Elves

Introduction

Long ago, in the far-distant past, something — possibly Iluvatar — created the first members of the Three Races: dragons, Elves, and humans. The timing of these events is somewhat murky, but it is now generally believed that the dragons were made first as guardians of the incipient creation, while Elves and humans were created later and at approximately the same time. The first Elves were created as a relatively large group — somewhere between a dozen and two hundred, by best estimates — and placed in the forest of Aelfwood, near the center of the continent of Galendor.

Elves are a species of inherently magical humanoids. They are strongly connected with the natural world, especially with forests, yet they have a sense about themselves that seems distinctly supernatural to the other sentient species. Unlike other mortal beings, Elves cease aging upon reaching adulthood; while they are not precisely immortal — they can be killed or succumb to disease — they are extremely long-lived, and an Elf that keeps itself safe from physical danger can theoretically live as long as it wishes. Elves can also choose their moment of death, willing their souls to pass on into the afterlife; no human knows what happens when this takes place, but the bodies of Elves who die in this fashion have never been found.

Appearance

Height Weight Body Type Skin Tone Eyes Distinguishing Physical Traits
175 cm (5'9") to 198 cm (6'6"), with the mean being around 183 cm (6'0") 54 kg (119 lbs.) to 73 kg (160 lbs.) light bone structure varies, based on subtype varies, based on subtype Sharp angular features. Body hair is sparse, males do no grow facial hair. Significant presence

Elves have a somewhat unearthly appearance that many humans find reminiscent of the Sidhe (the high fairy folk, to whom they may or may not be related). They are tall and willowy — both women and men typically range from 175 cm (5'9") to 198 cm (6'6"), with the mean being around 183 cm (6'0"). Mass typically ranges from 54 kg (119 lbs.) to 73 kg (160 lbs.). All elves have sharp, angular features and light bone structure; their faces are diamond-shaped, narrow at the eyeline and jawline but with high, dramatic cheekbones. Elven males and females tend to be more similar in their facial features than the human sexes are; males do not grow facial hair, and many (though not all) are considered feminine or androgynous in appearance. Body hair is sparse on both males and females, and tends to be soft and fine where it does occur. Both sexes carry a sense of "presence" about themselves that makes them seem powerful, mysterious and charismatic. Elves of both sexes are more likely to be described by humans as beautiful or regal than as handsome, pretty or cute.

Elven eyes are large by human standards, and usually almond-shaped, with an angled appearance that follows the lines of the eyebrows. (Many humans consider this to be the most inhuman feature of Elven appearance, but the severity of the eyes' slantedness varies among individuals.) The eyebrows are prominent and distinctive, beginning at the brow line near the bridge of the nose and then running up at an angle as they approach the sides of the face. The ears are large, about twice as tall as human ears from top to bottom, and end in graceful points. These ears are capable of some movement and expression, but they lay flat against the side of the head when at rest.

Subtypes

There are two distinct subraces of Elves that differ in appearance.

Sun Elves (Anoreledh)

The sun elves live mostly in the Forest of Aelfwood and the Sylvan Mountains; their skin tones range from cream to olive, with a tawny golden color being the most common. The irises of their eyes are usually very dark, almost black, though brilliant green or deep purple sometimes appear in families with Faerie blood in their lineage. Most sun elves have hair ranging from wood-brown to lustrous blue-black, though approximately 1/8 of the population has white, silver or platinum-blonde hair. Red hair and its variants (strawberry blonde, copper, auburn) do not occur naturally among sun elves.

Moon Elves (Ithileledh)

The moon elves hail from the Forest of Darkness and the mountain valleys of the Great Barrier Range. Their skin tones range from cream-colored, at the darkest, to an almost translucent porcelain white, which most humans find disconcerting. Their eyes may be any light hue; common colors include pale pink, ice blue, pale yellow, and lilac. Truly red eyes are uncommon but striking to behold, and red-eyed individuals have a reputation for being lucky. Hair colors include white, silver, blonde, and pastel tints of blue, green and purple. As with sun elves, red hair does not occur naturally.

Moon elves in general are isolationist, and few venture far outside their ancestral homelands; about 90% of the elves seen in Metamor (and 98% of those seen in Quenardya) are sun elves.

The The Republic of Lom Shi'Un is one nation that has a significant moon elf population. Additionally, due to Lilith's direction in the early history of Lom Shi-Un, humans were not the bondservants of moon elves in Lom Shi-Un. This meant that humans and any half-elven children were also treated as equals in society and legally. As a result, there is a half-elf population in Lom Shi-Un, but they have a very different society than the Silvaan of Metamor and Quenardya.

Abilities

  • Strong magical abilities.
  • Resistance to magical effects and spells from others.
  • Immunity from the Curse of Metamor

More information to appear here.

Typical Behaviors

More information to appear here.

Society

The key virtues of Elven society are balance, serenity, and what might be called spiritual awareness — a sense of connectedness to nature and the spiritual world. Their most common vices are pride, condescension, and what might be called social lassitude — a reluctance to risk their own lives and comfort to take action against evils and injustices that do not threaten them directly.

Religion

A central aspect of Elven life is the pursuit of an experience called Epiphany, a moment in which they gain transcendent insight into the nature of God. (Elves avoid the usual human titles for God — Eli, Iluvatar, All-Father, Great Mother — and stick with the generic term, especially since they no longer pretend to believe that the members of the pantheon are actual gods. They seldom talk about the reason for this, but some humans have theorized that the name of God is considered too holy to be uttered except in worship.)

The moment of Epiphany can happen anywhere, at any time, but it usually only comes after hundreds of years of searching and trying new experiences. However it happens, it is regarded as the single most important event in an Elf's mortal life, and those who have had such a moment are changed forever — often so dramatically that they choose to pass beyond the Veil soon thereafter. No Elf in the last five hundred years has remained active for more than a century after experiencing his Epiphany, and many choose to pass on after no more than twenty years. The exact nature of the revelation is not something that Elves can describe to members of other races; they will simply say that the others have their own path to God, their own revelation, and it would be improper for them to describe to others a road that they could never follow.

History

/More to come in here/

Elves Today

The Elves no longer feel the need to hide from humans, but they still value their privacy. Most Elves today are found in Quenardya, either in their homeland of Aelfwood or in small, insular communities elsewhere in that realm. Time seems to flow at a different pace where the Elves are in charge — they just aren't as ambitious or hurried as humans, since they know they can look forward to a lifespan of centuries. Some Elves, particularly young ones who haven't yet gotten a firm understanding of their own near-immortality, are found living among humans, getting a taste of how "the other people" live. They generally stay in one place long enough to see a generation of human friends grow old and die, then move on to someplace else.

Famous Elves

Known Elves

While not famous to history (yet?), these are the Elves that have been seen in Metamor City stories:

Author's Notes


Sources:
Original MK2K Bible entry- Elves
Quenardya
Religion

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