High Elf

A High Elf Male, King Argiliac II

### Distinctions

Tall stature, physical beauty, pointed ears, longevity, superior physical prowess

### Members

King Argiliac II, Arianne West

**High Elves**, alternatively called "Hrow," are a species that hail from the far-northern paradise of Brecilidia, and are believed to be the most favored of Aradia's children. They are immensely beautiful to look upon, graceful in their manner, unsurpassed in both martial and intellectual pursuits. They live longer on average than any other species; their last great king, Argiliac II, was almost a thousand years old and looked no older than 30. High Elven blood and ancestry is prized above that of all other species, for their characteristics are easily inheritable. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a great deal of elitism among the species, a concern with the "sullying" of bloodlines wherein any interbreeding with a different species renders the offspring lesser--thus the term "Common Elf" or "Half-Elf" has become common parlance among members of the High Elven race who often believe themselves to be superior to the others. A great deal of religious belief, including Aradianism and the Order of the Seven Suns, portray the High Elves as being the progenitor species in reflection of this.

This isolationist conservatism coupled with a drive towards racial superiority, perhaps, is to blame for the gradual decline of the High Elven peoples; their last great kingdom fell before 700AE with the death of King Argiliac, brought down by an alliance between Houses Blackthorne and Knox. There are increasingly few "pure-blooded" High Elves in existence, but their bloodlines remain strong in the Thunderlands thanks to the Stormlords--House Karhall is composed of Brecilidian defectors among both its nobility and servants, the High Elven characteristics show strongly in the members of House Blackthorne. With the high rate of emigration from Brecilidia modern High Elves are considered a dispossesed people--though they still have a strong belief in their own superiority, and will leap at any chance to reclaim their old glory.

While not necessarily innate mages, the fate of the Hrow is tied into the current state of magic in the world--the farther that the Void recedes, the more prone they are to early death and disease, and the more reduced their innate lifespans become. As of 1086AE, with the Void having been closed for decades & following the Brecilidian War, the species is considered in a state of near-extinction.

## Biology

High Elves appear very similar to humans, but are distinguishable in several ways. Created definitively by intelligent design and through magic as opposed to the "mundane" evolution of humans, their unusual biology is enabled through thaumaturgical means, and at turns resembles that of typical mammals while also differing in key respects. Intended originally to live in trees, the elven form thus has a primate-like base shape. Their muscular and skeletal density is compacted in upon itself in such a way that they appear to have slender and rangy limbs that are unusually strong while also being physically lighter than humans or dwarfs. Their hands and feet appear to superficially resemble that of a regular human's, but have an unusual thick-skinned texture on the palms and soles similar to that of a cat's paws, giving them a higher level of grip to surfaces as well as proving harder to damage than even that of most primates. The bone structure also distributes weight in such a way that elves can walk unaffected over deep snow or mud. They have a high resistance to low temperatures and can survive easily in subzero conditions; they have some resistance to heat as well, appearing less affected by the burns and dehydration that can plague other races in desert atmospheres.

Elven reproduction functions similarly to the mammalian process of humans, but differs for females in the functioning of its menstrual cycle, which is affected at will as opposed to an endless cycle until menopause. Upon ovulation, the Hrow female appears to suffer no side effects from the process such as the typical pains and hormonal imbalances that affect human females. Elven pregnancy lasts nine months, and the birthing process is noted to be easier than for humans, owing to the elf's higher level of muscular control. Upon birth, the Elf develops physically slightly faster than humans--they are often able to walk within days of birth, but thereafter develop and hit adolescence at roughly the same rate as humans, and are considered fully mature adults at 18 years of age. After a point in their maturity, they are noted for aging very slowly, if at all; a pureblood Hrow can appear "young" for thousands of years. It is unknown if a High Elf can be truly considered immortal, but they do not appear to die of old age,

The most distinguishing feature common to all Elves, including Hrow, are their ears--which are larger and more complex structures than those of other terrestrial species, and more resemble the ears of a cat or deer than they resemble a typical primate species. Their ears are long, tapered, and pointy-tipped, with additional muscles at the base allowing for additional movement; their positioning can often reflect the elf's current mood, such as flattening back against the head when the hrow is angered, or cocking upwards when curious. Their internal structure is also much more complex, granting them detailed hearing at range similar to a bat's sonar; despite this their hearing appears to be no more of a weak point than it is for regular humans, as it is not "more sensitive," only more advanced. Their eyes are larger than those of other terrestrial species, again with more complex internal structures. This grants them superior vision in dark areas, and also functions similar to a bird of prey's range, allowing them to make out details at a greater distance. There is nothing to suggest that their senses of touch, taste and smell are superior to that of other races.

## Society & Culture

High Elves are skilled warriors, known for pioneering the use of bladed weapons and bows. However they are more known as craftsmen. Elven smithing is considered the finest in the known world; their secretive, magically-influenced practices of working stone and wood and metal produce goods of unsurpassed quality. Their armour and weapons are prized the world over. Their architecture is also unusual in comparison to the civilizations that came after them, based around trees and vertical scaling, tall pointed towers. They use pykrete as a building material, a dense mix of wood pulp and ice, giving rise to their distinctive "ice palaces."

Hrow dress is also unusual. They tend to wear little clothing, unaffected by the low temperatures of the homeland, though they are known to wear drapes and robes over their attire when venturing abroad in line with other culture's sensibilities. Many also choose to forego the use of footwear as their unusual paw-like soles do not require protection from rough terrain, and standard human footwear can also impede their climbing and acrobatics in combat situations. Hair is often worn long, for all genders.

Before 1086AE, their society is organized along feudal lines, though their notions of nobility are notably distinct from younger races. As part of their beliefs, Hrow consider themselves to be divinely superior to other races, but not individually superior among their own number. They thus do not believe in the sovereign right of certain Elves to rule over others. Their society is still organized in such a way that some serve in menial roles such as farmers or chimney-sweeps out of necessity, but these roles are highly mobile, and can change greatly over the course of their long lives. There is no direct noble caste among the High Elves, with the wealth mainly being concentrated among the merchants and craftsmen; their political leadership is based on a system of elections with High Kings chosen rather than through inheriting their title, a method that would later be mimicked in part by the Aradian Parliament of 1077AE. Pinched constantly by outside interference, there is little infighting between classes for status, though those who tend to succeed the most are the more manipulative and machiavellian individuals who use methods more in common with the human empires. In line with this, the more equitable High Elf society is not considered superior to those of other races because their governance and decision-making processes are much more lethargic and bureaucratic than that of more autocratic societies, which (arguably) has resulted in their slower development as well as their ability to be outpaced by their faster-organized opponents.

## Trivia

Based most closely upon the Elves of the Dragon Age franchise, and also upon the Elves of Larian's Divinity franchise. In terms of their appearance and physicality, the intention was to make them similar to (and attractive to) humans, while also giving them a distinctively alien/animalistic quality to distinguish them from merely being "older humans with pointy ears" that some fantasy universes portray them as.