Elf
The Elves entered the world of Ybbis through two magical portals as refuges from another world, and the race consists of two variants: the Glatheni and the Vaiir. To most other races, Elves are not only alien in origin, but in behavior and physicality as well. Elves move beautifully about the world with a confusing mixture of aloofness and intense emotion. Elves, like Dwarves, are slow to forget, but they are also slow to forget their own race's mistakes and flaws from a history of tragedy. As such, Elves find it easy to forgive the irksome traits of the younger-lived races, and rarely does an Elf act brash or fail to think before they act lest they make a mistake. However, anyone who has seen an Elf as a child knows that this does not come naturally. Although they seem calm and patient to outsiders, in an Elf's heart there is always intense emotion and energy that becomes bridled as the centuries go by, manifesting as sarcasm or strange outbursts to outsiders. Elves love passionately and hate deeply, but an Elf is less likely to feel true love and hate are they are rather to feel brief infatuation and annoyance. This is reflected in the many hobbies that most Elves possess. An Elf can dabble in archery, woodworking, painting, cooking, and mathematics all at once, and still spend fifty years learning how to play a single song on the flute flawlessly. Despite the many disagreements between the Glatheni and the Vaiir, the two groups of Elves agree on one thing: freedom. Elf "societies" are really just loosely grouped-together individuals who share their talents with others. Even in Loxeturelli, where there is a solid governing structure and ruler, the Queen is seen as more of a wise representative than an authority figure. Elves will not hesitate to fight fiercely for self-expression and the right for other races to have the same.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Elves have the same basic body design as humans, but are naturally more slender and have a lighter bone structure. Unlike Dwarves, it is difficult for an Elf to grow extra muscle, and Elves cannot grow body or facial hair.
Genetics and Reproduction
Elves reproduce the same as all other humanoid races, however they have less chance of producing twins or triplets, and generally have fewer children (out of choice, not biological hindrance).
Growth Rate & Stages
Elves reach maturity at the same age as humans, but are considered children until around the age of 100, where they can declare adulthood with the approval of their elders and parents. An Elf doesn't show signs of aging until around 400-500 years of age. Elves live to be about 750, but the royal Glatheni lines have been blessed with living until closer to a thousand.
Ecology and Habitats
Elves do not sweat nearly as much as other races, and as such find living in hot conditions challenging. Elves are best suited for forested regions, but can also live comfortably in cold, mountainous areas, and around bodies of water.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Elves eat and drink the same as humans, but most are lactose-intolerant. It is a stereotype that all Elves are vegetarians, but it is true that most Elves will eat meat only on special occasions, and some are indeed vegetarian. Elves can go two months without food, and two weeks without drink.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
Elves have narrow, delicate features, and long, pointed ears.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Elves can see and hear better than humans, and hear better than dwarves. However, they are known to not have a keen sense of smell. Every Elf has a small amount of mysticism about them, whether it be otherworldly beauty, an ever-correct hunch, or catlike reflexes, but only the Glatheni have innate magic powerful enough to harness into an actual spell.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Elves have a first and last name, as well as a child name. A child name is a simple, usually one-syllabled name that is given to an Elf at birth, such as "Cas", "Rea", or "Tili". At around 100 years when an Elf declares themselves an adult, they choose their new first name, sometimes with the guidance and suggestions of a parent or elder.
Glatheni.
Glatheni utilize masculine and feminine endings for names much more often than the Vaiir. A masculine-sounding name for an Elf usually ends in "-or" or "-on", such as the names "Cildor" or "Andion." A feminine-sounding name for an Elf usually ends in "-yn", "el", or "eth", such as the names "Fendelyn", "Noriel", or "Silveth."
Glatheni last names usually have both an Elvish spelling and a Common translation, such as "Qwirmagol/Roseblade" or "Tilsolyn/Starspark." They also tend to lean on the magical side with meanings.
Vaiir.
The Vaiir, with a culture of androgyny slightly more apparent than in Glatheni society, keep their first names gender-neutral for the most part. Names include "Celair", "Auren", or "Arell." Vaiir last names never contain the Common language, and are almost exclusively nature-based in meaning. Some common last names are "Ehlovas" (meaning "Winterleaf"), or "Vystas" (meaning Air-Person).
Beauty Ideals
Elves believe in beauty almost on the same level as they believe in freedom. All elves are physically beautiful to most other races, but Elves do have their own standard of beauty among themselves that determines a more attractive Elf from a slightly lesser one. While Elves know not to judge other races by appearance, they do believe that among other Elves, there is a way to determine a person's "goodness" based on their physical looks. An Elf of either gender is considered the ideal when they have glowing, flawless skin (regardless of color), shining eyes and hair, and a lithe body. A melodic voice with a talent for singing and a gentle yet strong personality to go with the before-mentioned appearance makes for an Elf with many hearts to break in Elvish culture.
It may seem shallow to other races for Elves to consider ugly as bad and beauty as good, but to Elves it often rings true. An Elf who goes through life with a naturally kind and benevolent spirit and resists doing evil is said to have an aura that makes them attractive and enchanting to even other Elves. The rare Elf born with a seed of malice in their heart, when allowed to grow, can warp the Elf's countenance into something hideous, even if they still seem beautiful compared to Humans. In fact, legends and myths circulate both Elvish and other circles about ghastly monsters that were previously Elves disturbed by hate and sin. These stories are quite believable when considering that Eladrin, Elves more closely related to Fae than other Elves and have their appearances changed by emotions and seasons, walk the thinly-veiled plane of the Feywild.
Gender Ideals
Elves have no distinction between men and women when it comes to anything other than reproduction and aesthetic choices. Some Elves prefer to seem more androgynous in style, and this is accepted in almost all Elf cultures. In Vaiir society, there is one main distinction, which is that the life-prolonging power in the royal line is exclusively given to females. However, due to all Elves' core beliefs, this does not cause either sexes to be seen as unequal. Elves are confused by cultures such as Humans and Dwarves which have biases and societal expectations between men and women, and this is one of the reasons why Elves and Dwarves are so divided.
Common Taboos
It is extremely taboo in all Elf societies to practice any sort of necromancy. Interfering with the natural process of life and death is seen as a perverted sin against the balance of the world. Senseless destruction of nature is also frowned upon, and Elves will fight to preserve nature from destructive civilizations.
History
The Elves entered the world of Ybbis through two magical portals as refuges from another world. As such, other races tend to feel an odd mixture of fear, hatred, and awe for them. Elves are not only divided among other races, but among themselves as well. The two Elf ethnicities: the Vaiir and the Glatheni, have differing views on how to adapt to this new, strange world. The Vaiir build citadels of pure Elven culture and race in order to preserve their sacred history, while the Glatheni believe the best way to preserve their civilization is by sharing and adapting to the world of Ybbis. Both sides think the other incorrect in their beliefs, but even with such differences, the bonds of a shared past are unbreakable between them. All Elves share the same religious pantheon, but interpret certain subjects differently.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Humans.
It is well-known (but forbidden from being spoken of among the Vaiir) that Elves and Humans attract one another like moths to fire. Elves see Humans as brilliant sparks of light that shine for a beautiful yet pointless moment before getting snuffed out. Humans see Elves as mystical Fae with a subtle yet overpowering allure. The growing amount of Half-Elves on Ybbis are a testament to the two species' love of the unknown. Elves don't understand why Humans try so hard to make a legend for themselves, but they won't hesitate to deny that they are quite good at it when a hero eventually does pop-up once every while.
Glatheni view on Humans.
The Glatheni wish to fully integrate into Human society, sharing their knowledge of the arcane arts with this funny little race. However, this has lead to a stereotype among Humans that Glatheni Elves, or "High Elves", are snooty and pretentious, when High Elves just see themselves as a more advanced race imparting of their vast and frankly better knowledge of anything and everything. The two cultures have successfully managed to better each other through their interaction, although racism and elitism is more pronounced in countries such as the Kingdom of Seppel, where there is a history of race tensions.
Vaiir view on Humans
If the Glatheni wish to dive right in to Human culture, than the Vaiir won't even dip the tip of their pinky toes. The Vaiir are the side of the Elves that bear their history on their backs, and use it to dissuade from any cultural mingling. Humans are messy, foolish, and violent, and the Vaiir Elves are all too familiar with those things. As such, most Vaiir believe it is their duty to keep themselves away from Humans despite their natural attraction, lest they ruin yet another world. The Vaiir are notoriously intolerant of the existence of Half-Elves.
Dwarves.
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
750 years
Average Height
5-6 feet tall
Average Weight
90-140 lbs
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Elves have the same skin-color ranges as humans, and Elves may participate in symbolic facial-tattooing, but this depends largely on the region.
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