elf

Elves (also known as common elves to differentiate them from ellyll and nixies) are one of the most wide-spread species in the Sora, existing on hundreds of realms in several sorafaring empires. Two major empires, the Bláthaofa Kingdom and the Álfuríki, are elven-majority, though their similarities end there. Elves have a reputation for being haughty, flighty, and secretive, though they are also considered popularly beautiful, graceful, and carefree. The extent to which an individual meets or embraces these stereotypes is highly varied.

Physical Description

by Denis Khusainov

Elves tend to be lithe, with slender bodies that lack well-defined musculature. Their physiques are often compared to those of teenage humans, with androgynous appearances that often cause confusion for outsiders who aren't used to working with elves. They are nearly as tall as humans, standing between 4'6" and 6' tall. They weigh similarly to humans on the low end, around 90 lbs, but are lighter on the high end, rarely crossing 160 lbs. Overweight elves are rare, as their diets tend to preclude gaining much weight.
As elves frequently live outdoors, they often have olive, light brown, or golden skin. However, elven skin tones can run a range from pale ivory to charcoal gray depending on their habitat; elves from cold or dim climates tend to have lighter skin, while those from desert-like areas have darker skin. Their hair ranges in color from dark green to platinum, almost silver, blonde to dark red. They rarely have black hair, though it can happen. More commonly, they have very dark shades of green or red that appear to be black except in bright light. Most elves have light colored irises with green, blue, and purple being the most common colors, though silver and gold are also known.
Most elves have thin, defined features, often described as statuesque. Both males and females have thin, narrow faces with pointed chins, high cheekbones, thin lips, and sharp noses. They mostly have thin eyebrows and long lashes, with almond-shaped eyes that are slightly larger on their faces than most humans. Most famously, elves have elongated ears which end in triangular tips. The size of these ears tends to vary wildly between groups of elves, from ones barely larger than a human's to some almost a foot long.

Senses

Elves tend to have somewhat enhanced senses compared to most other species, able to hear a wider range of frequencies, see a broader range of colors, and smell fainter smells. Most spectacularly, they are able to see relatively well in the dark and dim lighting. As their sense of touch is more sensitive than most, they tend not to handle pain as well as others.

Life Cycle

Elves tend to be fertile for about a week on a seasonal basis tied to the realm they are living on. Usually, this is the realm the elf is born on, but those who move to a new realm will gradually find their cycles changing to match the seasons on their new realm. Elves who travel the Sora frequently can find their fertility cycles becoming chaotic, occurring somewhat at random.
Pregnancies last for about a year, though elves do not show very much. Infants tend to be born small and helpless, even compared to the infants of other species. They mature fairly slowly, reaching adolescence around the age of 30 and adulthood in their late 50s. Elven minds take longer to mature as well, causing them to learn much more slowly than other species. Once they reach adulthood, however, they learn at the same rate.
It is rumored that at one point, all elves were immortal. However, they eventually gave up their immortality for some reason. This is a common theme in virtually all elven myths and legends, though no immortal elves are known to exist in the present day. Currently, most elves tend to live 250 to 300 years, making them (with the dranomyr) the longest lived of all common species.

Diet

Most elves adhere to a fairly vegetarian diet, though they are fully capable of eating meat if they choose to. However, the tendency of elves to hold the natural world in high regard causes most of them to be extremely reluctant to kill animals to eat them. Some groups of elves do hunt and ensure they utilize every part of their kill, eating anything edible, making tools from the bones, and tanning the hides into leather.
Most elven groups participate in limited agriculture and animal husbandry, only utilizing things which will not cause permanent harm to the plant or animal they are taking it from. For instance, they do not eat root vegetables, as that requires killing the plant, but will eat fruit, leafy greens, nuts, and the like because they can all be harvested without causing permanent harm to the plant.

Distribution

Elves tend to favor wild, wooded realms and environments, particularly tree realms. However, they are adaptable to nearly any environment which has wildlife, even freezing tundras and burning deserts. Elves rarely form large urban cities, instead living mostly in distributed settlements constructed from druidic magic, such as trees grown with interlocking branches which provide roofs, crystalline buildings raised from the earth, or structures made from packed snow.

Lifespan

275 years

Average Height

4'6" to 6'

Average Weight

90 lbs to 150 lbs