Aquatic Elves
Basic Information
Biological Traits
Thousands of years of living under the water has allowed evolution to alter Aquatic Elves from the original template more than any other elven subspecies known. Through evolution that have adapted to survive as well under water as on land.
The first of the changes was retractable webs between their fingers. Yes, you read that right, retractable webs. They aren't truly retractable, the webbing doesn't actually retract into their skin. Instead, when submerged it water (either salt or fresh water) the webbing between their fingers looses and becomes usable. When they spread their hands the webs stretch tight between the fingers and when their hands are relaxed the webbing goes slack and allows them the full use of their fingers. When they are not submerged in water the webbing becomes very dry and goes through a desiccation, becoming nothing more than slight ridges on the inside of the fingers.
The feet too developed better for underwater living, developing permanent webbing between the toes, and becoming slightly elongated and flat to form a hybrid of feet and flippers. These two changes where just pronouncements of already existing features in elven anatomy, and allowed for faster more fluid swimming and the ability to more rapidly reach greater depths before running out of air.
Further evolution produced gills behind the ears allowing to elves to force water into their gills which flows past thousands of tiny blood vessels. Oxygen then seeps through the walls of those vessels while carbon dioxide seeps out, allowing the elves to stay underwater without the need to breath.
Shortly after the development of their gills, that last evolutionary changes took place almost simultaneously, finally setting the Aquatic Elves apart as an almost entirely different species with only the slightest traces of genetic similarities. Their foreheads became more sloped for better flow while swimming at high speeds, and their facial structure followed suit become more narrow and streamlined. Their skin took on a blue hue, the shade of blue varying between individuals, and then often have stripes of darker shades down their necks and arms or the shading of their skin become slightly paler towards their front, and darker in the back. This "cross-shading" is a camouflage trick that developed naturally to help blend in with the colors of the water around them to stay hidden from both predators and prey.
Finally, in addition the the pigmentation changes, the elves' skin became devoid of hair besides that on their head, and their skin became smoother and slick to reduce drag in the water while swimming. The hair on their head, when submerged, coalesces together and become almost rubber like while flattening itself to their scalp, neck and back depending on length.
Civilization and Culture
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Given their history of running from predators, and the prodigious amount of predators that exist in the deep, the Aquatic Elves have made a focus on speed and efficiency a staple in their culture. While their communities are permanent, they rarely linger in one place for too long, moving from one previously established home to another and back again.
Furthermore, in an effort to be able to get away quickly when things come a lookin' for some elvish snacks, the Aquatic Elves reduce the potential for drag as much as possible. This often times means hunting with very little equipment, and never wearing clothes underwater. As a result of the constant nudity of their society, Aquatic Elves have become desensitized to modesty and decency, a fact that often ends in awkward encounters with surface dwellers.
Likewise the Aquatic Elves are a very passionate and sensual society. In the beginning, the first Aquatic Elves fell victim to the hedonism of youth, as most of the early aquatic elves were children by elven standards. Sex was a pass time for boredom, and meant nothing in almost any circumstance. This attidtude, passed down over the generations nearly lead to the degradation of their entire society where nothing meant anything any more. Murders were common place, sex meant nothing, love was non-existent. It wasn't until a Sea Elf by the name of Raenisa Krisdithas changed that. Seeing the eventual downfall of her people she worked tirelessly with the other spiritual leaders of their people to reinvigorate a new sense of spirituality, emotionally focused and open.
The result was an almost completely opposite shift in the Aquatic Elves. They now feel emotion extremely deeply, even more so than humans who are, at their core, emotional creatures. While sex remains common and casual, every Aquatic Elf considers the sharing of one's body with another a deeply spiritual experience where, in their culture, two being literally become one for a brief time. They year to share than connection with just about anyone, and consider the only true way to get to know another person. This is not to preclude the possibilities of monogamy. To the contrary Sea Elves ubiquitously year for a life partner, irrespective of who that partner is. And finding someone with who a Sea Elf can constantly share their being with and a huge commitment to them that most other races simply cannot fully understand.
History
In the earliest days of recorded history, during the opening epochs of the Age of Creation, the unity of the High Elves was shattered when a schism broke out between two factions within the High Elf society. Near centuries had passed since Solun has created the elves, many of the young elves had been born after Solun had withdrawn from the world. Many of the younger members of the society wanted to descend from their mountaintop homes into the world below and reconnect with their lowland kin. The older generations felt they were above such peoples, and desired to stay atop their mountain palaces and remain closer to their gods.
In time, the disagreement between the two, with the influence of Maferath the Destroyer, became violent and war raged between the older and younger generations of the High Elves. For decades they fought each other with sword and sorcery until their mountain top cities and alabaster palaces were left shattered and ruined.
Enraged by the loss of their home the older generation drove the younger faction out of the mountains into the lowlands where they had always wanted to go. It was here that these lowland High Elves created bonds with the Wood Elves and the beginnings of the traditional elven communities we know today we created. Unable to recreate the splendor of their homes however, the Older High Elves abandoned their ancient halls, leaving the ruins to orcs, goblins and dragons. They again waged war on the younger faction and drove them to the edges of the sea. With nowhere else to run, the ancestors of the present day Aquatic Elves took to the sea as their last resort, and it was there that they stayed.
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