Elves of Talingrad
Elves of Talingrad can be divided into two ethnic groups, Heartland Elves, and the Snow Elves.
Heartland Elves: Elves are small in number in Talingrad, and the majority of them can trace their lineage through several different family lines and heraldry back to Talingrad’s founding as a modern nation state. While many assume that all elves are in some way associated with house Barca, by far the most prominent elven family in Talingrad, this is simply untrue. The fact of the matter is that heartland elves are numerous and active in all areas of Talingradi culture, especially with the clergy, as they are long lived enough to remember a number of the esoteric rituals. Often elves will take decades to truly comprehend and memorize the various acts of the inheritor and lead her summoning rituals for celestial beings. Many are often professors or students of the arcane, but just as likely is the elvish field hand, guard or merchant trader within Talingrad.
Snow Elves: Described as Elves residing to the north of @[the Watchwall], snow elves represent the terrifying and frigid beauty of nature untamed. These elves possess fair white skin and hair, and piercing blue or red eyes, with gaunt facial features. Reports of sightings of the ancient beings have decreased over the last millennia, leading some to speculate that the thinning of elvish blood has led to a decline in their population. The few snow elves who have defected to Talingradi society speak of great cities of ice thousands of years old, where the remainders of their once great civilizations try to maintain a once glorious past. Snow elves are said to be nimble, fierce and perceptive, though their supposed lack of numbers suggests that most lack ties to more than a few family members, bonds which they often covet above all else.
Naming Traditions
Family names
Traditional elvish names from tend to end in a vowel of some sort, or an "el" if they wish to evoke their origin as members of the fey wilde. However, these practices have largely fallen out of practice, especially among the heartland elves, so diluted from their elvish culture and past that they take whatever names suit them best.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Elvish, Talingradi (Common)
Culture and cultural heritage
Said to represent the expulsion of the fey from the summer court, the elvish races were highly advanced but few in number, supposedly combating early on with Halfling residents of the island to establish their own territorial holdings. For unknown reasons their appears to have been a schism between the elvish enclaves, causing several tribes to migrate south into what is now the heartland, and dividing the elvish people.
It is said the snow elves who remained in the north built great and now lost cities of snow within the ice. Stories tell that the snow elves were instrumental in assisting their their fair-weather halfling allies in combating of Giants and Titans that once wandered the northern glaciers. It is also mythologized that these snow elves granted the Naatanuk sentience during these early days, though there is no way to verify this claim.
Certain scholars, such as disgraced professor Yenrin of Farholde, suggest that in an attempt to keep up their numbers, the snow elves created the first hobgoblins through their procreation with goblinkind in the savage north, though this speculation is largely dismissed by most scholars. The snow Elves engaged in many wars and conflict with the human kingdoms of Talingrad, but lost more and more territory over time due to the raw numbers of the human horde. Since the rise of house Darin, no serious attempt has been made by snow elves to retake the watchwall, and many speculate that the race no longer has the numbers to sustain itself.
For the Elves who went south, they quickly integrated themselves into early Talingradi politics. A number of elves settled in the city of Farholde in the west, while others aligned with the Gnomes of the Undercity to build what would one day be known as Ghastenhall. Others settled in the Caer Bryr along with gnomes there, further splintering the Elvish race on Talingrad. Half elves were during the 4th era incredibly common in Talingrad, and it is thought that many Talingradi citizens have at least some elven blood in their veins from this intermixing of culture.
Shared customary codes and values
Elves who have settled into the heartland often have a strong sense of ambition. Where conquest has failed to grant them territory and respect, perhaps now prestige and long lives will carry the day. Elves are extremely patient, and will plan for years or even decades to achieve greater prestige or power, knowing they have the time to execute their agendas.
Snow Elves in the north have a more traditional view of elven values. That is to say, they are more likely to be in tune with nature and with their shared history. Oral tradition is key in the remaining snow elf settlements, and a village chieftan will often spend decade teaching their successors a number of arcane rituals and secrets to preserve their race or channel the magical essence of the fey wilde and the north that runs through them.
Elves of both societies are far more open to the use of arcane magic than just about any other race in Talingrad. Necromancy especially is a popular craft amongst the snow elves, who use the practice to supplement their dwindling labor force. Their race's elders are said to remember strange rituals forgotten by the rest of talingrad, recorded in places only those of elven blood may tread.
Average technological level
Elves in Talingrad: High technologically, but can vary from region to region.
Snow Elves: High Arcane knowledge, but poor resources limit the spread of elven technological ingenuity.
Common Etiquette rules
In the heartland, elven etiquette matches the rest of Talingrad society. That is they are polite, professional, and often to the point.
Snow elves tend to be very hostile towards outsiders and the unknown, and will often shun to speak with anyone who has not gone through ritualized attempts at introduction, or more preferably being introduced by an ally of their people.
Common Dress code
Elves in Talingrad have a tendancy to dress in the finest fashions available when they can afford it, and often when they can't. Many attempt to play of the prestige of the elven race in general, and highlight their natural beauty, so colors such as gold, blue, white, or in rare cases red are often chosen to represent their status.
Snow Elves will dress in whatever they have available to them. Furs are common, as are leathers and wool from certain animals. many however possess ancient clothing and silks passed down from generations past, and in these cases, these relics of a forgotten people will be worn only on formal occasion.
Art & Architecture
Snow elvish arcitecture tends to utilize great columns and sharp angles of ice in the design of their strutures, oftentimes tyring to resemble the rigid beauty of a snowflakes siloette in their design.
Amongst elves in Talingrad's borders, the homoginization of their culture has caused them to build in the manner of most of Talingradi society. However, House Barca maintains some of the old traditions alive, favoring the use of the griffon and griffon's feathers within their architecture.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
It is customary among elves in Talingrad to serve as "witan" (wise council) to villages that they are a part of in the absence of some other form of magistrate. Due to their long lives they can often remember more historical precedent than other less lived individuals. It is for the same reason that a number of them will serve in either fields of law, or fields of banking. Indeed, one of the reasons house Barca is believed to be as rich as they are is because they have had nothing but time to accrue interest.
Snow elves possess a similar concept of a "witan" or a keeper of ancient tradition, serving as a village elder. In addition to keeping knowledge of law and society, these elders will keep knowledge of ancient magics, especially the locations of Fey Wilde portals, or of magic to summon ancient creatures that have not forgotten the elven people's call.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Births in elven society are a rare event, and are especially celebrated, perhaps more than for any other race. Typically an elven patriarch or matriarch will invest heavily in wards, magic, and midwives to ensure the baby's health through the early years, to make sure that the child is not claimed by unnecessary disease or malnutrition.
Common Taboos
Elves from Talingrad resent elves from north of the Watchwall and vice versa. It is impolite to speak about other elves on the island in the company of one of these two groups.
Elves do not have any qualms with the use of arcane magic, and make a far more vested effort to be educated about its use than just about any other race on average in Talingrad.
There are also very few taboos against love outside of the elven race, and as a result half elf children are inevitable and often encouraged. The low birth rate of elven society practically necessitates the diversity of their bloodlines. Some ancient houses of elves however resent the perceived dilution of their blood however, and for them half elves are abominations, and little better than bastards.
Common Myths and Legends
Most myths surrounding elves concern their origin. They arrived via fey magic due to a "casting out" of the summer court, or so the story goes. Supposedly fey gates do exist in Talingrad, each possessing the ability to magically transport the wielder into another realm, however the magic to use these doorways has long since been lost to time, and only a few elven elders in the Savage North likely retain the knowledge.
A few myths also concern the use of certain magics during the "First Great War" for Talingrad, and these myths often weave and combine with tails concerning Iomedae's Fourth Act.
Historical figures
The most prominent modern political family in Talingrad of Elvish blood is house Barca. Before the ascension of house Darin, house Barca ruled Talingrad from the city of Ghastenhall through both noble claim and political manipulation of the minor lords of the realm. They enforced this rule through Griffon Knights, who possessed superior maneuverability to all other forms of Talingradi knight. Their reign was brought to an end by King Markadian I called the Brave, who diposed King Jaraad of house Barca on the fields of Tamberlyn. King Markdaian I then accepted fealty and vassalage from the disposed Barcan’s son, paving the way for modern Talingrad.
Count Leothyn currently reigns as Duke of Ghastenhall, in alliance with the Undercity's Gaslight League. He is perhaps the richest man in Talingrad, and is said to be an advocate of political reform to the Talingradi system. It is also rumored however that he either ignores or openly encourages a number of illegal smuggling operations and shipping deals through his city, though some worry that the Duke himself may have created these rumors.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Elvish ideals of beauty are not measured in mere flesh but in mind and experience as well. It is said that an elf looking to measure a companion will look at their passions and experiences, often weighing their entire lives emotions through the expression on their face.
Among some purists however, believing elvish blood should not be diluted, it is not uncommon for the size of ears or cheekbones to considered on the basis of racial purity. For snow elves especially, seeing colors of eyes other than red or blue is a sign of this dilution, and can lead to expulsion from one of the few snow elf clans which remain in the Savage North.
Relationship Ideals
Elven courtship is a tricky affair, since many of them live incredibly long lives. As a result, it is expected that marriages among pureblooded elves are renewed every few decades. As tastes change many elves often do choose to see other people, or even other races. In such cases where elves intermingle with other races, it is expected they will not remarry or engage in other relationships until after the passing of their spouse.
Major organizations
House Barca
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