Wood Elves

in: Races

Wood Elves embrace nature and a life of freedom. They were originally High Elves who had rejected much of the lifestyle that their kin had grown accustomed to. Rather than remain on the island of Tir Cygodi, the initial schism of Elves chose to cross over to the mainland. They first stopped on the unsettled island of Tir Arth, then. Some of the Elves would remain in the north and would eventually become the Snow Elves. The rest of the Elves would migrate south and eventually settle in Harrowood, or as they would come to call it, 'Msitu Mkubwa wa Giza'. The first tribes of Wood Elves would vow to never repeat the mistakes of their kin and instead would embrace their roots by conforming to nature.

As generations of Wood Elves came and went, their culture and their beliefs went largely undisturbed, for few ventured far enough into the forest to encounter them. Recently,  the Wood Elves themselves have begun to push out of their own sylvan homeland. Propelled largely by their own unchecked population growth, which has kept their hunting grounds sparse, the Wood Elves have started to move into their territory of their neighbours whether they are welcomed by them or not.

*If I were a dead leaf thou mightest bear; If I were a swift cloud to fly with thee; A wave to pant beneath thy power, and share. The impulse of thy strength, only less free. — **Unknown**, ”Wood Elf proverb”*

## Quick Notes

* **Alternative Names:** Ignavid (Dark Elves), Darvishmal, (Dune Elves), Cinbrynbil (High Elves), Puuhenkilö (Snow Elves), Watu wa Msituni (Wood Elves)
* **Naming Convention:** Swahili *(Examples: Msitu Mkubwa wa Giza, Barabara ya Biashara, Nyumba Kubwa, Jaali Chukwumereije, Rashida)*
* **Appearance:** Lithe frame with toned, athletic bodies. Black, blonde, brown, grey, red, white hair colour. Blue, brown, green, purple, or yellow iris colour.
* **Lifespan:** ~1000 years
* **Height:** 170cm - 190cm
* **Regions Found:** Tropical Forest, Boreal Forest, Plains
* **Common Character Roles:** Druid, Hunter, Scout, Homemaker
* **Values:** Liberty, Individualism, Wellness, Religion
* **Culture:** Prefers a life of handwork and survival to losing themselves with heavy magic use. Opposed to social structure and hierarchy.
* **Religion(s):** Elven Pantheon
* **Common Allies:** High Elves, Snow Elves
* **Common Enemies:** Dark Elves, Simiku, Industrialists, Slavers, Interlopers.
* **Views on Magic:** Opposed and hostile magic not their own.
* **Abilities:** Sleep Immunity (Trait), Animal Empathy (Trait), Camouflage (Spell), Entangle (Spell), and Regenerate (Ritual)
* **Weaknesses:** Disease/Poison Susceptibility (Trait), Rhabdophobia (Trait)

## Appearance

Wood Elves tend to be lithe with toned bodies that have been honed from a lifetime of physical activity. Their height varies from five to six feet. Just like all Elves, they have long, pointed ears. Their eyes have a natural colour range that can vary from black, white, purple, blue, and green. A Wood Elf's natural hair colour is typically black, blonde, brown, grey, red, and white.

Wood Elves live for a very long time with their average lifespan reaching approximately a thousand years. However, due to the tribal nature of their lifestyle and the associated dangers of it, their lives can often be cut short before they die of old age. Wood Elves, like other Elves, reach full physical maturity after twenty years of age. After reaching physical maturity, their aging slows down substantially to the point that they look ageless for centuries. When Wood Elves do finally reach an elderly age, they can feel light-headed and weakened as their spirit begins to loosen its hold on the physical world. Their bodies start to deteriorate only in their final decades, wrinkles begin to form; their hair may go grey or white, although their minds never cease being sharp and alert.

Their clothing tends to be simple and practical, made from animal furs or leathers from tanning their hides. Clothing that is ornate or garish would be met with ridicule by the pragmatically inclined, who prefer to be outfitted for the purpose of being comfortable. Despite their practical nature, though, they will often wear jewelry. Worn jewelry is typically made up of bones, feathers, coloured pebbles; and on the rare occasion, gemstones. Wood Elves frequently wear warpaint over their faces and bodies, both as a form of camouflage as well as a form of identity. Wood Elves from the same tribe will all paint themselves in identical warpaint as a way to express the shared bond between tribe members.

## History

For as long as they've known it, the island of Tir Cygodi is the birthplace of the original Elves. In the earliest days of their civilization, the elves lived in simple homes, and only had knowledge of nature magic at their disposal. The hardships of these early times coupled with the isolation of the island would mean that it took a long time for the elves to change their lifestyle from hunter-gatherers to an agrarian society.

After they had adapted to their new lifestyle, they found themselves having much more free time than they used to have. They used this time to practice and further study magic, learning new ways to utilize it before. The Elves were able to improve their civilizations even further than previously thought possible. In time, they were able to harness energy and force to shape the land around them.

Wood Elves broke off from High Elves over a matter of lifestyle and philosophy. They disagreed with their kin about the uses and applications of their magic, arguing that they were being too destructive to their surroundings and that they weren't considering the environment around them. In their own eyes, they'd felt that they were losing their identity and their history. So a splinter group formed, and collectively they left the shining white towers of their homes and returned themselves to nature.

They wandered the lands in search of meaning, trying to gain a sense of themselves. It was in the wilds where they'd found themselves. They embraced the hardships of hunting, gathering, and building by hand, refusing to fall back on the magic that had made their former lives so much easier. As time progressed, they settled in small villages, preferring to keep to the trees that had sheltered them.

Their experiences in the wilderness lead to a changed outlook on life. Difficulty and challenges were viewed as something to be embraced, for they would improve oneself for the better once they were overcome. They called this philosophy the True Path, and they'd pursue it whenever they could. If a village had grown too wealthy for their comfort, they'd return that wealth to the wildness where they got it from. As a result, Wood Elves kept little personal belongings to themselves and what they did keep was strictly utilitarian. Property was shared among the entire tribe.

## Society

Wood Elves completely rejected social status and hierarchy. From the moment that they are an adult, all members of the tribe are considered equal. Tools, food, homes, and resources are all shared among the tribe to best ensure that no single individual is left without. All members of the tribe are expected to work to the best of their abilities. Their openness extends to love and relationships as well. Wood Elves reject monogamous pairings and instead embrace free love between all members. Sex between all adult members of the tribe is the norm and it's often done in public without any stigmatization.

Hunters are expected to carry weapons and bring fresh kills to sustain the tribe's needs. While they are out hunting, they're also expected to scout and keep an eye out for interlopers who might otherwise endanger their village. Those who aren't able to keep up with the hunters are expected to forage and maintain their homes.

Wood Elves believe in embracing their surroundings and will frequently tame animals that they find useful. Wolves, bears, deer, and horses can all be commonly found living with or nearby a Wood Elf settlement that's taken them in. Once an animal has been tamed by the tribe, it's effectively considered to be a member of that tribe, and any attack upon it is viewed with the same severity as an attack upon its own people.

## Government

Wood Elves have a very simple government system; all adults get a vote, and whatever has the majority vote is what the tribe decides on. This works best with small villages and settlements. As villages grow and become too large to be effectively run by everyone, the Wood Elves will split the community and half of them will settle in a new spot.

They will continue to support each other as their own individual villages continue to grow. If unchecked, this can often lead to rapid growth and expansion into the territories of other races. Wood Elves will rarely acknowledge the territory of other races, though, unless they have a firm grip on the area with a large settlement and forces.

Despite all of the hard work and difficulty faced by Wood Elves throughout their lives, they do get to enjoy themselves from time to time. They'll take part in physical competitions like archery and racing. Artisans will practice their woodworking skills and put intricate designs into their otherwise simple homes and walkways.

## Culture

Spring renewal festivals are a yearly treat for villagers to look forward to after a long winter. These festivals often feature singing, dancing, storytelling, and ribaldry. In addition to the merrymaking during festivals, Wood Elves will also spend time venerating their gods and ancestral spirits. Although they don't speak of it to outsiders, one of their secret rituals involves capturing and sacrificing a lone visitor. They typically lure this visitor with the promise of sex and drinking. Once they have the visitor subdued, they bring them to the center of a grove or a fairy ring and perform a sacred ritual. The ritual first involves chanting, calling out to god for continued bounty from the forest as well as fertility. Then they coat the victim with a thick muck with a potent odor; then the Elves lie in wait and see what predator arrives. A pack hunter is considered to be favourable, while solitary predators are unlucky. Regardless of the animal, the ritual is complete when the victim is killed by the attracted animal.

The last step to becoming an adult for a young Wood Elf is to leave their community and wander the lands. It is during this time that they travel the world around them, trying to soak up as much experience as they can. They interact with races that they may have never met before, trying food they've never had before, as well as exciting drinks that cloud their minds. After their experiences, the wandering Wood Elf must decide whether or not they wish to return to the tribe and live their old life or continue on as they have been. Should they decide to return, they are welcomed back with open arms as a full fledged member of the tribe.

## Religion

Wood Elves, much like the High Elves, believe that all life is derived from the same pool of essence called 'Ki'. Unlike their cousins, though, Wood Elves take a very different view on how to conduct themselves. They feel there's no relation to their actions in the physical world affecting their spirit. Wood Elves will rarely meditate unless troubled by the most dire of problems. Woods Elves, instead, are more preoccupied with their physical needs and surroundings, and pray to the Elven Pantheon for blessings and assistance to that end. As a result, Wood Elves are far less inhibited and far more likely to indulge themselves in the excesses of life without any concern about 'staining' their spirit.

Wood Elf shrines tend to incorporate a mixture of wood, leaves, stones, and woven grass. Their shrines can range from simple to complex, small enough to fit on an end table to large enough to fill a clearing. Before a Wood Elf prays at a shrine, they will bring an offering to the shrine and leave there once they are finished. These offerings may vary, but they are always related to the spheres of influence belonging to that deity.

Reflecting upon their nature, Wood Elves tend to prefer the minor elven deity as their spheres of influence tend to be more tangible than their major counterparts. In particular, Wood Elves will go to Aurin, Jouri, Kesaro, and Yaria as their collective domains strongly relate to Wood Elf society.

## Racial Relations

Due to the decentralized nature of Wood Elves, it is nigh impossible to form any binding agreement with them to the frustration of human governments that have tried to manage talks with them. Wood Elves prefer not to resort to violence when resolving conflicts with other races; their individuality and longevity lead to risk-averse techniques. Wood Elves take up territory fast, a result of their high fertility and liberated attitudes towards sex. Consequently, they end up using plenty of resources in the areas they inhabit and this results in disputes with their neighbours. High Elves and Wood Elves will rarely take up arms against each other because of their shared kinship, but violence on an individual basis has been known to occur.

Captured enemies of the Wood Elves can face a number of fates. If the enemy is deemed too dangerous to be freed, the Wood Elves will simply slain them or make offerings to them. If they avoid that fate, then captured foes are eventually released to do as they wish. It is not uncommon for woods to even accept their previous foes among their populace if these foes prefer the lifestyle.

Wood Elves maintain strong hatred towards Dark Elves because of their complete rejection of elven gods and their culture and will attack them without much prompting. Wood Elves also find themselves frequently at odds with industrialized and war-like races, as their cultural values strongly oppose their own. Their enemies, the greenskins  serve as a particular example as they despise the elves' harmony with nature.

Wood Elves will frequently involve themselves in territory disputes with their human neighbours, the Caledonii, with whom they share the Harrowood with. Conflicts will break out between  tribes over resources and hunting grounds. Aside from territory, the Wood Elves have little else to fight the Caledonii over. They share similar outlooks towards nature and have comparable tribal practices that allow for an easy integration of a Caledonii person into a Wood Elf tribe. A key difference would be their attitudes towards gender equality; a Caledonii woman might be surprised to learn of the freedoms enjoyed by Wood Elf women, while conversely Wood Elf women would be vexed by the male-dominated Caledonii.

## Geography

### Msitu Mkubwa wa Giza aka Harrowood

Harrowood, known to the Wood Elves as 'Msitu Mkubwa wa Giza', spans a third of the continent and covers nearly the entirety of its southern half. The forest is a seemingly endless amount of trees, the composition of which changes depending on the portion of the forest; from coniferous trees to the west to acacias slowly giving way to the desert in the north. The eastern section of the forest slowly becomes a rainforest with a thick jungle the further one goes west. Heading into the south, the deeper portion of the forest, the trees become a mix of deciduous trees such as ash, elms, maple, and oaks.

Scattered all along Msitu Mkubwa wa Giza, the many, many tribes of Wood Elves, making their homes in the trees and on the forest floor. These tribes are connected by forest paths that were originally animal trails that ran throughout Msitu Mkubwa wa Giza, only to be trampled down further by Wood Elves navigating the thick of the forest. The Wood Elves share this vast forest mostly with the Caledonii, often competing with them over territory and hunting grounds. Wood Elves take special care to make sure that their impact on the forest is minimal, for they value their ability to bend with nature rather than to bend it to them. The forest provides much for the Wood Elves who make it their home, surviving by hunting and foraging for their food on a daily basis.

### Mti Mkubwa

In the middle of the forest, between the territory of the Caledonii and the Wood Elves, lies a great ancient tree that the Wood Elves call 'Mti Mkubwa'. The Wood Elves revere this giant, ancient tree as the guardian of the forest, created by Celarus himself before he was destroyed. Strewn about the ground around its mighty trunk are many offerings made by the Wood Elves to both the guardian and their former god; often treasured jewelry and valuables that Wood Elves have come across in their travels, or from any of their enemies that had these treasures on their person.

### Mawe yaliyosimama

Throughout Harrowood, the Wood Elves have erected thousands of large stones, often as monoliths, but also occasionally in large groupings as well. These stones serve a dual purpose as landmarks and as worship sites. The majority of these Mawe yaliyosimama were placed within the first millennium of the Wood Elves arriving in Harrowood. Wood Elves are so familiar with these Mawe yaliyosimama that they could get their bearings by encountering any of them in the forest. Sometimes there are runic carvings on the surface of the stone; sometimes they are left completely alone aside from standing them up.

## Landmarks

### Mji Uliokufa

When the first Wood Elves first arrived, many millennia ago, they were surprised to find that they were not the first to have settled in Harrowood. Deep in the forest to the east, there was evidence of an ancient civilization that had entirely disappeared save for the stone structures and roads of their city. Save for the few brave individual scouts who traverse the ruins, Wood Elves stay clear of them out of superstition of some great evil that dwells under fallen stone and moss-covered streets of what was assumed to be a great city.

### Machozi ya Bwana

Deep within Msitu Mkubwa wa Giza, there is an enormous spring from which flows water that feeds into a river that flows northward from the forest, passing through the plains and the badlands until finally spilling into the ocean. Named 'Machozi ya Bwana' by the Wood Elves, it is believed that the river was created when their god wept at the tragedy of the death of the first elf. It is from those tears that a torrent of water sprung, which still flows to this day. The river is considered to be an informal border for the Wood Elves. Although plenty of Wood Elves do venture past it, few tribes will ever settle beyond its banks. There are many villages that do live along the south side of Machozi ya Bwana, fishing for salmon and collecting muscles that live on the riverbed.

### Barabara ya Biashara

One of the few proper roads to run through Harrowood is called 'Barabara ya Biashara'. It is a well-worn, dirt road that is frequented by anyone needing to travel the perimeter of the forest. The road runs from the city of Saturnim to the Carnival of Trades by keeping close to the northern coastline, although it has to pass through plenty of forest despite the road's proximity to water. The road can be a dangerous place for some travelers and merchants, as there are some Wood Elves who resent interlopers in their homeland and will ensure that people using the road will think twice about traveling along it again.

## Settlements

### Nyumba Kubwa

Coincidentally, the largest of the Wood Elf settlements was at first just a single home; that of a man by the name of Jaali Chukwumereije. Nyumba Kubwa has since grown substantially in just a few hundreds of years. Because of its longevity, it is one of the few Wood Elf settlements that can actually be marked on a map and reliably found. The layout of the village is chaotic, with just makeshift homes, tents, and treehouses built wherever new residents could find a spot. The center of the village is where the largest and most permanent buildings can be found, housing the residents of whom had been in Nyumba Kubwa the longest.

### Ukingo wa Ardhi

On the far eastern end of the forest rests another long standing village, Ukingo wa Ardhi. A coastal village, Ukingo wa Ardhi overlooks the southern ocean and has serviceable docks enough for Wood Elves to sail from there. There are few docks along the southern coast of the continent, so as a result, Ukingo wa Ardhi can be a rather busy stopping point for sailors navigating the coastline. The Wood Elves of the village have little desire to trade with any of the passing ships, and for the most part the only reason for foreigners to stop at Ukingo wa Ardhi is for rest and to barter for food. A few days of sailing towards the southwest brings travelers to the Kingdom of White Thorns.

## Famous Individuals

### Jaali Chukwumereije

The founder of Nyumba Kubwa, for it was his original home that started the village, which would later grow as new Wood Elves from other tribes would settle there and call it their home. Before settling down at his home, Jaali was quite the explorer and was famous for embarking on a century-long journey around the world to learn of it. He's a boisterous man and a generous host who is more than happy to share his food and drink with visitors. He used his experiences gained aboard to his own benefit and greatly enjoyed sharing tales of his exploits to anyone who'd listen.

### Rashida Diya

Rashida Diya is one of the most well known of the druids and healers. She had developed her talents at a young age, learning from the skilled druid masters that lived in isolation, deep within the forest. Unlike her teachers, though, she had little desire to remain among the druids. Once she felt she was ready, she left the druid circle and headed out on her own. Over the centuries, Rashida became a renowned healer throughout Msitu Mkubwa wa Giza. making a name for herself by traveling from village to village.

## Racial Traits

* **Sleep Immunity** - Wood Elves are immune to magic that induces sleep or tiredness related to sleepiness.
* **Disease/Poison Susceptibility** - Wood Elves have difficulty fighting off ailments that attack the body.

Available Magic Spheres: Blood Magic, Dark Magic, Geomancy, Holy Magic, Hydromancy, Marked (Witchcraft) Magic, Mental Magic, Nature Magic, Pyromancy, Wind Magic

## Attachments/Kit Items

The items listed in the kits below are made with the Season 6 modlist. They have been updated as of **14th December 2023**.

*Expand for Elf Racial Kit*

## Lore Contribution

##### **Credit for Lore Contribution:** *Rickets*

* *Includes contributions from Nerdyeagle2*
* *Includes a Percy Shelley quote from Ode to the West Wind*