High Elf

## Gold Elves

**The Gold Elves** or **High Elves** are currently the rarest race of elves on Mundanus, their population becoming nearly extinct in the War of Light and Dark of 705 IC which took place between the gold elves and the dark elves.

The gold elves are considered by many as the masters of magic. They have always been seen as wise and intelligent, but also as arrogant and haughty, though the majority of gold elves would never admit this, saying that those who say so are just impetuous and envious of high elf power.

Many times in the course of history, the gold elves have declared that they will shut themselves off from the world to reflect inwardly as a society to perfect themselves, just as the wood elves do. However, every time, they have failed, becoming involved with imperial or racial politics some way or another. The last time they did this was just over half a century ago, when they lost a brutal war with the dark elves which nearly wiped them out. While Elias remains standing, it is estimated that there are maybe between 500 to 1,000 gold elves left within the The Empire, with no other major settlements in the rest of the world.

## Racial Relations

### Humans

"*Why do you attach yourself to this human, child? Will you sit around and watch as a dozen of their generations die before you even grow old?*"
―a gold elf father to their daughter who had taken a human lover. Gold elves see humans as young, brash and overly ambitious. They see generations of humans rush about their lives, scrambling to reach a sense of fulfillment before they die having achieved very little. They see a human's short life span as a weakness that makes them violent and stubborn, rejecting high elf wisdom wherever they would give it. In their opinion, the humans deserve what they get.

In truth, it is just as likely that the high elves are at fault for the way elves are treated by the majority of humans, as their arrogance in the past has lead to deteriorating relations between the two races.

### Dwarves

"*Just imagine! That hairy corpulent oaf putting their grubby fingerprints all over the fine arts of Queen Maeve! Scandalous!*"
―Overheard by a guest at an elven dinner party. The high elves and the dwarves perhaps have the worst relations. They believe that the dwarves are an uncouth rabble of fools that have only survived through luck. They are unexpressive with no art, they are dull conversationalists and their humour is crude. Their food is full of grease and most of all, why would one drink a bitter ale over a fine Eliasan wine?

Throughout history, the gold elves have always tried to "help" the dwarves, offering magic and supercilious advice, often angering the stout folk. The dwarves believe they can keep themselves safe, and the gold elves believe that belief as utter tripe.

### Elves

"*Our cousins. They are all misguided. We will show them the path to betterment. To perfection.*"
―Queen Maeve Faerilyrmor to her troops before the battle of five paths.
#### Wood Elves

The wood elves are perhaps the only race of elf that the gold elves view as reasonable, given their close proximity. The wood elves always strive for isolation, though they will not often refuse high elf advice on their isolation and path to betterment when it is offered. As such, the high elves believe that the wood elves will ultimately fail to perfect themselves, though many individuals within the gold elf race will defend the wood elves if insulted in such a way by outsiders.

#### White Elves

The gold elves believe the white elves to be savages, incapable of subtlty and finer arts, given their average ineptitude when it comes to magic. They do not see their cousins' bestial nature as a threat, more as an annoying habit that should be beaten out of them.

#### Dark Elves

There is nothing the gold elves hate more than a dark elf. The two races have been at each other's throats since the two races arrived in mundanus. When a brutal plague hit the drow, the gold elves laughed, stating that it was the gods' punishment for their evil ways. Shortly after these statements, the drow marched to war, nearly wiping the gold elves from existance in doing so.

### Tieflings

"*Oh, an infernal. How \*wonderful.\* Who should put it out of its misery? Shall I? Or do you want the honours?*"
―A high elf soldier to his colleague upon discovering an abandoned tiefling teenager. The high elves have considered infernal magic as a curse, and by extension tieflings. They believe that tieflings are in constant suffering, and in killing them, they are ridding the world of a stain it could do without.

## Notable High Elves

* Esdaoine Faerylirmore
* Aerie Goldleaf
* Elif Sylvaris
* Céannon Ashcrest
* Elfis Presley