"Imagine taking an elf, stripping it of its gracefulness, rounding off the ears and applying a thin layer of grease. That's how you get an Eligni. A colourful, chaotic bunch." - Elven NameHumanoids reminiscent of the elves, the Eligni are elementally-influenced peoples most commonly found living the towns and cities built in Layman's Belt. There are sixteen distinct kinds of Eligni, each influenced by one of the sixteen major elements, lending the cities they are primarily found in a beautiful - if somewhat dizzying - array of colours, sizes and styles.
Before the Ark Event, there were only four variations of Eligni: Air, Fire, Water and Earth. These Eligni inhabited the High Elven and Ink Elven Spires, treated as less than the elves and other ancestries due to their lack of a patron deity. After the Ark Event, the Eligni population suddenly exploded in variation, with twelve new kinds of Eligni being born. On top of the original four, the "combined" elements began to show through with Magma, Smoke, Ice and Ooze. Then, the Positively influenced and Negatively influenced elements, Lightning, Radiance, Steam and Mineral, and Vacuum, Ash, Salt and Dust respectively. Whilst there are theories as to where these new variations came from, none are yet widely accepted, though some believe that these Elgini have always been around and just outside of public purview.
The Eligni are somewhat of a mystery to Elven scholars as their origin is unclear. They are the only race without a patron creator deity, leaving many ancestries to believe they are a mistake or in some way less than those with a progenitor. Through the years, Eligni Clerics have countered this lack of deity through the creation of the Eligni Pantheon, a collection of legendary tales of Eligni heroes that inspire Eligni to be true to themselves and to their kind. For the average Eligni this would mean spinning a quick prayer to the applicable Saint during uncertain times or before strenuous events, but to those true devotees - especially Eligni Clerics - a strong belief in these Saints seems to unlock divine power and potential, lending many to think that these tales must contain at least a modicum of truth about these heroes.
Eligni cities are often a smorgasbord of colours and ideas, further attributing to the chaotic existence of the people within. Eligni rarely, if ever, band together according to element, and much prefer to ignore each other's element. To them, their elemental connection is a gift to be shared, their talents and passions something to be contributed to everyone and to the Eligni society as a whole. This has led to Eligni cities rarely having social classes among themselves, Eligni mainly believing that people should help people and be helped as needed. It is this belief combined with the relatively recent ownership of their freedom that has led to Eligni society focusing on allowing all to live as they wish, supporting everyone's passions and keeping everyone fed and warm.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Eligni resemble an echo of Elves, though often slightly shorter and less pointed. Rounded ears on simple heads and faces, two arms and legs that are just a little less defined than an Elf, if it weren't for the elemental representations, it could be assumed that someone had simply sanded down a young High Elf. However, Eligni shine with their variance and their elemental influence. The way they look depends on their element, changing the colour of their skin, the way their hair is shaped, alongside major and minor changes and details. Though two Eligni of the same time would look similar, no two would ever look the same, thus is the chaotic nature of the Eligni species.
Ecology and Habitats
Though not a hard-and-fast requirement, Eligni do best in environments of constant change and invention. They strive with creativity and chaos and struggle with areas deemed too lawful or controlled. Whether this is due to their nature or due to the ancestry's extended period of time in the Elven Spires is unclear, though it's speculated to be simply another part of the mystery that makes up Eligni-kind.
Behaviour
Eligni are naturally inquisitive, creative and chaotic. Many will jump around from career path to career path, learning how to become a trained martial fighter only to turn around and attempt to master the violin, or spend some years as a farmhand just to gain experience flying, or mech operating, or exploring. The Eligni are, as a people, somewhat all over the place, though their towns and cities are kind and welcoming, operating on strong cultural beliefs of kindness and cooperativeness over strict hierarchy or class systems.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Thanks to an innate elemental influence, each Eligni has a level of control over elemental powers. Though a connection would often be quite weak, a gifted or particularly well-trained Eligni could be able to conjure their element, change their bodies to be more in tune with their element, or even use it to fight or power magitech equipment. Some Eligni, such as the Saints and other legendary figures, seem to have such innate power as to be able to rival the most powerful creatures from the planet below.
Lifespan
Around 60-80 years
Related Ethnicities
Related Technologies
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