Elf

Elves are among one of the races that inhabit Arkadell. They are known for their beautiful and tall build.

Biology
Typical Age: 260 years for a seasoned elf; though, depending on lifestyle and circumstances, this number can go well beyond this average.

Average size: 6'4", 140 lbs (MPM changes should make your character lithe and tall, less than a head over most normal humans.)

Average Appearance: Elves are a beautiful people, at least by most standards. Elven builds are tall, lithe, and often paled. Elven posture is tall and refined, and their bodies usually well-shaped to whatever they dedicate their long lives to. Elven accents are usually very similar, much like their faces. Elven lineages with differences are quite easy to pick out.

Skills: The elves' greatest strength short of their most basic grace and beauty would be their long lives. Elves often dedicate themselves fully to one thing; whether it be military prowess, bookkeeping, or spellcasting; whatever an elf chooses as their art will be honed and learned to an incredible degree. This is why most magically inclined people tend to be of Elven descent.

Disadvantage: Elves fall short in many things; their refined upbringings usually leave them vacant of social grace in the outside the elven community, and unless they dedicate themselves to it they are usually lacking in physical strength. Elves are also known for their difficulties with integrating into communities and alien personalities.

Elves: The Beginning
The four original races were borne from the hubris of ancient beings, their ways of life shaped by the quarrels of The Old Ones. The elves, a majestic race of slender intellectuals, are no different. From the moment they were brought into being by Thelo, an old god of magic and will, the elves harbored a divine right to rule over the natural world, and so they did. In their earliest years, elves were little more than skilled hunters. Highly dexterous and expeditious, they were creatures of the woodlands and nimble warriors of the dense jungle canopy, an extension of nature itself. However, elves were created to adapt and solve the most complex of problems. Thus, they learned the ways of nature, learned its every sway and sigh, and eventually, through great study, harnessed its raw power, the art of magic. With mystic forces at their aid, elves took on more scholarly pursuits, becoming great philosophers as well as highly skilled rangers of the forest. Nothing, it seemed, could stand in their way, not even the natural world, for they had gathered all that it had to offer. However, as time passed, the elves were forced to expand their lands, to create a powerful empire, and to harden into creatures whose physical features, though beautiful and fair, masked a desire to rule. This awareness marked the beginning of the Elven Empire, the largest nation in Arkadell.

Elwein: The Elven Homeland
A centre of natural beauty, blessed by the light of Thelo, Elwein is the homeland of the elves and the pinnacle of elven activity. Elwein is a continent populated by harsh terrain of a different nature. Filled to the brim with life, the high peaking mountains and dense jungles make it difficult to populate the mainland. Hence, the elves tend to congregate around the coastal flatlands of the continent, where trade and commerce are abundant. It is here on Elwein, and more specifically in Tel’Ithanni, the capital of Elwein, where the elves first created their system of government, a monarchy headed by a High King. And though the High King is to rule over all the Elven Empire, several smaller tribes and villages are less influenced by outside authority.

For years, the Elven Empire knew no war, no strife, and all throughout the First Age, Elwein knew only peace. It was magical, in the most literal sense. The High King was a kind and benevolent ruler, whose subjects were governed quite leniently all throughout the First Age. However, as High King came and went, and as the borders of the Elven Empire stretched throughout Arkadell, expansion was an idea held with increasingly high regard, and each passing King grew in his greed and desire to rule over the entirety of Arkadell. Thus, during the Second Age, elven expansion rose to an all time high, leading to the creation of several city-states on Elwein’s neighboring continents. The High King at the time, Orodreth Ithanni, set his sights on the continent of Asmalur, and sent several ships to the Eastern Sea to begin expanding on that side of Asmalur, having already taken land in and around the southern borders. (Stagnum) This, however, would prove fatal to the Elven Empire, and would halt their expansion into Asmalur for a short while.

The Great War: The Elves Greatest Loss
In 1425 of the Second Age, Orodreth’s forces seized control of Kazian ships in a surprise attack on the Eastern Sea. Orodreth, believing that Kaza would be too shocked by his attack to effectively retaliate, continued his siege on the eastern border of Asmalur, hoping to overtake Kaza and expand his Empire to all of Asmalur. Not only this, but Orodreth received news that dwarves had also begun a siege on Kaza, and while he had no intention of forming any sort of alliance with the darves of the Western Mountains, he was nonetheless pleased to have aid in fighting against Kazian forces. However, Orodreth underestimated the power of the Kazian military, and elven forces were forced back from the borders of Kaza, and eventually back into the Great Sea, where they were defeated.

This was a great loss to the Elven Empire, as many resources had been placed into winning the war. For a short time, Orodreth went into isolation, considering his options. During this period, roughly a year after the Great War, the economy of Elwein grew poor, and trade with other nations grew weak. Orodreth, during this period, realized that he could not make such decisions alone, and that he required several advisors in order to come to complete decisions on important matters. Thus, the Elven Council was put into motion. A basic overview of Elven Politics is as follows: Elves are ruled by the High King, who appoints members to the Elven Council. Officially speaking, the High King makes all of the Empire’s decisions, though some speculate that the King is little more than a figurehead whose orders come directly from the Elven Council. Of course, the Elven Empire stretches across all parts of Arkadell in the form of smaller city-states, such as Tyrcilnn. Leadership of these city-states is decided by the King and the Council, though the Elven Council is usually given dominion over this, while the King simply approves the Council’s decision. In most elven city-states, an Elter appointed by the Council rules over said city-state and presides over general decisions regarding that city-state, regional expansion, and local military forces. Due to the creation of the Elven Council, Elven politics are generally very formal, professional, and cooperative.

After the Great War, Orodreth, furious at his defeat, disbanded the remaining troops from the Great War and ordered that they return to Elwein immediately. However, several of these men disobeyed Orodreth’s command and settled on an island to the east of Asmalur, turning their battle camps into a permanent residence. This island became the elven city of Tyrcilnn, which Orodreth viewed as a consolation prize from the Great War, and gladly allowed his Elves to settle there, further strengthening the elven presence in Asmalur. It was here, in fact, where Iljika blessed the Elven Empire. As the story goes, a small sapling was planted by the farmer Halikir, and grew to great heights overnight. The elves saw this as a sign, a great prophecy of fortune. A large canal was dug from the tree to the sea in order to keep the tree healthy. And thus, many elves make a pilgrimage to the Great Tree to bring offerings to Iljika. Since the growth of the Great Tree, the elves have never again felt the cold sting of war, and many attribute this to Iljika, that his grace shone upon the elves via the Great Tree.

Elven Culture
Elves base the entirety of their culture around a central element, the natural world. Having been born to a continent whose geography was enveloped with vast and expansive jungle, the elves soon learned the direction and flow of nature and followed its movements in almost every way. Because of this, elven fashion, customs, religion, and even military strategies often resemble a certain natural pattern. Above all else, however, elves revel in freedom, as nature is wild and untamed. In fact, elves sometimes pride themselves too greatly, believing that they have bested and mastered the natural world when in reality, they simply dance to the intricate melodies of nature.

Religion
Elven religion is highly unstructured and based more around the individual’s own personal preference when it comes to worship, prayer, devotion, etc. Having said this, most, if not all elves, give some form of thanks to Iljika on a regular basis. Iljika is the center of elven religion, a god whose physical and mental prowess saw his rise to godhood in a time before recorded history. When the earth is fertile and crops plentiful, elves praise Iljika; when in the dead of night the dense brush shield their settlements from horrible creatures, elves give thanks to Iljika; when an arrow strikes true into the flesh of a wild beast, elves offer a prayer to Iljika; and, when all of nature makes way for a newborn, elf or beast alike, Iljika’s name is chanted. Though the elf’s relationship with Iljika is personal and best explored in solitude, many festivals centered around seasonal and natural changes are devoted to Iljika. During these times, sacrifices of pig are customary, and the hanging of emeralds from large trees is a favored tradition. It is a common belief that, in death, elves will join Iljika in a realm of harsh jungle and deep forest. Some elves believe that Iljika resides at the center of Elwein in the most uninhabitable part of the jungle.

However, elves recognize other natural forces in their religious practice, and hold that the land, sea, and sky are all powerful deities, praying to the respective god/goddess of each force. The natural world is, of course, the realm of Iljika, but elves share a belief with Humans when it comes to the sea. Hydres, goddess of all that resides in the deep, is held in high regard by many elves. The same goes with Sarathos, god of the infernal Nether and holder of demonic power. Sarathos, in fact, is commonly recognized by most races, but the lore surrounding him is often subject to change.

Race Relations
Elves are vain creatures, their hubris leading to qualms and conflict with the other races. Elves, strangely, cannot find peace with their relatives the Drow. Elves view the drow as disgusting and twisted perversions of the original elf, and will usually shun any drow who wanders into any major Elven cities. The drow, to elves, are very incompetent beings, whose mental ability is stunted by their years in isolation. In fact, many elves see drow as barbarous, uncivilized beings. In their early years, drow forced their way from the underworld of darkness and stone that was their original home and took to the nearest elven settlements they could find, dispatching of any elf who stood in their path. This is yet another reason for the hatred between elf and drow.

Similarly, elves have a deep hatred towards orcs. When elves and orcs first encountered one another, the elves took the orcs for complete fools, believing that they could be overtaken and their land could be ruled by the Elven Empire. Elves took many orcs as servants and laborers, forcing them to work in fields and constructruction. Eventually, however, an orc by the name of Verguul Skyrender led several attacks on elven settlements around Urmmosh, contributing to a long standing, mutual hatred from both races. Even today, many elves consider orcs to be lesser, intelligent beings, not worthy of Urmmosh.

Elves, however, have little to no quarrels with humans and dwarves. Elves consider humans quite capable of many feats, and often consider humans to be their equals. In fact, several elves often take human lovers, and half-elf children are quite common in Asmalur. Furthermore, the elves marvel at the many strange and wonderful creations of the dwarves, as elves respect dwarven ingenuity.

Despite any historical quarrels with the other races, elves are the quickest race to progress socially, and several elves have since forgotten or completely dismissed these ancient prejudices. In fact, the past few generation of Elves have become quite close to many of the other races, taking on orc students, and befriending those drow who come away from their tribes. Elven adaptation is the most likely cause of peace amongst the whole of the Elven Empire throughout the Ages.