Sea Elves

Despite the name, Sea Elves are not entirely aquatic, living instead on massive island chains and combining settlements on the shore and under the waves. Though they set out on the planar journey the elves were called to undertake, they stopped at the shores of the great sea, and though they helped their siblings reach the elusive portals they sought by building magnificent vessels and guiding them deftly, the sea elves remained and attuned to the waves. Their cities and lives are a fascinating blend of two worlds, which can make a casual visitor somewhat disoriented.
Appearance Sea elves of all genders range from five and a half to six feet in height, appearing slightly more muscular than most elves. Their skin tones ranges from olive to dark brown, while their hair and eyes range from light sea green to deep blue. Sea elves possess gills, though these are fairly discreet. A handful grow facial hair.
Clothing Befitting a people who spend much of their time swimming, sea elves wear very little clothing, often keeping only one or two supportive garments on their person and a belt to hold a knife and some tools. When visiting cities or cultures outside their own, sea elves will adopt flowing skirts or pants and light vests, similar to that of the drow.
Art Sculpture is a huge component of sea elf art, as most can endure for some time below the waves or above. Magically hardened stones have weathered millennia under water with no ill effects, a feat even ensorcelled paintings can’t claim. Sea elven music is uniquely haunting because so much of it is either written to be played underwater, or to sound different depending on whether it’s played above or below. Fully three dimensional theater is another uniquely sea elven delight, as they write plays meant to be performed with the freedom of moving up and down through water.
Religion Sea elves are the most devout among the elves, having no especially strong arcane traditions nor ties to the shifting seasons of the world. Most elven clerics are sea elves, and contrary to what one might think they worship the full pantheon of deities, not simply gods of the sea. Competing philosophies and worldviews clash with competing holidays in a chaotic but generally convivial exchange; rarely do sea elves take up arms over matters of faith, though heated arguments do break out.
Cuisine For obvious reasons, seafood is an important part of sea elven diet, and one of them can usually hold forth at length about the qualities of different sea urchins. Island farming is important too though, with barley and mangroves grown in brackish water to supplement the fish and kelp found in most diets, with fruits and vegetables cultivated further inland. Red meat is something of a delicacy for sea elves, and it should be noted that sea elves drink very little provided they have access to water for swimming. Palm wine is often enjoyed by sea elves, though it’s difficult to preserve and doesn’t travel easily. Given the proliferation of pleasant spices on their islands, sea elves are known for making exquisite curry dishes.
City-States Sea elf society varies more based on the city-state they think of as home than clans or anything similar. Auroch is the archetypal sea elf city, producing fighters and sorcerers, while Hunter’s Home serves as the launch point of the limited island hunting expeditions in which the sea elves engage (while also training many rangers). Legacy is regarded as the center of sea elf culture and the residents there have a somewhat haughty air about them; bards and monks are the favored classes here. The simply named Home serves as a waypoint for sea elves who are less faithful than their fellows, and focus on wizardry more than clerical magic. Temple is a holy city, and the center of sea elf religious life sees the most clerics and paladins of any sea elf city. Though Palisade is adjacent to Nexus, the former is a rustic, defensive city that sees sea elf barbarians come of age, while Nexus is a full blown planar metropolis, too cosmopolitan to threaten Legacy or Temple’s status but critically important nonetheless.