Zerrirus(Elf)

If one should wander into The Onyx Forest of Suyedas you will first notice the unusual silence a certain tenseness that blankets the forest so that none may escape it. Eventually you will be met by the sound of murmuring and soft singing. While the Zerrirus elves appear friendly on the surface and welcome Travelers they are highly aloof and always seem to show distaste for outsiders. Should you poke your nose into business that isn't yours the perceived friendliness will quickly turn into anger and disgust often with you either disappearing without a trace or ushered out of the woods with arrows at your back. Pity the one who draws the attention of their queen upon them for while she "Harms none"; once you have angered her enough it is rare to ever see the outside of these woods ever again.

-Unknown Selkie

Elves had long been a myth of those who lived Deep in the forests and woods. Like the Fae they were mysterious and to be treated with caution. As such when the Collision happened the humans of the realm were happy to let the elves take the forests and only fell the outermost trees that were young and easily regrown. These Elves split from the main group becoming a more restrained and "noble" version of their ancestors in the year 1243 due to a large and strong fight between two of the main Elven families of the time due to a difference of belief and a betrayal.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Zerrirus Elves look rather like humans in many ways. However when one looks closer they will notice that they are taller than the average human with distinctly more elegant features and gently but greatly pointed ears. These elves conduct themselves in a more graceful and elegant way making them seem almost mystical and unreal with a dangerous aura.

Genetics and Reproduction

Zerrirus elves have fewer births over the years than mortals do due to their extended lifetimes. Each elf may have twins at most each pregnancy but are more likely to have a single child and miscarry often and typically only conceives three to four times in their life time. Pregnancy lasts roughly 9 to 10 months and they do have a period roughly once in two to three month time span.

Growth Rate & Stages

Elves mature rather like humans but extended over time. Thus childhood is usually between 0-75 years old becoming a full adult at 150 years of age. typically they don't search for a mate for another 150 years after they reach their age of majority and can typically live between 5,500 to 7,000 years old, the closer they are to sources of magic the longer they typically live. However due to their distancing from the wilder magic of the lands they have begun to live shorter lives and had an even harder time conceiving.

Ecology and Habitats

Zerrirus Elves will never be found outside of the Onyx forest willingly outside of times of war. They live in large elegant and extravagant halls that are sung into being. They prefer that those that want to trade come to them instead of leaving their forests. Those unfortunate enough to fall into a lower rank of society live on the edged of the forest or the edges of the deep areas of the forest that they cant survive in in smaller huts. This is usually single fathers and poorer elves and those with weak magics.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Zerrirus elves eat a mixture of meat and cultivated vegetables. Typically with meat they will hunt and track an animal then have it butchers or roasted over a fire and its done for celebrations or special occasions more often than every day with left overs eaten for the next few days. For plant life, its typically wheat, carrots, potato's and beets grown by the lower ranking members of society and given in tithes to the Lady owners of the lands. They live a more extravagant life and take or make what they want with little regard for others.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Zerrirus Elves are Highly matriarchal with the men often finding themselves in arranged marriages and working on the tasks seen as below the Women of their family. Currently they are ruled by a line of Queens descending from the first Queen of the land with all power being passed from Mother to Daughter or Daughter in Law as time goes on.

Facial characteristics

Women tend to have soft but strong and very graceful features. Men have a distinct lack of facial hair in most cases helping them be distinguished from humans if their height doesn't alert you first and also have very angular features while still seeming very graceful.

Average Intelligence

Zerrirus Elves tend to have high intelligence especially due to their long lives.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Zerrirus elves have much stronger than normal hearing and the ability to see in the dark up to 70 feet in variations of grey and in dim light as though it is normal. They also tend to smell things a little better than most.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

The Crown Court-The Royal Family and their Advisors and Servents

Gender Ideals

Women are expected to be strong, graceful, elegant, and Fierce leaders of their family. Men are expected to be laid back and followers, often doing what they are told without asking why or talking back.

Courtship Ideals

Typically Courtship is the three four years before marriage as most relationships are arranged by the mothers and daughters of the family. In rare cases will a Male have an option of who they marry. Usually this is when more than one marriage is offered and both are equal.

Relationship Ideals

The Wife leads and the Husband follows and does the work and cleaning and raising of any sons that the pair may have.

Common Etiquette Rules

Respect is a Big deal among the Zerrirus Elves with rank of those around you and what the people look like being drilled into children's heads at a young age so that there are never mess ups in public.
Males are always expected to defer to the Females around them and be respective.
A respectful greeting is "Les étoiles sourient à notre rencontre" Or "The Stars smile upon our meeting"
While the traditional goodbye is "Que la magie te garde bien" or "May magic keep you well"
You are expected to greet the Women of the house but greeting the men is not necessary and sometimes frowned upon.

Common Dress Code

Typically the women will wear beautiful gowns and robes that enhance their natural beauty. While the men tend to wear simpler and closer fitting clothes unless they are the husbands of high ranking women at which point they will often be dressed extravagantly in order to be shown off.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Most men are married off at around 250 hundred years of age to whichever betrothal had been decided upon when they turned 150 years old.
The night of the wedding family and friends will stay a the door of the couples room until the marriage has been consummated to ensure they start attempting to have children right away.
Should one Elf greatly dishonor or steal from another the Offended Elf may appeal to their next ranked Lady so that it may be brought to trial.

Common Taboos

Rape, Theft and Attacking of others no matter clan or age.
Men leading the family.
Homosexuality

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

War is brewing between the Zerrirus Elves and The Sirens due to an event in the long past in regards to humans.
They have a unique distaste for all beings besides themselves and a deep hatred for their cousins the Analea Elves.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Llirosum(Elf)

Scientific Name

Pulchra Tenebris Venandi

Lifespan

5,500 to 7,000 years

Average Height

Men: 7 foot 6 inches tall Women: 6 foot 5 inches tall

Average Weight

Men: 220 - 270 lbs. Woman: 160 - 200 lbs.

Average Physique

Typically lean, and lithe beings.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The upper class Zerrirus Elves tend to be very very pale as they spend their days inside most of the time reading and weaving their magics. While the lower class Elves tend to be tanned from working outside. They typically have Blond, Silver or in rare cases Raven black hair and their eyes tend towards Blue, Grey and ever so rarely Green.