Elf

Elves are a magical people of otherworldly grace, living in the world but not entirely part of it. Ever since they have created their own realm many millennia ago, they live in places of ethereal beauty, in the midst of ancient forests or in silvery spires glittering with faerie light, where soft music drifts through the air and gentle fragrances waft on the breeze. Elves love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry, and the good things of the world. Known elves: Zophiel, Kairos, Gallaeron, Theodore, Melina, the previous elf king, the previous elf queen, Orloh.

## Overview

Elves keep to their enchanted forests and mystic endeavors, cherishing their peaceful realm and rarely venturing outside its borders. Observant, possessing boundless wisdom and intellect nigh unparalleled in the known universe, they are true steadfast citadels resisting the ephemeral existence and wear of time in the constantly changing world. While most of the elf population resides in the Elf Realm, one may encounter them in Lomia as well.

### Personality and psychology

Possessed of innate beauty and easy gracefulness, they are viewed as both wondrous and haughty by other races. However, their natural detachment is seen by some as introversion or xenophobia. This is however not the correct interpretation of their reclusiveness, as most elves do not mull over it and certainly do not seek to keep members of other species away actively. However, there are factions which show evident aversion towards outsiders.[1]

Most elves prefer quiet, peace and would wish to avoid any pestering that accompanies beings such as themselves when found among mortals. Any elf found outside of the mythical Elf Realm is either appointed in delegation, or matters of academics and magic, or their fate had forced them out.

They tend to be very spiritual, having festivals and ceremonies especially in relation to nature. Their spirituality may involve the study and mastery of arcane arts, such as spellcasting, divination, and communing with spirits, deities or other mystical beings. Harmony between life and the land possesses a great deal of importance to elves. With their complete understanding of magic, they strive to keep the equilibrium between forces, such as light and darkness, life and death, and magic and nature.

While not warlike, due to their long existence, many wars have plagued their history.[2] Elven armies have advanced weaponry, while spellcasting is focused on defense, destructive spells being done only with utmost control and discipline from the caster's side. Archers and rangers are excellent beyond compare. Their ground forces and naval fleet are highly advanced and troops are trained since age of 500 years old.

### Physical description

Elves stand between 1.85 meters to 2.25 meters tall and weigh between 70 to 125 kilograms. They usually have slender, elegant builds, and seem to move as lightly as a feather falling, leaving no footprints behind. Eye colours can range from black, grey and brown to bright colours. Usual hair colours are white, silver and light blonde, with few exceptions. It appears that they have a low glow surrounding them, possibly an effect of their abundant magic. Both males and females have very little hair on their limbs.

Their defining characteristic are their long ears which are often pointed upwards. Very often elves wear ear jewelry and rings meant to both accentuate their beauty and show their importance. An elf's ears can show their noble blood.

They can live over 10 000 years old, Elves keep their physical appearances remain constant from achieving physical maturity for the majority of their lifespan. Around the age of 100 years old, they are considered adults, this mark being celebrated in a very joyous party.

## Culture

### Elf Names

An elf can have one or more birth names, and a family name. They are very delicate and melodious to pronounce, and most are related to the nature they live so inextricably close with or with divine, angelic notions.

Elves use their given name in casual conversation, with their kin or with other races.

### Society

The form of government is a monarchy, which implies that one person inherits, or acquires through marriage, the position as the head of the state. The leaders are the King and the Queen. The highest rank is typically held by the monarch, followed by the immediate members of the royal family. Few elves can trace their lineage up to Lyume, the royal family and Zophiel being the only known ones. Below them are the nobility, which include archdukes, dukes and others. The common people are at the bottom of the social hierarchy.

The Ceremony for naming the new King or Queen takes place in the Ceremony Clearing, where all attendees stand upright in respect for the royal family, their god, ancestors, and nature itself. The Crown is of pure gold fashioned in the appearance of interwoven branches and plant motifs, having been passed down since time immemorial.

**Members of the royal family:**

* **Kairos** - His Royal Majesty, Sun of the Elven Kingdom, Lord of the Forest, Ruler of Thorns, Commander of nature, and of the sea, father of magic and Whisperer of animals, King Calix Xerses the First of his name.
* **Ferio** - Advisor to the King and Member of the High Council, Prince Ferio Xerses.
* **Stellifera**-Her Royal Highness, Advisor to the King and Member of the High Council, Princess Stellifera Xerses.
* **Olesia** - Her Royal Highness, Captain of the *Lorna* Ship, Princess Olesia Xerses.
* **Aliveria** - Her Royal Highness, Duchess of Sevna, Princess Aliveria Xerses.
* **Letto** - His Royal Highness, Duke of Novine, Prince Letto Xerses.
* **Orloh** - His Royal Highness, Prince Orloh Xerses.

Amongst folk, four families of high renown stand out, with whom the royal family has bonds that surpass mere political interest. Built on honour, impeccable behaviour and an oath to stand as the sword and shield for the Elven Kingdom, each of these families heads are:

* **Zophiel** - Her Ladyship, Archduchess of Artura, and of the Northern fields, Lady of the Arctic Lights, General of the Northern Borders, First Shield and First Sword of the Elven Kingdom, Archduchess Zophiel Melina Perena de Artura.
* **Olea** - Her Ladyship, Archduchess of Merea, and of the Eastern fields, Lady of the Grain, General of the Eastern Armies, Second Shield of the Elven Kingdom, Archduchess Olea Terona de Merea.
* **Kalnar** - His Lordship, Archduke of Werra, and of the Southern Sea, Lord of Ships, and Admiral of the Elven Armies, Third Shield and Third Sword of the Elven Kingdom, Archduke Kalnar Ofelian de Werra.
* **Venian** - His Lordship, Archduke of Aeve, and of the Western Mountains, Lord of Sky, and General of the Western Armies, Fourth Shield and Fourth Sword of the Elven Kingdom, Archduke Venian Ronan de Aeve.

Other notable nobles are:

* **Gallaeron** - His Lordship, Lieutenant General Gallaeron Oreva de Merea.

An elf custom is to keep hair length in accordance with rank, and cutting it if not absolutely necessary is seen as maiming - hair is seen as the crown of oneself. The greater the length of their hair, the higher their status. Of course, this norm is respected thanks to the importance of trust in elf communities. An individual's ears may be an indicator of their rank and from which family they hail as well.

### Laws and Justice

Trust, honesty, and equilibrium are core values, absolutely essential for the proper functioning and sustainability of the elven society and governing methods. All elf nobles must make an oath to never lie, the outcome of defying this vow resulting in a punishment of losing one ear immediately. The common law and civil law systems are based on the principle of "*Guilty until proven innocent",* and trials include a judge, eyewitnesses and an audience. Accusations are not made lightly, and require proof for the claimed offences.

People accused of crimes are are arrested and kept under prudent watch, and high ranking individuals or guests are held in confinement similar to house arrest.

The law states that for a new ruler to claim the Throne, the current Monarch must either renounce their position, or to have perished. If one were to be bereaved of their Queen of King, to keep their title they must remarry, but as an elf rarely dies of any causes but old age, by that moment their eldest children should be of suitable age to inherit the crown.

The ruler has one or more Advisors, who can be part of the royal family or any other chosen one. The High Council has the obligation to help the King and Queen in deciding the course of action in state matters, also having jurisdiction over administrative issues.

### Language

Their languages count Common and Elvish. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires.

Due to their separation from the main world thousands of years ago, elves may not have knowledge on other languages besides the desire to acquire more information on the world or for personal entertainment.

### Leisure

Curiously, when an outsider might find themselves in an elf city for a while, they would most certainly be taken by surprise by the elves' *party spirit* and love for life's joys. Elves are quite fond of their alcohol, and sport a remarkably high resistance to its effects. One may run across many drinking establishments if they come to step into the Elf Realm, but they must be cautious to not lose track of their drinks.

Besides their more frivolous recreational activities, they enjoy partaking in art performances, theatre, poetry or concerts. Their take on art and literature covers most art and literary movements, and their beauty, themes and significance led to their creative arts gaining popularity even across the border of reality which separates their world from Lomia. The number of books and tomes in their libraries and academies are a heavenly treasure for any literature enthusiast, erudite or scientist, but there are certain rumours that the pages of precious books in their possession do not contain only the unaltered truth.

### Arts and Crafts

Elves place great value on art and activities which engage the creative spirit and tread in philosophic themes, storytelling and myth. Poetry and song are deeply treasured and are a vital part of their life. Decorative arts are refined and are in perfect harmony with nature, plant life motifs, signs with spiritual and astronomical significance being integrated in architecture and decorative objects.

As an elder race, elves mastered many crafts, but particularly excel at woodworking, sculpture, pottery, painting, bookbinding, jewelry and art. Weaving and sewing have been perfected, a complete article of clothing being completed in less than a day thanks to magic use. The favoured colours in elven fashion are purple, dark blue and silver, while textiles are very light and flowy, with a preference for natural fibres.

### Technology and Magic

Magic is the fabric of their reality and of their existence. As their patron deity Lyume is the goddess of magic and nature, living without magical energy, both in practical uses and spiritual ones, is equal to taking a fish out of water.

Having recovered from both war and calamity, cities in the Elven Kingdom are hubs of learning, trade and culture exceeding all other cities of Lomia in prosperity. People built mighty towers stretching high into the sky from which to conduct their arcane studies and experiments. Elves created dwellings into the giant treetops, their constructions blending seamlessly with nature's organic aesthetic beauty, erected enormous walls to repel enemies, and set marvelous "floating" gardens between trees, and temples that impress in their magnificence. Due to the heavy rain all year round, which includes violent thunderstorms in summer, engineering and architectural plans have been adapted to accommodate large volumes of water without risking erosion of surface materials, and flexible anchor points that can move along with the trees the buildings have their base on if in extreme cases.

The floating gardens are small spaces that connect tree trunks or rooms that serve as recreational places, usually even containing a pond. They are reserved for the palace grounds.

Horticulture and floriculture are well developed, decorative and medicinal plants being used in abundance. They also domesticate animals, having even the ability of understanding them.

## Trivia

* The best magic academy in all of the lands can be found in the Elf Realm.
* An elf rite of passage consists of youngsters completing a through the Forest of Thorns.
* Elves are descended from the Angel race.
* Shoewear with high heels are worn frequently, males also wearing shorter ones.
* Although Dragons and Elves share common roots, their main gods also being twins, they do not tolerate the presence of the other race in their territories and had even gone to war against each other.
* An invitation to dance is seen as an act of courting someone.