Elves

Elves are one of the Mortal Races that inhabit the continent of Zyreema. They can be found few and far between all over the continent and beyond, but the vast majority of them inhabit the Kingdom of the Green Vale.

## Profile

### Physiology:

At a casual glance, a person might confuse them with a Human, but their characteristically sleek physiques and pointed ears set them apart physically and make it nigh-impossible to confuse one race for the other. They were created with blessings of long lifespans, a natural grace, and exceedingly sharp eyesight. Their natural predisposition towards Magic has somewhat waned over the generations, as most modern Elves favor using tools and weapons that make use of their natural agility.

### Demeanor:

Cool and collected. Dignified and respectable. These are the qualities that are exemplified in the culture of Elves. They are taught from an early age that showing outward signs of negative emotions (anger, sadness, etc.) is frowned upon as it shows a lack of self-control and personal discipline.

Because of a combination of all these, Elf as a whole tend to be viewed as very "aloof" or "haughty" by some of the other Races.

### Naming Conventions:

Elves put quite a lot of importance on names. Until they reach adulthood they are called by a childhood name. Once they gain their adult name they might be given or even take another to represent some great accomplishment they had in life. Family names could gain additional words based on some deed preformed by ancestors. To make a mistake or mispronounce an Elf name is considered a very rude action that belittles their family and history (which can get very troublesome at times due to venerable Elven families having names which are easily half a dozen or more words long).

Likewise, the action of discarding some (or all) of your name, has significant cultural meaning to Elves (as it is tantamount to tossing away part of Elven history).

Scholars debate whether this practice came before or after the similar Dwarven naming tradition (with a majority of Elven historians being adamant on how the **Elves** are being imitated by the Dwarves).

### Diet:

Elves prefer to eat in moderation and try to stay away from heavy or greasy foods. The majority of them prefer a fruit and vegetable based diet while some of them outright don't even eat meat.

## Culture and Society

### The Woold Elves of the Green Vale

The Elven Kingdom rarely meddles in international affairs except for trade caravans and diplomatic envoys. Within the borders of their forest they live in harmony with nature. As a consequence of this lifestyle they don't mine metal and they view modern Wizardry with suspicion. This is also in part due to their history, as many see the way of life of their ancestors (and their subsequent fall) as something they must avoid imitating at all costs.

Woodrunners, Rangers and Druids guard the borders and mercilessly eradicate anybody who threatens this peace. Only when their hit-and-run tactics fail and the cities hidden inside the Green Vale are threatened do the elves form a more conventional army. This happened only three times in the last five centuries and has never ended well for the would-be conqueror.

Their isolationist behavior is mostly due to **King Inios**. Although the majority of wood elves are fiercely loyal to him, a faction lead by his son, **Prince Meandor**, has been arguing for decades to take a more active role in the world and take the fight to the Keepers.

### Elf Enclaves and City Elves

Not all Elves are living in the Green Vale. Many families have mingled with the Good races and settled down within the borders of other nations where they are typically welcome. It is not uncommon to meet Elves in any one of the bigger human city who have adopted the local way of life. Typically these Elves see themselves more as citizens of whatever country they live in (Galandian's or Summarians for instance) than citizens of the Green Vale. Due to their long lifespan and the experience and wisdom that come with it, it is not uncommon for these immigrants to become famous local figures.

## Dark Elves

Dark Elves are the corrupted descendants of a faction that separated itself from the rest millennia ago shortly after the Dark Gods first came to this world.

Their Underworld Cities are breeding places for intrigue and indirect power struggles, and even commoners take part in the Game of Houses, doing everything to increase their reputation and social standing. The losers of these "games" often end up as slaves or dead.

They have no craftsmen, only artisans with a tendency for perfectionism, meaning that their work is often expensive "art" (with a corrupted sens of art) but suffers in functionality.

Pride and arrogance, see other mortal races as inferior, especially greenskinns.