Taenorhar

When it comes to the elves, the Taenorhar are the most northerly-residing of the elven kin. They are quite stunning in appearance, though they tend to be the most approachable of the elves because of their human-like stature and warm demeanor.
Taenorhar communicate over long distances by a type of singing called kulning. It is a beautiful though eerie-sounding form of communication that tends to either chill unsuspecting listeners to the bone or strike them still with awe until the singing stops.
The singer’s voice is projected loud and clear, and the snow-covered ground bounces and amplifies their voice so that their listener can hear them clearly. This form of communication works even better in the mountains, where the voice is easily bounced off the sides of the mountains and to the listener.
When indoors, they speak quietly in a dialect of Mëharva populated with exclusively short vowels due to close quarters over the long, dark, and cold night of winter. Because they speak so quietly, they are often asked to speak up when interacting with outsiders.
Their winter garb consists of coats and pants lined with thick furs and boots that keep out moisture and the cold. They wear goggles to protect their eyes and special ear covers to keep the tips of their pointed ears from getting frostbite.
The summer garb involves flax-based linen clothes embroidered with cheerful colours depicting flowers, trees, and animals. Flax is easy to grow in the north, and it grows quickly. One of the most popular flowers embroidered on their clothes is the blue flax flower.
When it comes to weapons, the Taenorhar tend to prefer the axe due to the fact that it can be used to chop wood as well as defend, and they hold up to the cold better than a sword.

History

The Taenorhar split off from the elves who would go on to become the Mëhar around 500 years before the Sorcerer Queen seized control of the Talnor throne. The reason for the split is only truly known to the Taenorhar, as the Mëhar forgot long ago, having deemed it unnecessary information or, perhaps, out of guilt.
When asked, the Taenorhar storytellers speak of the Mëhar stumbling across a wounded Aurora Peryton as they rode their horses through the sprawling forest around their home of Hæl Thægail, on the hunt for a majestic hart to kill and bring back to the feast that was planned for the next day.
There were long gashes along the magnificent creature’s side and its antlers had become entangled in the thick, ropy moss that grew on the boughs of the tree above it. Despite this, it was still strong and it tensed at the sight of them. Its nostrils flared as it snorted a warning.
The leader of the hunting party wished to free it of the moss and let it go, but his second-in-command and best friend wished to bring it back to Hæl Thægail to show off to everyone before they butchered it for the feast. The leader was appalled at this, but his men were tired and hungry and wanted nothing more than to quit the hunt and go home and thus he was quickly outvoted.
The Mëhar then were just as cunning with chemistry as they are now, even if their tools and knowledge were more primitive. They sedated the Peryton with a handful of sleeping powder and were able to lead it back to Hæl Thægail. There, they showed the creature off to all the townsfolk.
Some were just as excited as the hunters to sink their teeth into it. But nearly half of the townsfolk were appalled. Furious debates broke out between those who wanted to eat the peryton and make a trophy out of its head and those who wanted to tend to it and set it free. That eventually devolved into pushing and shoving until the guards had to come and break it up.
That night, those who wished to save the peryton stole into the courtyard where it was being kept. The peryton seemed to sense that they were there to rescue it, yet let only the hunting party’s leader touch it. No one stirred as they lead it out into the wilderness. The town guard watched them go passively and did not move to stop them.
Those elves that left decided to not return to Hæl Thægail, and took only what they could carry on their backs as they lead the creature north and out of the forest. They stop only a few hundred feet from the shade of the trees and use the light of the moons to dress the peryton’s wounds.
They continued going north, and let the peryton go when its wounds healed.
For the first few years afterwards, they wandered, seeking out a good place to settle. In the winter, they built shelters out of packed snow and ice, and during the warmer months they used tents made of hides and furs. They would pick a spot and would stay there for around a fortnight before moving on, always taking stock of resources. It isn’t until year five that they finally found their new home.  

Appearance

Their name, which translates to “boreal elves”, is reflected in the colour of their eyes, which could be compared to the colour and shimmering of the aurora borealis. Their skin is pale, almost as white as the snow that blankets the north for nearly half a year, and their hair hangs in a loose wave while ranging in colour from white to platinum blonde to brown to ash brown. Red, black, blonde darker than platinum, and grey do not show up in the gene pool unless the elf in question is half another elven kin or human.

Average Height

The height range of the Taenorhar is 5’8” to 6’2” for the men and 5’6” to 5’11” for the women.

Average Lifespan:

1,100 to 1,300 years.

Perception & Sensory / Extrasensory Capabilities

The Taenorhar have eyesight equipped to see by the light of the Eldûra’s seven moons during the long and endless, 6-month night that comes every winter. But due to this sensitivity, which is not as strong as a dwarf’s or a lofocûs’, the viscous sunlight of the spring, enhanced by its reflection off of the still-melting snow, often forces individuals who have to stray out of doors to wear special goggles that dims the the light to tolerable levels. Like other elves, their hearing is strong, allowing them to hear the movement of prey out on the tundra.

Origin/Ancestry

Mëhar/High Elvish