Cliff Elves

The Forgotten Elves

On the far side of Trianmye, the island elves' main homeland, behind the mountains, live the cliff elves. They are called such because the coast here is jagged and rocky, with frequent cliffs plunging into the frothy waters below. These lands are not the easiest to live in, and they are far removed from any part of the world that matters. This is why these elves and the name of their homeland are rarely featured on any map, nor are they mentioned in political discussions or talks about the great diversity of the elven race.

Physical Appearance

The cliff elves are similar in appearance to the Enyanians, although with an even darker skin tone, tanned a dark brown by the sun, and with distinctly unique facial structures and much more rounded features. Their hair is also more curly, and their eyes are blue, like the seas they live by.

Homeland

The rocky coasts of their homeland are covered in vines that drop down from the rainforest that grows further land inwards, along with thick mosses, soaking up the frequent rain, and lost trees growing from seeds that got stuck between the cliffs. While the lands further from the shores are capable of sustaining forest growth, they are still the steep foothills of the Trianmyan mountains, and it is but a narrow strip of green before the land once again becomes too steep to support regular tree growth. However, for those who climb, there may be narrow platforms on the way up, where despite their isolated positions, plant growth may have found a foothold.
Down by the sea, the ever-beating waves have carved out many caves, which are now home to bats and birds, as well as being the breeding ground for many sea turtles each year.
It is on these cliffs, platforms, crevices, and rock faces where these elves have made a home for themselves. They use trees, vines, and natural rocky plateaus to build their wooden houses. They have built ladders, stairs out of wood, and where the terrain allows, they have even carved paths into the rock itself.

Cuisine

There are no domesticable animals here, and there are no places to cultivate grains. These elves have made their diet about tropical fruit and nuts that grow from the many trees here. Though they don't have grain or rice farms, they do farm their food trees by cutting down trees they can't eat from, using their wood for building, and planting in their place one of these valuable sources of food.
Besides nuts and fruits, these elves are lucky enough to live on a coast rich in fish, crustaceans, and shellfish. The waters here may, in places, quickly plunge to a depth of twenty meters, but it quickly evens out to a stretch of underwater plains, home to a vast coral reef that spans most of the coast on this side of Trianmye. This reef is home to even more tropical fish and even rare species of sea snakes. The turles make a great stew, and the eggs, that the many seabirds here lay in nests hidden on the cliff sides, are great for a tropical omlet.
A greater delicacy, however, and a much greater meal, is the reef shark that swims in these waters. If it doesn't eat you first, you may be able to feed your whole family with it, as well as having leftovers to trade with all your neighbors.

Culture

Living in such a rich environment, full of food and plenty of jagged coastlines to explore, has made these elves perhaps the most carefree of them all. Sure, living here isn't without its risks—a shark could kill you, falling from the cliffs would definitely be the last thing you do, and the sea snakes are venomous. However, overall, these dangers simply are a risk well rewarded.
Climbing and swimming are skills mastered by many, but none can do it as well as the cliff elves. They grow up swimming and spend their entire life climbing the rock faces. In rain and storm, they still have to get food and climb back to their house among the trees. Although many might also choose to cook their food in a cave entrance, where it's dry, and you won't accidentally set your house on fire.
More often than not, they hunt in small groups, usually together with brothers or cousins or friends. Because they live in fairly small communities, everyone knows each other, and everyone is everyone else's second or third cousin. There is always contact with nearby tribes, and occasionally people travel between tribes or leave to start a new tribe in a different location.

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Encompassed species

• Elves

Leadership

The cliff elves are a free lot, with little care for politics, but they do live in a sort of tribal community. They are led by their tribe elders, who make decisions for the clan together. They are also the ones who pass judgment on members of the community who have committed a crime, the punishment for which is usually exile. One is considered for the elder council as soon as most of their hair has greyed. During this time, the elder council will discuss among themselves if this person is considered ready, and when they are, they will invite him or her to join them. The geography here doesn't allow for larger-scale organization, and although the kings of Anmye Ethyna claim rulership over these lands, their tax collectors never make it this far to the edge of the world, and the cliff elves consider themselves independent people.

Clothing

Due to the lack of sources of cloth here, these people mostly wear the skins of large fish, which they dry and treat with fish fat to make it supple and flexible. It can then be made into clothing. However, the climate here is warm, and they will only wear short pants, down to the knees, mostly to cover the private area, and footwear to protect the soles of the feet from the sharp rocks.
They will also use leftover fish leather, in combination with shells, teeth, bones, things made from wood, or pretty rocks, in any combination, to make jewelry. This is a common hobby, especially among women, who might gift one of these self-made things to a handsome man they like.

Outsiders

Due to their remote location on the edge of the map, these small communities don't get a lot of visitors from outsiders, sometimes a lost ship sails past, perhaps simply exploring the region, and even more rarely, the Amnyan king decides to send their tax collector after all, who is inevitably forced to return home, having received no more than angry stares, and empty shells.
When one of these lost ships does stop by, the cliff elves are often a bit suspicious at first, but they don't mind visitors of any race, they might invite them on a hunt, trade with them, as long as they don't overstay their welcome.