High Elf

The High Elves, or the Asur as they call themselves, are one of the most ancient and powerful mortal civilisations within the Warhammer World. Hailing from a mighty mist-shrouded island-continent located within the centre of the Great Ocean,[1e] the High Elves of Ulthuan are a proud and mighty nation of masterful warriors, peerless mages and lords of the sky and sea. They are an ancient race with powerful armies and even grander magic, building a grand and all-mighty civilisation who, alongside the Dwarfs, fought a long-forgotten, apocalyptic war which saw some of the greatest and most powerful mortal heroes battle against the great darkness that tried to consume the world many thousands of years ago. At the zenith of their power, the world was truly theirs for the taking. Yet their noble and compassionate nature, which was once one of the Elves greatest and most noble character was soon replaced by a great sense of pride and hubris in their own vanity and superiority. In their blind arrogance, they've only succeeded in shattering their once powerful friendship with the Dwarfs, culminating in a Great War which only crippled these two elder races and shattered whatever bright future there was for this young world. Isolated and alone in a world they no longer control, the High Elves are facing the twilight years of their existence, their cities no longer bustling with vibrancy and life as they used to be but now serve as a gloomy reminder of their ultimate, impending demise.
The time of the High Elves has passed, or so it is said, yet such is their immense pride that they fight on nonetheless, for they consider themselves the true and rightful protectors of this ancient world, and they believe that so long as their civilisation persist throughout the ages, this dying world will never fall into complete darkness.
All Elves are fair to behold and of them all the High Elves are the most handsome. High Elves are pale-skinned with refined, aesthetically beautiful features and hair as clean and fine as flax. High Elves are tall and proud in their bearing, indeed it is not uncommon for an Elf to stand a whole head taller than a man. They have a slim build, which has led to the common misconception that Elves are weak or fragile. In fact, the opposite is true, for Elves are surprisingly strong, and though they are not as robust as the races of Orcs or Dwarfs, they more than compensate for that with their dexterity and amazing agility.
For the High Elves, long hair is a symbol of strength, power and nobility -- the clearest token of a real warrior. Just as the Dwarfs find great significance in their beards, so too do the High Elves hold their hair in high esteem. Because of this, locks of hair are also important talismans for the Elves. This ancient custom stems from the greatest heroes of Elven legend, who have always been depicted with long flowing hair, and it is said that it is from here that their might springs. All High Elves decorate their hair with combs made of silver or gold, and embellished with bright gems. Each jewel has a different meaning, and reflects the Elf's role in his family, his rank in battle, or can even be a token of favour granted by a betrothed.
Elves are long-lived, some say immortal, and less vulnerable to disease than humans. In truth, elves have a lifespan of around one thousand years (though few ever reach that age). Every movement that an Elf makes is graceful and controlled, their minds are quick and clever with an intensity and depth of insight which makes them seem fey and strange to other races. High Elves convey meaning into the slightest gesture, perceiving a wealth of information in the slightest nod of a head, or narrowing of eyes. More than once the Lords of Ulthuan have made war amongst themselves or upon other races for some real or imagined slight, for though they are a noble people the High Elves can be cold and haughty, unreasoning in the view of other races. The differences between male and female elves are subtle, sometimes confusing other races.
The High Elves are also currently some of the most magically attuned race within the world, their developed knowledge and powers over magic and sorcery going far beyond the accomplishments of any other race save perhaps the mystical Slann of Lustria. They were amongst the first to study magic and remain the greatest mortal masters of it in the known world. Through magic the High Elves protect their island home of Ulthuan, for without the conjurations of the High Elf mages the entire island, already unstable with the creation of the Great Vortex, would sink beneath the waves forever. It is the Elves who in years past taught magic to men, although the Elf mages far surpass the human wizards of the Old World in both skill and knowledge.
To most outsiders, the High Elves can be describe in many different ways; subtle, elegant, graceful, cunning but perhaps above all, arrogant. Elven minds are subtle and clever, possessing an intensity and depth of insight that lies far beyond the ability of other creatures — a single word or gesture, however small, conveys a wealth of information to an attentive Elf. It is said, of the High Elves in particular, that their minds are their finest weapons. This is certainly true, but they are dangerous weapons indeed, and can require a lifetime to safely master. Unless he knows discipline, a High Elf's interests can quickly become obsessions — and set his feet on a path that will ultimately see his soul delivered to a thirsting god.
Due to this, Ulthuan's society has become tightly structured, rigidly bound by convention and precedent, ritual and ceremony. For a High Elf to behave out of keeping with tradition is considered a truly shameful matter, able to break the power of a family overnight if proven before the Phoenix Court. Thus, its mere implication is one of the chief gambits in Ulthuan's interminable politics. On the battlefield, it is the combined alacrity of mind and body that makes each Elf so deadly an opponent. His mind is keen enough to read an opponent's intent in the slightest shift of stance, and his body swift enough to deliver a lethal counterblow a heartbeat thereafter. There is no weapon nor form of fighting an Elf cannot master and, even untrained, his skills are formidable. Once properly tutored in his chosen way of war an Elf soldier is lethal grace given form, able to match a hero of lesser blood blow for blow.
Yet it is perhaps the arrogance and pride of the High Elves which can be considered their most defining trait. Almost every High Elf, from the humblest lowborn to the most esteem Lord, will always reserve a bit of self-satisfaction in his own superiority, especially to what the High Elves consider the "lesser races" of Mankind. This arrogance is in many ways the corrupted heart of High Elven society.