Elf
"If there was such thing we could call Heaven, it would be Alvandar, that is, putting aside the sea of blood that is spilled by the elves."Usior, Archmage of the Academy.
Unknown to the near-absolute majority of mankind, usually regarded as mere myth, the elves comprehend a race of tall, pale humanoid creatures with long, straight hair, and pointy ears. They exist solely in the realm of
Alvandar, a paradise filled with endless forests, rivers and bountiful lakes.
Compared to men, elves are significantly taller and more agile, having sharp reflexes, unparalleled beauty, and nature-defying gracefulness.
History
The following comprises of a transcript from Felonel, Wizard and Master of the Green Essence, during one of his lectures at the
Academy.
In ancient, long forgotten times, the first elves were very similar to one another, their hair long, straight and mostly brown, chestnut or blonde of color. Small tribes of hunters and gatherers that would both take and give with nature, a perfect balance as the paradisaical realm offered them everything needed, and in return they would worship the spirits of nature, with early priests and shamans devoting their lives to the task of preserving their land.
For eons this remained as the rule of thumb regarding the elven settlements, never seeking to grow more than the absolute necessary for the survival of a couple members, as each tribe had roughly 20 members. Albeit at a slow pace, the race progressively evolved, becoming ever so close with their realm, as they started building their houses and later on, cities, inside and around the tallest trees, with bridges carved from their very branches. Being natural hunters, they developed a preference for ranged weapons, such as the bow and throwing spears, crafted out of fine wood with unmatched craftsmanship, depicting beautiful floral patterns and delicate shapes. Moreover, the beings also had a strong sense of kinship, in which their art would often depict and praise their race.
At some point in their history, the elves became the target of
Exodus's great plan - to give them eternal life, for the angel envied their pacific, paradisiacal and content life. Their stories tell of a day the sky turned black and rays of colorful lights descended from the heavens, millions of them, each for every elf. The affected suffered an excruciating pain as the magic affected their bodies and mind for an unknown amount of time. When it had ceased, it seemed as nothing had happened, until it did, as the process of aging no longer affected them and above everything else, they now possessed an inner väsen, an essence akin to a soul. The elves, previously fragile and content creatures turned proud and immortal, like their spirits, and with a soul they became vessels and conduits for the Green Essence of Alvandar, Välstand.
The Rupture
A time of turmoil followed, as some of elves embraced their newly acquired unending longevity, while others found it to be an affront to their way of life, a corruption of their essence. Disagreement became altercation, altercation became war, a war that would never cease. Tribes and cities allied and faced one another in huge battles and skirmishes as some stood with, others against the deeds of Exodus, and more and more blood got spilled. This blood would seep down, deep down in the soil of Alvandar, changing it forever, and the elves alongside, as they slowly got divided into two distinct races, the High and the Dark elves.
A common misconception is to associate the dark elves with inherent evil, however, this is merely a matter of appearances, as the High Elves slowly changed into slightly taller, blonde or brown haired with a preference for living in trees and plains, whilst the dark choose the highlands, as their skin progressively took a shade of grey and their hair lost all color.
High Elves
Called Asurín in larín, the proud, pale elves eventually gathered around the tallest tree of the Green Realm, naming it Asulium, the home of the High. There they settled and and began to build their kingdom, which eventually culminated in the establishment of two distinct domains - the Inner and Outer Kingdoms.
Their link with the Green Essence differs from the dark elves in a manner that the essence flows through and permeates their entire bodies, enhancing their reflexes, strength and speed. While the Odaurín apply Valstand to material objects, the Asurín have it in their veins and blood, to the point some cannot live without it. This is also completely different to how mankind wields Magi: the White Essence (being present in Mellanvärlden, but not Alvandar) can be interacted with as the marked have their very souls "scarred" by it - which in turn allows them to cast spells. Although it is theorized that Valstand can be used to generate magical phenomena, it has never been proven, despite being one of the cutting edge fields of research in the Academy.
The Asurín see the wielding and mastering of their attunment with Valstand to be an art and skill in itself - which besides being proof of their own capability, it is also an incredibly powerful tool to be used in their crusade against the dark elves. And so, high elves have learned to develop a "sixth-sense" - allowing them to move faster, more silently and wield their weapons with surgical precision. The biggest motivation the majority of Asurín have for mastering Valstand is to use it when killing Odaurín, whom they nurture no feelings of mercy, empathy or remorse for.
The Asurín see the wielding and mastering of their attunment with Valstand to be an art and skill in itself - which besides being proof of their own capability, it is also an incredibly powerful tool to be used in their crusade against the dark elves. And so, high elves have learned to develop a "sixth-sense" - allowing them to move faster, more silently and wield their weapons with surgical precision. The biggest motivation the majority of Asurín have for mastering Valstand is to use it when killing Odaurín, whom they nurture no feelings of mercy, empathy or remorse for.
Still, despite such a deep hatred and thirst for the blood of their counterparts, High Elves, like their predecessors, also foster a near devotion for music and art, skills and crafts that serve as proof of their superiority. Regarding religion, their faith revolves around the worshiping nature, of Valstand, of Alvandar as an entity in itself - created by and exclusively for the Asurín. This faith is called Armonia, which preaches that the ultimate goal of any elf is to become one with their realm, with their god, Amor, patron of all High Elves. They believe that one day, when the Odaurín are exterminated and the Asurín become one with Alvandar, that they would then expand their influence beyond, culling all corrupted races and establishing true dominance over all 7 realms. Despite sounding rough and truculent, the religion itself preaches kinship amongst the believers and compasion with noble beings, such as unicorns and superior avians - such as griphons.
Dark Elves
More talkative and inquisitive, dark elves, called Odaurín, possess a dark skin that ranges from light grey to almost black, their hair white as snow or black as the night, and eyes that range from red to black. Unlike their counterpart, they have chosen to live in the highlands of Alvandar, but also underground beneath mountains. Not only, they have also developed a cult for their moon, Acreon, which they worship not as a god, but as an embodiment of their spirit and will. The closest a dark elf is to Acreon, the stronger their spirit will be.
Furthermore, when compared to the Asurín, although being shorter and stiffer, they tend to be stronger and more resilient, which shows how Valständ affects them differently. Not only, the Odaurín are also much more witful and unruly, struggling to comply with authority and plain orders. Their manipulation of Valstand also leans towards the enchantment of items, forging swords whose edge can't be blunted, and durable, flexible armor that withstands much more punushment without hindering movement and agility, amongst other applications.
Again, differing from their predecessors and rivals, when it comes to weapons, they prefer the shorter blades, bows and maces, the majority of them enchanted or bearing some additional quality. Being skilled blacksmiths, they have mastered the art of imbuing runes into their weapons. This comprises one of the keys elements upon which dark and high elf societies differ: while the Asurín have a passion and natural talent for fine art, music, language and dance (martial or not), dark elves see the world through a more utilitarian, practial lens - they are experts when it comes to architecture, smithing and astronomy (being particularly good mathematicians), the latter strongly due to their fascination and worshipping of Acreon.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Elven, named Larín.
Art & Architecture
High Elves find beauty in graceful structures built around trees, across rivers and filled with flowers, peaceful and filled with light. They love gold and blue-colored gems such as sapphires and aquamarines. Their clothing, usually made of the finest silks, full of embroidery and adorned lines emphasize their very way of being.
On the other side, the Dark Elves prefer to built incredibly tall spires and citadels on top and inside mountains, usually of light colors and full of purple and red lightning. They worship silver, platinum, rubies and garnets, while their clothes, commonly black, purple or red are often tightly worn.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
When an Asurín is born, the baby is brought to a river or similar body of water, where a ritual, often worshipping Amor will have have them named. In contrast, a newborn Odaurín will be taken to the summit of a spire or mountain, where they'll be closest to the stars and be named after the celestial bodies.
Common Myths and Legends
A common legend told among the High Elves tells that one day, when dragons cease to exist in the cosmos, a fabled hero of old, named Thassarion will return and rally a crusade to invade the other realms, leading the Asurín to glory.
Related Locations
