Elf
The Elves of Baliston are a "lesser species" in many ways to the "high elves" They all started as one species, but when called by their gods to leave the Mundane, not all of them agreed. Those that did not follow the call are what we know today as Elves. High Elves are those who built grand citadels and pined with regret after the choice they refused. Green Elves (wood elves in the PHB) are those that settled into their mundane choice and became one with the natural order of things as they exist here. Finally, the Dark Elves, are those that fell to the siren's song of their greater brethren, the Deep Elves into the world below, forsaking their claim in the mundane world to start afresh, where they founded the great cities of the greater dark.
The Fair Elves worship Varya (Queen of the stars) and left with her out of this plane. Those few that remain are somewhat dimmed in their majesty, and those
The Deep Elves, also known as Shadowfane, are those that followed Varya's sister Sirona (the false star) into the World Below. Sirona (or Tsirona) is often identified by snakes and eggs, and has some interplay with the idea of stars and the eternal night sky of the world below. Sacrifices to her used to use great snakes to hang three individuals at once, which is celebrated by her worshippers in the form of baked goods shaped in the classic "pretzel" shape. The Deep Elves that followed her became her consorts, and essentially the stars of the undersky.
Fane is the name of the form taken by the gods when "clothed" in human form. In ancient days when people still worshipped actual gods, their temples were also known as their clothes, and therefore have become known as fanes. To this day, a Fane is what "primitive" cultures have, instead of temples or churches.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Elves are found all over the Balliston. There are green elf settlements in older forests, and green elves also live side by side with humans and the other species of Balliston regularly enough that it is not considered uncommon in the least. You may find a green elf jeweler in Renelestre, and a half-(green)elf barkeeper in a small hamlet in western Talanthia.
High Elves, on the other hand are a rare sight in the worlds of men. They tend to keep to their own kind, and live far to the west in great and mighty cities, away from human lands.
Average Intelligence
Within the general range of other humanoid species, though given their long life, Elves are often considered wiser and more intelligent, as they have more time to learn and grow their mental faculties. Because of this they tend to thing in terms of long-term consequences as well, which further bolsters this stereotype. This is aided by the fact that given the disposition of their god(s), elves tend to lean towards philosophical and thoughtful approaches to life, rather than action oriented and physical.
Origin/Ancestry
Celestial, Humanoid,
Lifespan
700-1000 years
Average Height
6-7.5 ft for High Elves and Green Elves
5-6.5 ft for Dark Elves
Average Physique
Long, tall, and sinewy is the best way to describe the average elf. Even dark elves, who are much shorter than their sun-soaked cousins, tend to be physically lithe and built towards endurance and dexterity rather than raw power. There are of course, as with any species, major caveats and outliers in this regard, however, with one Talethana Cathinoriath and her twin Greatswords Calabrim and Dalgalathrung being a particularly obvious example to point to.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Skin tone ranges in parallel with that of humanity with melanin concentrations being higher in areas that tend to see longer, hotter summers and closer to the equatorial lines, and lighter skin tones finding their home as one approaches the poles. This is a development in parallel with that of humanity, as adaptations to their environment happen over time and between generations. Dark elves charcoal grey skin tones actually are a gift of their deity and a method of camouflage in the dark caves in which they live, rather than an adaptation, as normally elves would be subject to the same forces as humans, in which lack of sunlight over time would lead to a near bleaching of the skin instead of deep tones that we see.
Related Organizations
Related Ethnicities