Mountain Elf

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Kona

Masculine names

Agim, Apo

Family names

Like most elven cultures, mountain elves do not typically use family names. Along with given names from both their mother and father, elves can acquire appellations for great deeds, or titles for various positions either military, political, religious, or some combination of the three.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Oreinós Araith, or Highland Elvish, is the dialect of Araith with the most differences from any other, due to the mountain elves' tradtional isolation.

Shared customary codes and values

The strongest shared value uniting the elves of the Diarkes is isolationism: the desire to be left alone by the outside world. Having endured conquest and imperial rule twice over, first by their own species and then by the mixed Kadarin Empire, mountain elves have been left with a legacy of hard-fought independence and a strong desire for self-determination.
To protect this independence, their culture is more militarised than that of most elves, with every adult expected to help defend their borders against a potential invasion. Children are trained to fight in a unique style that capitalises on their ability to move in three dimensions.

Common Etiquette rules

Since mountain elves are so reliant on their wings for both travel and defence, they are highly protective of them. Asking to touch an elf's wings is considered rude, as they view such touches as an intimate privilege granted only to lovers and close friends.

Common Dress code

Mountain elf clothing is uniquely constrained by the need to allow free movement of the wings, to which there have been scores of solutions over the centuries. A popular approach for casual wear, especially at night, is shirtlessness. Bare chests are a common sight on both sexes in the privacy of their own homes, or on the streets after nightfall. During the day, however, the heat of the sun makes it wiser to cover up in layers of wrapped or tied tunics.

Historical figures

A major, though negative, figure in the history of the mountain elves is the emperor Alkaios Nikitís, who conquered the Diarkes Mountains as part of his elven empire in the Second Age.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Although their ideas of beauty are broadly similar to those of other elves, mountain elves have an additional layer of beauty standards attached to their wings. Well-maintained wings with neat feathers and a glossy sheen are considered desirable, as are bold or unusual patterns of colouration.

Courtship Ideals

Courtship among mountain elves frequently involves displays of acrobatic or otherwise impressive flying.

Major organizations

Just about the only thing which can lastingly unify any group of elves is their absolute hatred of outsiders. The elves of the Diarkes Mountains are highly isolationist and police their borders to keep everyone else out. This task is made easier by the fact that they are the only sapients other than dragons to have wings.

Encompassed species

• Elf