The Elafi

The peaceful and ever-friendly Elafi are one of the less common races in the world of Veska; found only within the islands found lining the Chain of Fire.. They are a race of cervine humanoids that worship the powerful Fae. In exchange for their service, they have long been entrusted with countless boons and blessings from their Gods, granting them druidic powers that help them flourish. The Elafi merely wish to spread peace and provide a mutual understanding to the world around them, though their isolationism leads to them being somewhat naive to the various events occurring outside of their homes.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Elafi stand just as tall as a man, and have the upper bodies to match them too. Their faces are also similar to a man, flat, albeit with large, cervine ears sprouting from the sides of their heads. These ears are capable of twitching or moving to convey emotion. All Elafi sport antlers; gender does not discern antler size. Their lower bodies are likewise deer like, ending with a pair of hooves rather than feet.
An Elafi is covered head to toe in soft fur, their fur patterns vary from person to person but generally match the genetics of the parent. Furthermore, they also have long hair at the tops of their heads, typically matching the colour of their fur.

Genetics and Reproduction

Elafi reproduction is quite literally referred to as mating; though lovers are generally bound together for life. On the surface, the Elafi are generally none too different from human relationships. They fall in love, they marry, and in time, foster children. However, Elafi relationships are further fanned through special pheromones released between the two lovers. Not only does this allow the two to identify each other through scent, but it acts to subconsciously bring the two even closer together.
Elafi generally produce on average about 3-6 children over the course of their entire life time.

Growth Rate & Stages

Fauns: Elafi are considered Faun at birth, and are kept that way until they reach around 12 years old. Fauns are generally kept living within the villages, and often given to communal homes designed to serve as both schooling and a place for young Elafi to stay until they achieve adulthood. Though rare, Elafi can be considered Fauns for several years beyond their 30s. This is because their adulthood is based upon when they are capable of seeing the Fae, which can occur at just about any age for them, but typically occurs early, just before or within their 'teenage' years.
Canvas: More slang than anything; 'Canvas' refers to anyone that has effectively learned how to see Fae, but has yet to journey forth on their special rite of passage. A Canvas is typically referred to as a Faun. Roughly a month after seeing Fae, these young Elafi are sent forth on a special coming of age journey where they're stripped of all personal belongings and left to survive in the wilds until they 'meet with the Norns.' unbeknownst to many Elafi of this age, this coming of age rite actually ends with the child undergoing a near-death experience while attempting to survive. Despite what should normally be a very lethal rite, there are only roughly two or three cases of deaths occurring through their rite of passage, such cases are typically brought up by outside influences as well. After the Elafi undergoes a near-death experience, a Norn pulls them from death and bestows upon them their predicted future. Though not expected to follow this future, they are heavily encouraged to do so. It is around this age that the Elafi develops a pair of functional antlers.
Adulthood:As previously mentioned, Elafi reach adulthood at varying ages. Should they not manage to see Fae from a young age, it occurs when they sprout their first set of antlers; typically around 14 years of age.

Ecology and Habitats

Though there are many different tribes that worship their own specific Wild God, the Elafi almost always find themselves living within lush and fertile environments; particularly jungles or forests. Trees have an important role to Elafi culture; they not only produce food, but druids are capable of shaping them into homes. These homes are generally harmless to the tree, with the wood being compelled to shape itself into large rooms across the tree itself. Trees are also the primary center of worship for their shrines. Different faces are carved upon the surface of trees to honour their dedicated Wild God.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Despite their appearance suggesting otherwise, Elafi are omnivorous. They generally prefer to hunt smaller creatures for meat and rarely keep livestock outside of animals that produce useful products for them. While Elafi do forage from time to time, the Elafi employ the use of special groves called Bailiú og Gerran . These groves attract small wildlife and are designed to grow crops at an accelerated rate, allowing for a steady supply of food. They are also very common to use in community events or celebrations. For short, they're often simply called 'Gran Groves'

Biological Cycle

The Elafi are known to be somewhat reactive to climates. In cold climates, the Elafi will steadily shed their sleeker fur in favor of developing fluffier, thicker winter coats. While this does mean that their fur sheds each season, Elafi are certainly known to keep their winter coats when living within environments that are perpetually cold all year round. A winter coat grows after about a month, only to be shed and replaced within the same time should summer or prolonged heat exposure occur.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Elafi are primarily found within a region called the Chain of Fire.. While they can be found in other parts of the globe, they are all connected to one another through their capital in Kalni. This is done through Saolcrann; an enormous, enchanted tree that powerful druids may teleport to on a whim. This enchanted tree allows for the Elafi people to gather and discuss their state of affairs, before separating back into their own tribes whenever they may please.
Each Elafi tribe is dedicated to a different Crann and devotes themselves to serving their interests.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The Elafi are capable of detecting the Fae, which is a trait exclusive only to them and the Elves. Fae are invisible nature spirits that control and maintain the various parts of nature throughout the world; they can be physical aspects such as fire sprites seeking to literally fan the flames to grow stronger, or they can be completely hypothetical, and feed upon the lies and rumours whispered through the world.
The Elafi have a keen sense of smell, with relatively strong hearing to match.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Naming conventions are basically equivalent to Gaelic names; and typically pronounced fast.
Male: Lochlainn, Duane, Conley, Ceallach
Female: Slann, Ishbel, Orla, Moira, Alvina

Beauty Ideals

Horns are generally quite valued and seen as a way of showing off one's own wisdom and valor. Styles are typically varied based on tribe, but the Elafi are very fond of using markings and ink in order to proclaim their dedicated Crann.

Gender Ideals

Genders are well and truly on an equal playing field for the Elafi. This is due to their Rite of Passage, which places predetermined fates upon them thanks to the Norns. A woman is just as likely to fight on the field of battle as a man would be a gatherer.

Courtship Ideals

Elafi courtship is quite literally imprinted into their instincts. When bonded or performing a romantic action with a member of the opposite sex, the Elafi produce a chemical pheromone in the body. The two are capable of tracing this pheromone from long distances as a scent, and develop the natural instinct to care and protect for their partner. Multiple relationships are possible of being built through this, but and while it isn't necessarily frowned upon, it's still considered outside of the norm -- if only because Elafi lovers are far too smitten with each other to branch any further out of their relationship.
The romance blossoms after the first month of being together due to chemical changes. Much like an animal in the wild, the two Elafi involved in the relationship wind up developing a heat cycle specified for each other. As the Elafi put it: "Mating Season."

Average Technological Level

The Elafi are somewhat behind on the technological scale, but make up for it for their innate ability to interact with the Fae and command the raw elements of nature. They are far more reliant on using magic than actual technology, shaping and bending trees to form proper homes, magically bringing vines together to create enormous ladders, the works.
Weapons/Arms: In terms of weaponry, the Elafi favor lighter clothing over most; spears are popular among their kind.

Common Etiquette Rules

Elafi are generally very aloof when it comes to etiquette. To a human, they may be seen as a little too free; women frequently walk around shirtless, food is often eaten without the typical etiquette you'd expect. While they use utensils, reaching over the table, propping up elbows, or ravenously stuffing the mouth ^{which is more of a compliment than anything} is often not really seen as an issue. They are, however, somewhat obsessed with cleanliness, and bathe quite frequently. Soft, silky fur is often seen as a sign of an Elafi that cares very much for themselves.

Common Dress Code

The Elafi typically wear simple clothing that covers the upper body and loins. Their bodies are covered in thick fur already, so heavy clothing isn't quite necessary; women often have stomachs exposed, and sometimes even their chest. Men are often shirtless. Kilts or loincloths are popular among Elafi culture. In short, all Elafi always wear some sort of cloth to cover the lower body, at the barest minimum.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

The Fae Festival:

An event that takes place at the beginning of each year, the Fae Festival is generally considered the only period of time Elafi tend to get violent. While the Elafi are usually averse to violence, the Festival is hosted within the capital city of Saolcrann. During this time, Elafi tribes from across the world gather together to nominate valiant fighters willing to represent their chosen Wild God as a whole. These fighters compete in combat-themed sporting events, and while work is done to provide minimum bloodshed, the Fae Festivals seldom end without an injury or two.

History

Coming from the same ancestors as the Elves, the Elafi are a race of ancient humanoids that defected from the rulership of the Sahali. Their kind was left to wander through the endless woods of Kalni, and while their forms at this time were originally human, their bodies, susceptible to outside touch, began to be steeped in the magic left from the Fae they worshiped. In time, the Elafi began to develop new traits, evolving as an entirely new species altogether. From there, the Elafi separated into multiple tribes that swept across the Chain of Fire. While no tribe has actively chosen to go to war with each other, their selected Crann. of worship served as enough of a divider for them to develop different cultures and beliefs based upon the deity they chose to follow.
Originally, Elafi have long been seen as rumoured creatures to humans. Things that only the Elves spoke of; fairies, along with the rest of the Fae that they spoke of to convince humans of their 'pagan' origins. However, further expeditions had lead to the unveiling of their existence. While initially peaceful, the human faith is often seen as inherently strange to the Elafi, and is often enough to drive a bit of a rift between the two species due to their refusal to accept each other's own faiths.

Wendigo Sickness

Years ago, a Healer named Lachtna Scolaighe had found himself trumped by a disease that he finally could not cure. This horrid disease, called Wendigo Sickness by the Elafi, had turned out to be carried by the few colonists settling within the Chain of Fire. Normally not prone to violence, the impressionable Elafi were staggered at the sight of their own kind slaughtering each other in a senseless blood bath from the disease. When Lachtna was forced to put down a close friend infected by the curse, he had chosen to create the Scarlet Circle; an order of druids dedicated to exterminating anything and anyone that carries the curse.
Lachtna purged Asenboll, leading a genocide that began to reach tens of thousands, if not the millions. The horrid string of killings culminated when he lead his people to cause the eruption in Asenboll, burying countless people beneath piles of molten flame and burning ash. Ever since this event, tribes of Elafi druids have found themselves more and more hesitant to unify, for the extremist values of Lachtna's newly formed 'tribe' is often eschewed by many, but openly accepted to other taboo tribes, such as those loyal to Naiise.

Common Myths and Legends

The Ganglegreen: A universal myth throughout all Elafi folklore, the Ganglegreen is a mysterious creature that is said to prowl through the woods at night. It is a lanky, tall figure, eyeless, but with a strangely wide mouth that hides the eyes of the victims it's devoured.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The Elafi are fine with this as a concept; but it is not very likely, if only due to the fact that their aforementioned pheromones shared among their partners lead to them often favoring members of their own species. Despite that, Elafi are compatible with Elves; and half breeds are known to exist between the two. While the Elafi do not mind the concept of a relationship in between other species, many other species often see it as somewhat taboo due to their anatomy.

Lifespan

Up to 200 years.

Average Height

Excluding antlers; 5'4~5'7 in women
5'7~6'0 in men.

Related Myths

• Of Hags and Crones
• The Fae
• The Ganglegreen
• The Norns