Elves

Of the budding proto-humanoids to make it out of the primordial crucible of evolution, elves were among the first. Two things set them apart from their fellow hominids: their longevity and their propensity for magic, two things that many speculate are directly correlated.
Somewhere along their evolutionary history, elves intermingled with immortal fey creatures; inheriting traits still present in all elves today. They live for centuries (some even making it to near a thousand years) and have a natural proclivity for spellcasting, with most elves being able to alter the natural world around them to at least a small extent. Because of this and their closer ties to The Former than any other race, the elves found their niche in the far flung places of the earth like deep, emerald forests and hidden mountain vales.
What makes elves culturally distinct also ties into their magical aptitude and longevity. Elves see the world at a vastly different time-scale than humans and even dwarves. Long term development and construction that could take multiple human lifetimes and cooperation over generations takes up only a fraction of an elven life. An individual elf has a far easier time of grasping "the big picture" than a more short-lived species and thus elven societies tend to favor collectivism, collaboration, and shared knowledge. This also means that elven societies do not face meaningful systematic changes unless acted upon by an outside force. Once a tradition is set, anything new is built on top of it and expanded upon; very rarely are these foundations torn down and replaced entirely. Because of this, elven cities and their people have a strong sense of timelessness. You can walk down the streets of Mir'Heled and be certain it looks more or less the same today as it did 2,000 years ago.
Individually, elves tend to separate their lives into distinct segments. The Aeturnum Elves devote almost the first century of their lives to general, overarching studies; akin to a human going through a university over and over again to experience each program it has to offer. After that, they'll dedicate the next century or two devoted to a particular focus. Alternatively, they may use this time to travel and experience the world beyond their walls. After this, many elves return to their homeland to focus on raising the next generation; either as parents or as a teacher that passes on the experiences they've gained thus far. After this, an elf often experiences what would be akin to a "midlife crisis" in humans and dedicate themselves to an entirely new specialization. Finally, as an elf approaches their final century, they again return home to live out their golden years to be among family and friends and reflect on the long, long life they have lived.