Elves Basic InformationDemonym: Elvish
Native Language(s): Elvish
Population: Large (It is common to see Elves throughout The Galaxy)
Avg. Lifespan: 200-800 years
Public Knowledge: Ubiquitous (everyone is aware of the elvish race)
Magical Proficiency: High (most elves have some level of magical ability)
Anatomy & Racial DetailsElves have not changed much in the last 1000 years. Featuring four limbs, pointed ears, soft skin and lithe, thin bodies. They are known to have a strong affinity for magic, much more common in elves than many other sentient races of the galaxy. Certain features are basic to a elves, though due to magical influence throughout their lifetimes, these features may vary from person to person.
On average, an Elf will have a few basic rules, regarding their appearance, not stated above.
- Eyes: Elvish eyes tend to favor a few common colors, though others are possible, often relating in some way to magical influence. Common eye colors include blue, green, silver and red.
- Skin: Elvish skin is soft and almost entirely hairless. Elvish skin comes in many colors, ranging from pale to dark, with some elves even appearing to have skin which is ashen and grey.
- Hair: Elvish hair is normally a single color, though it is not uncommon for different hues to naturally occur. Common natural hair colors include blonde, brown, silver and grey.
Culture & GovernmentThe relationship between elves and magic is long and storied: rather than a tool to accomplish their goals, many elves have long viewed magic as an art-form, no different than painting, writing, or literature. Commonly, citizens of the elven communities keep with this mindset, using magic as an integral part of crafting and design, especially seen in their architecture, which utilizes magic to modify the natural world to create a harmonious balance between the elvish people and their environment.
Unlike humans, elves tend to see themselves as a part of nature, living in homes comprised of natural material, often molding the natural beauty of live wood to their purposes, rather than clearing it away to make room. A prime example of their symbiosis with nature is Neo Elen, a vast city, and capital of the Republic of Stella, built within The Northern Tree. While the structures therein can be composed of metal, clay and stone, any wood in their architecture is cultivated from The Northern Tree, without causing any harm to the tree, itself.
The elvish government is headed by a High Priest, who is viewed as an incarnation of the Life Tree and is worshiped as such. While she holds absolute power, in matters of law, general policy tends to be handled by the Senate and Council of Stella, which act as the Legislative and Judicial branches of the Republic's government, respectively. While the Republic of Stella is considered to be one country, it consists of four Kingdoms (Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western), each represented by a massive tree, which serves as their kingdom's capital city.
HistoryOriginally a fairly isolationist race, living in the forests of Stella back on Earthland, very little has changed for the elves.
Following The Exodus, the elves found themselves on a dying planet, polluted by highly toxic meteorites which fell from space, ravaging the planet and leaving its flora and fauna on the brink of extinction. While other beings may have shunned the dying world, the elves felt themselves drawn to it, pulled by the fantastical creatures and plants found on those shattered shores... begging to be saved from their unnatural end. And the elves rose to the occasion, settling on four distinct regions of the planet, planting the seeds which would become their empire and save this world.
Cultivated and modified by the elves, the plants were meant to battle the blight, absorbing the toxins and corruption of the disease and the lands inflicted by it. However, like all plans to fight the blight, the plants failed to be effective against the ever-present danger of the infection. But against the corruption found on this new Stella? The plants grew strong. Thriving. They ate greedily at the toxins deposited by the meteorites, with roots that spread for miles in all directions. And around these new trees, life began to grow anew, nestled in the crevices and hollows between the branches and roots. The hollows provided safe haven to the many beasts and greenery which once spread freely across the land, until, over hundreds of years, the lands returned to their former glory, welcoming the protective Kingdom Trees as a part of their new ecosystem.
Over the years, the elves integrated their greatest cities in the boughs and crevices of the massive Kingdom Trees, while smaller settlements followed the roots, creating settlements throughout the Stellan wilderness. From their very inception, these settlements and kingdoms were united by the Tree Mother, around whose wisdom the Republic of Stella was formed. Because of this, the elvish people view her as a grand leader of the Republic, at-large, and have followed her guidance throughout the intervening centuries.