Elf
Basic Information
Growth Rate & Stages
Elves age slower than humans, only reaching adulthood (both biologically and culturally) at the age of 100 years.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
On average, Elves have finer features than Humans, tending towards high cheekbones and large, bright eyes. Their ears can vary greatly between individuals, with some that only come to very small points while others can be quite long , sticking out from the head several inches. They are generally not prone to growing thick body hair; an Elf with a beard is a rare sight.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Elves have excellent eyesight and hearing, and have a knack for magic.
Civilization and Culture
Beauty Ideals
Elves are known to be at the forefront of style and fashion. Folk of other races are sometimes known to grumble that "Elves can pull off any look" with varying levels of bitterness.
Gender Ideals
There's definitive evidence that gender as a concept didn't exist in Ancient Elven society. Many modern Elves take this to heart.
Relationship Ideals
There is no evidence that Elven culture has ever been concerned with the gender of partners in romantic relationships. With their long lives, it's common for Elves to have many partners of various genders over the years.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Elvish
Common Dress Code
Traditional Elvish garb is made of plant-based fibers, and tends to be light and airy. They favor elegant clothing in bright colors, and they enjoy simple yet lovely jewelry. In modern times, Elves all over Daearen are likely to follow the fashions of the regions around them, though many will add in elements of Elven style.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
In the modern day, Elven culture is a fragmented thing. Though the children of a once-great empire, the cataclysm that decimated their ancestors also buried many details about their culture and history. For many Elves today, it feels like being an orphan.
Many Elves live integrated in the Human dominated societies of the Five Cities, barely acknowledging their heritage. Others strive to live as close to their ancestors as possible, building villages in the canopy of forests. There are even rumors of a long lost tribe of Elves who escaped the downfall of their empire by fleeing deep underground.
On the whole, however, Elven culture values artistic endeavor, treasuring every artwork, poem, or song their people are able to discover or create.
Many Elves live integrated in the Human dominated societies of the Five Cities, barely acknowledging their heritage. Others strive to live as close to their ancestors as possible, building villages in the canopy of forests. There are even rumors of a long lost tribe of Elves who escaped the downfall of their empire by fleeing deep underground.
On the whole, however, Elven culture values artistic endeavor, treasuring every artwork, poem, or song their people are able to discover or create.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Of the Seven Sisters, Elves are most likely to worship exclusively Maia. Many of them claim that their ancient ancestors worshiped her in her aspect as a Moon Goddess. Outside the Cities, however, are pockets of Elves that commune with more obscure gods, looking for a closer connection to nature and their past.
Common Myths and Legends
Over three thousand years ago, an ancient Elven civilization stretched across the continent. Popular belief is that they had magics beyond any now known, and were nigh-immortal rather than just long lived. Historians have puzzled over what brought about the end of this civilization for centuries, but there is very little consensus; some say it was civil war, while others blame natural disasters or the battles of great mages. Not even the Elves themselves know, for none now living were alive that long ago. All that is known is that ruins of white marble towers now litter Daearen, all that's left of an Elven empire.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Elves entering into relationships with folk of other species is common, and fairly accepted in most places. Often seen as beautiful and exotic by Humans and other folk, Elves are sometimes fetishized for this; Elves are often seen as a "catch," and a Human having an Elven paramour or spouse is something of a status symbol. A well known stereotype is that of the "City Elf," an Elf who has abandoned their culture and heritage completely and makes a living off their looks and pandering to Humans in the Cities.
As such, Elves could possibly be seen by some as the "model minority" stereotype; because they are better able to fit into Human society than other folk (particularly Goblinoids) and sometimes posses characteristics Humans see as desirable, they are sometimes afforded privileges that might be out of reach for other folk. This can, at times, breed resentment.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
~900 years
Average Height
4.5-6.5 ft.
Average Weight
100-145 lbs.
Average Physique
Elves are usually slighter than most humans, though exceptions do exist. They tend to put on muscle easily and have fast metabolisms.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Elves’ coloration encompasses same range of shades common in Humans, and also includes skin in shades of copper, bronze, and almost bluish-white, hair of green or blue, and eyes like pools of liquid gold or silver. Many will accentuate their "exotic" coloration with bright cosmetics and hair dyes.
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