Elves

Elves were present in the lands east of the Crystalmist Mountains for uncounted centuries prior to the rise of the first human kingdoms there. Slowly driven from open country to more secluded and better defended strongholds by the growing strength of both human and nonhuman folk, elves still held a number of forest and upland realms at the time of the Twin Cataclysms. The invading humans, orcs, and others pressed them further, until some prominent elven realms made military and political alliances with dwarves, gnomes, and halflings, and even with certain major human tribes (usually Oeridian). Today, elves are dominant in Celene, Sunndi, Highfolk, the Vesve Forest, and the Spindrift Isles.

Grey Elves — Gray elves are reclusive and keep to themselves in the Kingdoms of Celene and Sunndi. They have silver hair and amber eyes or golden hair and violet eyes. The elves of Sunndi have been forced to add warmaking skills to their culture due to the threat of the Great Kingdom.

Half-Elves — Half-elves, the offspring of long-lived elves and short-lived humans, are found everywhere across the Flanaess, in every part of society.

High Elves — High elves tend to mix with other races most easily. They favor the Highfolk, Duchy of Ulek, Archclericy of Veluna and the Spindrift Isles. The shortest of their race, high elves average only about five feet in height. They have pale complexions, dark hair and green eyes, and tend to dress in grays, greens and pastels.  

Sylvan Elves — Sylvan elves, also known as wood elves, tend to be even more reclusive than the gray, avoiding even other elves when possible. They make their homes in the Kingdom of Celene, the Duchy of Ulek, the ancient forests of the Flanaess and the Town of Highfolk. Their skin is darker than that of the high elves and they dress in browns and greens.

Aquatic Elves — Aquatic elves breathe water as well as air, and have webbed fingers and toes. They prefer temperate and tropical oceans and seas. Near the Spindrift Sound and Spindrift Isles, the aquatic elves are allied with the high elves.

Dark Elves —  Drow, the evil dark elves, thrive in Under-Oerth. They trade with or war on other races there and on the surface, and are renowned as spellcasters.

Valley Elves — Valley elves are treated with suspicion by other elves for reasons not clear to humans. These unusually tall (up to six feet in height) elves live exclusively in the Valley of the Mage. They are known to practice unusual magic presumably taught to them by the Mage of the Vale.

Wild Elves — Grugach, the wild elves, live in tiny, isolated bands in the temperate forests. They are short like the high elves and very pale, but otherwise resemble sylvan elves.

Other — Other olve (such as the snow elves of the mountains) are known to exist, but these elves are not well known at present.