Elves

The Young

Elves are the youngest race of Men, having been created by An at the start of the Fifth Era. They are one of the three tribes of Overmen, alongside the Brethren and the Orcs, as opposed to the Undermen: Dwarves and Goblins. By the 26th century FFE, the Elves are comprised of several distinct ethnic groups that have significantly different cultures. In the far south, along the eastern shore of the Sea of Spices, live the Tamaran Elves: olive-skinned, with wavy and curling black hair, and small, pointed ears. In the east, past the Coldspine Mountains, live the Olfalans: fair-skinned, with red hair, elongated pointed ears, and slanting eyes. In the north, on the massive, frozen island of Aldomar, live the Yrdan Elves, the oldest group and the progenitors of the other two. They have whitened skin, blonde or silvery hair, and elongated pointed ears.

Elves are also generally the tallest race of civilized men, with males standing from six to seven feet tall, and females standing from five and a half to six and a half feet on average. All elves are known for their exceptional intellectual and magical capabilities compared to the other mortal races of Men, as well as their greatly extended lifespan and stunning physical beauty. An Elf lives, on average, for three hundred years- far surpassing the second longest-lived race, the Dwarves, who live for about half as long. An Elven child does not reach adolescence- puberty- until the age of twenty, does not reach adulthood until fifty, and does not generally begin to show signs of aging until they are a hundred and fifty.

Elves are thoughtful, cooperative, and proud as a rule, and physically are both slightly stronger and faster than Brethren. However, their endurance to pain is reduced, leading many to prefer utilizing the magical arts in combat. Elves have about double the capacity for magic that Brethren do on average, though of course individual magical capabilities vary widely for any intelligent being.

The pride of Elves is often their downfall, and keeps age-old wounds open. While they were once poised to control the world with their Empire of Aldomar, today that Empire has receded, and become isolationist. Nonetheless, Elves of various types can be seen across the world, often as scholars and mages but equally as just another citizen along the streets. The Kingdom of Belgard and several other northern kingdoms of the Brights actively discriminate against Elves due to prior conflicts.

Elves can be found across the world. Tamaran Elves are the majority population within the Kingdoms of Tamamara, Falmaris, and Tolmaris. Olfalans are the majority population within Olfalas and Silmaras. Yrdan Elves, the most populous groups, are the majority within Hindramar, Forobel, Yndramara, Telrobel, Salduga, and the Empire of Aldomar. Please refer to the map of independent nation-states.