Elves

One of the oldest and most mysterious races in the world.

History

Elves are one of the older races in Dural, and came into existence after the war between the Immortals and the Dark Ones. In the many centuries since, different tribes formed and developed their own cultural traits. The development of Elven cultures has led to great social, cultural and political variation, as well as distinct physical forms. Despite originating from the same source, the elves of today differ greatly in regards to skin, eye and hair color, as well as in physique. Many years ago, these differences caused a mass migration of elves from their homeland to other parts of the world, tearing many families apart in the process. Since that time, the cultural gaps between tribes have not been spanned, and Elves refer to the current time as 'Milleyar', which means 'the time of disjunction.' The Elves believe that in the future will come a new age when all Elves will come together again. This time of conjunction will be known as 'Telleyar.'

text and artwork by Uta Szymanek

Characteristics

Compared to other races, Elfin physique is more delicate and slight. Their face is sharply drawn, though beautiful, and is framed by their pointed ears. These ears are usually hidden by their traditionally long hair. Elves have sometimes a preference for extraordinary hairstyles and in this case they really love to decorate them with jewells, hairpins, colored ribbons and more... Elves normally wear delicate clothes, called lushk. These are similar to the wellknown silk, but much more durable and waterresistent. Humans never achived to uncover the origin and making of those facinting clothes. Furthermore the Elves use stuff which is always of very fine and high quality.

When one looks into the eyes of an elf, one will see mirrored in them centuries and centuries of time. Most people are unable to handle such an experience and find it frightening. Elves also are renowned for their bewitchingly melodic voices, as well as the haunting tunes of the Elfin people which showcase these voices.

Because the problems of humans do not interest Elves, humans often think they are not serious enough about World problems. In reality, Elves simply think that the short-term problems of humans are not that important compared to the longer-term conflicts which face the world. Despite their tragic history, though, Elves are a very sensitive race and also enjoy entertainment. They are known for their songs and poems, as well as for their long narratives. Elves are able to put far more details into their stories, details that no other race would be able to remember over such a long time.

As anyone who has ever tried to argue with an Elf can attest, Elves are a terribly obstinate people. This obstinacy has, for instance, caused the current Milleyar (time of disjunction). It also means that an Elf who has focused on something will not stop until they have achieved it (through legal or illegal means).

Even without modern equipment, Elves are well-equipped for the world. They have infravision and are far more resistant to magic than other races. Among other races, there is no equal to the long-distance vision of the elves. This ability to see clearly and far has led them to prefer the compound bow for their battles, although many use swords and other hand weapons. Some tribes have developed their own special weapons which they use, as well.

Elves live very long lives. It is said that an elf will only die in a fight or from a broken heart. During their life, members of different tribes may breed, but this is not usually acceptable to either society and both could face ostracism from their friends and families. During the course of a hundred years, elves do not have nearly as many children as the societies of other races. The development of an Elfin child takes much longer, as well. Over the course of their long life, Elves will amass a gigantic amount of knowledge, a fact which is recognized by all other races.

text and artwork by Uta Szymanek

Society

There are as many different Elfin social structures as there are different Elfin tribes, from organized anarchic groups to strict hierarchical societies, and everything in between. Even lonewolf Elves are not unusual: sometimes an elf will accept the loneliness of life away from their people in order to fulfill a plan. These elves are very good comrades, but they prefer to stay by themselves. They like neither to live in the vicinity of other races, nor to live amongst others of any kind (except in extraordinary cases).

Different tribes have different ideas of law and order. Travelers beware! What may be considered good etiquette and social behavior in one Elfin tribe will get you killed in another! If a member of another race saves the life of an Elf (not a very common occurance at all), they will enjoy great esteem among all Elves, and the Elf whose life was saved will take it upon themselves to assume responsibilty for the safety of the person who saved them.

Elves love to celebrate, and they have festivals as often as they can find a reason. On the rare occasion they can't find a reason for a celebration, they will celebrate that they don't have a reason! These festivities involve great amounts of dancing, singing and storytelling. The food is superb and the drinks are exceptional. If an outsider were ever to see an Elvin festival, they would surely talk about it for the rest of their days.

Names of elves

Elvish names often sound melodious and foreign for human ears and vary very strong. Elves often love to veil their origin and true name. In this case they use an fantastic name: So do Runndoldo and Rusboruu, two wellknown mages in Summerset. Here are some examples for other elvish names used in Cambria:

• Aelbroe
• Aelbrantil
• Tery'dolo
• Loriel
• D'Gor
• Astaal
• N'Obor
• N'Okol
• N'Gor
• Hoeld'an
• St'chor

text and artwork by Uta Szymanek

Special Types of Elves

Elves of Hills and Dales, called 'Hilladelves'

Hilladelves are the largest type of Elf. Their eyes are the palest shade of blue, and their hair is as white as the snow upon the Mountains of Falklow. Much more serious and dignified than other elves, they frown while thinking (which is rather disconcerting to outsiders).

Their festivities are only during official events and are bound to a much more strict protocol than other elves. Only a fixed number of celebrations (on dates of certain importance) are held during the year.

The harsh environment in which the Hilladelves live forces them to live in highly organized groups with a very strict, hierarchical structure. If one wants to climb in rank inside of this system, they must work very hard for every little bit of advancement. While very eager to collect knowledge, these elves do not like to share it with those outside their tribe. Through their extensive collective knowledge, the Hilladelves magic abilities are very advanced, to the point that they prefer magic over the use of any other weapon (except the compound bow).

Although mountain living is hard, they would never choose another land in which to live. They value the seclusion too much.

Elves of the Level Lands, called 'Levelelves'

The Elves of the Level Lands refer to themselves as 'Askadash.' Their hair is colored some shade of grey and looks like the dry silver grass plains during the dead of winter. Even moreso than other elves, they have extremely good long-range vision. This has led them to take on the javelin and master it, though they are still adept at the bow. They are not as tall as the Hilladelves, but they are still larger than the Silvane Elves.

A very pragmatic people, they refuse to by stymied by problems. If they encounter a problem, they solve it. Their group is led by an elected leader, though when it comes to the matter of very important problems, a council is convened to support and advise the leader's decision.

One of the secrets of this tribe is the location of the special bush from which they gather the wood to make their javelins. This wood is very lightweight, but very strong as well. These tribes also know the skills of shipbuilding. Their homes can be found in the plains, far away from trading routes.

The Levelelves (for all their seclusion) get along best with the other races and have the highest number of festivals during the year. They celebrate as often as they like!

Silvane Elves, called 'Silvanelves'

The Silvanelves are the smallest of the elves, with a very athletic physique. Their size resulted from their choice of home: in houses in the trees. Their eyes are as golden as the midday sun reflecting off the sea, and their hair is as black as the shadow of the deep forest. Due to their shyness, Silvanelves are rarely met by other races. So rare are they, in fact, that some people do not believe they exist at all! Though they are shy to outside races, they have an amazing rapport with other Silvan inhabitants. As a result of their seclusion, they have developed their own language and have even learned the language of the other inhabitants of the forest.

This tribe prefers the darkness much more than the other two. A particularly striking feature of the Silvanelves is their melancholy, which is very evident in their songs and poems.

The Silvanelves have no strict social structure and it may be considered an anarchical system. Sometimes, a person with exceptional skills or other good qualities make take on the role of a counselor for the other elves in the tribe. The Silvanelves are the most adept shipwrights of all the Elves and they are very experienced in navigating the forest rivers.

text and artwork by Uta Szymanek