Khundait (Dark Elf)

Khundait are considered the "Banished" population of elves. When the original Elven Civil war erupted in the early first Eon, the one who worshiped Enderia were blessed with her gift of darkened skin and the powers of dark elemental magic, excluding necromancy. While the Civil war ended in a stalemate, the Khundait carved their home underground in the belly of a long dead volcano.

Naming Traditions

Masculine names

Nimindi, Hocasa, Drutri, Ossiri, Ershira, Ghobibna, Uscupe, Ivoss, Rotec, Iknulu

Family names

Punurdish, Birthu, Riugnu, Oserlosh, Vagaenit, Gangagut, Shubic, Yurdri, Kalrezoh, Thenziga

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Elvish is their primary language. Even after the civil war, they still clung to this language.

Common Dress code

Khundait don't necessarily have a cultural dress code. They are known to be nudists in and around their city wearing only enough to cover the reproductive organs. This is due to two reasons, one is the warmth of the volcano's belly. Despite being a dead volcano, a river of lava still runs nearby and a vent from that directs heat into the city, keeping it a warm 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Outside on the surface, Khundait will often wear pants and long sleeves as they are not used to the mild temperatures on the surface. These clothes have no male or female identity due it only really being used on the surface.

Art & Architecture

Khundait architecture features a lot of sharp curves and points as well as natural light. The home of the majority of the Khundait population is in the belly of a volcano and because of that, their homes utilize a lot of cobblestone and metal however it lacks that shiny and luxurious look that the Dwemer have. They also do not utilize glass, at all. the lack of sand in their underground world has denied them that luxury and instead all their windows are fixed and immobile acting as a hole in the wall instead. Khundait art is primarily dominated by images of shadows and dusk. Whether this is a result of their ties to Enderia or simply because of how gloomy their underworld civilization is, either way, they are widely famous for their take on the setting sun and how the sky appears to them. Many written works that came out of the Khundait people often are recognized as horror stories featuring the gruesome fate of life under the whim of the lesser deities, some of which poke fun at Enderia

Birth & Baptismal Rites

Whenever Khundait children are born, they are bathed in sap from a glowing jelly plant. This glowing Jelly plant is of the purple variety and believed to be a gift from Enderia. A bath in purple jelly sap is said to protect the Khundait from the Shadow Realm's creatures as well as guarantee a place there to stand alongside her. However, not all Khundait worship Enderia and therefore not every child is baptized in her name.

Coming of Age Rites

Khundait are the middle child of the Elves, they don't have the shortest nor the longest life span, they are not the tallest nor the shortest people. The legal age of adulthood in Khundait society matches that of Emporian society, the age of 18. When they reach that age, Khundait are sent to a collection of schools that specialize in dark element magics as well as survival training. The survival training consists of reading, speaking and writing in foreign languages, understanding foreign law and how to integrate into foreign cities.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Khundait will regularly outlive most other races, including the Dwemer, and it is considered a sad day for the immediate or extended family when one passes. Khundait use crypts to bury their dead en mass instead of using cemetaries. Each crypt belongs to a family name.