Elf
The elves were first created from the blood of Corellon after he was wounded in a battle against Gruumsh. The first ones were able to change into anything they wanted but one of them, Llolth, promised the rest power in exchange for giving up the changing nature of their father.
Retaliating, Corellon cast the elves out of their home of Arvendor. Some sought a way back into his graces; others hid underground together with Llolth.
Lives
The souls of elves are reborn after being allowed to join Corellon for only a brief time after they die. When an elf meditates, they can sometimes remember things about their previous lives and gain understanding from those visions. And it is the mission of every elf to bring as much to their future lives as possible. This is why they both hold on very conservatively to their societies, but also why most embark on some form of journey. This might not be an actual journey but rather a metaphorical one. The important part is that their next life should have something to remember. This constant rebirth is why elven societies in the world have a lot in common even if they aren't physically close. They might not have had a lot of communication for centuries, but a few of them in each place remember the life they led in the other. Along with the long-view thinking that comes with living for several centuries, this means that elves are the world's memory. The drow are an exception to this in many ways. They don't return to Corellon after they die and only remember their current life during meditation. Some theorise that they create new souls like many other races, or that they end up with Llolth who scrubs their memories before sending them back. As such, they feel an urgency to make a good life for themselves and their family in this life rather than caring about create a good community for the ages.The various kinds of Elves
In order to be the powerful beings that they are, the elves gave up a lot of their adaptability, even before they arrived on Ailion during the First Breaking . As a result, different forms of elves exist; each subrace being adapted to something specific.Drow
Also known as dark elves, the drow are the elves that followed Llolth and didn't attempt to return to Corellon but instead chose to form their own way of life. As a result, they were driven from the surface to the tunnels and caverns of the Underdark. There are even major cities below the ground, most of them raiding other civilisations for resources and slaves. In many parts of the world, drow has a reputation for being "evil," but there is no such automatic connection. They are predisposed to seek out positions of power while retaining the poise of all elves. These traits have created some communities with fascist leanings, but it is not in any way a genetic trait.Eladrin
When the elves sacrificed some of their flexibility of form in order to be more powerful in other ways, as taught by Llolth, the Eladrin were the elves who sought out the Feywild and stayed there instead of relocating to other areas after the elves were shunned by Corellon. This means that they have retained more of their mutability than the other elves and their very nature often change. In particular, they have a strong tie to the various seasons.High elves
Out of all the elves, the high elves are the ones who strive the most towards the ideals of elvenkind. Their lofty idealism is ingrained in their very being and reflected in their genetics. They might be more delicate than many other elves, but they are prone to more insight and a better ability to learn and to express themselves. To many, when they think of an elf, what they're thinking of is a high elf. While other elves are mostly formed by the environment in which they live, high elves have become what they are due to aspirations rather than adapting for survival. While all elves have heightened senses compared to humans, high elves have the most refined. This has gained them a reputation for being snobbish with tings like food and drink. In reality, it is simply the result of detecting more flavours.Sand elves
Sand elves sought out the empty, dry lands that fit the way they felt after the elves were banished from Arvendor. They stayed there, more hidden than most other elves, barely ever forming something that could be called a structured civilization. The extraordinary perception of elves makes the sand elves able to pick out details in what others would just see as a wasteland. This has also led to them being able surviving on next to nothing. They can go several days without water, barely care about the scorching sun, and they can usually manage to live off of very little food.Sea elves
One of the examples of how elves have adapted to a specific environment, the sea elves lived in the oceans and lakes even before their race was cast out by Corellon, but that conflict locked them into their aquatic form. They are able to live on land but rarely do so for any longer period of time. Their bodies are adapted for swift movement in the water, for being able to breathe through gills and to handle high pressure - not to deal with dry areas or walking. The senses of a sea elf are primarily geared towards being underwater. They can see through murky waters, deal with light bending due to different pressures in the water and can hear despite distortions as the sound moves far in the waves.Wood elves
Nature has always been essential to the life of all elves. Some of them made their home in forests, becoming talented hunters. In lands where few have ever met an elf, wood elves are often what they think of. There are wood elves who live in other environments, of course, but they often feel more at home surrounded by vegetation. Their hunter instincts aren't always helpful in the cities the way they are in the wild. Many get restless when they to live in more urban areas, and thus the moniker of woof elves remain an apt one.Basic Information
Biological Traits
High elves are usually a lot paler than other races living in the same area, sometimes reaching pale blue-white or ivory. They have a more delicate frame and very elegant features. Their tall, slim, figures stand out with their almost eerie perfection. Other elves take on traits depending on their adaptation.
Sand elves have a dusty sand colour as a result of blending in with their normal surroundings. Their hair tends to be either very light or very dark and most of them wear it long and allow it to flow freely in the wind. They are often shorter than other elves, but not remarkably so, and their skin seems to be righter around their form and they might look slightly too thin even when perfectly healthy.
A sea elf has webbed fingers and toes, has gills on their neck, and a light blue and green tone to their overly smooth skin. Their bodies are usually very slim and aquadynamic.
Drow have dark skin that helps hem blend into the Underdark, but their hair still tends to grow white or very pale. Their eyes often a very strong purple.
Eladrin show signs of the seasons and ideas they are currently close to. Their hair might have autumn leaves, their skin shimmering as if covered in frost, or their chest having the faint glow of summer sun for instance.
Genetics and Reproduction
Pregnancy, for most elves, is a period of two full years. The experience, as well as the birth itself, is usually quite gentle and as much a spiritual act as anything else. An elven soul has returned for another life. After giving birth, an elven woman can not become pregnant again for another seven years.
Multiple births are very rare, and always taken as an important omen of things to come.
Growth Rate & Stages
Elves are biologically mature sometime after the age of 20. Most of their societies won't recognise them as being adult enough to give consent until they are past 50 and they are rarely considered fully adult for the first century of their life. Their meditation also changes as they age. They won't remember their previous lives at all for many decades and the first time they do, it is a major event in their lives. These memories are first only glimpses of previous passions. As they age, the memories become clearer for a few centuries before they increasingly shift to only memories of their current life. When they eventually gain nothing new at all from their meditation, even from their current life, they are close to death.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
All elves are able to see in the dark to one extent or another. Their senses are extremely keen and they are often able to spot details other races would have missed.
As they meditate to regain their strengths for a new day, an Eladrin can shift towards a season that they feel connected too. This will affect their mood, give them abilities to change their surroundings and affect others. It might even change their appearance to some extent, such as eye or hair colour.
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
500 years
Related Ethnicities
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