Elf

Elves, or Aen Seidhe in the Aenesian tongue, are a species of humanoids who have a natural affinity for magic. They possess a long, slender figure and a pointy ear that allows them to hear the faintest of noises. Unlike the elder races of Meraketh, the elves are a relatively young race. In a cataclysmic event known as the First Binding, the Elves came into the world on ships made of white wood. Since then, they have greatly altered the politics of Erdesia, cementing the Hallowed Lands as their own.

## Overview

### Biology

Upon analysis, an Elf is a similar to a human, but there are a number of differences, mainly their build. Elves tend to be taller and slimmer, averaging at around 195 centimetres for males and 187 for females. They also possess a pointed ear, which allows them to hear noises more clearly and effectively. However, one of the most interesting traits of Elven biology is their long lifespans. The Binding occurred in 300th year of the Third Age -- six hundred years before the Second Binding -- yet, in some areas, there are elves who remember landing on the shores of Erdesia. However, despite this, it appears that only a select few elves retained the memories of their past lives, and those that do remember have mysteriously vanished over the ages.

Internally, Elven biology is very different. While they do share similarities to the internal organs possessed by man, elves have an additional two organs -- the Omophogea and the Ambriosa gland. The Omophogea gland lets the user to relive the memories of a creature by tasting -- or consuming -- their blood and/or flesh. This gland essentially allows the elf to gain knowledge by consuming flesh. The Ambriosa gland can be described as the 'third kidney', responsible for the production of mana-infused blood. Thus, unlike the elder races, the Elves have a greater degree of control over their magic.

It is often said that, if given the opportunity, Elvenkind would surpass all the other races in less than a millennia. Unfortunately for Elven supremacists, they are hindered by their biology. For some inexplicable reason, the fertility rate for pure-blooded elves are very low. However, when paired with a human partner, the elf's fertility rate is significantly higher. As such, the number of half-elves have skyrocketed in recent decades while the number of pure-blooded elves continue to decrease due to a multitude of reasons from polgroms to disease.

### Culture

As most of the Elven migrants who landed on Erdesia did not have any recollections of their lives before the First Binding, the Elves quickly adapted the local Athuran culture as their own. Nevertheless, there were those who retained their memories, though most of them were in their twilight years, only years away from their deaths. However, death did not deter those few individuals. A year after the first Elven ships made landfall, a triumvirate emerged from the discord of the newly-established villages across the Leonia Bay. They fashioned themselves as monarchs, and they claimed they were sent by God to guide Elvenkind in their new world.

One of the most well-known Elven custom is the Sanguinine, a ritual that involves drinking the blood of deceased elves so that their blood is pure when they cross the Great Divide.

Due to the lack of any knowledge regarding their past religion, the Elves adopted Solarism as their main religion, with a number of revisions. They revere nature as an extension of the Sun God, hence the ludicrous amounts of statues spread across the Hallowed Lands. However, in recent years there has been a shift on the perception of Solarism in Elven society. An Elven prophet, Aedwen, foretold the return of Aurelius in the Time of Ending, when the White Frost returns to exact its revenge against all of Elvenkind. The movement, known as Aenesytism, has gained massive popularity throughout the Anosian Empire, with the Emperor himself endorsing the conversion of the empire to follow the tenets of Aenesytism. As such, the Aenesyte Church in Tol Anosia is considered a heresy by the other two churches of Solarism