Elf
Despite the fact that elves are among the most common of Golarion's humanoid races, they are a people in decline. Their culture peaked thousands of years ago, and they have been unable to repopulate the many places they once called home. The remaining few are largely concentrated in the wholly elven nation of Kyonin, and to a lesser extent on the island of Mordant Spire in the Steaming Sea, in the jungles of the Mwangi Expanse, and in the wilds of the nation of Varisia.
Basic Information
Behaviour
Elves love laughing and pulling pranks. They are quite impetuous, always seeking new experiences, sometimes to the detriment of their own well-being. Some believe them to be thoughtless and callous, but this is not the case; they value friendship highly, and make friends easily. These friendships often turn romantic, whether they be with their own kind or with others.
Most other races believe that elves are content to live out their lives in quiet contemplation in the same place they were born. Even though this is true for some, there are many others who naturally develop wanderlust and a wish to see the world and all of its differences.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
Their faces tend to be austere and beautiful, with high cheekbones and delicate symmetrical features.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Like humans, elves are divided into different cultural groups across Golarion. Most are physically very similar to the common elves of Kyonin, but some (such as the drow) depart radically from their ancestral stock. Unlike humans, elven diversity springs not from common ethnic lineages, but is often a result of their species' adaptation to the various ecological habitats across the planet. Changes in elven physiology generally occur gradually over centuries, but even a single elf's appearance can change dramatically over the course of his or her lifetime when exposed to a new environment.
Average Intelligence
Many elves adventure to find beauty and discover new things. Elves often become rangers or rogues, taking advantage of their dexterity, or alchemists or wizards, exploring their intellectual curiosity.
Civilization and Culture
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Elves speak Elven, but have learned that being fluent in Taldane is quite useful. Elven is believed to be among the eldest, if not the eldest of the languages mortals speak on Golarion. Scholars conjecture that it was formed when elven speakers of Sylvan tried to introduce grammatical rules and vocabulary from both Celestial and Draconic. The elven alphabet contains 33 letters (24 consonants and nine vowels). It is a complex language, but sounds poetic in tone and cadence
Common Dress Code
Elves maintain an otherworldly beauty, and whether found in their magnificent wilderness communities or cosmopolitan civilizations, are often well-dressed or even glamorous
History
Early history
The history of the elves is an ancient one. Elven historians debate whether their race originated on Golarion or on Sovyrian, a continent in southern Castrovel, but archaeological evidence points to El, the oldest city on Sovyrian, to be far older than any evidence of elves on Golarion; they likely emigrated from Castrovel to Golarion in the late Age of Serpents and had no contact with the declining serpentfolk empire that had once ruled a large part of Golarion. Their civilization on Golarion reached its peak during the Age of Legend, long before their human cousins founded their first settled communities. Little evidence remains of this prehistoric elven presence, although it is clear that they were among the first civilization to rise on Golarion. Early expansionist human cultures soon came into conflict with the elves in their reach to grasp ever more of the world. The elves knew that they would ultimately have to cede much of the world to humans, given the low elven birth rate, and so the elves turned their attention away from Golarion and focused on exploring the other nearby planets, traveling across vast distances through a series of interplanetary gates (known as elf gates). When their diviners and astronomers discovered that Earthfall would soon destroy Golarion, they departed through these gates to their mysterious legendary homeland of Sovyrian, where they remained in isolation for thousands of years.Evolution of the drow
While most of their number were spared the turmoil of the Age of Darkness, those that remained on Golarion were not so lucky. These elves, seeking refuge from the horrors of the planet's surface, receded into the depths of the earth, establishing settlements there. Unbeknownst to them, this decision would alter them forever, and not positively. Over time the underground elves developed ember-black skin and sable-white hair and became corrupted by the powerful evils lurking in the darkness. The newly-formed drow, meaning "accursed," ruled the Darklands, gaining dominance over lesser races such as dero, duergar, troglodytes and worse, becoming one of the most powerful races in the world, even if they hid themselves from their above-ground rivals.The elves' return
In 2632 AR, elves began their return from Sovyrian, somehow sensing that their old human enemies had grown out of their barbaric origins and that the two races could share the world. Many of the elves' ancient holdings were reclaimed, causing tumult with human warlords who did not recognize their claims of ownership on these lands. More than just human inheritors posed problems for the elves, as they soon learned of their drow brethren. Beneath the Varisian city of Celwynvian in the Mierani Forest the elves confronted the drow, and fearing them, abandoned the city, collapsing the tunnels beneath is in the process. Many of these elves traveled across Avistan to the ancient kingdom of Kyonin, while others sailed west to the island chains off the Varisian coast, where they raised the Mordant Spire on the edge of the known world.
Scientific Name
Homo Magia Entis
Lifespan
750
Average Height
180 cm
Average Weight
60 kg
Average Physique
Males tend to be taller and broader, though rarely broader than a human male. They tend to be naturally lean and fit, with inhumanly good metabolisms. Males do not grow facial hair, or indeed much body hair at all, and have at least shoulder-length hair. Female elves are slender and willowy, considered beautiful by most. They are almost as tall as human males, though lighter of frame and weight than most human females.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Their colouration varies far less than humans', with most Avistani elves being quite pale and fair skinned, and almost none possess freckles or blemishes. Eye color is generally bright green or dark blue, sometimes ranging to nearly black, but it is their irises that differentiate them from others. These are far larger than those of other humanoids, often making it seem like they have little or no white in their eyes. This trait can make elves seem alien and unreadable to humans and dwarves. Their hair, which is typically naturally straight and healthy, is generally fair, though some possess pure white hair. Neither elven males nor females go bald, and indeed they show little in the way of discernible signs of aging.[citation needed] Elven ears are generally between six to nine inches in length and point backwards, angling upwards slightly to end usually parallel to the crown of the head.
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
Related Ethnicities
Comments