High Elves - Ellasti

High Elves

Ellasti are the Eldest of the Elven people. They are shorter than Humans, though taller than Dwarves and Halflings. A very tall Elf would stand around 5 and a half feet tall while the average is closer to 4 feet 9 inches. They are slender and seem fragile though an elven warrior would surprise people with his strength. They are wiry and dexterous. Their skin is pale with an almost golden tint to it. They have silver to copper hair, with a metallic shine to it. Most High Elves have grey eyes, though there are some bloodline known for having gold or silver eyes that contain a faint luminescence. They usually dress in soft leather with color that match the forest. Females are slightly smaller than males, thought there are exceptions.

Ellasti are an enigma to many, as the way they act is a contradiction in nature. They are both serious and frivolous at the same time. Listening to an Elder speak of the dalliances of a local noble, and the status of a war with the same amount of seriousness can be disconcerting. For Ellasti, some who have lived over a thousand years, very little in the word causes them much excitement. While this may seem like a recipe for disaster, the unique viewpoint of Elves makes this type of attitude a benefit. Elves can look at a situation and decided how much to invest themselves in it. This gives them a reputation for being aloof and disconnected. This actually allows them to make decisions based on experience rather than emotion, which is very important to a race that feels emotions much more strongly than human. When an Ellasti decided to invest in a situation, they will do so wholeheartedly, and without holding back.

Ellasti do not die of old age. Once they have spent a number of years on Nor, (usually 800 to 1000), they feel a pull to move on to the next world. They then leave Nor and enter the elven Realm of Arvandar. There is no body left behind, and other elves do not see this as a passing, only a momentary goodbye, knowing they will meet the elf again when it is their time to pass through. Not all elves pass through to Arvandar though. Only elves that have stayed true to the elven teaching to respect all life are allowed to return to Arvandar. This test governs how many elves live their lives.

Habitat

High Elves live in tree cities in the great forests. The most common one if Elvenhome. Though there ae said to be other that exist. The homes of Elvenhome are built in the Trees of the forest, each one high off the ground. The elves have developed a society where they very rarely have to leave their homes in the upper branches. Walkways connect houses and major buildings. Some of these are merely thick vines, but the elves with their unnatural dexterity and magical nature are able to use these are humans use roadways. While elves do trade for goods, they do not make themselves, they do not need them to survive. The elves of Elvenhome, do not cultivate ground crops, but they do have an extensive tree farming society. The variety of fruit, and nuts makes it seem as if the Elves grow foodstuff on hidden farms. Bread made from elven nuts, can be indistinguishable from one of flour. They also hunt fowl that fly over the forest or nest in the trees and hunt animals that live on the ground.

Their homes are built using magic to alter the trees forming huts and platforms. While some may think this is the elves forcing their will on nature, they actually do this in concert with the forest. They have an innate connection with the trees and the wood allows itself to be manipulated by elven magic. The work is so well done that from the ground a person could walk under the city, and not even know it was above them.

Not that that happens, as the elves defend their cities vigilantly. There are powerful enchantments they cause people not specifically looking for the city, to simply walk around it, without even realizing they are doing it. Elven warriors are also skilled at misdirecting travelers by placing obstacle, or using other subtle ways to discourage outsiders from getting too close. If all that fails, elven archers are deadly with their long bows.

Religion

The Old Pantheon as it is now known is not old to Ellasti , who claim to have been here before the Gods ever came to Nor. They believe the God have great power but are truly not gods in the old sense, but rather Powerful beings who have gained immortality and power. Ellasti priests see their worship as more of a partnership with a higher power. They agree to do a god's bidding in return for the power the God can provide to help the elven people. The exception to this is the worship of the One. The elves see the One as a true god, who held dominion of Nor long before the coming of the Human Gods. Some have taken to his worship, and devote themselves to his teachings.

Military

Ellasti are trained in the art of war from when they are a child. Each Elven child, male and female alike are taught sword and bow from the time they can hold them. While the elves do not like violence and they abhor killing, unless it is of the evil races, then prepare for it constantly. Their martial skill is as important to them as their other skills. Due to their long lives, elves have a lot of time to master their chosen weapons. Additionally, they usually serve as elven soldiers for a time, before they move on to learn a skill. Unlike most human armies, many elven warriors have seen battle and have been tested on the battlefield.

They are a favorite enemy of many of the evil races such as goblin, and orcs who are constantly testing them. Most elves have had some type of combat experience before they reach 150 years old. When an event causes the elves to gather their army, most enemies are surprised to find that rather than face a group of aloof, frivolous elves, they instead face a group or serious determined warriors, who are all hardened veterans. Not only do the elves have a strong conventional army with expert swordsmen and archers, but they have the power of the Elven People’s magic. Indeed, when the elves go to war, very little can stand in their way.

Society

Many outsiders have tried to explain the way elves interact with each other, and have failed to do so. Just as you think you know what will happen, they do something different. Again, this is due to the Ellasti’s uncanny ability to decide whether or not to invest themselves in a situation. It is because of this, that it is possible (though unusual) for an Ellasti uncle to be completely invested in his nephews training and not at all be interested in his own son's. Rather than blindly follow in their parent’s footsteps, most elves seem to gravitate to a relative whose interest most suit their own. Likewise, an elder who take responsibility for an elf does so with full intention. To outsiders this may seem like the elves have no real familial ties, but to High Elves it is just another aspect of their dual nature.

Elven children are very rare and blessed events. An Elven female, if lucky will bare only two children, in her long life span. Because of this, every child is considered a blessing for the whole family, and they often share the responsibility of the child’s upbringing.

High Elves are governed by a king, and there has only been one in recorded history. He is the eldest known elf alive today. There are High Elven noble houses but the distinction seems to be on deeds rather than blood. Elven nobles are elected rather than born to their role. The Elven nobility is designed to provide a succession in case the king ever falls without an heir.

Another place where a long lifespan has a great effect is in elven relationships. Over their lives Elves will have many relationships with many people. They don’t limit their relationship like humans due. Humans have one set of parents (usually) then they do some courting then limit themselves to one partner for the rest of their life (ideally). Elves lives are so much longer, and they feel emotions so deeply that simply being in a loving relationship can be draining. That is why they have such extended familial relationship. The spread their love among their extended families, sometimes living with a parent, then a cousin, etc. They will also have many romantic relationships. Some may last decades and some may be short lived, though usually both partners can feel when it is time to move on, and they do so with no hard feeling. Elves also don’t need to be committed to have sexual relations. Most elves in a romantic relationship tend to confine these acts tot hoes they are in a relationship with, when not in a relationship, they are much freer to have intimate encounters. Since elves rarely get pregnant the change of anything resulting from these encounters is quite rare, and even when it happens, it is easy for an elven child to maintain a relationship with both their father and mother, even if they have moved on to other partners. Elves tend to experiment sexually much more than a human would, allowing themselves to maintain that emotional detachment when needed.

There is an exception though. Some elves find partners that they form a life bond with. This is extremely rare and can be a wonderful even or a tragic one as the life bond passes through the mortal world to Arvandar. If an elf finds a another whose soul so matches theirs, this bonding can happen, and they are essentially one person sharing the same soul. They tend to leave the material plane and travel to Arvandar together. This can be a tragic story, if one of them somehow is unable to transition to Arvandar, for the they will pass to the human afterlife, while their partner lives in Arvandar destined to be alone for eternity.

There are three absolutes that would help outsiders in dealing with High elves. First, is that an Elf knows his time on Nor is finite, and is merely a step in a greater journey. When it is time to leave, he will be reunited with family and friends in Arvandar for the next stage of the journey. Arvandar does not automatically except any elf. There are spirits of the blessed realm who may bar entrance to Arvandar. Any Elf that has been exiled is not allowed to transition. For these elves their life on Nor is their last stop. The threat of being barred from Arvandar is a check on the power some elves. The more powerful you are, the more responsible you become, and the more harshly judged you are by the powers of the blessed realms. It is this reason the most powerful elves rarely commit themselves to action, as they do not wish to lessen their chance of transition.

Magic

Ellasti Magic comes in two varieties. Human Wizardry, and Ellasti sorcery. Elves can learn magic just as any other race can, thorough study and hard work. In fact, elves are known for it, as they have a much greater time to learn. Some of the greatest wizards on Nor are Elves. There is another magic however even older than human Magic. Ellasti Sorcery is as rare as it is powerful. No elf born past the age of the Shadow has been gifted with the power of Ellasti Magic. Only the eldest of the Elves still know it. Unlike human wizardry, it is an inborn talent, that requires no spellbook, nor spell casting. It is unique to elves and unfathomable to humans. It is however very powerful, and very difficult to counter. Fortunately, the elves use it so rarely (as they do not wish to threaten their chance to enter Arvandar with misuse) and it is almost always for the defense of the elven people.

Some elves have been born with the power to cast human wizardry innately, like human sorcerers. The power is believed to come from their connection with the old magic, as most who can do this, are descendants of Elven High Sorcerers.

The last is the nature of elves. Though they may seem frivolous, and not to take things seriously. Though they may seem promiscuous and move from relationship to relationship, never doubt their commitment once they have advocated for a cause. They do not do things in measure. When an elf commits to a course of action, they will use everything at their disposal to see it through, and most elves have long years of experience over other races. Do not underestimate them.

Relationship with other races

Like any other free race, any High elf's feeling towards another race are an individual thing, however there are some general feelings of the majority of the race toward certain other races.

Humans — High Elves have a strange relationship with humans. There feel human are reckless, dangerous, and foolish, but they also have a good amount of jealousy toward the race. They look at how much humans accomplish in their short lives, and see the difference between what an average human does and what an average High Elf does, even though the elf lives a much longer span. Human quickly went from a new race compared to the elves, to a dominant one. Most High Elves see Humans heading toward a messy end, and are afraid of the damage they may cause on the way out.

Dwarves — The relationship between High Elves and Dwarves has always been a complicated one. During the time of the Runic Overlords both races were enslaved, but the dwarves were used for hard labor, while elves were often given high positions over the dwarves as overseers. They often received the easy work also, that required their mind rather than their body. When the Praxites ended the rule of the overlords, they saw Elves as a threat and tried to exterminate them. The also enslaved the dwarves, but the stout race was often used to hunt down elves and destroy them. When the Gods arrived and freed both races, old animosities did not die easily, and even today there are those among both races who still feel the old hatred strongly. Even the most accepting have an innate distrust of Dwarves, not only because of the history of the race, but also because their thought patterns are so different.

Halflings — High Elves look at Halfling almost as parasites, living off of whatever community they can find. They are usually beneath notice, or an annoyance.

Orcs, Goblins, Trolls — High Elf Hatred for these evil races are unmatched, as it was these races that almost hunted elves to their extinction during the time of the Praxites. Even though dwarves participated, it was these races that did so of their own free will.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Elves