The Moon Elves
Overview
Established as both counterculture and protest, the moon elves are the opposite of the sun elves in almost all ways. Their leader, Sathariel ("moon of the divine" in Draconic), blamed the Nightmare's arrival on the hubris of the elves and their former Emperor, and so called upon her kin to retreat to reject their grandiose ways and return to the simplicity of the wild. Many settled in places where the Nightmare's presence turned Tron Daurat's endless daylight to eternal night, where the moon could be seen for the first time in their ancestral lands. Thus did they become known as the moon elves, symbolizing their eternal resistance to the Emperor who brought this doom to their people.
While many moon elves live in the night of the Nightmare, they still fight against it with whatever means they have. As the minority among elves, they lack the grand armies and establishments of the sun elves; instead, they focus on healing the land the Nightmare has blighted and using magic, stealthy combat, and knowledge of the land to battle demons. The sun elves push back the encroaching reach of the Nightmare with blinding light; the moon elves live in darkness and strike evil at its heart.
by Palipunk
by Tina Yeh
Partially due to both their smaller population and the existence of a single authority figure, the moon elves are much more unified than the sun elves. Sathariel acts as the matriarch of all moon elves, mediating any squabbles and guiding the social and martial paths of her people. Her decrees are treated as final, though she accepts consult from other elves rather than acting as a dictator. Status barely exists for most moon elves: leaders may be appointed for settlements, strike forces, and other groups, but the position comes only with greater responsibility, not more wealth or a larger home. Even Sathariel herself is not exempt from this, as her dwelling in the Earthen Haven is a fairly simple meeting hall carved out beneath a large hill. The transition from bright, towering cities to simple structures of earth and wood crafted by hand is a challenge for all elves who choose to reject the ways of the sun.
Sathariel encourages the moon elves to sympathize with the sun elves and not treat them with hatred or violence; after all, it is the Emperor who deserves their hatred, not the common people blinded by his ambition and pride. In her mind, all elves must work to defend Tron Daurat from the demonic calamity, and any sun elves who wish to reject their current ways are welcome to join the moon. Some more radical moon elves have begun to view the sun elves as no better than their Emperor, however, particularly those dukes and duchesses who accuse the moon elves of treason and treachery. The Nightmare is the greatest enemy, but some moon elves have quietly set their sights against the sun.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
While moon and sun elves take on names in the same language, moon elves prefer names relating to the wilderness and nature.
Annick, Aurore, Cerise, Chantal, Églantine, Estelle, Fleur, Jacinthe, Marjolaine, Océane, Tatienne, Yasmine, Zéphyrine
Masculine names
Armel, Anselme, Bernard, Elouan, Fulbert, Gratien, Hippolyte, Lambert, Loup, Ovide, Rodolphe, Rosaire, Sylvain, Télesphore
Unisex names
Alix, Amable, Amour, Ange, Céleste, Claude, Cyrille, Hyacinthe, Léonce, Modeste, Narcisse, Placide
Family names
Abel, Beauchêne, Belmont, Chastain, Deschamps, Dubois, Lavigne, Martel, Plamondon, Poirot, Rivière, Travert
Other names
While most elves have names in Elvish, some also take names in Draconic. For the moon elves, these are almost always leaders and shamans, particularly those with a close association with the dragons.
Amichai, Ayal, Efrayim, Hoshe'a, Immanu'el, Izevel, Na'amah, Naphtali, Shelach, Shemu'el, Yehonatan, Zakhar
Culture
Common Dress code
While the sun elves use their creation magic to weave themselves into ostentateous displays, the moon elves almost exclusively craft their dress by hand. Leather, bark, bone, cloth, and hammered metal are the primary materials in moon elven clothing, with creation magic used only sparingly to cut corners or allow a moderate flair to their dress. Ornamentation is not banned by any means, and moon elves do not lack the appreciation of beauty that characterizes the sun elves, but restricting one's adornment to what the elf has personally collected and assembled is much more respectable than conjuring ornate decoration. All moon elves live in rustic conditions, as well, so function is socially prioritized over form.
Despite this hard shift away from the dramatic fashion of the sun elves, the moon elves still value individual expression and creativity. Function may be prioritized, but form is not abandoned entirely. As long as an elf is able to contribute to their community and fight against the Nightmare, they may dress and adorn themselves in whatever way they are inspired to. This most often draws from forms and colors in nature, largely relying on the hues of earth, plant, and bone, though the unusual life that can be found in Tron Daurat allow strange shapes and bursts of color to permeate moon elven fashion.
Art & Architecture
For the moon elves, life is work and service to the world around them, and there is little time or space for artistic concerns. The intricate works of the sun elves are entirely abandoned in moon elven culture: streaks of dye and arrangements of flowers and bones are the most common forms of art among the moon elves, and homes are either dug into the earth or built of hide and wood, never larger than they need to be. To the moon elves, the surrounding world is a beautiful place, with all of its natural chaos and flaws, and their presence should only be in service and communion with it.
The only space where moon elves make a notable artistic effort is in their personal appearances and clothing. While some fully embrace a simplistic lifestyle, many moon elves find value in making themselves into works of art that reflect the natural world they serve. It can be a startling contrast to find a moon elven community with rustic, unremarkable huts, while the people themselves come in a rainbow of skin, hair, and eye colors and paint themselves in patterns evoking trees, flowers, and wild beasts.
by Wei-Chih Kao
