Elfkin

**Elfkin** is a term which applies to a group of closely related hominid species, who superficially resemble Humans in appearance but are actually less related to them than Orcs. Compared to Humans, Elfkin are generally characterised by a tall, slender and gracile build, pointed ears and slanted eyes. Psychologically, Elfkin are frequently more intelligent than Humans but have more intense emotional states. The Elfkin are best known for their ability to interact with the Magestream to wield magic, when such a thing was possible.

The extant Elfkin species are the Elves (*Elva Elva*), Black Elves (*Elva Niger*), Sand Elves (*Elva Aridus*), Librarians (*Elva Scholasticus*) and Vampires (*Elva Sanguis*). Dark Elves (*Alaselva Tenebris*) and Gold Elves (*Alaselva Aurum*) were also Elfkin, but have now become extinct - though there is limited evidence that some Dark Elves may have survived in the Dreadlands. The extinct Wind Elves were also Elfkin, though it remains debated whether they were a distinct race of Elfkin or merely a culturally distinct nation of Elves. Harpies (*Pennahomo Karaa*) are not Elfkin, but do superficially resemble them in some respects, and were also historically able to wield magic.

Some Elfkin can breed with each other, but only some specific combinations will result in fertile children. Elves and Sand Elves are the only two Elfkin species that can breed together without any issue and produce healthy, fertile and generally normal children - a consequence of the two races being very genetically similar, to such a point that some taxonomists argue they should be considered as sub-species of each other rather than entirely different species. It is unknown whether or not Librarians can breed with any other Elfkin because there are no recorded cases of this ever happening; Librarians are generally very reclusive as a society and are only legally permitted to marry and have children with other Librarians.

## Terminology

The distinction between "Elf" and "Elfkin" is an innovation of the Elves - that is, the ones simply known as Elves, the inhabitants of Saveria and Eshér. The other Elfkin races use the term "Elf" not to denote a specific type of Elfkin, but the Elfkin as a whole, hence the names they give themselves. For example, Black Elves referring to themselves as *Buyanau* (Black-Elves) and Nesarian Vampires referring to themselves as *Liyeva* (Blood-Elves) refers to them being a type of Elfkin rather than a variant of Elf.

Accordingly, other Elfkin do not refer to Elves merely as "Elves", but have names in line with their own conventions. Black Elves refer to them as Pink Elves or White Elves, Sand Elves call them White Elves, and both Roulonnais Vampires and Librarians refer to them as Water Elves - as did the extinct Dark Elves. Nesarian Vampires refer to them with their nation of origin - as Eshérian Elves or Saverian Elves - rather than with physical characteristics.

It is almost certain that the Elves once had a similar name for themselves that referred to their characteristics, but this was eventually dropped and they came to refer to themselves simply as Elves. This distinction must have happened before the great separation of the Elves into Eshérians and Saverians, since it happened in both societies and was already a linguistic quirk of the Eshérians when they migrated to Nesaria.

What the original name for the Elves was is completely unknown, and all suggestions are based on mere conjecture - though the most popular conjecture is that it may be related to the word Eshér, and the term Eshérian (*Eshérai*) may be a remnant of the original Elvish name. This does not provide much clarity, since the etymology of Eshér is itself highly debated; it may be cognate with Saverian *ashei* (a woodland with many flowers) or with Eshérian *essa* (woodland or light forest), in turn possibly leading to the original name of the Elves being something close to "Woodland Elves" - but Eshér could easily not have any relation to these two words.