Elf

They Got Some Pointy Ears

Elves populate nearly all of the Middle Realm and are scattered throughout the Northern and Southern as well, in varying degrees. The Elven are a wise and magically gifted people with a litany of sacred traditions and artistic accomplishments, and count among them some of the most talented bards, mages, artisans, storytellers, and rogues. They tend to be more willowy and tall than most Humans, but only by a small margin, and live about as long.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Kaisa, Milri, Elwyn

Masculine names

Ganael, Thallin, Vrellis

Family names

Mariss, Fenfaeren, Sarxis

Culture

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Most elves practice a variant of Shu'bam, an Elven religion emphasizing achieving inner peace by becoming in tune with nature and the flow of magic. There is a strong emphasis on following the laws of nature in Shu'bam, mostly about the circular flow of life and death and all things happening to achieve an end. Some sects practice strict adherence to Shu’bam and believe in survival of the fittest, undergo harsh rituals to strengthen their endurance, and shun those with physical disabilities. Other more liberal practitioners do not follow shunning laws and don’t undergo harsh physical training-- this is theorized by some scholars to be the influence of Palladia on the southern Teian region and the Lapan islands.

Despite the widespread practice of Shu'bam, however, some elves prefer to practice local polytheism or to not practice at all.

Ideals

Gender Ideals

The Elven take after humankind in their belief of fluidity when it comes to roles and expression of gender. Elven people tend to be more androgynous in appearance, and don't mind if others see them that way.

Courtship Ideals

Elven people are less monogamous as a culture, and can be "paired" with any number of people at any given time, although equating their pairing with marriage in the traditional sense isn't accurate. The pairing is done for reasons of sharing homesteads and property and aren't necessarily sexual in nature. They can even be purely platonic, with some pairings done for political reasons as a sign of tying two tribes or houses together. Pairing is for life, however, in the eyes of Elven religious customs, and no method of separation is provided.

Relationship Ideals

Relationships are varied and can be with a member of any gender, although interracial or intercultural relationships are unusual and at times looked down upon. Polyamory is seen as common, but rarely does one person have more than two partners at a time.

Related Organizations

• Lapan Islands
• Teios