Half-Elf
The offspring of human and elven parents, half-elves are a truly unique ancestry. Whereas most ancestries, when able to conceive a child with another, produce offspring that are either one parent's ancestry or the other, the adaptability of the human body allows them to not only mate with various ancestries, but also to produce half-blooded offspring, which take on the traits of both parents.
Half-elves are often ostracized by both human and elven societies, finding it difficult to be truly at home in either. This is commonly because half-elf children born within cities are the result of (often adulterous) trysts between humans of higher social standing and elves from the slums. Such children are often unwanted and are seen as a disgrace by both parents. If the half-elf is lucky to inherit more human characteristics than elven, they are, on occasion, adopted into the human parent's family, especially if the family is lacking for heirs of their own. Those born with more elven characteristics, however, find life to be difficult for them and often leave to wander the world, living on the outskirts and among more accepting societies or organizations. Regardless of their appearance, half-elves are perceived as 'too dainty' by humans but also 'too brutish' by elves. Many half-elves migrate to the Bryonian Empire and convert to their lifestyle, preferring the militaristic but all-accepting way of life to the rejection they would suffer anywhere else.
Half-elves inherit the characteristics of their elven parents, which vary depending on the kind of elf that the parent was. This allows for a limited degree of classification among half-elves, though the ability to accurately place an individual into a category depends heavily on how much elven blood they inherited. Most half-elves do not have a specific classification due to lack of specific information of their parentage. The following kinds of half-elves have been documented and it is assumed that other kinds of elves are either unwilling or unable to produce half-elf offspring:
Aquatic Half-Elf
Extraordinarily rare, aquatic half-elves are the offspring of humans and aquatic elves, though some theorize that a union of a human and a triton (or merfolk) may produce an aquatic half-elf as well. They are frequently mistaken for the equally rare water genasi, the half-elves of this kind lack the water-based magical abilities that genasi have. When their elven heritage is pronounced, the aquatic half-elves manifest blue-tinged skin, hair, and eyes, as well as occasional appearances of non-functional gills and webbed fingers. They are naturally strong swimmers.Drow Half-Elf
As rare as their aquatic counterparts, drow half-elves rarely survive the first handful of years of life. Though they lack the light sensitivity of their drow parent, they seem non-the-less ill-fit to live on the surface, and often die from complications during birth. Those that survive are often kept away from society, seen as a bad omen or a sign of some kind of plague. They are the only half-elves to be born with natural magic, which contributes to them being seen as an ill omen. Drow half-elves have purple-to-gray shades of skin and typically strange-colored eyes, as well as silver, white, or jet black hair.High Half-Elf
Descendants of nobility in the old elven empire, the only thing that the half-elf children of high elves have to show for their once noble lineage is lighter, almost metallic gold or silver skin tone and hair color. They occasionally awaken a proclivity for natural magic, though most find themselves drawn to the blade.Wood Half-Elf
Wood half-elves are rare, not because their elven heritage is rarely encountered, but because most wood elves reside outside the borders of cities and thus refuse to interact with the humans that 'keep them trapped'. As such, wood half-elves are some of the rare few that are more commonly born out of love between the humans and elven partners, though this does little to make them fit in among either group.Basic Information
Anatomy
Half-elves range in height from around 5 feet and 5 inches to 6 feet and 2 inches, making them on average taller than elves, but only slightly shorter than humans. They are also considerably heavier than elves but much lighter than humans, although the exact height and weight varies with heritage. Their skin and hair color can range from the human mundane all the way to the elven metallic skin and exotic hair colors. Unlike the elves, however, half-elves have the ability to grow facial and body hair and show signs of aging in a similar manner that humans do. They are better able to thermoregulate than elves, though they do often have cold extremities and are less frequently found in the far North regions than humans would be.
Half-elves are notable by their slightly pointed ears, which are sharper and slightly longer than human, but much shorter and rounder than elven. Though they mature at roughly the same rate as humans, their bodies deteriorate slower, allowing them to live almost twice as long as an average human does.
Genetics and Reproduction
Though elves and humans are able to reproduce and produce half-elves, their biology is different enough that they are unable to produce fertile offspring. As such, most half-elves are unable to have children of their own. The rare documented cases of a half-elf having biological children are notably a result of either magical of divine intervention.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Half-elves tend to have either human or elven names depending on the area they are raised in. Some who wish to blend in better in one or another society change or alter their names to better fit local naming convention. Many half-elves that resent their heritage leave behind their birth names and adopt new names or monikers that they feel better represent them.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Half-elves tend to speak both Common and Elvish, though some are more fluent at them than others. The level of ability depends on the society they grew up with and varies from individual to individual. They also pick up languages rather easily, so it is rare to find a half-elf that only knows two languages.
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