Elves

{AS}

Elves evolved in Homeworld’s forests and have developed a uniquely magical biology. It’s pretty ingenious, actually: their gut uses transfiguration to extract nutrients from plants. They're known to be arrogant, and once believed that Homeworld itself was a sort of mother-goddess who blessed them with their natural aptitude for magic. Postexodus, they’re not so sure anymore.

Common Traits

Elven biology falls largely under the category of the fae, sentient beings who hale from the now destroyed mystical woods of Homeworld. All fae have a largely mystical biology, able to consume various foodstuffs and convert it into stored mana. Their body consumes a large percentage of this mana, but they are able to tap a significant portion to assist them with mystical tasks. Elven mystics have been reported on several occasions of using magic in mystically dead zones.
The naturally long life span of elves - typically 5 times as long as humans (roughly 600 years total) - gives them to a long-term viewpoint in many things, and though they can be perceived as flighty about many things, if there is a specific field or item of knowledge they have latched upon, they become superb researchers regarding that thing, able to literally devote hundreds of years to understanding it. Mentally and physically, elves tend to be accurate in body and mind, culminating in an often sublime level of gracefulness. Combined with their lifespan, biology, and natural mindset, elves are the undisputed masters of mystical craft.
Given these traits, it's a wonder that elves are not the ruling species of the Folk, but elves are highly individualistic - at least by human perception. They can spend decades in isolation and be totally fine with socializing with one another after that for protracted periods. Typically, they are aloof when it comes to other races, preferring to deal with them only when necessary or when it intersects their own research. The exception to this are young elves (under the age of 50), who typically have yet to get fascination of new things out of their system. It is known that the loss of Homeworld was an especially severe psychic shock to them; many elves have become vagabonds, living a gypsy lifestyle.
They are, as a whole, seen as arrogant and yet they tend to be protective of all other species as a whole - not just the Folk, but other, less represented beings as well. However, they have no desire to impose their will upon others, and so the manifestation of their protections vary greatly.
Most elves who are in human sight have a particular purpose which humans typically translate as "research." Elves are not motivated politically, especially since no other race lives even half as long. Physically mature by 30, the Elven education system is typically convoluted; the youngest elf sojourning among humans is about this age, very young by Elven standards. Elves rarely live among humans for longer than 50 years, and those that do have a very well-defined purpose. Elven Ambassadors, for example, find living among humans very fascinating and some have made them their life's work. The oldest Elf known to live among humans is 350 years. There is no report of an Elf making contact with a human beyond that age.
They are gifted with a natural elegance which graces everything they set their heart to accomplish. Like all non-human Folk, they are gifted to see well in low-light conditions.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Many elves take pride in not sharing a name with any other elf, living or dead, so they craft elaborate names for their children through elaborate naming ceremonies. An elf name might be Silarrianatha or Zetherasias, for instance. Surnames are taken from old elven community names, such as Crescentmoon, from the City of Crescent Moons, or Silverleaf, from the Silver-Leaved Forest.

Major Organizations

The Exploratory Theological Councils

Imagine you believe your planet is a literal goddess. And then your planet withers and dies, and you leave it. Where does that leave you, exactly? To the elves in the Exploratory Theological Council, it leaves you traveling from planet to planet, scouring each one for traces of divinity, and leaving folks behind wherever you find some. Trouble is, like any elven organization, it’s had a dozen schisms since its inception. One group of odd-but polite elves who, by definition, are most interested in the areas where people aren’t living? Not a problem. Let ’em poke around. Two groups like this and suddenly the streets are full of screaming proselytizers. And if you happen to live on a planet that seems “divine” for whatever reason, you’re going to get swarmed with them.

Daughters of the Divine

One of the more secretive elven organizations, the Daughters are the stewards of Habiforming techniques which are responsible for increasing the habitability of various worlds. In almost pointed contrast to the ETC (Exploratory Theological Councils), they are very secretive about their work and have been known to begin habiforming processes on various worlds without Hegemony knowledge - a quiet source of contention with the Hegemony, who has no way of knowing how many worlds they have. To date, when the Hegemony comes across a Changed World, they simply find a way to wrest control of it from the elves living there, who eventually capitulate without much resistance.

Average Technological Level

It is arguable (from a human vantage) that elves have attained the most refined and/or most powerful usages of the mystical arts; through their naturally long lifespans, aptitude, and rare biology they certainly have the potential. They simply seem to lack the desire to show it - at least openly. The one exception to this seems to be Habiforming technology.