Eldritch
The Eldritch, also known commonly as Half-Elves in human-adjacent spaces, are one of the most well-documented and accepted secondary races to exist in the realm. Most commonly born to one human and one elven parent, eldritch are fertile and can intermarry and produce eldritch offspring, allowing self-propagating communities. When eldritch produce offspring with a human or elf, this offspring is often barely distinguishable from the average human or elf, respectively. Such children, if mostly human, may have a slightly longer lifespan and a slight affinity for magic, while the mostly elven may have a stockier build and less of a magical affinity, with a bit shorter life expectancy, but the changes are minimal. Due to the similarities between the elven and human reproductive systems, eldritch can produce offspring with all races compatible with humans and elves. Mostly found on the continents of Telgren and An'seidna, they are nonetheless scattered across the globe and it is not hard to find small populations of Eldritch anywhere humans and elves live nearby or alongside one another.
Although relations between humans and elves are generally positive in the modern age, in ancient times this was not the case. In fact, both the eldritch populations of Telgren and An'seidna have suffered at the hands of humans and/or eldritch, and many of the early eldritch were born from nonconsentual acts or from dalliances between elven lords and human servants. As human society has developed, however, intermarriage between the two groups and the resulting eldritch became more normalized due to equal statuses, causing them to become an important part of most human societies. Although less common in elven-majority regions, their populations are still notable. The eldritch have only rarely been the target of state-mandated violence or popular mobs, with the one notable exception being the ethnic cleansing of the eldritch of Casyrian and of Cianheart following the collapse of the elven-ruled Empire of Oleandron.
Physically, as one might expect, the eldritch are a blend of human and elven features. Since these two races are similar in appearance, most of the differences come down to build and lifespan. Half-elves possess pointed ears, but not to the extent of a regular elf, with their ears being more akin to a human ear that is simply pointed instead of rounded. They tend to have a lighter and more lithe body shape than humans, but again not to the extent of elves. The eldritch life expectancy can be widely varying depending on the exact mix of elven blood they possess, but most lie somewhere within to 130-200 year range. Though notably more than a human, this is nowhere near the life of an elf, which may give pause to any elves interested in entering a relationship with a human. Being almost guaranteed to outlive a child is not always something elves wish to face. Half elves also tend to inherit their elven parent's magical potential, though not necessarily their ability. They may find it difficult to control or unlock their magic, comparable to powerful wizards in human societies, and indeed half-elves and wizards often become friends. That is not to say that half-elves are magically incompetent, however, as the magical school on Blazennia's Eldritch Isle is run by half-elves and one of the finest on all of Telgren.
Usually, the various races of the world view eldritch more similarly to their elven parents than human ones, though elven ancestry is not always apparent at first glance. Eldritch can be expected to be treated as humans until those they interact with realize they are, in fact eldritch, where a more respectful and measured tone is often applied. This does not apply to every race, of course, as some, like the Tcetin, despise both humans and elves.
Comments