The Elves are a very old humanoid Race that once controlled a large Empire across the world. They have suffered incredible casualties throughout the centures through a nearly constant stream of invasions, civil wars, and disention. Of the segments of the Elvish population only the Sindar Elven population has increased by any notieceable amount since the time of the War of Vengeance which was centures ago.
The Original Elves were formed, and in order to lead them the Titan Slanaash and his Titan children would form the Elven Pantheon made up of fourteen Elves who would lead the Elven society.
The Titan Slanaash was one of the first Titans created, and amongst his earliest works was the creation of the Elves of whom would come to dominate the continent of Ulthuan which he birthed from the ocean with the help of his fellow Titans. His creation would become very important to him, and he would split their worship between him and his beloved Artemis, but this would end when during the Titan Civil War he was corupted. So strong was his love for the Elves at the time that unlike most of the other Chaos gods he did not use the Elves as his army and instead used demons thus making him significantly weaker but keeping the Elves strong. Slanaash is known well for his couption and subsequent causing of the splitting of the High Elven Kingdom, and the multitude of deaths caused by this war. The Druchii Empire is now one of Slanaash's most ardent followers.
At one point the High Elves controlled the entirety of the Elven population but since the War of Vengeance and Civil War the Elves are devided into numerous sub sections and Kingdoms. Combined the Elves are not even in the top ten for populations but the land and military that they possess mean they are one of the most powerful races in the entire world.
Biology[]
Elves belong to the same genus as humans but not to the same specie, unlike Neanderthals (brut men) who are the same species, and so are Hin (halflings). Genetically elves are 99.8% similar to humans in this passage were going to discuss the remaining 0.2 percent.
Appearance[]
While the Elves vary greatly and their are whole sub groups within the overall race it can be determined the overall points that make the elves as a whole unique. For starters the Elves tend to be taller than humans. This is true in most cases though often you can find elves reaching 1.8 meters in height (males and females) and even higher. Reduced height poses an advantage in the dense forest realms the elves come from therefore adult elves tend to be ranging from 1.4 to 1.7 meters (males and females are the same size). Elves who do not live in forested areas for long periods of time tend to grow higher than woodland elves. Elven bodies are more slender than humans and they weigh lower than the human norm for their height. However their muscles are still strong and they are not fragile as they seem. Elves do not have bodily hair. Nowhere. Elves have narrow faces with pointed ears (this is much more refined than some illustrations show. the ears are less pointed than Mr. Spoks) and hazel shaped eyes, whose colour range from grey and silver through blue and green to violet. Brown eyes can be found but they are more rare. Hair changes according to subrace and tribe. While blond and golden tend to be more common in most cases some tribes are completely black haired. Old elves (and that’s mighty old!) have white hair. Blue hair or greenish are legends that probably refer to some fairy race or to dryads.
Senses[]
Elven ears have a different hearing range from humans. While human adults here noises from 400 to 20,000 hertz , elves here from 1000 to 30,000 hertz a slightly higher range. This is probably why elves speak in higher pitches than humans. Elves have an excellent sense of sight especially in close ranges. They separate colours better, and therefore make better archers and hunters in forested areas when shades of green are the difference between a leaf and a meal of frog legs. I have a serious problem with infravision. In order to decipher infra red light the eyes of an elf should be very different. Snakes that do have infravision have special organs for that range of light instead of their regular eyes. Because of this, IMC ,elves (end dwarfs and orcs and everyone) don’t have infravision but rather have the natural ability to open their pupils larger (like cats) in order to gather more light. They can see in what seem to humans to be darkness but cant see in total absolute darkness. This comes as a disadvantage in places of extreme sunlight such as deserts and snow fields , as the pain to the eyes is terrible. Smell and taste are usually the same as humans, though what elves and humans like to taste and smell is not always the same.
Life Cycle[]
Elven life cycle versus human life cycle:
Human Years | Elven Years | |
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Babies | 0-2 | 0-3 |
Children | 3-12 | 4-15 |
Puberty | 13-17 | 16-25 |
young adulthood (fertility) | 18-28 | 29-75 |
Adulthood | 29-55 | 76-250 |
Venerable | 56-75 | 251-450 |
Death | 76-100 | 450+ |
Fertility[]
Elf females have a monthly period like human women but only release eggs every two or three months. Elf males release less sperm than humans and therefor fertilisation is rare. When fertilisation does occur the female enters a pregnancy of two years (like elephants!) at which time of course she is not fertile. After this long pregnancy an elven baby is born and stays helpless for three years (elven babies learn to walk when they are two).
History[]
The Creation of the Elves[]
Main Article : Elves
- “He loved the Elves when we were young. To have seen him with the people he had birthed, was to witness love in it's most pure form. He spent years on making sure every inch of Ulthuan was perfect for his people...and to see this. His fall was all the more painful because I know now he cares for nothing anymore. The love he knew is gone...Its just gone.”
- — Artemis
Slanaash was one of the first Titans created, and among his earliest works was the creation of the Elves of whom would come to dominate the continent of Ulthuan which he birthed from the ocean with the help of his fellow Titans. In order to bring these Elves to Ulthuan he fashioned seventeen pairs of males and females forming the seventeen Elder Houses of whom would begin to populate the island of Ulthuan. Wanting to expand them quicker Slanaash would create hundreds of more pairs of whom came to Ulthuan and became known as the Great Houses of Ulthuan, and thus allowed the population to expand even quicker. During this time Slanaash walked Ulthuan constantly as he was obsessively in love with the Elves alongside his beloved Artemis of whom became the almost mother of the Elves, and during this early time Slanaash and Artemis would form the early foundations of the Elven Pantheon based around Slanaash's persona as Asuryan.
Expansion[]
The Elves were one of the most ancient races but the original lands of the world became dominated by the Murloc, Woses, and Trolloc. During the centuries of dominance by these empires the Elves came to dominate the island of Ulthuan where they found their efforts were basically left alone unlike on the big continents where the big three controlled everything.
First War with Chaos[]
Main Article : First War with Chaos
The Elven Civil War[]
Main Article : Elven Civil War
The Elven Civil War We had survived the destruction of our home from demons. Gods had tried to destroy us. It was only ourselves who could truly end us. |
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According to birthright, Malekith, son of the first Phoenix King Aenarion a member of the House of Aestarion, and an Elven enchantress called Morathi born of the House of Beren, was the rightful successor to the throne of Ulthuan. But when Aenarion Aestarion died, the ruling Council of Princes decided that Malekith was too impetuous and warlike, as Aenarion had led the Elves through a great war and the population was extremely weary of conflict. Declaring that Malekith was not fit to rule, they selected another to sit on the throne - Bel Shanaar Elwe the prince of Tiranoc, a member of the House of Elwe, and a hero of the war. Malekith was instead given the rank of High General and supreme commander of the armies. This suited him well, as he was an outstanding warrior and peerless general, just as his father was. During his time in the army he wandered the globe, and with his mother's guidance, started experimenting with Dark Magic. After some time, Malekith became discontent. In his mind the Elves must be a warlike people to face the ever-growing menace from the forces of Chaos. He became increasingly critical of the Princes, who grew soft and complacent under the protection of his armies. Worse yet, the Cult of Pleasure, a society of poets and artists, founded by Morathi herself, turned out to be a Cult of Slanaash. Their practices were taking root in Elf society, being particularly strong in Nagarythe. Upon hearing of this, Malekith took personal command of the investigation and used this power to eliminate his political enemies, accusing them falsely of being cultists and executing them without trial. The Coup[]
It was then that Malekith saw his chance to seize his birthright. He claimed Bel-Shanaar was a worshipper of Slaanesh. Soon after the accusation, Bel-Shanaar died of poisoning. Those loyal to the Council accused Malekith of assassination. Those loyal to Malekith claimed Bel-Shanaar committed suicide out of shame. The argument between Malekith and the Council of Princes turned violent, and Malekith and his followers killed most of the Princes, claiming to save Ulthuan. Now the Council was destroyed, Malekith had only to pass through the Sacred Fire of Asuryan, king of the Elven Gods. He stepped forwards, confident he would pass the ordeal just as his father did. Yet the Sacred Flame burned him, scarring him horrifically. His followers claimed treachery - that the fires must have been corrupted by magic to reject even the rightful heir. They fled back to the province of Nagarythe, and in confusion over the death of their king and council, the High Elves (comprised of the other Kingdoms of Ulthuan, and a small body of resistance in Nagarythe which would later become the Shadow Warriors) did not pursue. Near death, Malekith was taken to one of his mother's temples. His body had healed sufficiently, but his mind was destroyed beyond repair and he had gone insane. He knew of the need to lead his followers into battle against the High Elves, but also knew his withered body would not survive the battle. Morathi called upon Hotek, a renegade priest of Vaul, to forge the Armour of Midnight, a suit of armour that would give life and strength to Malekith's flame-ravaged body. The armour fused directly to his skin, forming a sorcerous shell granting him immense supernatural powers. From that day forth, Malekith was known as the "Witch King", for he truly had become a figure of dread. Once healed, Malekith was consumed with a bitter hatred for those who has resisted him . He summoned those Elves who were loyal to him to aid him in taking the throne by force. This included a large part of the standing military, most of his home province of Nagarythe and many other Elves throughout Ulthuan who believed in Malekith's cause. |
The Rise of the Numenorians[]
The First of the Numenorians I remember when the first of your people started showing up. The Cult of Pleasure used your ancestors as sex slaves with Elven males. You were created in some ways by the tricks and menipulation of Chaos. |
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Open Rebellion[]
It wasn't until the rise of Elros Amendil that the Numenorians began to get the idea of taking the island over completely. Elros Amendil the son of Nilaeth Windrunner of whom was a prominent member of the Windrunner Family used his mothers influence to finance the arming of his forces and using this power he rose quickly in the ranks of the Atlantians of whom were already becoming too much for the overstretched Elves to handle. After many years of fighting it was Elros and his forces that gained control of the capital city of the Kingdom of Atlantis and it was this act that finally forced the Atmer Empire to direct their attention to the Numenorian issue with Pheonix King Tethlis Finarfin rallying a large army and sailing to Atlantis. At the Battle of Ninandamos the forces of Elros Amendil would be secretly joined by the noble titans Woglinde and Ares of whom gathered to them hundreds of their personal forces and tipped the battle leading to the death of Tethlis Finarfin and after Tethlis's son was taken prisoner during the battle he would be forced to sign a peace treaty with the Numenorians of whom were also given their independence. Having been given their freedom through blood Elros would officially break from the Atmer Empire when he founded the Empire of Numeron and proclaimed that they would take over the mantle of power left behind by the Atmer Empire. Rise of the Pantheon[]
It would be Poseidan that would join with Ares and Woglinde in assisting the early Numenorians in their rise, and during this time Poseidan came to befriend Elros Amendil the first Emperor of Numeron and this led to him becoming instrumental in the creation of the Atlantian Pantheon which he believed would save the Numenorian people and make them the true power of the Earth. It would be Indus would join the forces of Ares following the death of Mindus and imprisonment of Erbag and would use his abilities to fashion the shield that would protect the Numenorian Pantheon from the affects of coruption and other illnesses making them all but immortal. |
War of the Beards[]
Main Article : The War of Vengeance
Present Day[]
Species of Elves[]
Overview[]
The Elves are devided into three main branches of their race :
- Sindar Elves : The Sindar Elves are the oldest of the Elven people and before the coruption wrought upon the Elven people this was the only branch of the Elven Race, but they have become diminished over time with the High Elves taking over the mantle of the largest branch.
- High Elves : The second are the High Elves who live on Ulthuan and are the evolving members of the original forest dwelling Elves as well as the currently most powerful branch.
- Dark Elves : And the third are the Dark Elves who live near Hudson Bay in Nord America.
Beneath these three main branches of the Elves lies three other smaller elements of the Elven Race
- Snow Elves : The Snow Elves are a branch formed following a large group of Elves being driven off course during the First War with Chaos and isolated on Iceland they would become changed by their proximity to Tek the Old One and became the Snow Elves.
- Satyr : The Satyr are a branch of the Elven race formed by the Sindar Elf Illidan following his capture of the High Elven port of Tail Vena and their coruption was so great during there time led by Illidan that they now barely resemble their High Elven ancestory.
- Numenorians : The Numenorians are a branch of the Elven population formed by the mingling of the Frankish slaves of the High Elven island of Atlantis of whom became so dominent they would come to form one of the most powerful Empires in the history of the Earth before they were laid low and are now much diminished but still strong in Europe.
- Sea Elves : The Sea Elves are the smallest of the Elven branches but are unique in that they are led by one of the Elven Pantheon in the form of Mathlann of whom has led them into becoming a very moralistic but also isolated branch of the Elven Race.
Name | Location | Leader | Political Faction | Population |
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High Elves | Ulthan, Small Colonies throughout the World |
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Sindar Elves | Europe, Small Parts of Ulthuan |
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Dark Elves | Nord America, Parts of Europe | |||
Snow Elves | Iceland | |||
Satyr | Asia | |||
Numenorian | Europe | |||
Sea Elves | Colonies throughout the Earth |
Demographics[]
Nobility[]
Elder Houses []
The Elder Houses are the first seventeen pairs of Elves that were put onto Ulthuan by Slanaash and these are the most ancient and powerful of the noble families of the Elven Race.
Name | Elven Branch | Status |
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House of Feanor | High Elven | Alive |
Stormrage Family | Sindar Elven | Alive |
Sunstrider Family | Sindar Elven | Alive |
House of Aestarion | High Elven | Alive |
House of Elwe | High Elven | Alive |
House of Beren | Dark Elven | Alive |
House of Haleth | High Elves | Alive |
House of Melian | High Elves | Alive |
House of Finarfin | High Elves | Alive |
House of Lanethen | Sindar Elven | Alive |
House of Edeltred | Sindar Elven | Alive |
Great Houses[]
The Great Houses are the series of Elves put onto Ulthuan by Slanaash and were numbered in their hundreds making them the second string of power but also very influencial in the power structure of the Elven Race.
Name | Elven Branch |
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House of Dagorth | Dark Elf |
House of Finwe | High Elf |
Elven Pantheon[]
The Original Elves were formed, and in order to lead them the Titan Slanaash and his Titan children would form the Elven Pantheon made up of fourteen Elves who would lead the Elven society. During the Titan Civil War the Elven Pantheon would become mixed in their loyalties as they defended the lands of Ulthuan, with many entering the Fade and becoming corupted by Slanaash but the majority remained behind on Ulthuan during the First War with Chaos where they fought during the conflict.
Name | Role | Loyalty | Current Status |
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Asuryan | King of the Pantheon | Noble Titans | Dead |
Isha | Goddess of the Harvest | Noble Titans | Alive |
Khaine | God of War | Chaos | Dead |
Lileath | Goddess of Dreams | Chaos | Alive |
Mathlann | God of Storms | Noble Titans | Alive |
Morai-Heg | Goddess of Souls | Chaos | Dead |
Vaul | God of Smithing | Noble Titans | Dead |
Hoeth | God of Wisdom and Knowledge | Noble Titans | Dead |
Torothal | God of Rain and Rivers | Noble Titans | Dead |
Kurnous | God of the Hunt, Lord of Beasts | Noble Titans | Alive |
Loec | Goddess of the Shadows and Night | Noble Titans | Alive |
Liadriel | Goddess of the Harvest | Noble Titans | Alive |
Adamnan-na-Brionha | God of the Dance | Chaos | Alive |
Drazsar | God of Trickary | Chaos | Alive |
Culture[]
Language[]
Main Article : Eltharin
Eltharin is the ancient language of the Elves. Eltharin was developed many millennia ago in a time when humans where still uttering primitive grunts and were yet to develop written language. In a similar manner to Khazalid the language of the Dwarfs, it has remained almost unchanged for thousands of years, however unlike Khazalid, several variations of Eltharin are spoken by the different Elven kindreds. Eltharin is a divided language and several dialects are spoken by the various Elven kindreds. Though all these originated in Eltharin, some are so drastically different (being greatly changed by their isolation from Eltharin) that they could almost be called separate languages in their own right.
Lesser-known amongst the Elven languages is Anoqeyån, an ancient tongue used solely to shape the Winds of Magic into powerful spells, and is believed to be the closest surviving mortal language to the words spoken by the Old Ones. Eltharin in its many forms, is believed to have evolved from this powerful language, made simpler, more fluid and lyrical, and given mortal uses. Similarly, Eltharin forms the base for the primary human 'arcane language', the Lingua Praestantia, which was developed by Loremaster Teclis when he founded the Colleges of Magic.