Elves of Vastonia!

There are 7 individual races of elves within Vastonia, these being the high elves, gray elves, valley elves, wood elves, wild elves, drow and aquatic elves all of which reside in or near Elflore. The elven peoples are often thought of as the passive, non aggressive race and for the most part they still are within this realm. Elves of Vastonia are very reclusive and dread the thought of war. Well most of them do. In times of desperation the elves are perhaps one of the best warring races within Vastonia and when it comes time to do battle they fear almost nothing and will fight to the bitter end. Elves were the first Race to inhabit the Prime Material Plane and therefore have an expansive chronology. The following section details each of the elven races and their unique presence within Vastonia.

{High Elves}{Gray Elves}{Wild Elves}{Valley Elves}{Dark Elves}{Wood Elves}{Aquatic Elves}

High Elves

General Traits, Life Expectancy

The most common of the elven folk, the high elves dwell within the most northern region of Elflore "Sacranym". They high elves are generally fair skinned having light brown, blonde or sometimes white hair. Their typical garb consists of loose garments, flowing robes and capes of light colors. They usually have blue, hazel or brown eyes. They weigh anywhere from 98-125 lbs. High elves usually live to be around 800 years of age but some have been known to reach ages nearing a 1600.

Social Structure, Government, Laws, Religion

The high-elves by far are the most politically ordered of the elven peoples. The social ranking amongst them is very well ordered and the laws are equally effective. Laws are readily enforced by local militia or normal officials and punishments are immediately carried out. Severity of these punishments are somewhat lacking but seem to work for the most part. Most high elves follow a religious path of some sort. Most pray to Corellon Larethian and show their support by following his acolytes depiction's and preachings. Other elven gods are also worshiped including J'Khan, Tilvi Shazmiica and Plievay Nacoord'ranth.

Armor, Weapons and Advancements

High elven armor usually consists of chainmail, scalemail, leathers and more rarely coinmail or perhaps the famed elvish chain garment. Shields are not all that common but are available. The main weapons of high elves include longswords, bastard swords, short swords, bardiches and footman's mace. Bows are used only by hunters and officials but are crafted by some of Vastonia's best bowyer fletchers. The high elves greatest advancement is perhaps the use of elven steel, this extremely hard steel is used in the construction of noble's weapons and sometimes used to reinforce armor for the rich.

Hunting Strategies, Tactics, Local Game

The hunting strategies of high elven foresters and huntsman are quite unorthodox. They charge through the forests banging drums and yelling at the top of their lungs attempting to drive game into an awaiting ambush of elven archers or perhaps other highly skilled warriors. This may seem strange but it works. It works so well that out of all elves "with the exception of wild elves" they are the most unlikely to starve to death. During the recent elven famine, the high elves laughed at their distant cousins the gray elves as nearly 20% of their population either died of malnutrition or fell deathly sick as food became extremely scarce throughout Elflore.

Trading Habits, Routes

They will trade and barter with the humans but most other humanoids races are shunned. They prefer to deal with other elves or halflings. High elves use the widened paths between upper Elflore and central Elflore as their main trade route They trade only with other high elven colonies and on occasion run a small band of merchants to the Island of Justice.

Use of Animals/Mounts

High elves use the common horse and other pack animals of their native land. Although many nobles subdue and train greater mounts such as Griffon, Hippogriff, Pegasi, and Stags. In times of war high elves seek only the strongest of these such beasts and will even go to the extent of hunting down young adult dragons for aerial combat. A typical reason for such awesome mounts may be due to past battles between other races of mass deliverance. A time came for high elves to gain advantage over their enemies and to do so they had to employ these incredible mounts of mysterious beauty.

Goals, Passions, Perseverance

High elves tend to be so strict and bull headed that days of celebration are rare. Although when such days to come to pass the celebration is grand! Feywine, huddleberry juice and fermented honey are drank as if they were as thin as water. Every high elf loves to hunt, especially prized game. The bigger the better. High elves also spend their free time constructing temples of grand proportion. They intently work on sculptures and delve within the art of bladesmithing.

Education, Alphabet, Languages

As one of the more interactive races the high elves have the best education of all elven folk. They take great pride in knowledge and no-how. They often use the old analogy "the only good elf is the one that knows which end of the folk to feed themselves with" They use the same alphabet as other elves and speak the common language of Elvish (also called elf common).

Magical Expectancy, Usage

Magic is a common practice amongst high elves and is readily used. Magic is most commonly used for construction purposes but can also be found in use by armor or weapon enchanters. Cantrips and other enlightening magic are used in public places as forms of entertainment and often the younger less experienced magic users are chosen by their magical presentations shown within normal society.

Racial Customs, Burial Ceremonies, Celebrated Holidays

High elves have very few customs but the ones they do have are strictly followed. All high elves believe the new year is a time of change and new beginnings and most will travel to the River of Death to sacrifice a personal belonging to whatever god they worship and seek protection or goodwill from. This river is also used in high elven burial ceremonies, hence the name "River of Death". The dead are placed on small wooden barges and pushed into the rivers somewhat motionless current for it's journey to the Elven Hunting Grounds.

Housing Materials, Architecture, Skills

Their homes are made in much the same manner as human housing, thus stone or wood being the major material used during construction. Most of the high elves prefer stone over wood and model their houses after there distant neighbors the humans. Unlike other elves, temples to deities and greater gods are by far the most important structures. They build massive stone pyramids to honor the divine and often sacrifice special offerings on the upper most peak of such structures. Stone carvers and Stone masons are perhaps the more common occupations, with each generation learning their predecessors skills and tricks of the trade. High elves are also one of the best peoples at weapon creation. High quality swords and polearms are readily available throughout high elven districts and perhaps some of Vastonia's best barding can also be found within there communities.

Gray Elves

The oldest living elves, sometimes refereed to as the ancient ones make there homes within Quiliston. This district is set within central Elflore. They shun contact with almost all humanoids but are somewhat friendly towards other elves, excluding the high elves. Here a definite dislike is made obvious. They do not seek to rid of the high elves but would rather hamper their existence within Elflore in general. A constant rivalry between these two elven races seems inevitable, with neither side ever gaining the upper hand. The gray elves are smaller and darker skinned than the high elves, they have silver hair with amber eyes or pale golden hair with violet eyes. The typical garment of the gray elves being long yellow or blue dresses for the women and woven slacks and white, yellow, silver or golden jerkins for the men. Gray elves weigh between 95-130 lbs and live anywhere from 600-2000 years of age.

Social Structure, Government, Laws, Religion

The gray elves are perhaps the least worried about social structure of all the elven peoples. The social ranking amongst them is although well organized and the breaking of the law is always dealt with immediately. Laws are enforced by the local city guard as well as well as any local knights. Punishments are generally severe if the party accused is proven guilty but otherwise are dismissed as minor offenses and quickly forgotten. Few gray elves follow a religious path, but of the one that do they pray to Corellon Larethian . No other elven gods are respected by the gray elves and if any should be called upon it would however be Plievay Nacoord'ranth.

Armor, Weapons and Advancements

Gray elven armor includes much the same armor as their high elf cousins this being chainmail, scalemail, leathers and more rarely platemail. Shields are commonly used by local farmers in the fields of Silvy. They use the shields as protection against the ever-route plant, to turn aside the plants sharp protrusions. The primary weapons of gray elves include longswords, scimitars, short swords, sickles, flails and footman's mace. Bows are also commonly used by gray elves as instruments of the hunt or perhaps by local officials to slow escaping law breakers. The most recognized gray elven advancement is the use of adamantite, this extremely rare steel is used to fashion Vastonia's most prized weapons. Only the finest warriors receive adamantite weapons and the thought of even owning one makes any elf salivate at the mouth. This infamous metal makes even elven steel look week in its presence and could be one of the reasons high elves fight the gray elves so intently.

Hunting Strategies, Tactics, Local Game

Gray elves hunt in groups of anywhere from 4-8 huntmasters. Tactics include just about everything from setting snares to dropping boulder on helpless game. As you can tell gray elves are not the best hunters. They tend to come home empty handed more often then not. Perhaps gray elves are just unlucky at this art and just maybe the land they live in has over intelligent game. None the less they are avid hunters and try to no end. Persistence is perhaps their greatest ally.

Trading Habits, Routes

Gray elves uses local routes between Vallisti and Kievistan to trade with the aquatic elves. These elves are perhaps the only elves the gray elves trust and will always help the aquatic elves in times of need. They also barter and make trade agreements with the valley elves, although they do not trust them further than a kender can walk away from a pouch of gold.

Use of Animals/Mounts

Many of the gray elves use mounts, mostly wild horses tamed for steeds. A few exceptions are highly considered to be superior mounts. Some of the more elite soldiers and local nobles ride Hippogriff or perhaps the occasional Griffon. These beasts are considered to be of noble stature and are left for only those individuals. It is almost considered ignorant for a lesser official or normal citizen to keep such a mount for themselves.

Goals, Passions, Perseverance

It's in every gray elves mind to better themselves over the rival high elves. Great lengths are taken to assure that the next king or queen of Elflore is NOT a high elf. In fact when the two races meet on Justice Island, either party would lavish the opportunity to push the other off one of the great arching bridges and watch their advisory drown in the murky waters below. Gray elves favorite pastime is celebration. Unlike the high elves, the gray elves know how to have a good time. Drunkenness and slanderish behavior are all but a few of the gray elven traits after a good night of festivities.

Education, Alphabet, Languages

Gray elves pride themselves in education. This is a time for celebration and then there is a time for study. They are by far the best educated of all elves and prove this through intellectual positions throughout the realm. Some of the most renown figures in history were of gray elven decent. Just one to mention is the recent and perhaps greatest magic user of all time "Amangeious". The gray elven alphabet is identical to the high elven one and they speak the same language of elf common with only a few slang exceptions.

Magical Expectancy, Usage

As you may have already figured out, magic amongst gray elves is greatly respected. Many local school of magic teach various magical properties. Local magic users spend centuries perfecting this art and produce some of the most useful magic items within Vastonia. Gray elf magic users hold a greater position in society than that of clerics and should be treated as if they were high ranking officials, but not noble stature.

Racial Customs, Burial Ceremonies, Celebrated Holidays

It is customary for gray elves to marry before they reach 20 years of age, they are expected to be pour and not have any estranged beliefs. It is also customary for a gray elf to have a coming of age ceremony at the age of 16, this signifies manhood for males and fertility for females. Burials consist of floating the dead down the river of death, much the same as the high elves do. Although if one is of noble ranking, a more direct offering is given to the gods through cremation of the body atop a giant pile of logs. Gray elves celebrate just about everything they can handle, but the one celebration that sticks out beyond the rest is the day of the "new age" this day signifies the beginning of the elven new age (see Elven Chronology ). This celebration lasts for 1 full week and the whole colony makes every attempt to share goods and commodities with others at a very reduced rate. Magic shows, jesters, archery contests and many other events are also held, anyone is welcome. Even those other elves, yeah the high elven cousins.

Housing Materials, Architecture, Skills

Much like their distant cousins "the high elves" they also construct stone or wooden housing but are much more detailed in their designs and architecture. Huge round libraries and temple being some of the most glorified. Also many statues are made in honor of local heroes and major deities. When local buildings are not being constructed, the gray elven wood carvers are setting off to local forests to create some of Vastonia's most detailed tree carvings. Literally hundreds of tree carvings now stand within Quiliston's forest and many more will eventually come.

Wild Elves

General Traits, Life Expectancy

The shortest of all elves, but by far the toughest! Wild elves stand anywhere from 4' to 4'6. These elves have dark tan colored skin, they have dark hair ranging in color from black to dark brown and occasionally silvery white. They brand or paint war designs on their faces and exposed flesh, mostly to frighten others. Wild elves live in the far southern regions of Elflore "Kievistan". The wild elven garb usually consists of tight woven slacks, leather outfits, and sometimes furred trousers. They usually have dark brown or hazel. They weigh anywhere from 85-105 lbs. High elves usually live to be around 800 years of age but some have been known to reach ages nearing a 1000.

Social Structure, Government, Laws, Religion

The wild-elves social structure lacks in all categories. They have only a few high ranking officials, which maintain balance in their societies and one figurehead who leads them as a whole "the High Wildrunner", who acts in much the same manor as that of a House Royal. Laws are few and far between and religion is viewed as hypocritical. The ones who do follow religions are shunned or outcast. Clerics are usually rid of, or banished from society, although users of arcane magic are protected and usually given positions of great importance.

Armor, Weapons and Advancements

Wild-elven armor typically consists of leather, hide or at best scalemail, studded leather or padded. Shields are not all that common but are available. The wild elven arsenal includes all types of bows, slings, staff slings, javelins, spears, shortswords and other simple weapons. Swords of superior qualities are extremely rare and almost never seen in wild-elven society. The wild elves greatest advancement is the superior use of traps and fortifications. If you need something maimed, battered, bruised or simply crushed and killed, seek no other than that of a wild elven hunter/forester. Noble's often pay handsome prices to renown wild elven hunters for such trades.

Hunting Strategies, Tactics, Local Game

The hunting strategies of wild elven foresters and huntsman are vastly superior to that of any of their elven cousins. A combined use of snares, log jambs, pitfalls, noose's and other death traps are all incorporated together to allow their huntmasters the ability to bring down any prey. Wild elves are also skilled archers, and use this to it's fullest advantage over any cornered prey.

Trading Habits, Routes

Wild elves only trade with their wood-elven cousins. They simply don't trust any other race. There main trade route wanders between Kievistans main forest and lower Sacranyst, although they trade quite often between the capital city of Talonskave and the southern city of Havenfurn. They only make runs outside Kievistan's borders when they need to have a representative at the Island of Justice.

Use of Animals/Mounts

Wild elves eat most common animals, not using any as their main beasts of labor. Common horses and other pack animals of their native land are treated just the same as any other creature "standard food supplements". On occasion wild elves will make use of giant gorillas or elephants to move heavy objects, otherwise these animals are consumed as well.

Goals, Passions, Perseverance

Wild elves are totally unconcerned with their actions and life in general. They live day to day, facing only what's thrown in faces. Days of celebration do not exist, although they have a few village ceremonies which may be treated as festivals. Like their high elven cousins they love the hunt, the bigger the game the better. Wild elves seek challenges such as giant boar, yeti, massive wild apes, but tend to fear all dragons.

Education, Alphabet, Languages

Education is virtually nonexistent as well. You learn by making mistakes and watching the elders of the community. " They use their own alphabet and speak a unique elven dialect called "ilechi". Some wild elves take the time to learn the wood elven language, but generally hope the wood elves speak their language.

Magical Expectancy, Usage

Magic is sacred amongst wild elves. Only the smartest of their societies can attain such magical capabilities and thus these elves are usually given positions of power. The leaders are often users of magic. Magic is almost never used for construction purposes, and is directed towards greater purposes. It is often used to control society in ways most would view as evil.

Racial Customs, Burial Ceremonies, Celebrated Holidays

Wild elves have little use for the dead. A dead body is nothing more than fertilizer for cultivation of the land. Only great leaders and other such important figureheads are given a burial ceremony, which may consist of anything from a burning brush pile or a one way ticket down the "River of Death".

Housing Materials, Architecture, Skills

Wild elven homes are always made of logs and other natural forest products. They range in sizes from the smallest cabin's to gigantic pavilion style establishments called "Tooka". Most buildings are shaped in the style of Tooka, having round-peeked roofs with large logs for walls which are tightly packed with moss or clay for insulation. Some buildings are imbedded into the ground, such as community halls and other massive places of gathering. On occasion you may find a wild elven structure made from brick, but these are always armories or high class citizens places of rest (hospitals).

 

To be continued!