Elf
Even though the gods of Covenant are primarily human gods, humans were not the first people in Covenant. His honor belongs to the elves, a beautiful and long-lived people with a close connection to the Otherworld and a closer connection to the forces of magic than others.
These original elves are most often called simply "elves", as they are by far more common than their other kin. However, they are more properly called "light elves" ("ljostalfar" in the tongue of Bjornland) to differentiate them from the "dark elves" and "black elves".
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
In general, elves have very delicate features. This includes finely chiseled facial features and a typically svelte build. As such, elves are usually more agile than many other humanoids, but are sometimes less robust than those of other races. One trait common to all elves is a total lack of facial or body hair.
Most light elves tend to have pale skin, and often have light hair colors such as red, blonde, or even more unusual colors like silver or gold that shines like metal. Eye colors tend to be very bright, usually green, blue, or violet. All in all, most people consider elves to be very attractive.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The senses of elves are, generally speaking, sharper than those of other humanoids, particularly hearing and sight. Elves have the ability to see in the dark far better than humans or halflings, although this darkvision is only in shades of gray, lacking in any color. Both black and dark elves have better night vision, but suffer from light sensitivity.
Civilization and Culture
Culture and Cultural Heritage
More than anything, the light elves value life. This thought can be deceptive, however, as many value the lives of plants and animals over those of other humanoids. Because of this tendency, the communities of light elves tend to be built in harmony with nature, instead of in opposition to it like those of other races. They tend to be very protective of these places, often not allowing others close.
Like their kin, light elves value beauty, although it is not a defining hallmark of their culture, as it is with black elves. In particular, they value natural beauty, as well as poetry and song. They also value passion, often following their hearts, leading them to both boundless artistic inspiration, and frequently into trouble.
Due to the independent nature of the elves, it is not uncommon for them to develop wanderlust in their younger years. They often find themselves traveling to other lands to see what they have to offer, often as adventurers or performers. Usually, they return home as they grow old to guide their juniors with the vast amounts of experience they have gathered in their travels.
Many elves find a spiritual connection to nature or to the forces of magic, but few elves are religious. Most prefer to avoid the affairs of the gods whenever possible. Those few who do worship gods tend to favor the Vanir or Tuatha De, particularly due to the connection these gods have to the forces the light elves so admire.
The elves are also very proud of their long history, often weaving this history into their songs and poems. The unfortunate side effect of this is that this pride sometimes manifests as a certain xenophobia, particularly in those elves that remained close to home.
History
It is said that the elves emerged from the Otherworld when Covenant was young. Indeed, the story goes that this occurred soon after the gods created the world, but well before the emergence of humans. The world was mostly unformed and unprepared, but the elves thrived anyway according to their stories.
When other races came, there was a schism between the elves. Some believed that because they were there first, they were superior to those who came after. They believed that it was their birthright to treat them however they pleased, no matter how cruel. Many elves, however, opposed them, seeing the value in the new life that had come later.
Both factions waged a terrible war, nearly destroying all of elvenkind. In the end, those who fought for the younger races won this conflict, driving their enemies underground. Those underground would become the dark elves while those on the surface became the light elves. Some chose to stay away from the conflict, hiding themselves away in the dark of night, becoming the black elves.
The dark elves were rendered bitter and vengeful by their banishment, leading to a deep, burning hatred for their counterparts on the surface. While their war never again reached the same heights it did in the ancient days, the dark and light elves have been in an ongoing conflict ever since.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
On an individual basis, many elven wanderers get along with other races, with many finding the idiosyncrasies of those they meet very fascinating. Others, however have a certain sense of cultural superiority that those of other races tend to find irritating at best. Because of these extremes, elven travelers are sometimes met with suspicion.
On a societal level, light elves tend to be very cautious. While many elves enjoy interacting with those of other races, their communities are kept very secret. Often this is due to the hostility of others who live in the forests in which they dwell, such as orcs. This, too can lead to lukewarm relationships with their neighbors.
The light elves, by and large have very strong feelings about their kin. Their antipathy with the dark elves is legendary, and have been in a prolonged conflict for their entire history. Their relations with the black elves are mostly defined by suspicion. They don't trust their overall neutrality in their conflict with their subterranean counterparts, and so tend to avoid the black elves.
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