Demeanour: Highly attuned to the natural world around them, Elves maintain a deep reverence for nature and strive to live in harmony with it at all times. Elves view the existence of magic as simply another aspect of nature, and thus share a deeper affinity for it than many other races. Their longevity affects the demeanour of the Elven race, as they rarely remain focused on any one thing for long. Seen as a matter of patience, an Elf will simply return to the matter “when the time is right.” This aloof attitude is often misunderstood by other races, and labelled as a distinct lack of self-control. Although quite capable of making snap decisions and following them through to the letter, Elves disdain rushing things. Mistakenly labelled by many as haughty, Elves are slow to form lasting relationships with persons who do not live as long as they.
The Elven appreciation of natural beauty drives them to create works that are not only functional, but beautiful as well. Renowned for their remarkable craftsmanship of items constructed from natural materials, Elvish smiths are meticulous in their trade. As such, the creation of an identical item found among any other race could take infinitely longer to complete. The finished result, however, is truly something to be cherished.
Appearance: Elves average 6’ 6” tall, with females of the race ranging only a few inches shorter. All have very lithe forms with Elven males weighing around 120 pounds. Elves have upswept ears which top off in delicate points. Males of the race are unable to grow beards, and what little body hair they do have is extremely fine. All Elves have finely chiselled features, and this combined with the thinness of their bodies often makes them seem overly delicate.
Lifespan: Easily the longest lived of all the races, Elves usually live to be over 500 years of age, with some instances of Elves who have survived over 600 years or more!
Culture: Elven societies are normally structured closely following the Sylvan culture, but can be found in any culture.
Religion: The Eileryan Faith is polytheistic, with gods and goddesses associated with natural phenomena such as the sun, moon, and seasons, as well as aspects of human life such as war, fertility, and the harvest. The religion includes rituals and ceremonies, such as sacrifices and offerings to the gods, as well as divination and ancestor worship.
It is practiced by the Wood elves and the High elves, but their approach to the religion is different. Wood elves have a more animistic approach and focus on ancestor worship with most ceremonies outdoors, while High elves have a more ceremonial approach with a greater emphasis on the study and interpretation of religious texts with worship carried out in temples.
The Eileryan Faith has various festivals throughout the year that are associated with the gods and goddesses, or with the seasons and natural cycles. The elves also have different orders, such as the Temple Order, Druidic Order, Scholarly Order, and Mystical Order, each of which have different beliefs, practices and ranks.
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