Light Shoal Sea Elves
Sea elves are common in the oceans and seas of Thyr, and the Light Shoal Sea Elves are found in the Sea of Light in the city of Qiel'Sedar they take their name from the star coral that they use to construct their buildings, weapons, and works of art. They are a noble people, but unlike most other ethnicities of sea elves, they are more hardened, as they have been at war with the sahuagin of the Kingdom of Clotgush for as long as even their elders can remember, so they are more severe and serious. Other sea elves understand why their Light Shoal brethren are like this, and respect their ongoing struggle against their ancient enemy.
Despite this seriousness and severity, they are still a welcoming people to those who are not outwardly hostile or evil; they have been known to come to the aid of vessels under attack by pirates, and in fact, have a treaty with the city of Port Artianus on Halirune to protect their merchant ships as they sail through the Sea of Light. They also take the preservation of star coral very seriously, and strictly control its export from the Sea of Light; they are the only ones who can legally harvest the stuff, anyone else who tries is considered a thief and usually executed on the spot. Star coral is used in many of their ceremonies, rituals, and other rites, and is central to their cultural way of life.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Proper names are more complicated than surnames, and may sometimes have hard stops; most feminine names end in a vowel or a -y Examples include: Korralithna, Amelthysa, Cyai'Hunari, and Laris'Nory
Masculine names
Proper names for males are similar to female names, except they tend to be shorter. Male names rarely end in vowels except for -e, with -h and -s being a common ending. Examples include: Sel'Torinah, Cridos, Balthis, and Mavus.
Unisex names
Unisex names are usually those that end in -e: Vasile or Trona'Falile.
Family names
Family names tend to have some aspect of water to it, and then a color, action, or concept is added to it. Examples include: Waverunner, Lightpool, Silverwater, and Seasoother.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Light Shoals speak a dialect of elven that is not too dissimilar from the elven spoken by elves who dwell on dry land, so if one speaks elven, they can understand and communicate; mostly slang or words for objects and events only found underwater have no direct translation.
Shared customary codes and values
Light Shoal Sea Elves all share a warrior culture that is gender neutral, due to their seemingly never-ending war with the sahuagin. All are expected to serve in the military once they come of age for 50 years, and even after finishing their tour, all Light Shoals are expected to keep their 'warrior's edge' with practice and training.
Wizards are valued for their ability to fundamentally change the battlefield, and while highly effective in any environment, it is especially valuable underwater. When magical aptitude is discovered in a young sea elf, they are sent to the College Arcana for training. Once their military service is ended, they usually become sages and historians.
Clerics typically worship Nerina in her elven aspect: Tarinenvarni, and when they are on the battlefield, they can be found behind the front lines tending to the wounded; outside of war, they interpret the moods of their goddess by reading omens in the water, and communing with her through star coral.
Common Etiquette rules
Sea elves aren't much for etiquette, and the Light Shoals are even less concerned with it; as long as visitors comport themselves civilly, they should be fine. Outside of the sea, most the sea elves of the Sea of Light find pomp to be rather tiresome.
Common Dress code
Most sea elves will use normal coral, stone, shells, and seaweed to make clothing, and wear belts made of pearls, gold, or other polished stone around their waists; they favor skirts, as they are easier to swim in, but if they wear pants, that usually means they are in armor.
Art & Architecture
Light Shoal sea elves may not be much on pomp and etiquette, but their architecture is where they completely change direction: soaring towers that rise from the sea floor to heights impossible on the surface connected to each other by an intricate web of bridges, and all of these are constructed out of star coral, so the entire city shines with an inner light. They prefer natural surfaces, as opposed to smooth ones, and they don't make much use of doors, although they do favor windows large enough to swim through.
Art is another area where they excel, especially with sculptures, which they carve out of star coral, resulting in a work that shines with the same inner light as their city.
Related Locations
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