Elves

The Elves were natives to the world of Sila and the continent of Lanavei especially. Their exact orgin is unknown, but it is theorized that it must be somewhere in the tropical jungles of Atandirya. There were two subspecies, the diurnal Light Elves (M. elvus lanaris), who prefered to live on the surface and the nocturnal Dark Elves (M. elvus darucis), who prefered to live underground.

Just like humans, they were a diverse people with different nations and cultures. To the Light Elves belong the tribes of:

• High Elves

• Sun Elves

• Sea Elves

• Storm Elves

• Snow Elves

• Moon Elves

• Copper Elves

• Sand Elves

The Tribes belonging to the Dark Elves were:

• Iron Elves

• Silver Elves

• Gold Elves

• Night Elves

• Wood Elves

• Star Elves

Basic Information

Anatomy

On the outside, Elves look very similar to human females, but tend to be taller and have their signature pointed ears.

Biological Traits

Elves can be divided into two general types: light elves and dark elves.
Light elves live, as their name suggests, in the light, i.e. they are active at day. Aside from that, they can be very diverse. There are light skinned tribes like the high elves, sun elves, sea elves, storm elves and snow elves as well as dark skinned tribes like the moon elves, copper elves and sand elves. Hair color can range from dark black to platinum blonde. Eye color goes from brown to blue. In general their appearance is closest to humans.
Dark elves live, as their name suggests, in the dark, i.e. they are active at night. Dark elves can be further subdivided into two groups.There are cave-dwelling dark elves, who live in caves or underground, like the iron elves, silver elves and gold elves and nocturnal elves, who sleep at day and hunt at night, like the night elves, wood elves and star elves. Because they live in the darkness, they get less uv-radiation and thus tend to have paler skin then their light elven cousins. They often have white hair and bright eyes, as they have a reflective layer behind their retina, allowing them to see better at night but it also makes them sensitive to light.

Genetics and Reproduction

For the most part the Elves looked like human females, only with pointed ears. However under the superficial similarities were several important differences.
Firstly, Elves were monogendered. Generally they were considered all female, but more specifically, they were technically sequential hermaphrodites, meaning that they could be "male" or "female" depending on their maturity. After their childhood, they entered their first puberty at about 12 years of age, which ends around 20. With 20 years of age, the were in their "female" or maiden phase (called Atun in ancient elvish).
Atun Elves were in their most fertile phase of their life. This was the time for them to get pregnant and give birth to children; nurture and raise them. Like humas Elves gave birth to living children, but their gestation period could take up to two years. Furthermore they could only have one child at a time, as they secreted hormones that prevented them from becoming pregnant again. Only when this child was old enough to survive on it's own (or has died) could they become pragnant again and give birth to another child.
The next phase of the elven life cycle was the matron or matriarch phase (called Atul in acient elvish). They enter this phase when they were at a minimum 70 years old, after going to a second puberty. Just as with the first puberty the elves goes through a severe body transformation. They lost the ability to give birth, but grew taller and stronger, their magical power increases, their bodies became sturdier and more resilient to injuries and they became less emotional and more stoic. Their faces became more angular and less feminine and in general their appearance became more androgynous. This phase was often refered to as the "male" phase, as the Atul would serve a similar role in elven society as human males.
To reproduce it always requires one Atul and one Atun Elf.

Ecology and Habitats

It is believed that the orgin of the elves lies somewhat in the tropical jungles to the south of Lanavei, possibly Atandirya or Allania. But in general elves could be just as adaptable as humans and lived in various environments. They could live in dense forests and jungles (night elves and wood elves), in the mountains, in caves and underground (iron elves, silver elves and gold elves), in the highlands and hills (high elves and sun elves), in deserts (sand elves and gold elves), and flat lands and costal regions (storm elves and sea elves). While they prefered warm climates, there were elves living in cold tundras and snowy terrain (snow elves).

Dietary Needs and Habits

Elves were omnivores, there diet was quite similar to that of humans and they require a healty mix of fruits, vegetables, grains and meat. Some Elves didn't eat meat, but that was not due to biology, but by their own choice.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Magic was the signature ability of the Elves. Aside from Fairies, who were their distant relatives, the Elves are the only species on Sila capable of casting magical spells or creating enchantments. Nobody is certain why that is, but if the elven myths are to be believed, then magic was a unique gift of the elven gods to their choosen children.

Civilization and Culture

Gender Ideals

While elves were technically monogendered they were divided by age and their phase of life. The Atun or maiden phase, generally between 20 and 70 years of age, and the Atul or matron phase, at minimum 70 years. The details could vary between tribes and cultures, but in general the role of the Atul is that of the protector, provider and teacher for the younger elves. The Atun are in their most fertile phase, thus they were expected to propagate the elven species and serve as mothers and caregivers to the next generation.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Athin Monle or the divine Language, a.k.a. ancient Elvish was believed to be the original language of all Elves and according to myth it was taught to them by the elven gods. However, language shift and foreign influences, mostly by humans, caused the elves to develop a variety of different languages and dialects, that were often incomprehensible to each other. Ancient Elvish itself became a dead language, that was only used for magic and religious rituals, but not for daily communication.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Elves shared a love/hate relationship with humanity, as humans were very similar yet alien to the elves. They often coorperate with each other but just as often waged war against each other. As humans and elves often shared the same habitats, they saw each other as competition but also often tried to coexist peacfully. When it came to world domination, the humans were the elves biggest rivals and vice versa.
Humans and elves were genetically non-compatible, despite superficial similarities. That didn't stop them from occasionally forming romantic bonds, as some humans and elves could be fascinated by each other, while most would consider it akin to sleeping with a gorilla. Platonic friendships were however far more common.

Scientific Name

Megasylvanus elvus

Lifespan

210 years

Average Height

"female" Elves (Atun): 5' 9" (1.75 m )
"male" Elves (Atul): 6' 3" (1.90 m)