Elves
The Favored of the Fey
We are a people of many stories. With each new life, we weave a new tapestry in our souls to tell the story that has been going since our birth in Faenum. Through our voices, our actions, our art, we display who we are, our emotions for all to see. Even in our work such as smithing, we can... hear the thoughts of the crafter who made it. We are voices that will always echo through the age. But ever since the Elders came, the voices have been discordant. And I... I have lost the ability to hear the voices. The voices of my past! Where have the voices gone?! What have you done to my voices?!
Basic Information
Growth Rate & Stages
Elves mature at a fast rate for their lifespan. By their late teens to early 20s, they are already physically mature. While their mind doesn't mature completely until their first century, they look like a full grown adult. They appear like they are physically in their 20s for most of their life until they reach 600+. By this point, they begin to look like they are in their 30s and 40s and sometimes their hair begins to gray or even silver. When their time begins to wane, Elves start to experience their past lives once again and when they trance, their eyes resemble the phases of Faenum in the night sky of Avestra. Once sufficient time has passed, an Elf going through this Waning passes away and goes to an afterlife to await their next reincarnation.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
The majority of Elves are in Edrinia whether it be the mountains of the Spine, the Noble Shores, or the Deno mountains. For that reason, many people think Elu and Menzo-baren culture are specifically Elven in nature. But that isn't the case as they share these lands with plenty of other Fey-born people as well.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Many Elves have the low-light vision trait, able to see in dim light as if it was bright light. Those who lived in the Underoads for most of their lives have an even stronger version called Darkvision where they can see in darkness as if it was bright light. Another trait elves have is the ability to trance and through it, access their past lives. Their connection to these past lives depends on the emotional and mental state of the Elf as trauma or even the personality of the person can affect which past life they can access. For some, this just going through waking memories but for others, they can communicate with their past self should that life still retain enough of their identity. That is a double-edged sword however since the past life could become the dominant life if the trancer is not careful.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
- The Elu Kingdoms. One of the first lands to settled by the Elves. Due to the roots they planted, the culture of the Elu has almost become synonymous with "Elven" culture but these kingdoms have been influenced by the Dwarves to their north and the Lonavi to their south.
- The Menzo Holds. The lands of the Spine. Home to stonework and jewels unknown in other Elven lands, they have taken to delve deeper and deeper into Avestra, hoping to discover what lies in the depths.
- Deno-Kirin. The lands of the Deno mountains. Serving as a bastion against Dragon and Aberration alike, the Deno Elves work to keep their home safe and discover Underoad pasages to their cousins on the continent of Edrinia.
- The Twin Shogunates. While not the majority, the Elves have clearly had an impact on the Twin Shogunates as their artistry and culture continues to influence it to this day.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Elves are promiment speakers of both the Elven and Sylvan languages. Since Elven is a offshoot of Sylvan, it isn't hard for Elves to learn the language of the Fey. Many don't as to shirk off their homeland that their ancestors and reincarnations ran from in fear. Elven has split between different dialects during their time on Avestra, the prodominent wants being the Elu varient and the Deno varient. Both Menzo-baren and Elu Elves speak the Elu variant, taking more influence from Sylvan due to their connection and proxmity to nature. The Deno variant has more influence from the Dwarves, Goblins, and Draconics nearby.
History
The Elves are often regarded as the first children of the Fey as they were the one of the first mortal species to be born in Faenum. As such, the Fey looked after them and cherished them like a noble would their first born and heir. Back then, many Elves felt it was their birthright to one day rule over portions of Faenum. And the Courts of the Fey did nothing to dissuade them despite their immortality. These actions resulted in the Elves meeting the other races of the Fey: The Alomri, Harengon, and the Lunari. The dissidence of the Alomri was always a problem that most Elves decided to ignore. But they couldn't ignore the wrath of the Archfey when they cast out the Alomri and the Lunari, leaving them to supposedly die in the Astra.
That was when many Elves began to wonder if they would suffer the same fate from the Archfey should they step out of turn. Whether or not that could've been the case, many Elves were driven by the fear of it happening. Along with the Harengon, they hatched a plan to follow the Alomri and Lunari to the new land they found, now known as Avestra. A sizable amount of Elves who didn't want to leave told the Archfey and a panicked Exodus happened instead of a stealthy one. Elves ran to whatever gateway they could find that would take them away, afraid of the punishment that would follow if they were caught. This scattered the Elven people across realms and even stranded them in the Astra but the majority were able to reach Avestra.
The Elven Exodus caused a split in the Elven people between the ones who stayed behind and the ones who left. The ones who stayed connected to the light and dark sides of Faenum respectively. The ones who left divided into several different variations but one of the most notable were the Elves who landed in the depths. While most elves landed in the Elu region of Edrinia and the Nomi region of Alus, most of the subterranean Elves landed on the mountains or in the depths of Avestra. Lost to their cousins or cut off, they had to fend for themselves and eventually discovered sections of the Underoad where they could live in peace. It would take centuries for them to find their cousins and by then, the light of the sun was blinding to them. And the very homes they carved out began a trap when the Elders came.
The Elders grew quite bored with the Fey but the children of the Fey were another matter entirely. Aberrations such as the Illithids made it their mission to hunt and study the Elves, attacking them deep underground and even assaulting their surface settlements. The experiments they did on some of them drove too many Elves mad, creating a subset of them that now serves the Elders and Aberrations as sleeper agents. Worse still, this brainwashing has the possibly to transcend lives and pass through reincarnation, keeping the spies going and reporting to their Eldritch masters.
If this is to be believed then it would explain why in recent times, there has been more dissent between the Elves. A growing faction regrets leaving Faenum behind and wishes to return. At the same time, a group of them wish to have revenge on their Avestran cousins for leaving them as prey to the Elders. And with Elder spies on both sides, this could explode into an inter-dimensional civil war, something that would definitely aid the Elders and their forces in the next war to come.
Common Myths and Legends
The Unified Soul
Legends speak of an Elf in the past who was unified in body and soul. An elf who was able to become one with their past lives and keep their consciousness as well. Their voice was not just their own but of all their past lives as well. It is said this unified elf was one of the people who pushed the Alomri revolt and also the Elven Exodus. It is said that in the future, when Fey kin spill each other's blood and Faenum weeps Golden tears, a Unified Elf will appear again to unite the Fey under one banner and help them fight against the encroaching darkness that seeks to eradicate reality.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
When it comes to their Fey kin, the Elves have been trying to mend ties. The Lunari, who at first blamed the Elves for not doing more to help, have put aside past animosities to forge a new friendship. It is why as the north bleeds from warfare with the Giants, more and more Lunari tribes and people find themselves in Elu lands, finding a peaceful place to call home. The Alomri that travel with them have already forgiven the Elves but there are groups trying to pressure them into helping free their captured leader from the Fey.
The Elves get along best with the Harengon as the two groups escaped Faenum together. The Elu lands are filled with both living in unity. However, the latter has been trying to stop groups from going back to Faenum as it would be going back on all the progress they've made to be independent of the Fey. As a result, tensions have started to flare up in recent centuries. But hopefully nothing comes of it.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
750 years
Average Height
Under 5 ft to over 6 ft
Average Weight
From 90 to over 150 lb
Related Organizations
Related Ethnicities
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