Sun elf

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

Sun elves organized their society along firm and hierarchical traditions. Communities were typically run by members of an esteemed nobility, some of whom could trace their ancestry all the way back to the First Crown War. There was a difference, however, between sun elven and human monarchy and where a human king typically accumulated influence through the ownership of land or command of soldiers, a sun elf noble commanded authority through the prestige of their family name or the magical power they held at their behest, a power they often demonstrated through the grandeur of their home.

Shared customary codes and values

Ambition and desire for power. They have been taught they are leaders and warriors and rulers. Commonly they are groomed to grow up and become soldiers in armies of elf allied or occupied territories. Sun elves were firmly of the belief that they stood as the sole protectors and inheritors of Corellon's legacy in the Prime. Patient and deliberate in most of what they did, they demonstrated an orderly nature uncommon to most elves, preferring to master a skill before applying it rather than learning as they go. Rushing was out of the nature of sun elves, who, while less versatile than most races, had a mastery of whatever they applied themselves to. The only true exception to this was martial combat, which nearly all sun elves had some training in, regardless of how much and which most were eager to finish as quickly as possible once engaged.

Common Dress code

Many sun elves preferred clothing that was at once beautiful and understated, with subdued colors like blue or green favored over bolder hues. Most sun elves decorated themselves with gold or ethereal embroidery in subtle patterns woven into the design of their clothes and which added to the beauty of the clothing without seeming flashy or showy. Similarly, most sun elven jewelry was simple in appearance, but in fact exquisitely complex both in construction and design.

Art & Architecture

The sun elven qualities of patience and haughtiness often both demonstrated themselves in sun elf art. Sun elven architecture, while undeniably beautiful in most cases, was often flashier than what other elves commonly built, a quality in part due to the fact that sun elves would accept nothing short of perfection, working tirelessly in their art to constantly raise the aesthetic bar. Sun elf art, poetry, music — all of these demonstrated a regal attitude that had come to be closely associated with sun elven tastes. To a sun elf, the grander a piece the better, with heroic ballads or tragic epics the preferred form of literature amongst the subrace. Sun elves loved and enjoyed learning, perhaps even to a point that others might find surprising. Nearly all sun elves had access to a private store of knowledge and no self-respecting sun elf lacked the capacity to read or write.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Magic is highly revered and only promised to a select few who are able to convene directly with their God. Therefore, the only respected magic form are the clerical arts. Any other magical arts are not respected as they're viewed as lesser. Sun elves had a deep respect for magic, particularly of the high magic variety, and a select few are chosen to concentrate their studies on its nature and use. Although sun elves favored the arcane, they did not neglect the divine and most sun elves were deeply religious. This piety was often intertwined with nationalism, as sun elves firmly believed they were the chosen people of the God. As in most other things, sun elves left no detail incomplete and the sun elven ceremonies devoted to the God were often long and drawn-out. For other races, these rites might even seem dull, with sun elves neglecting any hint of joy or merriness, which they believed disrespectful to the gods, in their worship.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The darker your skin the higher your prestige as it demonstrates a deep connection to the sun where they draw their power. Short curly hair is a mark of respect, and strong builds are the promoted body type. Sun elves typically have green eyes, though golden ones were also common, often with a liquid appearance, and silver, black, hazel, or copper hues had also been heard of.

Gender Ideals

Gender is undefined and irrelevant in most circumstances, as people are defined by their value to the community and the cause they're working towards.

Major organizations

They were initially divided into three distinct tribes, all led by a council of clerics. These clerics were heavily invested in philosophy and spirituality. However, once the war began, the need for an organized leader arose. Kolvar Ulavalur took charge and established a war council with the respective leaders of each tribe within the Arcane order, of humans and other elves, uniting them to achieve their common goal. The clerical council are still in affect and offers wisdom and guidance from time to time, but their input is now limited and they've resigned themselves to simply teaching young clerics

Encompassed species

• Elf