Wood Elves
Woodland dwellers and guardians of the world of the Fey, the Wood Elves are as mysterious as they come. Choosing to live the secluded places of the world in small tribes of no more than 1,000 elves at a time, they reside in large tree cities buried deep within the forgotten woodlands of the world. They possess strange and wild magics that are as old as the very bones of the earth and shepherd the quite places of the world. In all my life I have only ever found two of the great tree cities of the Wood Elves, but I am told that there are as much as ten scattered across the world, and that most are hidden from view by powerful enchantments, known to only the Wood Elves and the closest of their allies. -Thornwood
Naming Traditions
Family names
Oakwalker, Barkfell, Starfinder, Gildedmoon
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Wood Elves speak Elvish primarily, but have developed a nameless dialect of their own that is similar to an accent to common standards.
Common Dress code
Clothing within Wood Elven society is very free form, women often choose either loose wavy linen robes marked and belted with fines and hardened leaves, or skin tight leaf wrappings bound with plant fiber and vines. Males largely wear simple tunics made of linen or cotton and embroidered with plant markings and plated with small leaves at the waist and shoulders.
Art & Architecture
Wood Elven architecture is simple but elegant, being almost entirely of wood as the elven architects use their wild magics to naturally bend and warp the inner wood of their tree homes into a manner than can sustain life within them. Their cities and structures largely comprise of twisting vines and limbs that naturally weave together to create bridges and rooves that connect the trees to each other. The interior of these trees is an elaborate stretching of spiral stairs and curved pointed arches carved with the ancient magic runes of the Druids.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Wood Elves see nature as the ultimate beauty, those who value life and nature and shepherd the world are considered beautiful within Wood Elven culture. Both male and female Wood Elves will wrap themselves in vines and weave leaves and even small trees into their clothing as to become closer with nature. Many Wood Elves also tattoo green vine and flower designs into their skin as a means to more closely resemble the nature they value so much.
Gender Ideals
Gender is a foreign concept to elves, they do not see gender in the way that most creatures do, to elves time is plentiful and the exploration of self and of love and the world should be openly venerated and elves have the unique ability to bend their physical sex slightly becoming more like their opposite birth sex in order to explore themselves more.
Courtship Ideals
Wood Elves generally present a potential mate with pieces of nature before courting, a small flower or plant is sufficient, but the rarity of the flora can be a sign of how deep the connection between the two really is. Once presented the two may court for as long as they see fit, most courting lasts roughly 2-3 years and usually end in the couple becoming full mates and birthing several children.
Relationship Ideals
Marriage is not unknown to Wood Elves but is largely considered unnecessary by their society. Elves may choose to marry one another and may end the relationship with no ill effects and move on to others without fear, but this phenomena is uncommon amongst Wood Elves who choose to have lasting affairs which produce several offspring before growing apart and finding others. Most affairs last between 50-70 years and will usually end once the eldest offspring is capable of caring for themselves fully.
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