High Elf

The High Elves are the group of elves considering themselves the true heirs of the Ancient's bloodline, and are the result of thousands of years of "Purity" with the stated intention of having the race regain their lost might, supposedly muddled over millenia of interbreeding with "Lesser" races.

Basic Information

Anatomy

High Elves are humanoids and stand slightly taller than humans, averaging at 6'1''. They are generally fairly thin in build, and often don't weigh very much. Their faces are often very angular, and their ears tend to end in pointy tips. Differences between males and females are similar as in those in humans, with women generally having somewhat wider hips and sometimes breasts. They are not as pronounced as in other species, with observers claiming that the men tend to look feminine, or that the women look masculine depending on who the observer is.

Genetics and Reproduction

High Elves reproduce sexually, and the woman gestates the child for 20 months before giving birth, this is a arduous process and coupled with the long lifespan of the race means it doesn't happen very often.

Growth Rate & Stages

High elves reach sexual maturity at around 40, but aren't considered adults untill they've reached their first century, even so their minds continue to develop their entire lives and after about a millenia tends to present such a strain on the body that this puts a limit on their lifespan, deaths of old age are usually stroke related.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

High Elves primarily live in the regions of Elpidapoli and Felipoli, but groups of High Elves can be found in any major city.

Average Intelligence

Their longer development cycles and lifespans give them a much greater grip on learning compared to other races, and as a result they tend to be fairly intelligent.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Like all elves the High Elves have highly sensitive hearing and sight, letting them see in the dark and hear things much clearer than most other races, on top of these things though High Elves are highly attuned to the sensations of magic and can manifest it from a very young age without need of any training.

Civilization and Culture

Beauty Ideals

Tall figures and clear skin are universal signs of beauty among High Elven societies.

Gender Ideals

The High Elven communities are fairly strict patriarchies, with men taking a forefront in political and military matters, as a result men are supposed to be strong and rational, women are often seen as direct opposites to the masculine ideal, and are often relegated to looking pretty and not taking up much space.

Courtship Ideals

When a man or boy finds a girl or woman he likes he must ask her father for permission to court her, only if the father agrees may the actual courting take place, in which case it's usually more important to impress the father than the would-be spouse. To marry both partners need to be considered adults, but promisory marriagies do still occur (Promising to marry in advance) and comes with a hefty dowry being paid to the bride's father.

Average Technological Level

High Elven societies are still bound to bronze as the most advanced metal they can produce, but they are leaps and bounds ahead of anyone else when it comes to practical applications of magic, as supposedly a guild of mages has cracked the secrets of enchantment and have begun producing objects imbued with magic. These enchanted items are absolutely nothing compared to the relics left by the Ancients, and often requiring direct magical input by the user to work, but it's a breakthrough that the elven kings happily rub in the faces of visiting traders and nobility.

History

The Distinction between High Elves and Wood Elves started some 3000 years ago when groups of people started settling down permanently, the High Elves were the ones who embraced civilisation and started founding their own cities to the south of the Nuru River Valley. Over time High Elven society started shifting towards the veneration of the Ancients, with a popular narrative being woven that said the Elves were the rulers of the Golden Age, and could be again, but millenia of interbreeding with humans and the other races had polluted the bloodlines, robbing them of their true strength. So now the High Elven communities live in grand cities that seek to emmulate the grand designs of the Pre-Fall ruins, attuning themselves deeper and deeper with the magic of the world and seeking to reclaim their lost heritage.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The High Elves consider themselves superior to the other races, but understand that they are vastly outnumbered, and so tend not to rub it in people's faces. They do consider the purity of the bloodline to be paramount, and the spawn of interspecies affairs are culled wherever they're found, leading many half-elfs to either flee the communities, or more gruesomely, have their ears carved as children to look like humans.

Lifespan

1000 years

Average Height

6'1''

Average Weight

120 lb.

Average Physique

Long and thin