Elves

Elves are humanoids with fey ancestry.

## Appearance

Elves closely resemble humans, though they are easily identified by their long and pointed ears. They usually have a lithe figure, are on average a head shorter than humans and carry less weight for their apparent mass. Elves have next to no body hair and are unable to grow beards.

Depending on the place of their birth, their appearance can vary drastically. For example, sea-elves have green or blue hues in the pigmentation of their hair and skin, while dark-elves have dark skin and white hair. However, a Sea-Elf that lives close to the sea will also look different from one that was born near a body of freshwater. Or wood-elves that were born in a coniferous forest might have some different attributes from those of a deciduous forest.

## Special characteristics

The senses of an Elf, especially hearing and eyesight, are more sensitive than those of many other humanoids. They are able to see in the dark and can perceive frequencies that far beyond the human hearing range. Elven ears are also mobile and their movement can express a wide range of emotions, making them a vital part of their nonverbal communication.

An Elven mind is resistant against certain forms of magic, such as attempts to magically charm them. Some Elven lineages are also gifted with innate sorcerous powers.

Instead of sleeping, elves fall into a meditative trance. They are half-conscious in this state and remain aware of their surroundings. Instead of dreams, they relive past events from their memory. Spending 4 hours in this trance has the same effect as 8 hours of sleep. It is theoretically possible for an Elf to sleep and dream, but trying to do so is as difficult for their kind as it would be for an insomniac.

During their early childhood, elves often experience foreign memories during their trance, similar to the effects of Memento Honey. It is believed those young elves are able to access memories of their last life that are contained within their soul. These events become less frequent over time and usually don't occur past the age of 30.

## Genetics and reproduction

For an Elf, the place of their birth is considered to be a third parent. They inherit even more from it than they do from their mother and father. For example, the lineage of an Elf is entirely determined by their birthplace. Even if two High-Elves have a child, it will be a Sand-Elf if it was born in the desert. They are born in a way to perfectly adept to the environment that welcomes them.

It is possible for elves to have children with humans, although the Half-Elf child will only inherit traits from their parents and its birthplace won't influence it as much. The existence of hobgoblins also suggests that elves have been able to reproduce with orcs under rare circumstances.

An Elven pregnancy lasts about two years. The mother should not travel during this period, because the environment surrounding the child will affect its development and even leaving it for a day can cause drastic complications.

## Growth rate & stages

Elves develop slowly and reach adulthood around the age of 70. They retain a youthful appearance throughout four centuries, which makes it hard to guess the age of an adult Elf only by looks. The potential natural lifespan of an Elf is expected to be 500 years. Though many won't reach this high age, since they are still mere mortals and a lot of tribulations such as accidents and illness can occur during such a long time.

 Adolescent
 Young Adult
 Middle-Aged
 Older Adult
 Venerable Age

## History

It is certain that the first elves, the Eladrin, originate from the Feywild and that the Elven race is closely related to both humans and fey. However, how they came to be remains uncertain. It is possible that elves were created by the Feywild itself in an attempt to mirror the Prime Plane and create humans of its own design. Others believe they might be the descendens from humans that got spirited away into the Feywild and had offspring with fey.

## Society

### Naming Tradition

Elven names usually consist of a given name, the name of their birthplace and a family name. E.g., an Elf from the Gumine family born in the Samiran Hills can be named Barlan of Samiran-Gumine. Traditional Elven names have been derived from ancient Sylvan names of places in the Feywild or Sylvan words for geological features and plants.

## Lineages

* Dark-Elves
* Eladrin
* High-Elves
* Pale-Elves
* Sand-Elves
* Sea-Elves
* Snow-Elves
* Wood-Elves
* ...