Elves
Elves are a species of mortal found on Apa Axas. The Elves are the ruling race of Apa Axas, and some of the most long-lived, magically attuned and historically relevant individuals in the Kingdoms. They are both famous and infamous for their exploits, and most mortal heroes throughout the history of Apa Axan have been Elven, proto-Elven, or have some form of Elven heritage. They are widely considered (mostly by themselves) to be the true favoured children of The Beacons, and this innate sense of divinity often instils confidence, and even arrogance, in every action. They are usually haughty, but in private will often hold over races in high self-esteem, although usually it is more of a surprised and begrudging admittance than a compliment from a peer. However, Elves have an inborn distain for Dwarves, due to their origins as the other children of The Vida Quda, and the Dwarves’ belief that their patron Beacon, Feny Lekki, was a treacherous monster as opposed to the fun-loving trickster the Elves portray him as. This hatred for Dwarves is outweighed by only one other creature, the Vampire, as vampirism was created by Shubb'Ki, the Travesty of Corruption, as a perverse mockery of Elven features, such as pointed ears, lither frame and longevity, presented as a foul disease by combining these features with a draining bloodlust, and inability to interact with their more natural backgrounds, such as their aversion to sunlight, running water and certain plants.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Elves are humanoid in appearance, with several notable differences. An Elf may be slightly shorter than humans on average, ranging from well under 5 feet tall to just over 6 feet. They are more slender than Humans, weighing only 100 to 145 pounds, and appear more graceful than other races, with thin bodies and elegant styles of movement. Males and females are about the same height, and males are only marginally heavier than females.
Elves’ coloration encompasses the normal human range and also includes skin in shades of copper, bronze, and almost bluish-white, hair of green or blue, and eyes like pools of liquid gold or silver. Elves have no facial and little body hair, and will shave often, as beards are often seen as a mark of laziness, and an Elf with a beard is considered too 'Dwarf-like' for polite society. They often favor elegant clothing in bright colors, viewing Human fashion in particularly as 'drab', and they enjoy simple yet lovely jewelry. However, an Elf's exact appearance is decided by their subrace.
Growth Rate & Stages
Elves often live for well over 700 years, with the oldest on record being nearly 1200, although this is up for date.
Ecology and Habitats
Elves are often found in places of ethereal beauty, such as enchanted forests, or Fey-Touched mountainous regions. However, their ideal environment is often determined by their subrace.
Behaviour
Most Elves love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry, and the good things of the world. As such, many Elves choose to become Bards. Due to their slow aging, and long life spans, Elves often gain a more 'outsider' perspective on life, and are often unbothered by things that may make other races worry. This aloofness can earn them the ire of their peers, and is the main reason for the animosity towards most Elves.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Elves have a keen sense of sight and hearing, and are able to see in the dark; a talent that is built upon by the Drow.
Civilization and Culture
History
Elves are the firstborn children of the Vida Quda and Feny Lekki; inheriting the Crownless Queen’s connection to Nature and the Tricky Flicker’s lust for life and propensity for magic and chicanery. However, their long lives proved to be too stagnant for the Vida Quda in her quest to create the perfect creatures to inhabit Apa Axas, and she abandoned Feny Lekki in order to sire the Dwarves with Surm Tutdrug. This has caused a lot of animosity between the two races, and this combined with their naturally clashing demeanours and often competing territories has led to many bitter atrocities committed against each other. Many Elves, who refused Feny Lekki’s offer to abscond to The Feywild, were scattered across Apa Axas once the Vida Quda left Feny Lekki, soon to be joined by the Wood Elves who rescinded the offer later, and slowly but surely, all but the Eladrin adapted to their new environments and grew stagnant in form, a fact that displeased the Crownless Queen. However, despite the disappointment from their mother goddess, the Elves grew more powerful than any other race in the realm, creating such societal wonders as the First City of Moonmoor and the city that would later become The City of Spires.
The High Elves in particular, are an incredibly successful race. Long lived, wise, adept in the arcane arts and the only mortal race on Apa Axas to be the seat of two separate empires, other than Humans, although their empires are notably more stable. While the High Elves are often credited with the creation of language and the techniques required for Wizards to harness magic for their own purposes as well as the development of the Bardic College of Lore, and are widely regarded as one of the first civilised races on Apa Axas, they are despised by many; often seen as predatory in demeanour, and haughty. High Elves often live in large cities, usually entwined with a forest or woodland, forming lavish buildings of specialised glass and wood, often described as resembling the wings of a dragonfly or other insect. These forests are surprisingly metropolitan, despite the High Elves seeming distain for the other races, however, the High Elves seem to pride themselves on their ability to seem tolerant to others, and this acceptance towards other races could be simply a ploy to impress their own kin. High Elves are a common sight on Lucidity, as, alongside Humans and Wood Elves, were amongst the first to colonise the island, and helped to established its current capital, Hudon's Watch.
While High Elves are often seen as pompous and unfeeling towards others, the Wood Elves, on the other hand, are well liked by the other races. Jovial and tricky, they embody the Feny Lekki more than any other subrace of Elves, with a love of life, games and song. Wood Elves exist in tune with the forest, and often become Rangers and Druids, dedicating themselves to protecting the green places of the world. For some, this love of nature can grow to an obsession, and their Elven superiority complex can surface, viewing other races as warmongering and a blight on nature. However, this opinion is scarce, and usually only surfaces in those who live in close proximity to the Feywild. Wood Elves, due to their propensity to live in wooded areas seeped in magic, often interact with the realm of the Fey, as these areas of the world often overlap. However, due to the alien mentality and deadly sense of mischief, these interactions have often ended with the Wood Elves to losing names, minds and even children to the Fey, leading to an extreme animosity between the Wood Elves and the Fey. It is said that, in order to combat the Fey’s innate magical abilities, the Wood Elves invented the concept of archery, and became expert marksman to quickly put down hostile Fey before they could use their wicked tongues. This has been found to be particularly effective, and Fey presence in areas near large Wood Elven settlements is growing rarer and rarer in recent years. These archers were so successful, that they would branch off into many different disciplines of what are now called Rangers, such as utilising hunting, beasts, darkness and Fey energies to protect their homelands. Wood Elves are common on Lucidity, being amongst the first to help settle the island, however, it is notable that many Wood Elves dislike the island, with its increased presence of Fey creatures and the heavily corrupted nature that is common there.
Not all Elves bare the Wood Elves dislike for the Fey. In fact, the Eladrin are closely tied to them, often choosing to make their homes in the chaotic realm. In fact, their appearance in the Faerie is so common that it is widely believed that the Eladrin are secretly Fey constructs made in mockery of the Wood Elves as recompense for the Wood Elves driving their people away from Apa Axas. However, this is not the truth; the Eladrin were not created by the people of the Fey. Instead, they are the closest beings to the primordial Elves birthed by the Vida Quda, bearing the strange characteristic of changing appearance and personality depending on the seasons; a tell-tale sign of these creature’s connection to the Crownless Queen, who exhibits similar abilities. However, this constant state of flux leaves the Eladrin with some unique issues that do not plague other Elves. Due to their ties with the Feywild, a realm where emotion is far more potent that other planes, Eladrin tend to “over feel” their emotions, becoming enraged at minor inconveniences or crying for hours over a sad story they overheard. This can lead to difficulties with other races, as they can easily offend the Eladrin, or in turn, the Eladrin may make others uncomfortable with their overbearing and sensitive manner. Eladrin are somewhat rare on Lucidity, mostly dwelling in the Fey-Touched wooded areas of the island, although it is not confirmed whether these Eladrin are native to the island, arrived through Fey-gates or simply arrived with the other Elves.
While Fey-touched Elves are far more commonly seen in Apa Axas, elves touched by the opposite plane, the emotion-draining realm known as The Shadowfell, have made their presence known. These Elves, known as Shadar-Kai or “Low Elves”, like their Eladrin cousins, possess difficulties in processing emotion. However, unlike their more expressive and sensitive kin, Shadar-Kai are numbed to their emotions, only feeling them in the most intense of circumstances. This difficulty in experiencing emotions comes from their connection to the Shadowfell, more specifically their Shadow Curse. This strange affliction, somehow related to the travesty Vox, who is known as the manifestation of the Shadowfell, causes the cursed to slowly lose their personality as their emotions are drained piece by piece, until their very soul is torn from them and they are reduced to a Shadow. This curse is so potent that even Shadar-Kai who escape the Shadowfell and traverse Apa Axas are still affected by it. To combat this inevitability, the Shadar-Kai often engage in dangerous activities, such as reckless combat, self-harm and intricate and painful tattooing and piercing rituals, in order to bring some form of emotion to the surface, allowing them to stave off the curse for a little longer. The origins of the Shadar-Kai are unclear, with their lack of records and nomadic nature. Scholars have theorised several explanations, including being created by Vox himself, being descended from elves lost in the Shadowfell, or they were banished by the Vida Quda for some heinous unknown crime in the earliest days of their race, although the Shadar-Kai themselves deny all of these explanations. Shadar-Kai are rare in Apa Axas, as many tend to prefer to stay in their native plane, but the ones that do reach the roving reality are often met with scorn and trepidation.
The Shadar-Kai are not the rarest elves on Apa Axas however. The Sea Elves were once thought to be mythical due to their rarity. However, once the City of Spires was erected, there was a short conflict between the Sea Elves and the High Elves that lead to the City construction being altered as to not affect the Sea Elves territory. Since them, some Sea Elves have integrated with their land-dwelling cousins, while others remain in their underwater settlements. The society of these settlements is largely undocumented, as the marine Sea Elves are one of the most xenophobic and untrusting of all races on Apa Axas, and to this day have not allowed outsiders into their cities, and in turn, very rarely allow their citizens to leave their cities. What is known is that they have an ongoing conflict with the Sahuagin, a race of shark-like beings who often lead raids against their marine settlements, and they swear fealty to the travesty Retch, although why they would worship a creature who is known to bring destruction to land and sea alike is unknown. In addition, they seem to prefer shallower waters, and have a lingering animosity towards the Triton, with whom they have engaged in multiple wars with. Despite their rarity in other continents, the presence of the Sea Elven settlement of Hushiin on the island means the average traveller is more likely to bump into a Sea Elf on Lucidity than any other landmass.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
700-1200
Average Height
4-6ft
Average Weight
100 to 145 pounds
Related Organizations
- Great Houses of the High Elves
- The Arcanic Guild of Exploratory Magicks
- The Clever Drow
- The High Elven Pantheon
- The House of Saccan
- The House of Wheathelm
- The Ironoak Contingent
- The Kingdom of Old Elgris
- The Ledgermain's Hand
- The Lilyleaf Pact
- The Lolthkin
- The Mistwalkers
- The Moonmoor Banner
- The True Travesties of the High Elves
Related Ethnicities
Related Myths
Discovered by
Related Technologies
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