Elf

"Even by grace of Ailerion we can not see the path to save our land. Blind faith will only take us so far, brother. It is time for the race of elvenkind to walk by the will of their own starlight."

- Synall Tellearion

The race that was born into existence from the grace of Mirana's first daughter, Miren of Light. It is from her name that the Cradle of Light takes its name. She gathered to her all those whom were wise and bright, founding lost cities of virtue and learning.

The long-lived elves are children of the natural world, similar in many superficial ways to fey creatures, though with key differences. While fey are truly linked to the flora and fauna of their homes, existing as the voices and guardians of the wilderness, elves are instead mortals who are in tune with the natural world around them. Elves seek to live in balance with the wild and understand it better than most other mortals. Some of this understanding is mystical, but an equal part comes from the elves' long lifespans, which in turn gives them long-ranging outlooks.

Elves are often seen as one of the driving races of Ithia, with elven politics and desicions often setting the course of history for the world as a whole, as given example by the rise of the Byden Dominion from the conquered high elven kingdom.

Appearance
Though the appearance of elven races varies vastly across their kind, as a general rule of thumb they are lithe and slender, bearing their elegant frames with poise and grace. It is a mistake, however, to consider them weak or feeble, as the thin limbs of an elf can contain surprising power.

Iconic to the race are the slender, tapered ears that rise up through their hair. Their eyes are wide and almond-shaped, and filled with large, vibrantly colored pupils. The coloration of elves as a whole varies wildly, and is much more diverse than that of human populations. However, as their coloration often matches their surroundings and subrace, the elves of a single community may appear quite similar and wildly different than that of another society.

While elven clothing often plays off the beauty of the natural world, those elves who live in cities tend to bedeck themselves in the latest fashions. Where city-dwelling elves encounter other urbanites, the elves are often fashion trendsetters.

Society
Many elves feel a bond with nature and strive to live in harmony with the natural world. Although, like most, elves prefer bountiful lands where resources are plentiful, when driven to live in harsher climates, they work hard to protect and shepherd the region's bounty, and learn how to maximize the benefit they receive from what little can be harvested.

Elves have an innate gift for craftsmanship and artistry, especially when working in wood, bone, ivory, or leather. Most, however, find manipulating earth and stone to be distasteful, and prefer to avoid forging, stonework, and pottery. When such work must be done within a community, a few elves may find themselves drawn to it, but regardless of their craftsmanship, such individuals are generally seen by other elves as being a bit off.

Elves also have an appreciation for the written word, magic, and painstaking research. Their naturally keen minds and senses, combined with their inborn patience, make them particularly suited to wizardry. Arcane research and accomplishment are seen as both practical goals, in line with being a soldier or architect, and artistic endeavors as great as poetry or sculpture. Within elven society, especially that of high elven or shale elven groups, wizards are held in extremely high regard as masters of an art both powerful and aesthetically valued. Other spellcasters are not disdained, but do not gain the praise lavished upon elven wizards.

Relations
Elves are prone to dismissing other races, writing them off as rash and impulsive, yet on an individual level, they are excellent judges of character. In many cases an elf will come to value a specific member of another race, seeing that individual as deserving and respectable, while still dismissing the race as a whole. If called on this behavior, the elf often doesn't understand why his “special friend” is upset the elf has noticed the friend is “so much better than the rest of his kind.” Even elves who see such prejudice for what it is must constantly watch themselves to prevent such views from coloring their thinking.

Alignment and Religion
Elves are emotional and capricious, yet value kindness and beauty. Most elves, besides drow, are good, wishing all creatures to be safe and happy, but unwilling to sacrifice personal freedom or choice to accomplish such goals. They prefer deities who share their love of the mystic qualities of the world.

Adventurers
Many elves embark on adventures out of a desire to explore the world, leaving their secluded realms to reclaim forgotten elven magic or search out lost kingdoms established millennia ago by their ancestors. This need to see a wider world is accepted by their societies as a natural part of becoming mature and experienced individuals. Such elves are expected to return in some few decades and take up lives in their homelands once more, enriched both in treasure and in worldview.

Ethnicities
As the ages passed and Miren of Light and even her great-granddaughter Mireny Tellearion past into history, elves began to stratify. Though all are elven in name and are blessed thusly with the grace and long lives of their ancient ancestors, the whims and wiles of their life styles and nations over the centuries have molded them into the various subraces found in the modern age.
 * Dark elf: The mysterious, reclusive elves that live under the mountains north of Cyrare. Derogatorily referred to as drow.


 * High elf: The elves of the Mireny Imperium and the former Bidden Domain. Slender, tall and graceful, those of the Imperium consider themselves the truest of elves.


 * Shale elf: Belonging to a disposed empire, shale elves are the smallest existent elven race. They favor the mountains of Maurudren, though they were forced into tough times by the coming of fallen angel Bail Shaern.


 * Wild elf: The forest dwelling elves of Eldhërwye the Untamed. In ancient times they worshiped the Immortal Lalani. Due to this and their proximity and co-habitation among the races of the fey, they are a primal kind of elf.


 * Wood elf: Living in the Lîrwood, the wood elves are similar only to wild elves only in their choice of home. They revere nature, but have a solid kingdom and close ties with the nations that share their borders.

Statistical Information
''Ithian elves, with the exception of drow, follow the Pathfinder racial template, which can be found here. Each subrace favors a selection of alternate racial traits which can be taken at creation, if desired, and can be found on each subrace's respective article. Ithian drow follow the the Pathfinder racial template, which can be found here.''