Elves Overview
Elves Overview
by ByTheBurnside Sun Jul 22, 2018 7:03 pm
Summary
The Izeri, known colloquially as elves, are the oldest of the mortal races, and in many ways considered the most perfect. They were created by Lunira Voth in his own image, and the Human and Oric races would later both be based off of them.
Elves are often known for their capriciousness and often hedonistic personalities. Once, they ruled the world, but in the modern age their extended life cycle has reduced them to numbers incomparable to those of the Humans, Dwarves, Orics, and other races. Despite this they continue to be an active force in the world. There are several widely varying subraces of elves, but this section will only be covering the race as a whole, as well as a brief summary of some of the major subraces.
History
The Izeri, known colloquially as elves, are the oldest of the mortal races, and in many ways considered the most perfect. They were created by Lunira Voth in his own image, and the Human and Oric races would later both be based off of them. Despite once being a very unified race, they have long since fractured into several sub races. The most commonly known of these are the Quennar, the Si’Seni, the Liign, Brissar, Writtar, and Fey.
Elves are often known for their capriciousness and often hedonistic personalities, though these characteristics tend to be common only in elven youth. Once, they ruled most of the world, but in the Age Of Man, their extended life cycle has reduced them to numbers incomparable to those of the Humans, Dwarves, Orics, and other races. Despite this they continue to be an active force in the world. A large part of this is due to their latent knack for magic, high intelligence, and collective nature. While elves are very individualistic amongst themselves, they are incredibly capable of unification against common enemies. However, with their fracturing into various castes, the various elven kingdoms have often worked against each other, occasionally breaking out into open hostility such as in the War Of Sun’s Wrath.
During the late Age Of Legends, the race began to fracture into four main castes, based on ideology and temperament. The Quennar, known colloquially as Desert Elves or High Elves, are quite collectivist and see themselves as the rightful rulers of the world, or at the very least Riunda, which is its heart. The Si’Seni Elves, or Gray Elves are the descendants of the Izeri who remained in Si’Sen, even after it was wrought to rubble and cursed in the Age Of Chaos. The Si’Seni are understandably a very small group, dedicated wholly to the preservation of knowledge and history. The Liign Elves, known most commonly as Wood Elves, or Wild Elves, are a fairly xenophobic group of elves, whose only desire is to be left to their own devices, separate from the rest of the world in their sprawling forest empire of Bohsen.
In the early Age Of Man, a few more minor castes were formed, as the major castes began to develop into sub races. The Fey were a group of Si’Seni who abandoned their home, forsaking their duty to roam the world, from which they had been separated for nearly a millennium. During the War Of Sun’s Wrath, the main kingdom of the Brissar, Hoilioth, was torn assunder by the Quennar of Que’En’Coatle. The remaining Brissar were enslaved, though many fled to the jungles of Ken Rothul, or the caves of the Underway. A handful remained in their cursed home of the Autumnwood, though they tend to live most of their lives underground as well. The races that remained later became known as the Brissar and Writtar. The Brissar being those who were forced into slavery under the Quennar, though some live as nomads, and a few even live as citizens of the Quennic Empire. The Writtar were the elves who scattered to Ken Rothul and the Autumnwood. While still known as Writtar, the elves who fled to the underway slowly built their own vast underground empire, which lives primarily off of food stolen in surface raids. Due to their nature, these Writtar are known colloquially as the Starved.
When the First Covenant set out to create the new land of Kalentire, a significant portion of the Elves’ populations were the first to board the Arcs. In the face of impending destruction, the elves managed to work together remarkably well toward the founding of the Kalenti Empire, but in the coming years, as the horrors of the Age Of Chaos disappeared from memory, they devolved into racial division and religiosity. Many have speculated that the Kalenti Empire would still be around and strong in the current age if fewer elves had been invited.
Anatomy
Your typical elf is, as one might imagine, quite similar biologically to your typical human. There are, however, several important distinctions. Aside from obvious dermal and cosmetic differences, such as pointed ears and almond shaped eyes, elves also have stronger and more flexible bones, smaller hearts, and two brains. Although technically connected, these brains are smaller, but can function independently. Combined with elven metabolism, an elf is capable of recreating entire segments of their brain, preventing some conditions such as dementia, and occasionally allowing elves to recover from normally fatal wounds, such as taking an arrow through the eye, although not before spending several weeks or even months in a comatose state. In many cases, elves are also capable of regrowing minor body parts, such as eyes, fingers, ears, even entire hands in some cases. Elves are also nearly immune to scarring, and resistant to diseases which create cysts and sores such as Leprosy. The main glaring drawback to said metabolism is the resulting appetite. While humans can go perhaps months before starving, an elf is unlikely to last more than two weeks before starving to death.
Aside from these major differences, the various elven subraces all have a few differences in temperament and appearance. Wood elves stand about 5’ 5’’, with brown or blond hair and tan skin. Liign tend to have high emotional intelligence, and think incredibly fast, leading them to often be hot headed and irrational. Gray elves are the closest to the original Izeri, standing about 6’ 5’’, of a slim stature. Si’Senis are nearly immortal biologically, and have unfailing memories. They think rather slowly but are very intelligent, and rarely quick to action. Quennar are also quite close to the original Izeri, but of a slightly lesser height and longevity. Quennar also have quite durable skin, and can live far longer than your typical elf without food. Quennar are often quite arrogant, but rarely lie and are generally good natured. Brissar are nearly as short as Liign, with darker skin and curly hair. Due to centuries of slavery, Brissar have developed very hardy constitutions and dense muscles. Writtar tend to be very similar to wood elves physically, but are more calm minded, and often intermix with tribal human society. Starved have quite pale skin, due to them living underground, and pale, nearly white hair. Their eyes tend to be orange, yellow, or sometimes even red. The Fey could be easily mistaken for Si’Seni elves, although they are typically shorter, and many have adapted to fit their surrounding lands.
Culture
I will have to create a segment for each elven race later to go deeper into their culture, so for now I’m just making a brief description of overall elven mentality
By and large, elven culture is based around the idea that elves are the most perfect form of mortal life that can exist. The various castes were developed around ideologies based around this assumption. For example, the Quennar see themselves as natural conquerors and rulers, whereas in their early years the Brissar saw themselves as peacekeepers, often upholding their own form of law where it wasn’t invited. If there is any one characteristic all elves share, it is a focus on unity against outsiders, but also a focus on individualism and romanticism. Even the analytical Si’Seni are renowned for their poetry and music. However, elves as a whole are somewhat averse to mathematics and anything that deals in absolutes. Elven languages tend to be very context based, and most elves find it easier to understand people based on body language rather than precise lynguistics. Thus, elven art, even poetry is rarely written down, and interpreted very differently by each artist.
Government
By and large elves tend to shun the ideas of democracy and the republic entirely, although few human kingdoms even have adopted such ideas fully. With the exception of the Fey and dark elves, elves will almost inevitably organize themselves into kingdoms, with strict, but shifting caste systems and hierarchies. Even the Fey, Brissar, and Writtar tend to respond best to strong leadership, despite rarely coming together in groups larger than a thousand or so. In most elven societies, a single godlike king or emperor, usually one of extreme age and wisdom and with strong blood ties to past emperor's, rules over a council of high Lord's, each ruling a portion of the kingdom for himself. Unlike human society, where all land is considered the kings, and the Lord's only rule in his stead, elves tend to be wary of the concept of owning land. Most elven Lord's see themselves as owner only of their own Manors, castles, or other direct property, and as simple shepherds to the people living within the land they rule. Elves tend to shun precise laws, and often each Lord will interpret any written law as he sees fit at the moment.
Language
Each of the different elven subraces, and even some kingdoms within those races have their own languages, but all of those languages are evolutions of High Izeri, the first mortal language. High Izeri itself was tailored around a race of immortals, and no mortal would have the time or mental capacity to memorize the entire language, such is it’s complexity and lack of obvious logic. Some elven languages cling fairly close to the original language, and even the most simple elven language is seen as complicated to the lesser lived races. However, the elven languages are designed in a way that if one has a complete understanding of one language, they could understand most others on at least a basic level. The main thing these languages have in common is a context based nature (that meaning that the meaning of every word can vary based on the other words placed around it), and a form of complex yet comprehensive glyph like alphabet.
Architecture
Elven Architecture varies wildly based on the culture, subrace, and location, and thus must be handled one group at a time. However, most elven architecture tends to focus more on aesthetic and resistance to natural disaster, as few races would dare to try and siege an elven city.
Smithing And Jewelry
Across the different races, elven jewelry is widely considered to be the most beautiful. Wood Elves tend to iconize birds in their jewelry, often making it from magically warped stone, obsidian, wood and other natural but usually rare materials. Dark elves, particularly Kalenti elves, focus heavily on woodworking and lacquers. Don't be fooled by the seemingly inferior materials, however, as a Briissar Cherrywood Promise Ring is considered one of the most valuable pieces of widely produced jewelry out there. As could be expected, High elves have something of an obsession with gold, topaz, tigereye, and rubies, as they are all seen as visually similar to the sun, which the Quennar very much iconize. Fey and Si’Seni jewelry are often vastly different depending on the craftsman, but they particularly tend to enjoy intricate glassworking, pottery, and even paper working. Almost all Fey and Si’Seni jewelry is enchanted, so as to allow seemingly fragile things to bear remarkable resilience.
War And Tactics
I will have to create a segment for each elven race later to go deeper into their war and tactics, so keep an eye out for the subraces updates.
The Izeri, known colloquially as elves, are the oldest of the mortal races, and in many ways considered the most perfect. They were created by Lunira Voth in his own image, and the Human and Oric races would later both be based off of them.
Elves are often known for their capriciousness and often hedonistic personalities. Once, they ruled the world, but in the modern age their extended life cycle has reduced them to numbers incomparable to those of the Humans, Dwarves, Orics, and other races. Despite this they continue to be an active force in the world. There are several widely varying subraces of elves, but this section will only be covering the race as a whole, as well as a brief summary of some of the major subraces.
History
The Izeri, known colloquially as elves, are the oldest of the mortal races, and in many ways considered the most perfect. They were created by Lunira Voth in his own image, and the Human and Oric races would later both be based off of them. Despite once being a very unified race, they have long since fractured into several sub races. The most commonly known of these are the Quennar, the Si’Seni, the Liign, Brissar, Writtar, and Fey.
Elves are often known for their capriciousness and often hedonistic personalities, though these characteristics tend to be common only in elven youth. Once, they ruled most of the world, but in the Age Of Man, their extended life cycle has reduced them to numbers incomparable to those of the Humans, Dwarves, Orics, and other races. Despite this they continue to be an active force in the world. A large part of this is due to their latent knack for magic, high intelligence, and collective nature. While elves are very individualistic amongst themselves, they are incredibly capable of unification against common enemies. However, with their fracturing into various castes, the various elven kingdoms have often worked against each other, occasionally breaking out into open hostility such as in the War Of Sun’s Wrath.
During the late Age Of Legends, the race began to fracture into four main castes, based on ideology and temperament. The Quennar, known colloquially as Desert Elves or High Elves, are quite collectivist and see themselves as the rightful rulers of the world, or at the very least Riunda, which is its heart. The Si’Seni Elves, or Gray Elves are the descendants of the Izeri who remained in Si’Sen, even after it was wrought to rubble and cursed in the Age Of Chaos. The Si’Seni are understandably a very small group, dedicated wholly to the preservation of knowledge and history. The Liign Elves, known most commonly as Wood Elves, or Wild Elves, are a fairly xenophobic group of elves, whose only desire is to be left to their own devices, separate from the rest of the world in their sprawling forest empire of Bohsen.
In the early Age Of Man, a few more minor castes were formed, as the major castes began to develop into sub races. The Fey were a group of Si’Seni who abandoned their home, forsaking their duty to roam the world, from which they had been separated for nearly a millennium. During the War Of Sun’s Wrath, the main kingdom of the Brissar, Hoilioth, was torn assunder by the Quennar of Que’En’Coatle. The remaining Brissar were enslaved, though many fled to the jungles of Ken Rothul, or the caves of the Underway. A handful remained in their cursed home of the Autumnwood, though they tend to live most of their lives underground as well. The races that remained later became known as the Brissar and Writtar. The Brissar being those who were forced into slavery under the Quennar, though some live as nomads, and a few even live as citizens of the Quennic Empire. The Writtar were the elves who scattered to Ken Rothul and the Autumnwood. While still known as Writtar, the elves who fled to the underway slowly built their own vast underground empire, which lives primarily off of food stolen in surface raids. Due to their nature, these Writtar are known colloquially as the Starved.
When the First Covenant set out to create the new land of Kalentire, a significant portion of the Elves’ populations were the first to board the Arcs. In the face of impending destruction, the elves managed to work together remarkably well toward the founding of the Kalenti Empire, but in the coming years, as the horrors of the Age Of Chaos disappeared from memory, they devolved into racial division and religiosity. Many have speculated that the Kalenti Empire would still be around and strong in the current age if fewer elves had been invited.
Anatomy
Your typical elf is, as one might imagine, quite similar biologically to your typical human. There are, however, several important distinctions. Aside from obvious dermal and cosmetic differences, such as pointed ears and almond shaped eyes, elves also have stronger and more flexible bones, smaller hearts, and two brains. Although technically connected, these brains are smaller, but can function independently. Combined with elven metabolism, an elf is capable of recreating entire segments of their brain, preventing some conditions such as dementia, and occasionally allowing elves to recover from normally fatal wounds, such as taking an arrow through the eye, although not before spending several weeks or even months in a comatose state. In many cases, elves are also capable of regrowing minor body parts, such as eyes, fingers, ears, even entire hands in some cases. Elves are also nearly immune to scarring, and resistant to diseases which create cysts and sores such as Leprosy. The main glaring drawback to said metabolism is the resulting appetite. While humans can go perhaps months before starving, an elf is unlikely to last more than two weeks before starving to death.
Aside from these major differences, the various elven subraces all have a few differences in temperament and appearance. Wood elves stand about 5’ 5’’, with brown or blond hair and tan skin. Liign tend to have high emotional intelligence, and think incredibly fast, leading them to often be hot headed and irrational. Gray elves are the closest to the original Izeri, standing about 6’ 5’’, of a slim stature. Si’Senis are nearly immortal biologically, and have unfailing memories. They think rather slowly but are very intelligent, and rarely quick to action. Quennar are also quite close to the original Izeri, but of a slightly lesser height and longevity. Quennar also have quite durable skin, and can live far longer than your typical elf without food. Quennar are often quite arrogant, but rarely lie and are generally good natured. Brissar are nearly as short as Liign, with darker skin and curly hair. Due to centuries of slavery, Brissar have developed very hardy constitutions and dense muscles. Writtar tend to be very similar to wood elves physically, but are more calm minded, and often intermix with tribal human society. Starved have quite pale skin, due to them living underground, and pale, nearly white hair. Their eyes tend to be orange, yellow, or sometimes even red. The Fey could be easily mistaken for Si’Seni elves, although they are typically shorter, and many have adapted to fit their surrounding lands.
Culture
I will have to create a segment for each elven race later to go deeper into their culture, so for now I’m just making a brief description of overall elven mentality
By and large, elven culture is based around the idea that elves are the most perfect form of mortal life that can exist. The various castes were developed around ideologies based around this assumption. For example, the Quennar see themselves as natural conquerors and rulers, whereas in their early years the Brissar saw themselves as peacekeepers, often upholding their own form of law where it wasn’t invited. If there is any one characteristic all elves share, it is a focus on unity against outsiders, but also a focus on individualism and romanticism. Even the analytical Si’Seni are renowned for their poetry and music. However, elves as a whole are somewhat averse to mathematics and anything that deals in absolutes. Elven languages tend to be very context based, and most elves find it easier to understand people based on body language rather than precise lynguistics. Thus, elven art, even poetry is rarely written down, and interpreted very differently by each artist.
Government
By and large elves tend to shun the ideas of democracy and the republic entirely, although few human kingdoms even have adopted such ideas fully. With the exception of the Fey and dark elves, elves will almost inevitably organize themselves into kingdoms, with strict, but shifting caste systems and hierarchies. Even the Fey, Brissar, and Writtar tend to respond best to strong leadership, despite rarely coming together in groups larger than a thousand or so. In most elven societies, a single godlike king or emperor, usually one of extreme age and wisdom and with strong blood ties to past emperor's, rules over a council of high Lord's, each ruling a portion of the kingdom for himself. Unlike human society, where all land is considered the kings, and the Lord's only rule in his stead, elves tend to be wary of the concept of owning land. Most elven Lord's see themselves as owner only of their own Manors, castles, or other direct property, and as simple shepherds to the people living within the land they rule. Elves tend to shun precise laws, and often each Lord will interpret any written law as he sees fit at the moment.
Language
Each of the different elven subraces, and even some kingdoms within those races have their own languages, but all of those languages are evolutions of High Izeri, the first mortal language. High Izeri itself was tailored around a race of immortals, and no mortal would have the time or mental capacity to memorize the entire language, such is it’s complexity and lack of obvious logic. Some elven languages cling fairly close to the original language, and even the most simple elven language is seen as complicated to the lesser lived races. However, the elven languages are designed in a way that if one has a complete understanding of one language, they could understand most others on at least a basic level. The main thing these languages have in common is a context based nature (that meaning that the meaning of every word can vary based on the other words placed around it), and a form of complex yet comprehensive glyph like alphabet.
Architecture
Elven Architecture varies wildly based on the culture, subrace, and location, and thus must be handled one group at a time. However, most elven architecture tends to focus more on aesthetic and resistance to natural disaster, as few races would dare to try and siege an elven city.
Smithing And Jewelry
Across the different races, elven jewelry is widely considered to be the most beautiful. Wood Elves tend to iconize birds in their jewelry, often making it from magically warped stone, obsidian, wood and other natural but usually rare materials. Dark elves, particularly Kalenti elves, focus heavily on woodworking and lacquers. Don't be fooled by the seemingly inferior materials, however, as a Briissar Cherrywood Promise Ring is considered one of the most valuable pieces of widely produced jewelry out there. As could be expected, High elves have something of an obsession with gold, topaz, tigereye, and rubies, as they are all seen as visually similar to the sun, which the Quennar very much iconize. Fey and Si’Seni jewelry are often vastly different depending on the craftsman, but they particularly tend to enjoy intricate glassworking, pottery, and even paper working. Almost all Fey and Si’Seni jewelry is enchanted, so as to allow seemingly fragile things to bear remarkable resilience.
War And Tactics
I will have to create a segment for each elven race later to go deeper into their war and tactics, so keep an eye out for the subraces updates.
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