Elf

Elves are a sentient race in the world of Eulana. They bear a resemblance to humans, save for their pointy ears. Previously, they experienced a period of hegemony over the world, but their power has declined since the Human Wars of Independence. They inhabit the Elven lands and the Elven Heartlands.

### History

Elven societies comprise the oldest known expressions of civilisation in the known world.

By 50 MA, Elven expansionism began to intensify, conquering the clans and petty kings of human and Dwarven societies.

Due to the recalcitrance and stubbornness of the Hill Dwarves, they were eventually wiped out by 900 MA due to repeated attempts of the Elven Empire to crush their rebellions and curb the Hill Dwarves' aggressive deforestation efforts. This is an offence that the extant Mountain Dwarves have refused to fully forgive the Elven race for.

During the Human Wars of Independence, most Elven settlements in human lands were expelled or exterminated, a retributive effort that has soured relations between Elves and humans up to the present day. Elves regard it as little more than a series of bloodthirsty massacres; while humans tend to see it as the expulsion of a tyrannical minority of military colonists.

### Culture

Elves do not usually hunt wild animals, as they regard wild animals as belonging to nature. The exception is when predator populations become too large, in which case, it is considered a sad duty of the Elven people to hunt a moderate amount of the creatures to preserve the integrity of the food chain. Elves do, however, herd domesticated animals, which they regard as the gift of the forest to the Elves (and they regard all other species which engage in herding as having stolen this gift). Domesticated animals are considered to have one spirit amongst the entire herd, whereas wild animals are each considered to be imbued with an independent spirit, the same as sentient beings. Elves do not eat the meat of a slain animal, nor do they make use of any other part of the body. Instead, they bury the animal with the same respect that would be given to an Elf.

Metalworkers are seen as little more than common labourers, and afforded little status or respect in comparison to other artisans, such as masons. Most metalworkers are present only in Caers, and primarily make weapons, armour, and trinkets for the nobility. Woodworkers, on the other hand, are highly respected, and the professional is considered sacred and one that only the pious take up.

Elven woodworkers draw their materials from coppicing; clearcutting is considered a serious sacrilege worthy of death. Trees that cannot regrow after being coppiced are not harvested in this manner; only deadwood is gathered from such trees. Copses are considered akin to (and often used as) graveyards, and coppicing is treated as a somber and serious affair, often involving the entire population of the Grove gathering to watch in solemn silence as the tree is cut. In the rare occasion that a tree or area of the woods **must** be cleared, it is always done with fire, not by hand. Clearing by fire is considered an unfortunate and distasteful necessity, like putting down a beloved pet.

Elven societies tend to more highly value males in both formal and informal processes. This preference is not suffocating, however, and Elven females are known on occasion to rise to high status and positions of power normally held by men. This limited form of egalitarian meritocracy is largely born out of the limited population of the Elven race, and their history of struggle against outsiders. Elves tend towards homosexuality, but society only deems this acceptable for men. Women are not supposed to take any pleasure from sex, and so are only supposed have it with men, for the purpose of reproduction.

Elven cuisine features no meat, save for insects, which Elves consider to be "Moving plants" and can thus be harvested. Elven food features large quantities of salt, not for any biological reason, Elves just like salt. Though Elves do not eat meat, after battle, some prisoners will be killed, and drained of their blood, which will then be mixed with alcohol to make what is known as 'Bloodwine'

Most Elves follow Elven Druidism, a faith centered around the sacrosanctity and world consciousness of nature, especially woodlands and animals.

#### Elven Settlements

Most Elves reside in settlements commonly referred to as Sylvan Groves. Sylvan Groves consist of a small cluster of houses amidst undisturbed woodlands, typically housing less than a hundred residents. Elven architecture tends to be built around, rather than replacing, natural features. Each Sylvan Grove is essentially self-sufficient, growing small gardens of crops, harvesting the seasonal bounties of the forest, and engaging in silvopastorialism. It is more common for houses to be made of stone than of wood, even if the stone needs to be transported over a great distance.

Most residents of a Grove are enserfed by their liege-lord, who generally lives in a nearby (relatively speaking) Caer. Such enserfed peoples are forbidden from leaving their Grove without their liege-lord's permission, as are their children. This creates families with enduring and ancestral roots to the lands they are constrained to. Due to the breadth of land needed to sustain such a population on gathering and pastoral practices, and the ranging involved in the sustenance activities of the Elves, enserfed Elven families have a great knowledge of the surrounding area for many miles, down to even the most minor of landmarks. The most important military duty of such serfs is thus to act as local guides for their lord's warriors in times of conflict.

The other major form of Elven settlement is commonly referred to as a Caer. A Caer is a stone settlement resembling something between a fortified city and a castle. It is essentially a small walled settlement built on 'tiers', with the inner/higher tiers being more fortified and more magnificent. Caers are built in areas naturally devoid of woodland, such as mountain gorges, or atop seaside cliffs. While Caers seem like Elven analogues to castles or cities, they don't truly serve the purpose of either - they are not constructed to endure dedicated besiegers, and they are not populous enough to serve as centers of economic activity in and of themselves. Instead, they serve as market towns for nearby Sylvan Groves, and as prestigious palaces for their noble owners and their retainers.

The construction of a typical Caer is of marble or other 'noble' stone, with its walls marked off by symmetrically arranged towers. These towers generally are shorter than the central citadel. Most Caers have between 3-5 tiers, each one marked by a literal elevation of the foundation, usually of around 5 feet. The inner tiers are much more prestigious than the outer tiers, and the innermost tier is usually consumed entirely by a fortified palace where the Caer's noble overlord lives with their household, and sometimes with their client artisans, such as architects, woodworkers, glassblowers, clothiers, etc. These innermost tiers are the height of luxury, with extravagant courtyards and marvels of engineering ingenuity and artistic achievement, from fountain waterfalls which are so subtly manipulated to give the appearance of movement to the glass and stone mosaics they flow down, to stone bas-reliefs along the walls which shift at a touch to present different histories and tales in their composition, to apparati of glass which give views both enhanced and distorted of the subjects they are focused upon.

Caers have very few 'day labourers' within, their populations consisting primarily of nobility, domestics, merchants, and artisans. An average human city might have 2500 residents; even prominent Caers rarely exceed 1000. Human cities usually house significant transient populations in inns and the like, often doubling their permanent population at any given week. Caers rarely house more than half of their population as transients, even on market days.

### Music

Outside most Caers can be found 'wind orchestras' which consist entirely of instruments played by the wind, such as wind chimes, wind hurdy gurdies, and wind drums.

### Weaponry and Warfare

The most common weapons among Elves are polearms, which most Elves own, even in peacetime. Some Elves also carry bows, a common sport weapon in peacetime. Elven armour is usually made out of wooden lamellae, usually from the warwood tree.

### Biology

Elves have moderately superior grip strength, eyesight, and hearing in comparison to humans. Elves reach sexual maturity at around 60-70 and their pregnancies last twelve months. The average Elven lifespan is about 800. They also have a reduced need for sleep and rest in comparison to other races. Elves are remarkably agile and flexible, though not exceptionally fast on their feet. Humans, however, are more robust, have denser bones, and can recover from wounds much faster than an elf would. Due to their scent, most animals are not hostile towards Elves, wolves (and dogs) excepted. For this reason, it is rare for Elves to have dogs as pets, or refer to canines as anything but 'vile curs'. Instead, Elves often have wild animals living with them in their settlements.