The naming Traditions of Uppergelf differ quite significantly from the long and drawn out namelists which the Undergelf create. Uppergelf like short (as they call it: crisp) names which stay in mind, not by their complexity but by the virtues of those who bear it. Many male Uppergelf first name are thus monosyllabic with but a few exceptions. Female names however tend to be slightly longer than male, but having one with three syllables is rare.  

Female Uppergelf Given Names (Examples)

Ino, Efa, Init, Chaila, Lenka, Draste, Jynn, Hauru, Goa, Teela, Weel, Arna, Seri, Kia, Tia, Olda, Gappa, Fanna, Guntha, Poklet, loprek, Myrka, Vertan, Liso, Hilgi, Lanti, Lesti, Voni, Kalla, His, Kek,

The naming traditions of Uppergelf differ quite significantly from the long and drawn out namelists which the Undergelf create. Uppergelf like short (as they call it: crisp) names which stay in mind, not by their complexity but by the virtues of those who bear it. Most male uppergelf first name are thus monosyllabic with but a few exceptions.  

Male Uppergelf Given Names(Examples)

Cym, Lok, Dain, Keg, Drov, Moks, Arkk, Her, Snirr, Velchok, Grohl, Len, Ren, Davv, Ceer, Hon, Rey, Cynn, Chai, Dabo, Anto. Rok, Ku, Jak, Sunn, Gon, Distal, Nopragg, Patmek, Kanki, Kupu, Lado, Kamp.

Uppergelf do not have familynames like Undergelf and their given names are usually followed by the Clan Name. Name collisions are resolved by either adding location or job descriptors to distinguish between the respective gelf, the concept of a family name is all but unknown. The name of the Clan is more often than not the name of the founder of a specifc uppergelf settlement.  

Uppergelf Clan Names

Rowuk, Tallak, Valda, Kechik, Albrin, Gotan, Naktak, Ulshim, Hairok, Leduk, Firmisk, Ja-Shini, Talv, Muldo, Noa-tim, Ikkiba, Lakuit.  

Male Uppergelf Name Examples:

Cynn of the Forestglade of Clan Noatim  

Female Uppergelf Name Examples:

Draste the Weaver of the Clan Kechik

Uppergelf (East) or Uppergelf (West)

Both languages differ greatly, and are spoken by gelf in the east and west of the inner sea respectively. Although... due to the relative loose connection between tribes (one gotta find one first, after all), the dialects among both languages are so strong that it takes a few weeks to understand them fully, even if you speak the language.

"So... can you find them?"
"What... just because I "kinda look like them??" Not all gelf know each other aye? They are hiding from me too. Also they are Uppergelf. I was born in a shaft 300 meter below the Dragon Stones... i might need some time okay? Also i might need a lense of true seeing... If you happen to know where to get one."

— Undergelf scout answering stupid questions...

  Uppergelf live in a tribal culture, with a chieftain and a council of elders deciding the questions which affect the whole tribe. Just like wolven they never created a state and never aspired to. Which would be hard to do anyway, as they would first have to find each other first.

Their cultural heritage is more one of spoken legends, as they use scripture for mundane tasks, but leave it to their elders and storytellers to keep the legends of the past, which are often retold during the festivities, supported and underscored by illusions in something that resembles a puppet theatre with illusions instead of puppets.

Family Bonds

Like most gelf they value family bonds and bonds of friendship, They are also always aware that, if a gelf is on his own, he or his works could become easy prey to a gremlin

There are multiple festivities over the year which do nothing but celebrate the gelf companionship, designed to strengthen the bond and connection.

 

Secrecy

At the same time most uppergelf are very secretive, a trait which has protected them over the ages. The mistrust against the "Other" (as they call the humans) is prevalent. And although elves (or Onauru, as the uppergelf call them), enjoy a bit more trust, the gelf are still careful to reveal themselves to them. After all, it could be that the elf might just be a humanized Eadun elf after all.

Many (but not all) uppergelf, from warrior to elder, share a knack for the illusion magic, and most have at least one illusion spell at their disposal. Those who don't are seen as handicapped, but the gelfling sense of community sees to it, that they are included in the ritualistic renewals of the illusions which protect the settlement. And be it just as support for those who manipulate the Fae to weave the illusions.

Because these illusions are a true work of art, and thus hard to dispel, and even harder to see through, revealing an uppergelf settlement is either done with the explicit and unilateral consent of the chieftain and elders, or not at all. Revealing it to outsiders otherwise, by accident or on purpose is taboo, and comes with the punishement of exile for the respective uppergelf (see below). Involuntarily uncovered settlements are tore down, often overnight if possible, leaving little to no trace of their former presence, are are to be rebuilt at another secret place.
Not all gelf settlements are hidden however, even though most are. Once revealed to the world after an unilateral decision of elders and chieftain, if the local situation has proven so beneficial for the settlement, that the uppergelf decided to keep it this way, these settlements remain "open". Most of these "open" settlements can be found in Culmeria, Aesgard, Oskraja, Caldaven or Aquira, but they are still rare. The humans and other cultures in these countries are aware of the Uppergelf, however they still have different superstitions about them, mostly attributing their sudden apperance and disappearnces to the supposed Fae origion which Elves and Gelf are supposed to share.

Connection to the First world

Many Uppergelf have a strong connection to what they call "the First World", a specific fae world that, as they say, conserved the world as it was before before the Others (the Humans) arrived, and which now lies way past the Counterrealm.

Once a gelf dies, he (or she) becomes untethered to the mortal world, and transfers its consciouness / soul into the Fae, which is then free to roam and pass through the counterrealm into this "First world" which has thus become the equivalent of the Uppergelf heaven. Be that as it may be, some of the Uppergelf, mostly very powerful uppergelf druids and shamans, but even some mundane uppergelf have even developed the ability to go there while still being alive, and they are deeply revered by the uppergelf and often asked to commune with the dead.

Uppergelf Religion

Uppergelf believe that, once a gelf passes on, he or she becomes part of the Fae and, unbound by a mortal shell, lives on in the Fae as a spirit. Free of the physical form it can strive through the counterrealm now and further to settle in the First World, but also can be called upon for support or council by the living gelf through a kind of seance. like all spirits it is also subject to the tainting influence of the Counterrealm however, which seduces spirits to turn into demons that strive to return to the mortal world.   Those gelf spirits which dwell in the counterrealm are easiest to reach, but their counsel is considered dangerous.

  Because of the disjointed nature of Uppergelf tribes, almost every tribe has a different set of believes and superstitions in regard to calling upon the help of these "Elders", although the traditions remind strongly at the Goblin Vodun, at least superficially. The revered spirits are not a set of centralized Ghola however, so godlike spirits which represent certain subjects, but considered merely as dead ancestors which are asked for counsel to profit from their experience.

Uppergelf , while not being able to farm in the sense other cultures do, due to the difficulty to hide the fields, tend to clothe themselves in naturally occurring fabrics, which are either hunted or collected. Thus leather and furs are prevalent materials, and most uppergelf apparel is made from these materials.  

Threader Beetle Symbiosis

  The Uppergelf have however begun to form a strange symbiosis with faeborn insects called Threader beetles, a strange airborn mix between spiders and beetle, whose nests can be harvested for a silk like thread (hence the name of the insects). This thread can be worked into a fine yet sturdy yarn, rivaling silk in comfort and padded furs in protection, both against harm as well as the elements.   The "Threaders" lay their eggs into tree cavities and groundholes, covered in layers and layers of this fabric to pad their eggs for protection. Then, seemingly unaffected by gelf illusions (for reasons yet to uncover), they seek out gelf settlements and lead the gelf to these nests, so the gelf can cover them with illusions to protect them from predators. Once the threader larvae have hatched, the gelf collect the threader fabric and use it to make clothes for themselves.   The yarn harvested from a singular threader nest can serve to clothe a singular gelf, or adorn the primal leather and fur clothes of up to six. It is considered an "upper class" material, due to its rareness, and only shamans and mediums as well as chieftains or living elders only ever clothe themselves in entire dresses purely made from it.     Adult threader beetles seek out uppergelf settlements and are oftentimes drawn towards the more powerful illusionists and casters among the gelf. Once they find the gelf, the bioluminescent, yet much smaller drones begin to glow to attract female threader queens.   The gelf have learned to live and sometimes communicate with these otherwise harmless insects through an empathic fae connection. Threaders seem to be most attracted to those gelf who already wear a lot of threader fabric, which are in most cases uppergelf leaders and shamans, and thus gelf who have a word in uppergelf society. This only furthers the symbiosis, as of course it also becomes a sign of influence among the gelf.   For this reason it is considered rude for an uppergelf, who is not of rank, to wear "more" threader fabric than his or her rank justifies.

Uppergelf tend to live in small hidden settlements, which rarely grow beyond 30 houses, as protecting them with illusions would become so much harder if they ever grew beyond that size.

Illusiory art

Uppergelf often use their talent with regard to illusions to create short lived artworks of astonishing beauty, which are however meant to fade. Usually these artworks are presented among real artworks, however at a specific time it is revealed that the artworks were never real to begin with. Observers who had found pleasure in these artworks are then encouraged to remember them, to commemorate that all life and art is fleeting. Upperglef will thus study all art and craftsmanship in its details, thus they can be able create a relatively good (if illusiory) copy. Once a gelf is able to recreate the art in such a manner, the uppergelf say that the artwork has put roots in the mind of the observer, and that it has thus fulfilled it's purpose.

Uppergelf achitecture, much like the architecture of the Sitha, employs wooden elements which are often grown rather than built with druidic techniques and the uppergelfs inborn knack for nature magic. The gelf have mastered masonry and artisanship however, and gelfling doors are often artful blends of their hands work meeting the natural environment, even though stone is not necessarily a part of them.

Uppergelf homes are usually found inside large trees, or hills, but, artful as they they may be, the doors are mostly covered by illusions, hence they are hard to spot, except if one was invited or knows where to look.
This has, with the Culmerians and some Aes, led to the belief in fairy hills from which the "fairies" come, connecting the myth with the myths of the Fairy nature of the respective Danu-kin or the Nornfolk. Eadun that live in these countries

The natural knack of uppergelf to travel back and forth between the Fae realm of "First World" (as they call it), and Ardu has even strengthened this belief among the humans, and the humans argue that the "First world" is the place where the Gelf originally came from.

Most uppergelf call this belief superstition. They agree with the Norn of all people and argue that once the planet was full of Onauru Trees, and that the "First world" is a reflection of how it should be. If addressed about the superstition however, Gelf claim that none of their mothers could recall giving birth to their babies in the Fae realm, so whoever argues that should "shut the vhach up". Gelf are part of Ardu and Ardu is their home.

Skilled hunters and gardeners, but always eager to hide, uppergelf never really mastered farming as there is no way to hide the necessary fields. They don't mind bartering against grain or milk or honey, and of course eagerly accept the gracious presents brought to the "fairy hills" for protection against mischief.

Apart form that, Uppergelf cuisine hence tends to circle around hunted game and collected berries, prepared with herbs from the little gardens they allow themselves or the forests they usually inhabit.

"I swear.. Mom... it was here last time... i saw it with my own eyes, why don't you trust me?"
"Maybe you are right, but that means we might not see them again... didn't i tell you not to look for the gelf? Now we might never see them again."
"Really? Not even Kyla?"

— Exchange between a boy and his mother at the blackfir forest in Caldaven.

  Revealing a gelf settlement to an outsider (or at all) can only be decided by the chieftain and the circle of elders, who govern the settlement. Doing so, voluntarily or involuntarily by another gelf, is a major taboo which often leads to the respective gelf going into exile, and, if deemed necessary (which is often the case), abandoning the settlement, to rebuild it at another place.

This does not mean that all uppergelf settlements are hidden, as for some the gelf have decided to reveal them, thus also getting rid of the taboo.

Because true exile would also mean exiling the gelf from all connections inside the tribe, and thus risking the creation of a gremlin, the gelf practise a soft form of exile. Exiled gelf have to settle outside the "new" village but will still be able to be visited by their friends and family, which is done on a daily basis. ("Just to make sure he is okay... and bring him some soup and clothes")