Greeting of the Elves

Written by Salen

The thought behind it is very simple. Instead of shaking hands or even laying hands on the shoulders (which was what the elves did before this. They step up and open their arms wide, baring their chest to the person in front of them in greeting, almost like an air hug. This serves to reassure the person that trust is given, like saying "My heart is vulnerable, I know you will not hurt me." Also, with the hands out wide, there is no way that they could reach for their weapons (usually held on their hip or back.)

Custom Armor

Some elven nobles have even gone so far as to craft special armor that has a hole near their heart, so that in formal situations, when armor is worn to show stature, they can seem even more open to thier friends by giving the armor a weakness. This is slowly turning into a high fashion statement, but has gained some ground with the warriors as well.

History

Though it says the Greeting of the Elves, they stole it from the Faeries that they met when they arrived here during the migration from The Shards. The Faeries greeted the Elves like this when they introduced themselves and it struck a chord with the elves. So sincere was the faerie greeting that the elves adopted it as their own, and have used it ever since.