Alve (Alf)
Elves native to the waves of Vatenrelm and the depths of the Deep Realm, alves are similar to their land-dwelling cousins in most ways. An alves skin coloration generally is determined by what depth they dwell at, with those dwelling close to the surface having a more white or gold sandish tone, while those who dwell in the depths often gain a greenish-black skin color, similar to many underwater plants. They lack the vast eyesight and hearing of surface elves, instead gaining a set of gills and tertiary fins, allowing them the ability to breathe underwater and an increased swimming capability.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Alves can be found speaking Aquan instead of Goblin, but also commonly learn sign language, as communication under the waves is much easier through gesture rather then speech.
Culture and cultural heritage
Many alve become explorers, attempting to delve into sunken ruins, hunting for lost treasure or ancient magic. They also sometimes become finders and bounty hunters, searching the sea for lost shipments, items, or people at the behalf of a ship company or sailor's partner.
Shared customary codes and values
The sense of elven superiority is even greater in alves, as they believe their ability to live both in and above the waves adds to the elves already near-perfection. Thus, they often come off as aloof and dismissive of those who solely dwell in one medium.
Average technological level
Most alves are practiced in the use of tridents rather then the traditional elven battle weapons, as most weapons are not meant to be wielded underwater.
Common Dress code
Due to being a primiarlly aquatic race, alves wear little clothing while beneath the waves, often only wearing a small amount weaved of seaweed. They wear armor crafted of shells and coral to protect themselves from aquatic threats, but have more formal eelskin clothes for when they must travel to the surface.
Art & Architecture
Alves build large submerged towers on the bottom of upper soil levels of the Deep Realm. These towers then extend all the way to the surface, breaking out of the waves to Vatenrealm. An alve usually spends most of its life on one level of the tower, only occasionally moving to the adjacent layers.
Foods & Cuisine
Alve often grill kelp on underwater furnaces that channel heat from geothermal vents, before adding various spices for flavor.
Coming of Age Rites
For an alve, taking their first steps onto land is a momentous occasion, often occurring only in late childhood.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Alves are usually buried in the ocean soil, so that their body may continue to provide substance and fertility to the depths as their soul departs for the afterlife.
Common Myths and Legends
A majority of alve worship Flaof, the elven god of waves, but can often be found worshiping the other elven gods or even other gods of water.
Historical figures
One of the members of the legendary Lancrik Pirates was an alve named Eneuen, the ships quartermaster.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Like surface elves, alve society places heavy value on physical beauty. They often become enamored by Merfolk, and often attempt to court them, showing them with gifts from the surface world.
Gender Ideals
Like surface elves, alve don't place much pressure on individual genders, however, alve males are much more protective of alve females then their surface cousins. This is due to many of the more monstrous underwater races seeking to kidnap alve women, seeking to use them in breeding experiments to make soldiers more capable of invading the surface world.
Courtship Ideals
An alve often brings its partner gifts from which half (land or sea) the partner frequents less.
Relationship Ideals
Alve are just as long-lived as surface elves, and thus struggle with many of the same relationship problems that they do, only now the alve must struggle to relate to both surface folk and the aquatic dwelling races.
Major organizations
Alve are very free spirited, and thus will sometimes join pirate crews who are attempting to resist expansion efforts from the Kingdom of the Waves.
Random Elf Families
| % Rolled | Homeland | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|
| 01-65 | Underwater City | Deepsea Native |
| 66-70 | Ship-City | Navigator |
| 71-80 | Coastline or Island | Beachcomber |
| 81-90 | Tundra | Tundra Child |
| 90-00 | Unusual Homeland | (Roll on Unusual Homeland table) |
Related Organizations
Related Locations
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