Elf
Elves are one of the three original species of Guardian Dragon, and the second most long-lived. They have a natural disposition for magic, and thus many sorcerers, in whose blood magic flows from birth, come from among them. Elves are seperated into several subraces, some of which have their own histories and cultural features depending on where they live.
• Lanath (Sword song)
• Maiaveth; Avemai (Golden moon)
• Mainath (Golden song)
Shared History
When elves and men seperated into their own, distinct races, most elves stayed on the Southern hemisphere in Árei's lands. Elves have often clashed with humans during the history of Guardian Dragon, and for example in Toshan most elves have retreated into forests. In Agar's lands they were soon driven into depths of the forests, as the discord caused by the divide had the two races see each other as enemies. In Galinstrann, Heart of the World, and Khu'ata elves have had a strong presence since the beginning, and the two first are led by elves: The Firstborn moonelf, Ylvada, in Heart of the World, and sunelf Halanamel in Khu'ata.Anatomy
The easiest way to tell humans and elves apart are the sharp ears of the latter. The length of the ears varies invidiual to individual, some are nearly the same as humas, some have clearly longer ones. Their physique is generally lean, and their height varies greatly, though most are between 5'4" and 6'3". Only very few elves can grow a beard, and many believe that this is proof that the bloodline is not purely elven.Sun elves
Sun elves are usually between 5'4" and 5'9" tall and have a warm brown skin. Their hair is in the shades of dark brown and black, red is possible but rare, and for most, their eye colour is from the same palette.Moon elves
Moon elves are visibly taller than the other elves, averaging at between 5'10" and 6'5". Their skin is usually dark blue, but colder light tones are are also possible. Their hair is most often silver, black or blue, and their eyes blue or grey. In the elves of Galinstrann, golden eyes are also relatively common.Wood elves
Compared to the other subraces of elves, wood elves tend to be shorter on average, mostly standing between 5' and 5'7" tall. Their skin is usually copper brown, their hair brown, red or light, and eyes brown or green. The wood elves in the mountain regions of the lands of Agar may also have red eyes, and are slightly taller than their kin in the forests.Night elves
Dusk elves are 5'5" to 5'10" tall on average, and their skin colour varies between shades of grey, black and blue. Red, pink, grey, blue and black are all common eye colours, and their hair tends to be white. They see better in the dark than other elves, but are more sensitive to sunlight.Stages of Life
In the eyes of most mortals, elves are immortal, much like dragons, as their lifespans are so long the other races have a hard time grasping it. One elf can see many kingdoms rise and fall, numerous natural disasters, witness significant discoveries that fade from memory only to be discovered again after hundreds, maybe even thousands of years. Despite their longevity elves have not been blessed with fertility, and and most elves grow up without siblings: only very few elves have more than four children, and many years can pass between them. This is the price elves are paying for the choice of their ancestors.Childhood
Until the age of five, elves grow at a pace similar to humans, but after this, their physical growth slows to half in comparison. Children cannot rest by meditating the same way the adults do, but have vivid dreams like humans. They can see visions in their sleep, traveling the magical currents of the Guardian Dragon, witnessing events both common and important alike happening at that moment. This ability to travel the currents fades as they approach their adolescence, and though there are some exceptions known the elves, majority loses this ability complitely by the time they turn twenty. Children more naturally inclined to magic tend to cast their first spells by accident around the same time they are learning their first words.Adolescence
Elves usually enter puberty around the age of 15-25 despite their sex, and reach maturity by the age of forty. Their brain can keep developing up to their sixtieth year, and though magical development can continue throughout one's life, by the time they turn one hundred it's easy to estimate their natural potential. Often, elves are considered adolescent when their ability to see visions begins to fade. The commons signs before this include nausea during visions, and the difficulty to move from thoughts into the world of dreams. After this, visions come rarely before ending altogether, and the elf's dreams and meditation focus more on their own experiences. If a young elf has magical tendencies, they should start their training by latest when they lose their visions. Magic will get more difficult to control, and due to elves natural ability to conduct the currents of magic, can the loss of control have serious, even destructive consequences. If the magical inclinations are average or below, they may push back their training for later. Only very few are self-taught, however, but at least get guidance in the basics.Adulthood
Though elves reach physical maturity at around forty years of age, the cultural maturity is reached later. When they reach this maturity is affected strongly by where the elf grows up, but some events are common in many cultures. The rarest but also clearest may be "Hienmetimel," the moment where an adult is swept up by the magical currents whether they have seer's gifts or not. In Hienmetimel, the elf relives one moment from their earlier life, a moment that they will remember clearly even after waking up. Rebirth is extremely rare among elves, and to gain confirmation that one has lived before even rarer. Though there are many theories to the meaning of the vision, many believe it to be the soul's gift to the elf moving on to adulthood, wisdom that they should keep close to their heart, even if the vision feels insignificant at first. An elf experiences Hienmetimel only once in their life, but it often helps the curiour to search for knowledge of the life they lived before. In many elven cultures, adulthood is considered beginning when they give up their status as a disciple, whether they are a mage, a merchant, a perfomer or a smith. The elf is believed to be ready to carry the resposibilities of aduthood, and to look after themselves and the community. Some, especially wood elves, find a calling that can take them away from home to a sort of journey of growth. There are as many reasons to leave home as there are elves; some go to find knowledge, other go looking for a lost friend or relative, third hears the world calling for them to go to explore. In these cases, it's hard to point out the exact moment the elf could culturally be called an adult, because though some journeys have a clear ending, others are life-long goals.Old Age
Physically, elves don't age the same way the other mortals do, as their strong connection to magical currents keeps them relatively youthful until the end. The death of an elf differs greatly from that of the other mortals significantly, since if they die a natural death, they do not leave behind a body. Every elf at the end of their life will experience a moment where they know they are ready to move on. They feel a pull towards strong sources of magic, such as Heart trees of the crystal at Heart of the World, and many put their earthly matters in order before following this feeling some days, some years later. These sources of magic will allow them to pass through, and thus do they join the currents of the world that give it its magic and life that they, too, were given from in life.Naming Traditions
Most commonly, elves are named in Nyver, and there is no distinction between male and female names. An elf usually keeps their name throughout life, and they do not change their last name upon marriage. An elven child might get their last name from either one or both of their parents, and some parents create a name combining elements from their last names and give this to their child. For example, elves with the last names Avennath (Moonsong) and Mailan (Golden sword) may combine their names in following ways • Avethlan (Moon sword)• Lanath (Sword song)
• Maiaveth; Avemai (Golden moon)
• Mainath (Golden song)
