below.
High-Elves: The Classic view of Elf-kind, lovely to behold, golden-haired, but also the most arrogant of the Elves. High Elves live in great cities called Citadels, enormous circular creations based off a single ruin found in The Pitt, seemingly created and abandoned by The Deep Ones. The ruin bore circular walls of great strength, and seeing their clever design the High Elves copied it, making their buildings in the same fashion. There are no straight streets in a citadel, only winding causeways and paths that lead from palace to palace, each designed to have minimal corners, instead made to be round and flowing, most unlike human designs.
The High Elves are the mightiest of the Elves physically, some even capable of matching a human for strength. They are also the most war-like and violent, as it is they who usually initiate violence with the humans when a Elfwar begins. They are the ones who have the most problems with humans, as their lands are the ones so often invaded. Their capital rests in the exact center of Anacharia, in the appropriately named Highwood
They march in orderly groups, trained expertly to work together as a single unit, a bristling High-Elven Warcircle formation is something to fear, as their rolling approach will cut through their enemies like a scythe cuts through grass.
Wood Elves: Wood Elves live in the Greatwood, the sprawling forest that takes up the East of Anacharia. There they live in the trees, constructing tree-top villages and even cities in the trees. In Autumn, their red hair blends well with leaves. They are smaller than the High-Elves, but much more nimble, able to leap from branch to branch with ease. They are the most tribal of all the Elven peoples, and for this reason they get along well with most of the Xholtic Tribes from the East. Trade between the two is common, and even marriages have occurred. For this reason, Wood Elves are looked down upon by most other Elf-Kin, and through treated with respect, for their archery is second to none, they are ill-liked by High Elves and only tolerated by most others.
Meadow Elves: If Wood Elves are tolerated, Meadow Elves are despised, for they alone among all the Elves freely interact with humans. The black-haired elfkin are nearly as large as High-Elves, but have not a fighting bone within them. Meadow Elves are the kindest and gentlest of all Elf-Kin, and also the longest lived and most loved by humans. Meadow Elves are for the most part nomadic, though there are a few towns living north, near the Bachians, whom with they share a great friendship with, greater even than the other Elves and Dwarves.
Meadow Elves feel guilty for their High-Kin's aggression, and so their time is often spent entertaining, traveling as circuses and performers. For this reason they are the most tolerated among humans, for they have never participated on either side in an Elfwar, only continuing to live peacefully and bring cheer to all they can. All known Half-human-half-Elves that have come from consensual relationships have come from Meadow Elves, bar fewer than a dozen over the centuries.
Deep Elves: Deep Elves much like Meadow Elves, do not seek aggression against humanity, but this is more by a sense of apathy than sympathy. Deep Elves live in The Deeps with the Dwarves, where their craftsmanship is regarded as the greatest in the land. These dark skinned Elves are the greatest smiths in all the lands, even the most Mastersmith of Dwarven nature cannot claim to contend with a Deep Elf's work. The greatest heroes of the ages have wielded weapons or been protected by armor made by Deep Elves. Though such items have become rarer and rarer as the Deep Elf population has ebbed away. Fewer than 1000 of their kin remain, as they are hunted by Dark Elves and become so caught up in their work they forget to maintain their population. Indeed none have ventured to the surface in well over 1000 years, and even the oldest remaining of their kin have long forgotten the warmth of the sun, preferring the blaze of the forge.
Dark Elves: Dark Elves are the most outright 'Evil' of their Elven kin, though to call them that to their face would be a mistake. Dark Elves live primarily in the Deadlands hidden between Rusia, Limwae and West of Francia. This dismal place is where they call home, though many reside underground in The Deeps as well. Their skin-tone varies drastically as to show where they come from, as Elves raised primarily in the Deeps are pale skinned, though in a more grayish manner than the Snow Elves of the North. Where as the skin of those raised under the sun's gaze is dark, deep violet or even black.
Most Dark Elves in the Deeps are malicious, sadistic and violent. Notable for their enslaving of humans, and hatred of Dwarves and Deep Elves. They go out of their way as to attack and kill the other races in the Deeps as much as they can, their use of poison and stealth tactics proving deadly in the dark depths of The Deeps. Able to see in pitch black conditions, their yellow eyes glow in the unlit tunnels they call home. Visitors are non-existent, the only outsiders being those kidnapped while traveling through the mountains. Dark Elves take no mind to what race they take, even their surface dwelling brethren are not immune to their hostility. Their victims are forced into hard labor, or else serve as slaves for more sadistic and salacious purposes. It is said that a whore trained by Dark Elves is of the highest quality, but the training is so monstrous that most brothels refuse them.
The Surface Dwellers are slightly more friendly, as they rely heavily on trade for their economy. Growing crops or raising livestock in the Deadlands is nearly impossible, so many Surface Dwellers are Caravan workers, or merchants, peddling in flesh mostly, but also in a few of the rare resources that come only from the Deadlands. A few precious Gemstones found only in the Black Cliffs, but more prominently they deal in Bleakwood, the sturdy black oak that the strongest of weapon shafts, the deadliest arrows and the sturdiest structures and ships are made of.
However the most popular form of employment among Dark Elves is as a raider and a pirate. For it is the Surface Dwellers who provide most of the slaves to them. Raiders and Pirates roaming the land and the coast, kidnapping, stealing and brutalizing citizens. Unlike High Elves however they do not raze towns, or kill all occupants, for their trade is built on repeat ventures, as opposed to wiping out the hated human.
Snow Elves: Little is known any more about the Snow Elves, as after The Great Invasion they retreated into the Northern border mountains, venturing where humans no longer dared, and most other Elf-kind could not. Living high in the mountains, Snow Elves are arguably both the most, and least resilient of the Elf-Kin. Able to survive sub-zero temperatures without a scrap of clothing, they instead cannot stand the heat. A Snow Elf would suffer heatstroke at what most humans would call "A little warm", and even going near desert terrain is lethal. They are distant, both figuratively and literally, and while showing no outward hostility towards humans, it is merely because they have not interacted with them in centuries. No living human has ever so much as received more than a nod from a Snow Elf, and even then always seen in the distance. They avoid human contact, or even Elven contact, living in castles made of ice and snow, deep in the Border Mountains. Some blame the reason Snow Elves shun outside contact is the other race's reliance on fire for heat, neither being things that Snow Elves like, or need. It is unknown where they get their sustenance, the material to make their clothing, or the metal to make their weapons. They are the most mysterious of Elf-kind, and seem perfectly content to keep it that way.
Sand Elves: Sand Elves are quite the opposite of the Snow Elves, dwelling nomadically in the Desert on the border to the Orc Wastes. They don't put much focus on stationary cities, and while a few exist, they pale in comparison to anything crafted by other elves, little more than dried mud hovels roughly arranged in an area around an oasis. Instead the are largely nomadic, moving from place to place, surviving off what the desert provides. They are the masters of the sands, both in survival and warfare. They fade in and out of the sands like the coming and going of the breeze. They almost rival the Wood Elves in terms of archery, despite the scarcity of wood in the desert. They are the greatest riders of all Elf-Kind, expert Horsemasters and Cavalry Archers. No other race can compare to their light cavalry in combat.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Elves are usually about half a foot shorter than a human, the males of their species growing no taller than 5'8" and the females rarely being more than 5'2". Their build is slight, with narrow waists, shoulders and hips built more for agility than sturdiness. They are regarded as the fairest of all races, having generally beautiful or handsome features, smooth and unlined even in old age. To look upon an Elf and guess their age correctly is a feat that even most other elves cannot attest to having preformed correctly.
With their small bodies and builds, they are better suited for nimble work, as their narrow fingers are more agile than any other race's hands. The finest clothes are made by Elves, their hands weaving the fabric with ancient ease. No other race can compare to an Elf when it comes to dexterity or agility, as an Elf with minimal training could outpreform many of the more adept and agile human, Bachian or Xholtec athletes or warriors.
An Elf's one failing is their durability, as their bones are not as sturdy as others. While they can receive injuries equal or worse than a human and live, their bodies are light and easily tossed around or broken. Often were a Elf to punch a Dwarf in the wrong way would end up injuring the Elf more than the Dwarf. Their strength is also weak when compared to most others, meaning their armor has had to become lightweight.
What they lack in strength however, they make up for in speed and agility. An Elf moves with a swiftness and a grace that can only be matched by a few of the Xholtec peoples.
Genetics and Reproduction
Elves are fairly unique among the races of Anacharia, as their birthrate is rather low by comparison to virtually all other races. An Elven female can only fall pregnant once every few decades, and that pregnancy will last for the better part of 16 months.
Growth Rate & Stages
An Elf grows quickly, and matures at much the same rate as a Dwarf, that being ages 0-5 being considered infanthood, 5-20 Childhood, 20-50 adolescence, becoming a fully matured Adult roughly between the ages of 50-55. Once at this stage, the aging process slows drastically, letting an Elf live an incredible amount of time. Most sub-species of Elves live between 1400-1600, with the Eldest of the long lived Deep Elves reaching nearly 2000 before succumbing to old age.
An Elf does not age like a normal being, as they maintain their physical ability until the last few decades of their life, when it begins to drastically decline. The only physical signs of aging in an Elf is the hair changing from the color at birth, to a silvery color, bar the Dark Elves and Snow Elves, who's hair will instead begin to darken with age.
An Elf of 120 and an Elf of 1200 are nearly on the same level physically thanks to their aging process, but in the twilight of their life the Elf will age rapidly as if all their years are catching up to them. Most Elves in their last days are rendered so feeble as to be barely capable of speech, let alone walking or even feeding themselves. For this reason most Elves choose to drink a fatal poison that will let them pass peacefully instead of enduring the agony of a last few days of extreme, old age.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Most of an Elf's senses roughly equal a human's, with two exceptions. An Elf's sense of smell is slightly weaker than a humans, letting them endure putrid odors longer, but at the cost of being less able to smell the sweetness of wildflowers or the mouthwatering scent of baking.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, an Elf's hearing is greater than any other other race, again with the exception of a few of the Xholtec. It's said an Elf can hear the banging of a Forge from the other side of a noisy city, the whispered conversation of someone across a crowded and noisy bar, or the buzzing of a bee from a thousand yards in a windy meadow.
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