Elves
Elves are one of the sapient species that inhabit Borgalor and were only moderately populous until relatively recently, with notable diaspora throughout the world. Currently, the vast majority of the elven population can be roughly divided into three groups, namely Þjaric Elves in northern Jælondis, Jútrilían Elves in northwestern Jælondis, and Austral Elves primarily in the Southlands and Örkraz.
Historically, their civilizations were centered on western and northwestern Jælondis, with the southern cultures interacting extensively with the neighbouring Humans to the south and Dwarves to the east, while the northern ones tended to keep to themselves for the most part, which culminated in the elves of Þjaris withdrawing from the rest of the world for centuries. This period of isolation only ended during the Fell Wars, and in the decades since the þjaric elves and their southern cousins have become major powers in the world as the human heartlands in western Jælondis lay in ruins.
Similarly to humans, elves are able to use magic for quite a while before needing to rest, which -with the right training- can last for a few days by reaching a kind of meditative state, and have been known to survive extreme conditions and grievous injuries by using this technique until help arrived.
Historically, their civilizations were centered on western and northwestern Jælondis, with the southern cultures interacting extensively with the neighbouring Humans to the south and Dwarves to the east, while the northern ones tended to keep to themselves for the most part, which culminated in the elves of Þjaris withdrawing from the rest of the world for centuries. This period of isolation only ended during the Fell Wars, and in the decades since the þjaric elves and their southern cousins have become major powers in the world as the human heartlands in western Jælondis lay in ruins.
Appearance and abilities
Elves share common ancestry with humans and dwarves but are the most divergent of the three, generally slightly taller on average than a human, more gracile and sport more angular facial features and pointed ears. Their skin is of various shades of green or chartreuse, with the latter being more common among elves of mixed ancestry, while the hair ranges from green to brown to teal or viridian.Similarly to humans, elves are able to use magic for quite a while before needing to rest, which -with the right training- can last for a few days by reaching a kind of meditative state, and have been known to survive extreme conditions and grievous injuries by using this technique until help arrived.
Religion
The three main faiths practiced by the elves revolve around the worship of trees, bears and fire, respectively, with syncretic religions based on these being common outside Jælondis, particularly in the Southlands. While veneration of the dead is observed to some degree by most, actual ancestor worship is rare, as the souls of the dead are generally believed to sleep for eternity unless the person met a violent death, in which case a shaman must placate it.
Origin/Ancestry
Jælondis
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
I wonder how is the difference (if there is any) between "sleep for eternity" and "cease existing ". Plato uses the image of "a sleep without dreams" in his Apology of Socrates, as image for the no-afterlife hypothesis, and it makes sense to me. Is the closest thing to the non-existence that may exist in the objective reality but our minds cannot paint for us in imagination. Catholicism (when my dear grandfather was still alive. I cannot say if they still hold that point) used to believe the death sleep as spirits. However, that sleep is supposed to end in the Final Judgement. When the spirits will be reunited to their bodies and judged. What makes the sleep a sleep (instead of non-existence) is usually the perspective of a moment when it will end. And the sleeping person will rejoin the community of its equals. To do, and suffer, meaningful things. Your elves awake their dead from time to time, to bother them (like vampires do in White Wolf's World of Darkness with their Elders in torpor) ? Or they are "sleeping for eternity" in the strong sense of the expression?
Borgalor is my first serious attempt at a world that has any kind of souls and afterlife for its inhabitants, so there are still some aspects I'm working on and might change later on, but I believe the article on souls should answer at some of your questions here.
But to answer the last part of your comment, while it's traditionally believed in many borgalorean elven cultures that the dead actually sleep peacefully for eternity, this does not reflect how souls actually work in Borgalor. Summoning the dead is not practiced in these cultures, doing so would be considered unnecessary and quite rude, as prayers are believed to be enough to receive strength from them.
I wonder if someone could transfer the personal elements of a given spirit to something else. Or perhaps "copy" them. To make a sort of "magical android" who has the memories, personality and objectives of the person used as model. If that was possible, we would start having a flavour of "magical sci-fi" with that notion of Philosophy of Mind, explored in Black Mirror, would be happening by spells. 'AIs' of sort, maybe in 'robotic' bodies, maybe in "virtual worlds" inside crystals and magical objects. Continuing indefinitely as long as they are properly kept by adequate maintenance. Those would not be the real spirits, but since the spirits in that setting are just indistinct puppets, that serve as maleable clay for personalities, then perhaps not being a true spirit is not a important imperfection.