Elf

Elf (/ɛlf/, elf), plural: elves (/ɛlvz/, elvz).

The many subraces of elves used to live harmoniously in Ashur, until the teachings of Serun drove most subraces out of the city.

## History

All six subraces of elves, the Drow, the Eladrin, the High Elves, the Sea Elves, the Shadar-Kai, and the Wood Elves lived in Ashur for centuries together, creating factions along racial divides, but still working together and preserving their city. They ventured out into the nearby lands occasionally, and met with other races, but didn't persecute each other along racial lines.

### Serun

Serun was a prominent mathematician at the University in Ashur. In addition to math, he studied religion and philosophy, and blended all three concepts together to create his own set of teachings. He believed that the laws of nature and mathematics could explain every phenomenon in the world. His followers grew and grew until word reached the council of High Elves. This council, after years of planning, had become the dominant race of elves in Ashur, stronger than the other five combined. The council did not take kindly to Serun rejecting the spirits of Stenfism, and so began persecution. The High Elves drove all the other elves out of the city. Though the High Elves were successful in persecution, the spirits did not take kindly to their violent methods, and set a curse upon the city. Ashur was plunged into darkness until the High Elves could make amends by forming diplomatic bonds with other races on Mithja. They eventually worked together with the Humans, with whom they set up The Conglomerate, which now encompasses all major races on the continent.

### Exodus & Nauo

The other elven races fled to Austur, setting up their own nation, Nauo, across the plains on the continent. The Sea Elves were instrumental in making sure all races arrived safely, and now are the main traders and the wealthiest subrace of elves. Working together, however, all subraces were able to create a wealthy nation that supports their survival, with minimal internal conflict.

## Culture

### Drow

After the elven exodus, the Drow, instead of being banished to the Underdark, were banished to the caves beneath Austur due to their religious fanaticism. They spend their time Austur's caves, and now any Drow can rival any Dwarf in terms of mining efficiency. They are still aided by the large spiders that live in the caves. Lolth, originally a living spider queen in the caves, perished a long time ago and the Drow have built a small, underground city over her corpse. Drow legends say she sacrificed herself protecting the continent from a mindflayer invasion. They now search for a new god to worship, one that will aid them against persecution from the other elves.

Other elves in Nauo don't regard Drow as true elves, and instead see them as a completely different race, one below them. The Eladrin, Shadar-Kai, and Wood Elves all exploit the Drow as workers who provide mineral resources and potable water for their cities. Only the Sea Elves see Drow as equals, though that is due to their laid-back and chill nature toward all species, coupled with a lack of need for the Drow's resources. The Drow, having a smaller population than the other elven species and being unable to stay aboveground for extended periods of time, are not looking for a violent uprising against the other elves, rather, a peaceful integration into Nauo.

Outside of complicated Elven politics, Drow value survival and efficiency. A Drow that can harvest resources in the dark is a valued member of Drow society. Drow often have mining competitions with one another, allowing the occasional dwarf to join them as well.

### Eladrin

In tune with the seasons, the Eladrin categorize (though don't physically separate) one another into Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer. Though returning to the feywild is out of reach for now, they still form courts and change their mood with the seasons as their ancestors did thousands of years ago on their native plane. Now more adapted to the climate of the material plane, Eladrin are found mainly in Summer and Winter forms, as Nauo's seasons separate themselves into wet and dry. Autumn and Spring Eladrin aren't too rare though, as emotional states influence their appearances.

They joined the Elven exodus to Nauo with the other Elves, and their courts now govern Momona and Haleonamo-o. They participate in the nation's governance in Ho'okama with the other subraces too. Eladrin are culturally diverse, and are the least likely to follow Serun's teachings, as they believe the natural world has more of an emotional connection than his logical approach can offer.

### High Elves

As mentioned earlier, High Elves were strong and overpowered the other elven races. High Elves were mainly responsible for actually setting up and running Ashur, trying to make a functional city. They value bureaucracy and intellect, using their keen minds to create institutions that benefit them and their kind. Pressured by the spirits of Stenfism, however, they now use their unique talents to aid other races, hoping to regain the spirits' favor.

### Sea Elves

Along the seas around Nauo reside the Sea Elves, Elves who fell in love with the waters rather than the lands. The Sea Elves are masterful craftsmen and navigators, though their intelligence is belayed by their overly relaxed attitude. They brought the other Elves across the sea between Mithja and Austur, an event that lead the other Elves on the continent to respect the Sea Elves. They now enjoy great freedom under the law, which they use to sail, swim, trade, and hang out along the coast.

There is a small drug trade network in the Sea Elf lands, though the drugs they sell are physically harmless and only serve to help the Elves relax. Other races may partake in the Sea Elf powders and potions, though with minimal effects. Only the other Elves are fully relaxed while using the Sea Elf drugs, which are harvested from a lotus that grows along river deltas in Nauo that's said to have roots that tap into the elemental plane of water.

### Shadar-Kai

The Shadar-Kai were unique in the Elves that emigrated to Nauo, as they chose to first search for a new home in the Shadowfell. The small party of Shadar-Kai that ventured to the Shadowfell first traversed the Underdark, narrowly escaping the Ilithid's domain. However, the party immediately realized their mistake, and spent a year searching for a way back to the Material Plane. However, their prolonged exposure to the Shadowfell has left them cursed to live their lives as elderly elves who appear consistently on the brink of death.

Shadar-Kai had a difficult time reincorporating into Elven society, and were originally exiled to Nauo's underdark where they lived amongst the Drow. However, even the Drow saw the Shadar-Kai as lesser Elves, and expelled them back to the surface. They turned to the Memory Collector, a powerful entity who granted the Shadar-Kai strength to rebel against the Elves. Once the Drow let the Shadar-Kai have their own territories and customs, the other Elves realized the mistake they made, as persecuting their own species was the reason they emigrated in the first place. The Shadar-Kai are now rare, but do enjoy the same legal and social benefits the other surface Elves enjoy.

### Wood Elves

The wood elves are quick and stealthy, with a keen mind honed to the forests. Unfortunately, there aren't dense woodlands on Austur, only a small, sparsely populated savanna. The wood elves make their homes in the savanna on the continent's northwest coast, and often join the sea elves on trips to Mithja just to spend time in the Tabaxi forest.

Many of the Wood Elves, however, are distrusting of other races. Their members of Nauo's government oppose immigration and trade with most other races, only liking those who are in tune with forests. Wood Elves value nature above all other phenomena, and thus also opposed the founding of Elven cities. They wished that the Elves stay in natural communes, like they do in the Feywild, rather than building intricate towns. Luckily for them, there are only three small cities on the continent.