Elf
Elves are a long-lived species who are remarcably in tune with the natural life of Ailion. Many scholars theorise that they are one of the first, if not the first, sapient species to be created on the planet, which would account for their link to tumultous creation overall. Those who believe the planet existed before the gods arrived and was shaped by them, often point to elves as the original inhabitants.
Owing to their longevity, elves often become keepers of tradition and culture. This often means that areas where they are numerous become conservative and rigid, but also beautiful and artistic. They have time to hone any craft they set their mind to. Everything can become an art as much as a skill when you have decades or even centuries to perfect it.
Since and elf can expect to live for a long time, they often embark on travels early in life to gather as varied experiences as they can. It's easy to settle down and become complacent and thus important to embrace the restlessness of youth while it lasts. What constitutes "youth" varies from culture to culture, of course. While an elf reaches physical maturity around age 20, most of their peers consider them children for at least another decade and the equivalent of teenagers until they approach their first century.
Physically, elves gain an ageless appearance by their late twenties. They don't show signs of ageing until they're very old indeed and in their last couple of decades.
The various kinds of Elves
As a species, elves have shown remarcable adaptability. However, this doesn't carry over to modern lineages. Within the species, there are many races with extreme magical adaptation to a very specific type of environment. The Sea Elves, for example are very well suited to aquatic life. But since each race is this specialized, they have a hard time spreading to surrounding areas and remain isolated. This has reduced the number of interracial partnering, and thus reinforced the trend.
Dark Elves
The name stemps from their lives in the dark — not their own colour. In fact, they tend to have skins in shades of purple that helps them blend in with the shadows. Dark elves live in the extensive magic-rich cave systems that exist in many parts of the world. The magic there sustain biomes not found in any other environment and dark elves have been shaped by this. Their adaptation to the dark has made them uncomfortable with sunlight, however, and this makes them rare on the surface. Since many of those living on the surface have never met a dark elf, they are sometimes looked at with suspicion. Some attribute their discomfort with sunlight as an aversion to the Sunfire, furthering the xenophobia.
Fey Elves
The elves who have become native to the Realm of Delirium might seem more fairytale than people. Fey elves shift between the different states of nature, such as the seasons, and blend it with a nature of trickery. They dazzle those around them with illusions, appear where you don't expect them, and their tricks might turn deadly at any moment.
This ever-shifting nature isn't well suited for the rigid nature of the material plane, however. Fey elves age faster there than they would in their native realm, and much faster than other elves. Remaining in their home is a matter of survival.
High Elves
The name is very much one the high elves have taken themselves. They are the ones who focused on building civilization around themselves in order to have time for arts and studies. They lack the adaptations to environments that other elves have, making them less suitable for such areas. On the other hand, they are more in tune with the essential magic flowing through the world.
Sand Elves
Sand elves found home in the deserts of the world — originally the Sa'ar. THe name has stuck, even though that particular region is rocky rather than sandy. The elves living there have adapted to the extreme heat during the day without succumbing to the cold of the nights. They can go for many days without water and weeks without food if needed. Their dark skin protects them from the ill effects of the unrelenting sun.
Sea Elves
These elves have formed aquatic homes that are partially or entierly under water. They have formed gills and webbed fingers and toes to help them get around. While they don't have the pressure regulation to truly live up to their name, sea elves can be found both along coasts, in reefs, and in inland lakes. These regions are so difficult for most other spaient species to access that they enjoy relative peace.
Wood Elves
The connection to nature isn't stronger for wood elves, but it's more evident. Their skin has adapted to the browns and greens of the forest and they can move stealthily through any such area. They are often agile enough top jump between trees. Some of them even develop a magical connection through which they can sense the ecosystem around them. This doesn't really translate to less dense growth, however, which explains why most wood elves prefer to remain in the forest.
Basic Information
Biological Traits
Elves never fully enter deep sleep. They enter a semi-concious meditative state to get the same amount of rest. It takes them about four hours or slightly longer to be fully rested after a day. While they're in this meditation, they're still aware of their surroundings though not paying a lot of attention. Their rest also acts as a way to process experiences and the perceptions dormant within the life of the planet themselves. Many believe the visions they have are prophetic in nature, or at least give glimpses of an ancient past.
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 brought into the world send tiny ripples in the magic around it. After giving birth, an elven woman can not become pregnant again for another seven years after they cease to breast feed.
Multiple births are very rare, and always taken as an important omen of things to come.
Growth Rate & Stages
Elves are biologically mature sometime around the age of 20. Most of their societies won't recognise them as being adult enough to give consent until they are past 30 and they are rarely considered fully adult for the first century of their life. They retain an ageless state for the next two or three hundred years after this, before showing signs of age. Once they show their age, an elf rarely live for more than 40 additional years.
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