elf
"Elves are curious things, aren't they? All elegant and proper, 'spite being only as tall as your hips. They somehow manage to make you feel dumb and smart at the same time."The chosen people of Florian, elves are small, sentient humanoids that live in the Enchanted Wood. For information on elven society and government, see The Elves of the Wood.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
ANATOMY & APPEARANCE
Like humans, elves are bipedal with two arms and two legs, though elves are quite small compared to humans, no taller than the average human child. They have slender, willowy bodies and skin varying from golden to chocolate brown. Their hair darkens as they age; at birth, an elf's hair is so blonde it's nearly white, and as they near death, it's almost black. They also have pointed ears, and their eyes range from pale green to dark brown. Instead of typical wrinkles, an elf's skin presents thin lines and cracks reminiscent of tree bark.As Florian's creations, elves have green blood. Their bone structure is reminiscent of a tree's sturdy wood; as such, it's harder for them to break their bones.
GENETICS & REPRODUCTION
Elves are mono-gendered, capable of fertilizing or being fertilized like the Green Lord's other creations. Despite their long lives, elves usually only have one or two children. Though elves are considered adults at the age of fifty, they are unable to reproduce until closer to 100 years old, when many start their journey toward finding a life partner. Conceiving children requires not just a physical connection, but a mental and spiritual one as well, in which the couple decides which will be the one to bear the child. While a couple is pregnant, neither is able to fertillize another elf. It's not completely understood why that is, and most elves attribute it to Florian's will. Gestation ranges from twelve to fourteen months, depending on the age of the mother. There are n records of any twins in elven history. Contrary to many rumors, elves are not able to interbreed with any other race.GROWTH RATE & LIFE STAGES
Elves generally live between 500 and 800 years, though the oldest ever recorded lived just past 1000. Because of their much longer lives, elves age and mature much more slowly than humans. Elf newborns are called iidats, which means "most precious" in Elven. They are fiercely protected, and usually not brought out into the public until well into their second year of life. Elves begin walking around five years of age, at which point they are called iinuli, or elflings. Elflings are generally ready to attend lessons with others at around ten years of age, when their natural ability to thought-speak is more firmly under their control. Elflings attend general lessons until between twenty and twenty-five years old, at which point their parents begin seeking a mentor for them to apprentice with in their desired life path. Once an elf reaches the age of fifty, they attend their Eldar Ceremony, after which they are considered an adult in elven society. It is at this age that most elves are fully mature and have a firm grasp of their abilities and life path. Elven adulthood lasts from the age of fifty to anywhere between 400 and 500 years old, at which point they are declared eldariin, more commonly called eldars. Eldars are well-respected members of society, and most are masters of their chosen life path. A group of the most prominent eldariin act as advisers to the King.DIETARY HABITS & FOOD SOURCES
Elves are herbivores; they are unable to digest animal flesh of any kind. Outside of the elven cities, their main diets consist of foraged nuts, mushrooms, and root vegetables, along with simple breads made from water and grain. Honey is often added to their meals to sweeten foods, and they use numerous spices to add other flavors. Within the cities, where trade with other peoples is more prevalent, they have a wider variety of food.
Elven beverages include honey mead, fruit ciders and juices, and their two famous wines. Most beverages are readily available in any settlement, but the production of both Baalian and Diinian wine is carefully managed by elven artisans chosen by the King, as the main ingredients are incredibly rare and valuable.
Elves primarily forage for their food, but there are a few areas near larger settlements and the World Trees where grains, vegetables, and fruit trees are cultivated in a manner that does not harm or infringe upon the Wood. Hunting is strictly forbidden under the boughs of any of the World Trees, though others are allowed to bring meat in for trade with non-elves.
SKILLS & ABILITIES
GENERAL SENSES
Elves have the use of all five normal physical senses. Their sight and hearing are both sharper than that of humans, and they possess a greater ability to see in the dark. Their sense of touch is heightened as well, allowing them to feel subtle vibrations in their hands and feet that can alert them to movement in their immediate vicinity. Smell and taste are roughly the same as humans.EXTRASENSORY ABILITIES
As higher sentients, elves have the ability to communicate using thought-speech. They also possess the ability to 'speak' to the trees of the Wood, though this communication is more like a communion with nature than actual conversation.MAGIC
Elves are born able to use magic of any Sphere, and in general possess greater skill and strength than humans. However, there are some limits to what they can do.
Elemental Magic: Elves tend to be more skilled with earth and water magic, as these are the core of growth and life. They are unable to wield fire magic in any form except light.
Life Magic: Elves have a natural affinity for growth and healing, which aids them in their many celebrations and rituals to conserve nature. Elven alchemists are particularly adept at producing magically enhanced potions and salves that are highly sought after by other races.
Mind Magic: While all elves can thought-speak, the equivalent of human 'mentalists' are actually quite rare. Elven mental abilities come in many varieties, most notably their different gifts of foresight. Elven seers come in a large variety, and unlike humans, they can learn how to control their foresight to a degree. Elven mentalists are also capable of mind-diving and creating illusions, though how they do so differs from human methods, as elves are innately able to touch the minds of others and humans are not. However, elves are not able to perform mind-dives on the recently deceased as humans are.
Energy Magic: One of the most challenging magics among humans, Energy magic comes much more naturally to elves, due largely in part to their longer lives and thus more time to learn its uses. Elven conjurers are particularly skilled at creating elemental constructs as well as imbuing jewelry and other items with magical enchantments.
Soul Magic: As with Mind magic, elven use of Soul magic is difficult to classify as they are naturally attuned to nature. The most notable elven 'soulweavers' are those who oversee courtship attempts. Elven marriages involve a 'joining of souls', and their soulweavers help judge whether two souls are compatible.
CULTURE
IDEALS
BEAUTY
Unlike with humans, elven beauty is not measured based on looks alone. An elf's personality and strength of spirit are equally - if not more - important. Simple, elegant pieces of jewelry are commonplace and even customary in some areas. Elves wear makeup only for festivals and rarely wear extravagant jewelry.GENDER
Among the sapient races of the world, elves are unique in their sexual nature. As creations of Florian, they share the same nature as plants, able to reproduce with any other of their kind. Thus, elves are considered to be mono-gendered or gender fluid. As realations with humans and nelfyn increased, many elves chose to adopt a male or female identity as a way of easing communication.
COURTSHIP
RELATIONSHIP
CUSTOMS
CLOTHING
ART, LITERATURE, & ARCHITECTURE
COMMON CUSTOMS & OBSERVED TRADITIONS
FUNERARY CUSTOMS
TABOOS
MYTHS & LEGENDS
The Staff of DreamsMAJOR HISTORICAL EVENTS & FIGURES
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The Elves of the Wood
dark elves
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