Sea Elves

'We were drifting, almost out of fresh water, when we saw the ship. It was huge, the size of a palace, with easily half a ton of sail. We ran to the edge of the ship, waved our arms, shouted, burned what little of the sail remained to get their attention. The ship dwarfed ours, and the people took us aboard - blue-skinned and pointy ears, the sea elves! We sailed with them all the way back to Freeport, through the roughest seas I've ever seen. They even repaired our ship and sailed it back right alongside! No doubt, they were the finest sailors this world has ever seen.' - Rusa Xi, survivor of the Stalwart

One of the rarest elven subspecies, sea elves are considered a sort of missing link between the modern terrestrial elves and the tritons. They mostly live in the Barrier Isles, with a few in the Jeweled Archipelago, where their natural affinity for the oceans makes them effective sailors, fishermen, and merchants. Notably, many of their populations live in roaming fleets of seafaring vessels, called homeships, unwilling to set root on land. Some of these even experience land-sickness, a sort of inverted sea-sickness.

Basic Information

Ecology and Habitats

Sea elves live almost exclusively close to the oceans, greatly preferring to be close to a large source of water. Further inland, they may experience land-sickness or find the dry air uncomfortable.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The natural diet of sea elves is almost entirely derived from the sea, favouring fish, shellfish, and sea plants. Sushi, a traditional dish of theirs, is proving more and more popular throughout the world.

Biological Cycle

Sea elves are a sort of middle-ground in terms of aging for the elves - roughly midway between the venerable high elves and short-lived wood elves.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

The facial structure of sea elves is similar to that of high elves, with slightly smaller ears and blue/green eyes. Notably, many of them have very small gills on their neck, which allows them to remain underwater for up to 3 hours.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Sea elves are named similarly to high elves, though their names often have a somewhat more nautical theme.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Sea elves speak Common and Elven/Elvish. They also have some affinity for Aquan, a language used by many aquatic races.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Sea elven culture is built on living in harmony with the oceans, and they prioritize controlled fishing and reducing pollution.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Sea elves are on good terms with most species, though there have been some conflicts with triton settlements over the use of the ocean.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Elves

Lifespan

400 years

Average Height

Somewhat smaller than humans, averaging a little over 5 feet.

Average Weight

Similar to humans of the same size.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Sea elves have skins that range from darker humanlike tones, to slightly blue or green tones, which may be textured somewhat similarly to fish scales.