High Elf

**Mír-Hína**, also known as **High Elves**, are regarded as the more prestigious amongst the Elven species due to their beauty, natural wisdom and foresight. Most of the powerful mages in Terazanian history have been High Elves, some of which were gifted the ability of being seers. It is believed that High Elves originated at the same time as the **Dragonkiin**, hundreds of thousands of years before the dawn of mankind, and that they are the true residents of **Coedór.**

The High Elves of Terazan originate from a city known as **Ethuilmen**, an island-wide haven based upon the **Lunar Isles** to the east of the **Heartlands**. It is known to be perpetually in the spring season, with flowers blooming and luscious green leaves blossoming from each tree that rests upon the island. Some believe that the reason that the Lunar Isles does not experience the other seasons is due to the magical affinity the High Elves have, which wards off the effects of the cold and the extreme heat of nature.

## Physiology

Mír-Hína are radiant creatures, reflecting the purity and grace of the world. As a personification of the arcane and mystic elements of the world, Elves differ from that of their mortal counterparts. When addressing a Mír-Hínan it is not their body which is referred to, but their soul - known in Elvish as a **Fëa**. The Fëa is a spirit which will inhabit a new body at the time of its birth and transcends the mortal plane.

By their first year within the living plane, a Mír-Hínan child can speak, walk, and dance. It is not uncommon for an Elf to be far wiser than their age would indicate, at least to a mortal, as their minds develop exponentially quicker than that of their physical bodies. An Elf will typically complete physical puberty by the age of fifty, which commonly tends to be the age that they will stop developing physically, although an elf is not considered to be an “adult” until at least one hundred years have passed.

Their physical bodies develop at a slower rate than that of a human, with an Elf appearing physically the same as a seven year-old child well into their twenties. Though they appear as that of children, to assume that they are of the same mind would be an incredible mistake. Mír-Hínan are thought to be twice as wise as their actual age may indicate, reasoning that even an early twenty year old may have the same pool of wisdom that a middle-aged human might.

### Birth

When a Mír-Hína is born into the world, they are presented with a crystal orb on their first day. This crystal orb will bind itself to the Fëa, and transform itself into a trinket called an **Elessar Stone**, known in common tongue as an **Elfstone**. This trinket is what will grant the Mír-Hínan their immortality, and will store star light within it to symbolise their radiance: known as **Lifelight**. Once the Elessar Stone is bound, the Mír-Hínan Fëa will take on its physical form.

### After Life

When a High Elf has reached the end of their time on Coedór, providing their Elfstone is still intact, they will travel to the **Bright Veils** - an ancient realm for Elven spirits to live in until the end of the world. They will travel there by a special boat made of pure radiant silver and light that will sail East beyond the horizons of the world. The journey, whilst not fully documented by the Elves, is believed to take approximately one year and then once reaching the Bright Veils an Elf may choose whether they wish to be reincarnated or rest.

When reincarnated, an Elf will be required to spend several lifetimes in the Bright Veils to reflect on their previous life and become reconditioned by the natural good of the Bright Veils before they are allowed to return to Coedór. This process takes significantly longer if the spirit committed an evil act in their previous life, as the darkness needs to be purged. Once the Elf is ready, their Fëa will be sent back to a newborn with next to no memory of their former life as they will likely have forgotten their old self whilst reflecting in the Bright Veils.

If however an Elf chooses to rest in the Bright Veils once they arrive, they will wait within the Halls of Feinhith until the end of the world comes to pass. A High Elf who has had their Elfstone bled of Lifelight will suffer the mortal fate and befall the judgement of the Gods of Men.

## Culture

As immortal beings Mír-Hínan did not have the pressures of a short mortal life effecting their choices. They had no time-limit other than that which they set themselves, and they had very few diseases which could pose a danger to their lives. Due to this they chose to live a very endearing and pascifistic life in Ethuilmen, resonating deeply with the natural magic and powers of the world and drawing their lessons from the wisdom of others.

### Sexuality, Marriage, and Parenthood

Mír-Hína marry for love and no other reason; believing that their souls (or **Fëa**) are predestined to lie with another from their first day across all of their incarnations. Typically marriage occurs in the early life of an Elf, sometime around their physical maturity. By their very nature Elves are incredibly unlikely to be polyamorous or be swayed by temptations of lust. They marry only once, since Elves are by nature permanent in life within Coedór, as is their marriage to another.

As they are bound to the soul of another, spouses may choose each other, in their youth, long before they are married and be betrothed. They betrothal is subjected to parental approval from both houses unless the parties are of age and intend to marry soon. Depending on the government rule, Elves may be prevented from marrying by their parents until their one-hundredth year *or* they may choose to do so freely so long as they find their destined Fëa. Betrothal is symbolised by each of the Elves wearing a Mithril ring which is provided by their parents, typically the mother.

Marriage is celebrated at a feast between the two houses. The spouses return their betrothal rings, which are kept as a symbol of their devotion to one another, and receive slender golden rings which are worn upon the index finger of the right hand. During the ceremony, the two exchange a short poem as a testimony to their unity, and their lives are joined forever more. It was typical for newly-wed Elves to partake in sexual acts, which were seen as an extremely special union of love, as it is was considered as delightful and as joyful as the love that enabled it.

Should the wife fall pregnant as a result of these sexual encounters, the new-parents shall be awoken by a particularly bright star in the night sky, which shall descend from the sky to their window, indicating that a new Elven life is to be created. The two Elves will place their hands on top of one anothers, and the star light will flow through their bodies where it will fester and lay dormant for one year.

On the final day of the pregnancy, a ceremony will be held to commemorate the birth of the new Mír-Hínan child. Dressed in pure white garments the mother and father will stand within a decorated vineyard, whereby they may be alone or with a few to many friends and family. The mother and father will hold out their palms out afront them whilst facing each other, and the starlight growing inside of them will flow out through their fingertips and materialise a humanoid-shape of pure starlight. This is considered the birth of a Mír-Hínan.

### Mír-Hínan Families

Typically surnames were passed down through the children of a family, showing their lineage and to an extent their destiny. As generations passed, specific families became well known for their particular affinities and connections to sects of existence - from writers to students of the arcane.

An elf’s name is typically made up of their first name and their surname with *-Nún* appended to the end - meaning “born”. For example: *Delímel Cadheall-Nún*