Alfur
Alfurs, also known as elves, are somewhat androgynous humanoids with pointed ears known for their natural affinity for magic and for being gifted with timelessness by Murrthir, meaning that they never age past their prime let alone die of old age although they are still susceptible to diseases and the like.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Alfurs are humanoids, distinguished by their typically lean/willowy build and pointed ears. They otherwise show an incredibly diverse range of physical features based on their geographic location and ethnicity.
So-called 'common' alfurs, which represent the mixed-ethnic majority found on Sanctuary can run the full range of hair, eye and skin colours, including a few more exotic ones that can be found among their regional sub-races.
Genetics and Reproduction
Alfurs have by far and away the most drawn out form of reproduction among the sentient races, as it not only takes almost two years for an alfur woman to carry a typical pregnancy to term but even becoming pregnant in the first place is a time-consuming task.
While there are various old-wives-tales about the exact ins and outs of alfur fertility (the most popular of which to debate lies in whether monogomy is a help or a hindrance) it's functionally just a bit of a lottery. So much so that alfur couples don't typically plan for or try to create a 'family' as most other humanoid races do.
This also means that most alfur siblings are at least a few decades apart in age, if not a century or more, which combined with their timelessness makes alfur family trees more of a family web than a family tree.
For Alfurs, their first trimester effectively lasts for a little over their first year of pregnancy, during which they're not really affected all that much by the pregnancy, at least physically. The second trimester typically takes somewhere between 8-10 months while the third trimester only takes up the last 2-3 months of pregnancy.
Growth Rate & Stages
As befits their extreme longevity, alfurs have much more extended adolescence compared to other humanoids, although they move to a 'toddler' stage at roughly the same sort of time as humans do. Its from there that things really slow down.
Alfurs simply grow very slowly from this point on, a part from a few growth spurts every few decades, before reaching adulthood at a little over a century old. This can be very confusing for those unfamiliar with alfurs as their children can look like teenagers (miniature adults, effectively) for decades. This is particularly problematic of alfurs raised outside of alfur or even alfur-dominated societies, with the most recent notable example being Calican Clearwater.
Ecology and Habitats
Alfurs inhabit just about every form of habitat in Triumve.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Alfurs don't have any unusual dietary needs or habits.
Biological Cycle
Alfurs are timeless, meaning that they do not functionally age beyond their 'prime' and do not die of old age or related health conditions. Provided that they avoid other illnesses, accidents or a violent end, they can effectively live forever.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Alfurs have heightened senses, in particular towards sight and sound, with most alfur having a greater ability to see in dim light than a human.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Alfur names are typically long, especially full names, although they usually shorten them for more informal settings.
First, there is an Alfur's personal name, which typically describes something to do with their birth, their physical features and/or attributes that they have or that their parent(s) hope they will have.
For example, Daegenbaernath literally means 'male born at dawn', and might typically be shortened to Daegen, while Minabalathra literally means 'Meena-blessed beautiful woman' and might typically be shortened to Mina.
Second, there is the familial component of an alfur's name. This is either their family name, an assumed family name or simply a reference to their same-sex parent. These names are typically similar to personal names, although they may refer to a craft, historical event and/or distinduishing feature. Whatever the case, it is always preceded by 'ae', which literally means 'of' or more accurately 'born of'.
For example, ae Gullnavaten translates as 'of golden water' while ae Rauscufiirhals translates as 'of red sky over the mountains'.
The third and final component is a bit more varied, but is most often either the alfur's birthplace or where they currently live (both preceded by 'fan', which means 'from'). For particularly (in)famous alfur, this is oftened replaced with a title or moniker of some sort (which is usually preceded by 'se', which means 'the').
An example of the former is fan Fyrbor (from Fyrbor), although if an alfur is born/resides outside of a settlement it could easily refer to a local landmark (like the name of a nearby river or forest) or simply the name of the surrounding area/region (e.g. fan Greatridge or fan Zheldolin). An example of the latter is se Einnauga (the one-eye).
So, Daegenbaernath "Daegen" ae Rauscufiirhals fan Vatithor and Minabalathra "Mina" ae Gullnavaten fan Fyrbor would be two such alfur full names.
Major Organizations
The Kingdom of Hardalir.
Gender Ideals
Alfurs are a very egalitarian when it comes to gender roles and ideals as despite how long a typical pregnancy takes (around two years) alfur women only spend a small portion of that time in significantly hampered by their pregnancy compared to human women. In addition, because of how long it takes a typical alfur to become pregnant (anywhere from years to decades of trying) children tend to be few and far between.
This, combined with their natural gift with magic and similar builds means that men and women in most alfur societies/cultures are treated the same. One of the few areas of 'discrimination' common in most is that ancestry is generally tracked through mothers rather than fathers, however dynasties and families are not necessarily matriarchal (at least outside of the dark alfur). Similarly, 'father' as a term is very much reserved for a man who raised a child (regardless of blood relation), with 'sire' being the term for a biological 'father'.
This, combined with their natural gift with magic and similar builds means that men and women in most alfur societies/cultures are treated the same. One of the few areas of 'discrimination' common in most is that ancestry is generally tracked through mothers rather than fathers, however dynasties and families are not necessarily matriarchal (at least outside of the dark alfur). Similarly, 'father' as a term is very much reserved for a man who raised a child (regardless of blood relation), with 'sire' being the term for a biological 'father'.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Alfish or, more specifically, Broad Alfish, is the most common tongue of the alfurs, although there are various dialects of it, some of which when combined with their regional accents can make them difficult to understand.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Age is the greatest tradition among alfur - the older one is the more weight their words and opinions tend to have and the greater the influence they wield and the positions they can obtain. Granted, this is somewhat tempered by experience - a younger alfur with experience as a soldier is generally going to be listened to more than an older alfur who's never even picked up a sword in their life, at least as far as military matters are concerned.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Alfurs have a long, complicated and often not very positive history of interacting with other races.
Genetic Descendants
Origin/Ancestry
Alfur
Lifespan
Several centuries, although they have no upper limit.
Average Height
5'9" (female)/5'11" (male)
Average Weight
135lbs (female)/155lbs (male)
Related Ethnicities
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