Elf
Iylfei
Elves are the largest of the three elven races endemic to Sphaera. Originally native to the jungles of central Eren, elves build great arboreal cities in the forested regions of Sphaera, though they can be found in appreciable numbers throughout the rest of the civilized world.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Elves are tall and lanky, with large sensitive ears and pronounced, wedge-shaped snouts. Their senses are stronger than those of humans. The elven form is highly adapted to arboreal locomotion and they move gracefully through the canopy with their long gibbonlike limbs, though by the same token they are rather clumsy when ambling about terrestrially.
Ecology and Habitats
Elves are secondarily cursorial, preferring arboreal locomotion over terrestrial travel. As such, they are much more graceful in the canopy than they are on the ground. Elves are also most comfortable in warm environments, and their rarity increases considerably the closer one gets to the poles.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
The elves are endemic to the central jungles of Eren, but have globalized considerably in recent centuries.
Civilization and Culture
Major Language Groups and Dialects
The elves of Eren speak a number of dialects from three major language groups (Central, Western, and Islander), all nested under a common family: iylfeic, or "elvish."
History
Evolution
Millions of years ago, Eren's ancestral fruit bats were forced into a quadrupedal terrestrial lifestyle after an ice age wiped out the forests they called home. As a result, they grew larger and lost their wings in favor of ambulatory arms and useable forepaws. When the jungle returned, the ex-bats evolved a gibbon-like niche thanks to their long, powerful arms. Their intelligence increased as well, following a path similar to humans. However, the dawn of the second global cooling period forced the bat-gibbons out of the trees again, who resorted to bipedal locomotion. To survive in the returning grasslands, the proto-elves began to evolve sapience at last. During this period, some tribes ventured into the mountains of the Southern Range, becoming smaller and stockier (and regaining facial hair)- the origin of goblins. Soon after, a certain subset of goblins took a particular liking to the vast cave network under the mountains, leading to full-time subterranean lifestyle. The ancestral dwarves re-adapted echolocation and increased the volume and sensitivity of their facial hair in response to the permanent darkness of their earthen halls.
Scientific Name
Chirosapiens arboreas
Origin/Ancestry
Average Height
1.9 meters
Average Weight
36 kilograms
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