Elves
The elves came in ancient times. It is said that they arrived with their god, Aelon, or They Who Are in the Moon, though the common man calls it Traveler, or simply the Moon.
Elves do age, but they can live for many centuries, fortunate elves can live to be a millenium old. Though very few ever are ever seen in person by outsiders. The oldest of elves, the firsts of elves rather, live in the idyllic realm of the Fey Kingdoms as arch-fey. Most commonly, any elve someone might meet on the road will be at least a century old.
Elves venerate their ancestors. They are raised with an oral tradition of stories that they tell to keep their passed loved ones' memories alive. Much like how nobles keep long records of their geneology, each elven family contains a story of their past. This gives them incredible insight into the past and, given their long lives, makes them great sages.
Basic Information
Genetics and Reproduction
Given to their alien/magical nature, it should not be a surprise that elves do not reproduce like humans or any other of the thinking folk in Azuremir. Much of an elve's life is spent in contemplation of the past: stories of ancestors; of legends, heroes, and fools; of advice and wisdom carried through long practiced meditation.
While elves reach physical maturity by the time they have seen twenty summers, they are still being taught the stories of their family, and thus have not reached the societal, spiritual, or emotional maturity to create a new life. Typically, by the end of an elve's first century of life, they have committed their mantra to memory and may freely access it at will. This process is required for reproduction.
When an elve has committed their family mantra to memory and soul, they are encouraged to go out into the world, though not all do. In the outside world, they gain new experiences and new stories to tell, and most importantly they begin to create a story for themselves and what they hope for the future.
A commonality between elves and the mortal peoples of Azuremir is that it requires two elves to come together. When two elves grow close to one another, they begin to share their stories, their mantra. This combination connects them on a spiritual level, and they begin tell a new story of their hopes and dreams for the future under the light of They Who Are In the Moon. At the end of the ordeal, they are blessed with a manifestation of those dreams, an elven baby.
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