Elves
Long-lived and once the undisputed rulers of Rinas. The elves have a long, torrid, and morose history of culture, power struggles, treachery, war, and slavery. The elven kingdoms spread over the continent from coast to coast and remnants of their once-great empire can be seen everywhere. Elves were the first of the old races to understand the deep inner workings of Aether and the arcane. The knowledge stolen from them is only a handful of the power the elves ever unlocked in their arcane studies, but what was stolen was enough to rise others to challenge their superiority.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Humanoid
Biological Traits
Elves have developed quite diversely over the thousands of years they have lived and spread their house's influence over Rinas. Elves are the only race where all members are naturally born with the abilities to access the Aether. The locations that the great houses of elves chose to make their home influenced their biology which evolved based on the needs of their environment. The most common of elves are the Royal elves, they are the descendants of the original highborn of the seven houses of the Empire. Half-elves are the offspring of humans and elves, whether elves could procreate with non-human is unknown but no cross between elves and other non-human races have been discovered. Crag and Dune elves developed a much tanner skin to survive the harsh sun-drenched areas of desert and open mountain areas. Dusk elves' life underground darkened their skin to shades of dark purple and blacks from lack of sunlight. Aquea elves developed gills and extensive interdigit webbing that allowed them to live above and under the water. Volar elves, a set of elves that decided to make their homes among the clouds and later developed wings. Finally, the Weald elves, who felt more comfortable among the wilds evolved a natural camouflage in their forests. It is hypothesized that many of these changes happened far quicker than natural evolution due to the world's heavy Aether infusion closer to The Cataclysm which eventually leveled off as the after-effects of the event settled and normalized. It is unclear at this time, whether Elves were introduced to other continents by the god or even any managed to migrate before the storms became too dangerous. Elves have also been known to be unable to grow and type facial or body hair.
Genetics and Reproduction
Sexual Congress
Growth Rate & Stages
Elves reach physical maturity around the age of twenty. Mental maturity and to be considered an adult by their peers is at 150.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Omnivore
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
Elongated facial features, pointed ears
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Elves are given names made up of words of their own languages related to words of nature, family career, family relations, emotion, or the mystical. For example, Ulundondil, is made up of elven words for Monster (ulundo) and Lover or Friend (ndîl) may be given to one who parents hope with believe their child may be one who deals with monsters and creatures.
Major Organizations
History
Elves were the first race that came into being by the gods. In their own beliefs, they were molded in the perfect image of their gods and formed from the very Aether of the planet. They started as a wildly primitive race, however, they were quite intelligent. A few hundred years later more races began to appear on Rinas, Over the next few hundred years, the elven population grew, and more and more they began to fight for resources with the other less populous fledging races. These battles lead to the once sporadic and nomadic clutches of elves banding together into large tribes. Those tribes that survived would become later become the Great Seven Families of The Elven Conclave. Over the next hundred years, the Elves dominated the continent pushing the remaining races into their own smaller clusters. Around 540 AC, the elves began to discover Aether and the ease in which they could manipulate it. They started to build cities and establish foothold all over the continent. Establish seven great Elven Citadel-City, The Elven Conclave is established with the most powerful family, The House of Anglagor, wresting control and becoming the first Emperor while establishing the conclaves capital city of Amontaesi.
The elves continued to evolve, explore, study, and build. Learning more of the deeper and deeper secrets of Aether and the power that could be harnessed from it. Around 1800 AC, Laewion son of Anglagor, introduced the practice of slavery into the Empire. Instead of expending their own lives in the dangerous labors for the resources their arcane power required he decided instead to use the lesser races as their workforce. The elves looked down on the lesser races for their primitive lives and their inability to use Aether made them weak and pliable. Overpowered and defenseless, the reign of bondage began all across Rinas. While a united race against the lesser races, the elves among themselves faced tribulations of their own, with houses warring for territory and resources, espionage, assassination, and worse.
The time of bondage would last for over six-thousand years before the Chained Rebellion would finally free everyone from bondage. The elves also began to experience an unexplained population decline. For many hundreds of years after the end of the rebellion elves suffered as pariahs in Rinas, their cities destroyed or conquered, relegated to the ghettos. Eventually, the elves established some small cities their own, hidden away from others. As society and the other races became establish. Fear of the elves return to power was shaken free. Still proud, but humbled, the elves slowly began to re-establish themselves in society, through trade and honest hard work. The Kiyokans however never forgave the Elves for their enslavement and any found and capture in Kiyokan lands are either killed or bound into servitude themselves.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
All Races outside of Kiyoka - The Elves recognize the advancements the other races have made, and the elves have begun to feel humbled by those they once enslaved. However, their pride still gets in the way of them fully being integrated into the rest of society. While most have slowly begun to accept the elves back into society they are still treated with an air of mistrust. A very small minority still consider elves a threat and protest them being allowed back into society, some even calling for their genocide.
Kiyokans - The Elves fear and distrust them as they have never forgiven the Elves and are still a threat to them.
Intriguing bit of history at the beginning! And I love the variety here, and how they're recognizable in terms of what you expect from Elves- but there's a lot of new variety here. I'm excited to see how you flesh out the subraces.
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