Elves

The elegant and refined elvenfolk hail from the vibrant lands of Cael Tyhaera, also called the Fey-lands by outlanders. Though Tyhaera is the birthplace of elvenkind, colonies have spread across the realm to all reaches. Large populations of elves live in the kingdom of Lyrethia, as well as in the sacred city of Holyanne. Elves distinguish themselves between four different cultures: High Elves, Lunar Elves, Dark Elves, and Wood Elves. The High Elves mingle most closely with Mankind, even worshipping the same deity as the cultures of Man, Brava. The Wood Elves tend to keep to themselves, living alongside nature in small cities atop the trees. The Lunar Elves hail from the cliffside city of Hana'toaria, holding the many mysteries of moonstone sorcery close to their chest. The Dark Elves of the Underdark are the hardest to find. They live in colonies deep within the earth, taming giant spiders to follow their orders.
Worship is a hotly debated topic in elven circles. Each of the cultures of elvenkind disagree on the origin of elves, which commonly becomes the topic of much argument upon any congregation between different elven cultures. The High Elves share Mankind's worship of Brava, seeing her as mother of all life. The Lunar elves disagree with the High Elf way of seeing things. They worship Hana the Spellmother, seeing her as the spirit of an ancient elven queen who watches over them from above. The Wood Elves pray to Athar the Wyldfather, believing him to be the one who planted the first World Tree, Driela. The Wood Elves believe that all elves were once fallen branches of the World Tree, given form once they met the ground.
Elves are a magical people of otherworldly grace, living in the world but not entirely part of it. They live in places of ethereal beauty, in the midst of ancient forests or in silvery spires glittering with faerie light, where soft music drifts through the air and gentle fragrances waft on the breeze. Elves love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry, and the good things of the world.
Elves take up adventuring out of wanderlust. Since they are so long-lived, they can enjoy centuries of exploration and discovery. They dislike the pace of human society, which is regimented from day to day but constantly changing over decades, so they find careers that let them travel freely and set their own pace. Elves also enjoy exercising their martial prowess or gaining greater magical power, and adventuring allows them to do so. Some might join with rebels fighting against oppression, and others might become champions of moral causes.

Another way in which the elven subraces differ is in appearance, making it often rather easy to guess the ancestry of an elf by the way the look.
High Elves:  High elves have noble features and brilliant blonde hair.  Fondness of cities and the finer things in life means they are often dressed in resplendent garb.

Wood Elves:  Wood elves have red or brown hair, and often freckled faces.  Their love of the forest means they often dress in robes and hoods in varied shades of green, to better match their surroundings.

Dark Elves:  The Dark elves, or Drow, have shades of greyish purple skin, and often bear either dark hair or stark white hair.  Their time away from sunlight often alters the appearance of their eyes as well.

Lunar Elves:  The Lunar elves, or Månalvar, have porcelain skin and in contrast, raven-black hair.  Often living in northern climates, Månalvar can often be found dressed in warm furs.  Ever fond of the moon, Månalvar often wear jewellery or trinkets that bear its sigil.

Basic Information

Anatomy

With their unearthly grace and fine features, elves appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and members of many other races. Their most noticeably feature is their pointed ears. They are slightly shorter than humans on average, ranging from well under 5 feet tall to just over 6 feet. They are more slender than humans, weighing only 100 to 145 pounds. Males and females are about the same height, and males are only marginally heavier than females.
Elves’ coloration encompasses the normal human range and also includes skin in shades of copper, bronze, and almost bluish-white, hair of green or blue, and eyes like pools of liquid gold or silver. Elves have no facial and little body hair. They favor elegant clothing in bright colors, and they enjoy simple yet lovely jewelry.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Elves are considered children until they declare themselves adults, some time around the fortieth birthday, and before this period they are called by child names.
On declaring adulthood, an elf selects an adult name, although those who knew him or her as a youngster might continue to use the child name. Each elf’s adult name is a unique creation, though it might reflect the names of respected individuals or other family members. Little distinction exists between male names and female names; the groupings here reflect only general tendencies. In addition, every elf bears a family name, typically a combination of other Elvish words. Some elves traveling among humans translate their family names into Common, but others retain the Elvish version.
Examples:
Child Names: Ara, Bryn, Del, Eryn, Faen, Innil, Lael, Mella, Naill, Naeris, Phann, Rael, Rinn, Sai, Syllin, Thia, Vall
Male Adult Names: Adran, Aelar, Aramil, Arannis, Aust, Beiro, Berrian, Carric, Enialis, Erdan, Erevan, Galinndan, Hadarai, Heian, Himo, Immeral, Ivellios, Laucian, Mindartis, Paelias, Peren, Quarion, Riardon, Rolen, Soveliss, Thamior, Tharivol, Theren, Varis
Female Adult Names: Althaea, Anastrianna, Andraste, Antinua, Bethrynna, Birel, Caelynn, Drusilia, Enna, Felosial, Ielenia, Jelenneth, Keyleth, Leshanna, Lia, Meriele, Mialee, Naivara, Quelenna, Quillathe, Sariel, Shanairra, Shava, Silaqui, Theirastra, Thia, Vadania, Valanthe, Xanaphia
Family Names (Common Translations): Amalorien (Gemflower), Hananodel (Moonwhisper), Holimion (Diamonddew), Amaphelkiir (Gemblossom), Liadon (Silverfrond), Meliamne (Oakenheel), Naïlo (Nightbreeze), Sianohana (Moonbrook), Xiloscient (Goldpetal)

Lifespan

200 years