Elves

In ancient times, elves dwelt in many places throughout the cooler climes of the earth many ages before the titans. With the fall of the titans and the great flood, humans have increased in numbers and cities across Asdar. Elves dwell principally in forests where they consider themselves the guardians of the fauna and flora. Elves are somewhat shorter than humans on average with the exception of Sibbarine, Sungotine, and Jinguese Elves who are noticeably taller than most humans. Frequently, they have pale skin and pale colored eyes, blue, tan, or green, according to their variety. Their ears are characteristically pointed and their features slight. They speak their own language, elven, which is thought to be uniform with dialectal variations throughout the world. Most elves enjoy a lifespan of the greater part of five centuries (about 450 years). They love nature and enjoy natural beauty which is reflected in their artistry and architecture which is designed to enhance and mirror the manner of nature with little impact on the environment. Unlike Dwarves who are found in many different climates, Elves of Asdar are found almost exclusively in the coolest climes or the depths of the earth. There are no known elven heritages in Bahuna or Za-Bahuna.

Elven Homelands

Disdrirn Elves, Disdrire Forest

†Erechórebese Elves, (Historic, closely related to Nymenthonese)

Findorian Forest, Findoria

Jinguese Elves (New World)

Lhotan Elves (New World)

Nymenthonese Elves, Nymentho

Selymbrian Elves, Barathorn

Sibbarine Elves, underdark (Kvarraga)

Sungotine Elves, Sungo

Sva Elves, underdark (Kvarraga)

†Kalaman Elves, Corundy (Historic) See also Imsephura, Kingdom of Kalaman Elves; survived up to at least the fifth millennium AS

Relationships between Humans and Elves

See also: Relations between Disdrirn Elves and the Empire of Magdala

The elves are an ancient and stand-offish race in the world of Asdar and in the west often avoid the company of humans whom they consider to have brought great harm to the forests, rivers, and plains of the world. Asdaran elves as a race prefer the forests where they dwell against the ongoing encroachments of humans. Pytharnian humans regard elves with mixed attitudes. Elves in Pytharnia and the west are mysterious as most humans have not seen an elf but have likely seen dwarves and halflings. Their mystery gives cause for wonder but also mistrust. In the West, elves have many misgivings about humans in general. The Yophentheans' cruel mistreatment of the elves in Erechóreb and the gradual but eventual extinction of elves in west Corundy (ancient Kalama) have taught elves to be wary of humans. This does not mean that elves hate all humans, but they do not trust humans as a race. The Selymbrian Elves of Barathorn are less fearful of humans as the history of their relations with Barathornish humans is not so blighted with misfortune. Nevertheless, Selymbrian Elves see humans as potentially dangerous to the woods.

In the far east, however, Sungotine elves are held in great esteem by humans and in the Empire of Sungo and in Jettuba, elven rulers hold sway over majority human populations. The relationship between elves and humans thus differs broadly between east and west.

In the new world, elves are the rulers of great empires that have little use for humans.

Elves in Human Cities

In the West, there are very small pockets of elves in the largest human cities. These small communities of elves are typically for the purpose of diplomacy and trade. Most elves do not like living in human cities. Trevirs has probably the largest community of expatriot elves in the western world.

Elves of Disdrire

Thousands of years ago, the elves shared the rule of the Disdrire Forest with the Kemerite Giants. Over the centuries, the power of the giants has waned and they no longer hold sway. The elves in turn have increased in leadership, but their domain has shrunken against the encroachment of the ever expanding human dominion.

Elven Languages

Main article: Pasaoivi

All Elven languages are essentially dialects of a common elven tongue that was once spoken well over twenty thousand years ago. There is much or nearly complete intelligibility between these varieties. In the west, Disdrire, Findorian, and Selymbrian Elven dialects are very similar to each other, so they form one group. Sungo is another main group. New world elves (Jinguese and Lhotan) speak very similar varieties of Elven. In the west, the Elven Language refers to the dialect spoken by the Disdrire, Findorian, and Selymbrian Elves.

Elven Origins

Elves have their own accounts of their origins and humans and other humanlikes believe what they have shared with other humanlikes is incomplete as they keep much knowledge to themselves. Nonetheless, researchers who have studied elves in both the West and in Sungo believe that there is likely a relationship between the elves and the Elamahti that is analogous to the relationship between humans and the ancient titans.

Half Elves

There are numerous half elves living on the frontiers between humans and elves. The so-called elven population of Nymentho is really half-elven with few pure elves among their numbers.

See Also

• Comparative Lifespans of Humanlikes
• Comparative Heights of Humanlikes
• Disdrirn Elves
• Great Disdrire Forest
• Humanlikes
• List of Creatures and Humanlikes of the Asdaran Universe