Elves
Elves are perhaps the most common Feykith seen in the realms and are themselves divided into three subspecies, the Avalli or Winter Elves, the Reman or Wild Elves (sometimes called Summer Elves), and the Raivanni or elder Elves who live only in the dense wood of Larathorn. While all Feykith are tied to elemental forces, Elves are unique in that they touch the elemental spirit of life itself. In this way, they are perhaps of all the mortal races the most closely tied to Eledra. For this reason they are admired and for this reason they are hated.
Reman Elves
The most commonly seen of the Elven races on Isesda, Reman elves are most prevalent on the various islands of the Reman Empire. They can, however, be found nearly everywhere and are not considered a strange sight with the possible exception of in the frozen north of Forven. They retain some of their ancient culture as seen in Larathorn, but have evolved to include aspects of whatever cultures are common near their homes. Reman Elves tend to live in more tribal groups, though they will often meld into the societies in which they live and interact. It is assumed that these are the common descendants of Raivanni Elves who left their own society to explore and spread throughout the realms. Avalli
The Avalli are thought to have been Raivanni Elves that migrated north into Forven to escape the encroaching other races. Their culture has since drastically changed as they remained completely cut off from other Elves. They are scattered across the Forvanni tundra, but most live in the artisan city-state of Avalier. Here they have formed a new society centered around creation, whether of physical, magical, or philosophical nature. They have no formally structured government, but live in service to a greater passion that binds them together. Raivanni Elves
The elder elves are as close to the original Elves of the ancient times as any living being can be. They are strongly isolationist and focused on maintaining their traditional culture. They maintain a societal focus on mastery of skills, with your average Raivanni Elf apprenticing for many decades, even a full century, before becoming a journeyman. Their masters are rarely younger than 2,000. A note on "Dark" Elves
The term "Dark Elf" is a derogatory term used by many Raivanni, Derathanni, and Aranellan people to refer to those Elves that live in the the swamplands of Vel. They are marked by their paler skin, nearly as pale as the Avalli though most are Raivanni or Reman Elves, and their jet black hair. It is unknown why these traits manifest on Vellan Elves, but some Elves claim it is the land dominated by Vel itself crying out for help through its connection to Elves. Vellan Elves deny this and react strongly to any use of the term "Dark Elf."
The most commonly seen of the Elven races on Isesda, Reman elves are most prevalent on the various islands of the Reman Empire. They can, however, be found nearly everywhere and are not considered a strange sight with the possible exception of in the frozen north of Forven. They retain some of their ancient culture as seen in Larathorn, but have evolved to include aspects of whatever cultures are common near their homes. Reman Elves tend to live in more tribal groups, though they will often meld into the societies in which they live and interact. It is assumed that these are the common descendants of Raivanni Elves who left their own society to explore and spread throughout the realms. Avalli
The Avalli are thought to have been Raivanni Elves that migrated north into Forven to escape the encroaching other races. Their culture has since drastically changed as they remained completely cut off from other Elves. They are scattered across the Forvanni tundra, but most live in the artisan city-state of Avalier. Here they have formed a new society centered around creation, whether of physical, magical, or philosophical nature. They have no formally structured government, but live in service to a greater passion that binds them together. Raivanni Elves
The elder elves are as close to the original Elves of the ancient times as any living being can be. They are strongly isolationist and focused on maintaining their traditional culture. They maintain a societal focus on mastery of skills, with your average Raivanni Elf apprenticing for many decades, even a full century, before becoming a journeyman. Their masters are rarely younger than 2,000. A note on "Dark" Elves
The term "Dark Elf" is a derogatory term used by many Raivanni, Derathanni, and Aranellan people to refer to those Elves that live in the the swamplands of Vel. They are marked by their paler skin, nearly as pale as the Avalli though most are Raivanni or Reman Elves, and their jet black hair. It is unknown why these traits manifest on Vellan Elves, but some Elves claim it is the land dominated by Vel itself crying out for help through its connection to Elves. Vellan Elves deny this and react strongly to any use of the term "Dark Elf."
Basic Information
Anatomy
Elves vary fairly wildly in skin and hair pigment and other defining features, but all share a few traits. Elves appear as almost ethereally lithe humans, with sharp, angular features and longer limbs. Their features tend to end in points, such as their pointed ears, almond-shaped eyes, drawn mouths, and almost claw-like fingers.
Reman Elves are more tan of skin than most elves, and with a drastic variety in hair and eye colors, the most distinguishing characteristic of Reman Elves is perhaps their lack of consistent, distinguishing characteristics. If anything, they seem more angular and animalistic than the Avalli or Raivanni elves.
The Avalli are slightly shorter than other elves, rarely reaching 6 feet. Their skin is most often incredibly pale as are their eyes and hair colors. Albinism is common among them.
Genetics and Reproduction
As with all the Feykith, Elves may reproduce with any other Fey race and like most of their brethren they do not see this as a particularly important aspect of their existence. When Elves become pregnant the period of gestation varies depending on the race of their mate, but ranging between around 7 weeks to as long as 14 months.
Growth Rate & Stages
Elves do not generally rear their young, instead leaving them in the care of Feykith communities. Elves mature extremely quickly, and are usually considered adults after roughly 9-10 years. After this point their aging slows to a near halt as they live for as long as 3,000 years naturally before rapidly declining into old age and death. Reman Elves are the shortest-lived of their kin with most passing by their early 2,000's, while the Raivanni Elves routinely reach their full 3,000 years.
Ecology and Habitats
Elves are the most common of the Feykith and are found across Isesda. Most commonly they can be found across the Reman islands, in the frigid north of Forven and the Feykith city of Avalier, and across Raiven. The oldest and most powerful gathering of Elves is in the forest of Larathorn near the Kingdom of Atreus in Raiven. Here the ancient culture of the Elves still burns brightly and unchanged by the influence of other races.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Elves have the universal ability to see in absolute darkness and are often able to detect living things in their immediate vicinity.
Reman Elves are said to possess a superior sense of taste and to have the ability to detect toxic substances normally unnoticeable to other races. This may just be folk tales though as Reman Elves are also culturally more familiar with the natural ingredients common in such substances than most races.
Avalli have excellent vision in both bright light and utter darkness and are capable of discerning a level of detail that the vision of other races commonly misses.
Origin/Ancestry
Feykith
Lifespan
3000
Average Height
5'6" - 6'3"
Average Weight
60-85 lbs.
