Elven Svartalfar

This report will cover the Fae version of the Svartalfar: **elves who live in the realm of Terris**. For the original "Dwarven" Svartalfar, click the link.

The Svartalfar name means "Dark Elf." This refers to the dark, sunless place they call home. **There are two entirely different humanoids that are both called Svartalfr:** one are what we may modernly think of as **Dwarves**, and the other are **Fae Elves**, though they are both technically elves in the English language (and "alfr" in Old Norse). There is suspicion that the dark elven Fae intentionally took the name Svartalfar in an attempt to claim ownership of the realm of Terris, perhaps after being banished there by the Seelie or perhaps out of simple personal interest in living in the realm. Others say it was a mistranslation on the part of human researchers centuries ago. We do not know what is the truth, however, except to suspect there has been some intermixing of the two separate species over the millenia.

Svartalfar is the spelling for multiple. Svartalfr is for a singular being.

## "Dark" Elven Svartalfar (Terris)

The "Dark" refers to their sunless home in Terris. These are subterranean cave-dwellers who have little to no reliance on light sources.

### Appearance

In contrast to the shorter and sturdier Svartalfar "dwarves", these elven fae of Terris are most certainly the same species as the elven fae who populate Alfheimr; the only difference from those fae elves is a lack of any wings (which may have been granted by Alfheim itself) and an ability to see in the dark. They are notably taller and often thinner in build than the Svartalfar "dwarves," and have pointed ears whose length varies from group to group. Their relative lack of muscle is made up for with a reliance on magic and agility: they are usually lightfooted and swift.

Due to their subterranean lives in a realm with no sun, their skin sometimes doesn't develop much melanin, and albinos are quite common with pigment-less skin and hair, and red eyes. However, their coloration still varies diversely, and a wide spread of other skin and hair colors have been documented. The most common colors are grayscale/colorless, or blue or purple hues along that scale.

### Food

Terris itself can be extremely barren in some places, and remarkably fertile in others. The elven-Svartalfar of Terris often build their homes in caverns where they can cultivate some kind of food, which include mushrooms and some special, alien kinds of plants that are able to grow on thermal or magical energy. This species is also known to use conjured solar lights and hydroponics to grow plants from other realms. They are known to be able to even grow stoney, leafless trees in their subterranean caverns, which presumably bear heavy fruits. They will also farm native animals for meat and dairy products.

### Elven-Svartalfr Societies

As they enjoy a civilized life with cultivated food and stunning works of magic, most elven-Svartalfar live in strict and well-warded communities, often lead by a queen or matriarch, or more rarely by a king. They are extremely protective of their cities and almost never invite outsiders past their gates, except as prisoners. Notably, unlike the Fae Elves of Alfheim, the elven-Svartalfar *rarely* count themselves among the Seelie and Unseelie courts. These elven-Svartalfar are usually too insular or separated from Alfheim to acknowledge or sometimes even be aware of the courts of the Fae. Instead, many Elven-Svartalfar communities have been likened to pureblood mage bloodlines in their internal politics, hierarchies, and social power-plays, though they lack the human bloodlines' goal to save their whole world from invaders.

When faced with limited resources, most of the elven-Svartalfar communities will choose to turn upon any nearby dwarven Svartalfar in skirmishes or outright war over space and resources. If none are nearby, they often turn upon each other, keeping loyalty to strict familial hierarchies. Due to this, they tend to be very insular and unwelcoming of strangers, who are regarded as thieves, if not peasants beneath their interest. They are usually guarded, secretive, and suspicious of others' motives.

This is not to say that they are inherently evil, however, and nor are their communities. They are simply people, even if they tend to be distrustful and insular.

Some are outcasts from their own societies for various reasons. These outcasts may choose to live on their own in Terris, mingle with dwarven-Svartalfar, or live in other realms such as Gaia, Alfheim/Otherworld/Faerie, or the Shadow Realm (Niflheim).

### Interactions with Magical Society

Just like dwarven Svartalfar, the elven-Svartalfar are known to come to our world to collect reagents, "exotic" foods, or steal farm animals or even people. They greatly dislike the sun and so are only ever seen at night. As a species, they are generally regarded as dangerous, haughty, and aggressive, and are generally unwelcome in magical communities, though are rarely recognized on sight as they are so rare. Thus, an individual elven-Svartalfr could easily enter a mixed-species magical community and be treated like any other visitor, or at least like a Partling Fae.

A few outcasts or those escaping oppression from their home cities in Terris may attempt to hide their origin as they seek to start a new life either on our world or in the Fae realm of Alfheim. They usually struggle with a sensitivity to sunlight, and are sometimes accused of being vampires due to this trait.

### Abilities

Unlike the Fae Elves of Alfheim, the elven-Svartalfar are able to "see" in extremely low light and in nonmagical darkness using a kind of thermal and UV vision. They are often extremely sensitive to light, however! It is rumored that some will even turn to stone like a troll if natural sunlight touches them. Whether that is true is unknown. Others are said to be able to turn into smoke, though this is likely to be a specific spell that particular elf has learned.