Sun Elves

Sun Elves (actually a breed of Half-Elves) are widely-regarded as one of the most attractive of all mortal races, and the more the years go on, the truer this seems to become. But these desert natives are by no means lacking in other faculties--they are also known for their cunning, wit, charisma, hospitality, and above all, creativity. Each year the race seems to grow more impressive in both mind and body, but such a boon does not come without a price.

## Origins

The Sun Elves are a product of relations between the first settlers of the desert lands that would eventually become Mura'kesz, who were both Human and Elven. After centuries of mandated crossbreeding and later inbreeding, a race purely composed of Half-Elves with "favorable genetic traits" was born. While technically Half-Elven, the new race adopted the name of "Sun Elves" because it was an easy term for Outsiders. They are forbidden to live outside of their native desert lands, and are thus an uncommon, and always temporary, sight in other nations.

## Physical Characteristics

   Sun Elves share much in appearance with Half-Elves. They have inherited the best from both of their origin the races: the lithe, mysterious, fey grace of their Elven ancestors, and the diverse variations of body types from the Humans. Like ordinary Half-Elves, Sun Elves have pointed ears that stretch about an inch longer than Human ears. Because they are the beautiful intersection of two fairly widespread races, most Half-Elves are universally considered attractive. What puts the Sun Elves a step above typical Half-Elves is their exotic flare, a product of not only their unique environment, but of centuries of carefully regulated 'selective' breeding.

Unlike Half-Elves, their time spent exclusively inhabiting the desert has given the Sun Elves' skin a golden brown tone that can vary from a nutty tan to a milk chocolate color. Most Sun Elves possess rich brown eyes with gold and hazel undertones, though it is not unheard of to meet a Sun Elf with fully green or grey eyes, just uncommon. For unknown reasons, by the time the Sun Elven race had diverged enough from typical Half-Elves to merit being called something different, all shades of blue and violet eyes had been completely eradicated from the gene pool.

Sun Elves generally have very thick, dark hair. Black is the most common color, followed by dark brown. Lighter shades of brown hair occur with moderate frequency, as do certain shades of auburn, but blonder hair is as unheard of in the desert as blue eyes. It is a traditional beauty ideal for Sun Elven women to cultivate long, luxurious locks to hide underneath their veils for the private enjoyment of their husbands, but nowadays it is considered trendy for women to crop their hair to shoulder-length bobs in a more "modern style," which also makes wearing a veil much less of a hassle' but this is a style that more women are fond of than men. Sun Elven men more often than not sport some level of facial hair, as it is considered a very "boyish" look to be clean-shaven.

## Temperament

Sun Elves are a bright, creative, and healthy people (in spite of their short lifespans). They are cheerful and charming, very smooth talkers, passionate lovers, and fiercely loyal to their families, and by extension their entire nation. Pride in their nation is sometimes a big weakness-- they generally take criticism well, except when an outsider dares to scrutinize the oddities of a culture they could never know well enough to judge. Sun Elves are remarkably slow to anger but when they do they are also slow to calm back down.

   But Sun Elves do tend to be mellow, laid back and fun-loving. They have few day-to-day worries and exist in a very open-minded, non-judgmental society, where the atmosphere is one of creative experimentation. Their constant exposure to art makes them well-accustomed to music and dance, and sports and holidays are always extravagantly celebrated. Many Sun Elves fear or distrust magic-users, but are more accepting of magical effects or items. They are an adventurous people who love the thrill of trying new things.

And of course, they all love a good story--particularly a tale of adventure.

## Drawbacks

The closer to ideal Sun Elves become, the shorter they live for. It was a gradual change at first, but as inbreeding became law, the usual Half-Elven lifespan of 300-400 years began to shift. Nowadays, the average lifespan for a Sun Elf is about 50-60 years--absurdly brief for a people with so much Elven blood in their veins.

This of course has led many to call out the Mura'kesz lifestyle, adding the fact that it appears to be unsustainable to their already long list of criticisms. Some suggest that within the next century, female Sun Elves will not live long enough to reach their fertile years, and the entire race will die out just as swiftly as it appeared.