High Elf

Overview:
High elves, or eldar, are an enigmatic people uninterested in the affairs of other races. They fill their long lives with learning, art, and any other skill that intrigues them, and so even the lowliest high elf seems a polymath compared to a typical human.
Ancient unions between humans and eldar produced the Valmer, who now outnumber full elves in the outside world thanks to their higher fertility.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Eldar naturally live to nearly a millennia, but given the whims of fate, few actually live that long - most die of accidents, violence, or illness long before then. Still, high elves over 500 are not uncommon, and the majority will live at least two centuries.
Physically, the eldar are tall, lithe, devoid of body hair, and androgynous. They possess sharp canine teeth which can give them an unsettling appearance, but their overall physique and immunity to the ravages of time makes them attractive to some humans.
Childbearing among the high elves is a challenging affair, for they lose their fertility after 150 years, have pregnancies lasting several years, and tend towards difficult childbirth. It is a rare elven birth indeed that is not assisted by magic.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

The eldar of the east are concentrated in the isolated region known as the Nine Kingdoms. Surrounding their homelands are the Emerald Gates: groves of unnatural beauty where time itself seems to run differently, where one can get lost in the woods for a moment only to find that years have passed. One who passes through the Gates beholds a world unto itself, a realm of enchanted forests, ordered cities, and untamed wilderness completely isolated from the outside world.

Gender Ideals

High elves place little emphasis on the concept of gender, finding the concept amusing as a whole. In fact, several "High Queens" have actually been male, having retained the exact title only due to tradition! Linguistically, Lumeric has three genders, with male pronouns being regularly used by biological females and vice versa, and many high elves using nongendered terminology. From a physical standpoint, humans would describe high elves as "feminine" or "androgynous", with clothing and overall appearance difficult to distinguish between the sexes.

History

The Eldar were the first people to walk the material plane, having diverged from the Fey at least 15,000 years ago. 
Long ago, they were the unquestioned rulers of the world, having achieved mastery over nature itself. Seeking to verify their long-held beliefs, they searched for evidence of their gods - but found none. In their hubris, they thought to create a god of their own, but instead, created an abomination. A cataclysmic war ensued, and Sanguine was defeated.
Yet those eldar who fought her were cursed with mortality - the dwarves, humans, orcs. Those who remained loyal were alone, huddling among ruins, lost. In time, even her loyal followers, who retained their long lives and fair forms, turned their backs on Sanguine. These survivors became the Luminai: the oldest continuous civilization in the world.

Terminology:

Luminai: the demonym used by the high elves of the Nine Kingdoms of Lumeris to refer to themselves

Eldar: the term used by the Luminai to refer to all elves

High Elf: a term used only by humans to denote the Luminai

Trueblooded: a term used for elves with pure elven ancestry; carries a connotation of xenophobia

Halfblooded: a racial epithet used for elves with non-elven ancestry; considered highly offensive
People of the Blood:
Eldar have a long and complex relationship with vampirism. Originally descended from the Fey, the eldar forsook most of their ties with the Fey over 10,000 years ago when they summoned Sanguine.
Though a majority of eldar are avowed opponents of Sanguine, their long time in her service left them with an intriguing gift. Most eldar possess the ability to discern memory fragments by tasting the blood of a sentient being. For some eldar, this may present as no more than transitory sounds and vague afterimages, but some highly attuned eldar can sample deep memories from the blood, their spirit intertwining with the very essence of the blood they consume.