Elves

All elves have magic flowing through their veins, even moreso than other living beings on Korthos. It's evident in the graceful bend of a drow's legs as they move rapidly through the underbrush, in the instinctive endurance of the settaranni, and in a moon elf's conjured lights. This vein of magic that underlies the genetic history of elvenkind leads to their long natural lifespans and the ease at which they can conjure magic to their hands. The history of the elves is long and convoluted, as a history of such a long lived race should be, but also nebulous. The first elves arrived on Korthos tens of millenia before the Shadow Cataclysm and had already established empires that had fallen by the time it came around. Many elves claim that their ancestors either came from the stars or from the depths of the Feywild, and no consensus can be reached, although many elves have chosen to (re)enter the Feywild and settle down there, often permanently.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Elves all share a relatively humanoid bodyplan, with two arms and two legs, and usually are quite lean and tall. The most recognizable feature of the elves, however, is their long pointed ears and their almond shape eyes, often with large irises that almost eclipse the whites. Usually taller than humans, some elves even take the proportional dissonance to an extreme, bearing incredibly lanky frames that seem to defy human norms.

Biological Cycle

Intrinsically tied to the magic underlying the natural world around them, all elves experience subtle changes with the passage of the seasons. Usually these are psychological, but some especially magically-attuned elves may experience subtle physical differences as well- changes in hair color, coloration at the extremities, and eye color are most common.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

An old race, elven settlements can be found across the whole of Beshabha, as well as spread across the majority of coastal Aborea. Several elven settlements exist on tropical coasts of Astraea, but most stay clear of draconic settlements further inland.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

All elves have very acute senses, especially those of sight and hearing. In addition, their magical ancestry gives elves the ability to see quite well in dim-light conditions, and many elves take this a step further with enhanced magical perceptions.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Most elves speak Elven, although the Drow often also speak Undercommon. The dialects of Elven vary wildly, however, and often Settaranni Elven is nearly unintelligible to a visiting High Elf, even if the way words are spelled between dialects is identical. A few elves, especially those very much in touch with their fae roots, will learn Sylvan. Many elves learn Common during their long childhoods.

History

The oldest elven traditions on Korthos spring from the nomadic Settaranni elves. These "wild elves" are generally uninterested in the politics of the more urban high elves and therefore generally keep to themselves, only retaliating when their lands are infringed upon by high elves. Since their conception, either from the Feywild or maybe even the stars, elves have roamed and ruled upon Beshabha, often known as the elven homeland. However, many humans seem to believe that Beshabha is home to but one homogenous elven culture, when various cultures and subraces dominate its face in numerous ways.
Although an old race, elves suffered quite handily during the Shadow Cataclysm. When the darkness overtook the land, many elves in tropical Beshabha were cursed by the waves of darkness, and blamed for the apocalyptic circumstances these elves, labeled "Drow" or "Dark Elves" were banished from the surface of Beshabha by ruling high elves. Since the Shadow Cataclysm, the high elven empires that the people so lovingly claimed theirs have suffered. Even in the intervening centuries, much of the advanced conjuration magic used by high elves no longer works quite as well, and their struggle at the hands of the Shadow Cataclysm and subsequent invasions weakened the empires enough that many other sentient races took hold in Beshabha.

Genetic Descendants

• Half-Elves

Origin/Ancestry

Sylvan (anecdotally)

Lifespan

The oldest lived elves can be over 700 years old, but most enter the twilight around 5 to 6 centuries.

Average Height

Elves usually grow between five and a half to seven feet tall, with the mean height being just above six feet tall. There is very little sexual dimorphism in height in elves.

Average Weight

Elves of all genders and sexes usually weigh between 120 and 200 pounds.

Related Ethnicities

• Drow
• High Elves
• Settaranni