Deep Elf

The deep elves are the forsaken children of Eredhan—born of his light but lost to his grace. Where the moon elves were gifted to Eruwen, and the sun elves shaped in the image of Glandaer, the deep elves were once high elves who chose their own gods. In a time during which even the star elves speak of in whispers, they turned their backs on elvenkind's divine covenant, forging pacts with ancient powers from the underworld—entities of secrets, hunger, and promise. Whether driven by ambition, fear, or betrayal, their rebellion sundered them from the surface forever.

Appearance

The deep elves are haunting to behold. Their skin, once radiant like their high elven kind, had faded to a ghastly, nearly translucent paleness, often slicked with an unnatural sheen. Their hair colors range from silvery white to inky black, though rarer bloodlines boast hair the color of wine, rusted iron, or even the pale gold of the sun elf ancestors. Their beauty has curdled—grace twisted into something predatory. Clawed fingertips, elongated canines, and angular features mark them not only as elves, but as creatures shaped by desperation and sorcery.   Where other elves move with elegance, deep elves move only with intent—a predator’s poise, calculated and deadly. Their clothing is functional, regal, and often reinforced with subtle armor or arcane sigils. Their bodies are lean from a culture of ceaseless competition, but marked by ritual scarring, bone adornments, or tattoos that tell of rank, allegiance, or conquest.

Society and Hierarchy

The society of the deep elves is a labyrinth of dominance, forged from necessity in the blackest pits of the world. They have no true nobility, only power—whether it be magical, martial, or political. Their cities rise from hollowed mountains, stalactite fortresses, and molten-lit caverns. Each is ruled by a Council of Ascendancy—a volatile cabal of archmages, warlords, and blood-priestesses who clawed their way to the top through assassination, spellcraft, or centuries-long manipulation. Above this council is the city matriarch.   Kindness is weakness. Loyalty is often an illusion. Yet their society is not chaotic—it is ordered by fear, ambition, and meticulous control. The weak survive by serving the strong, and the strong rule only as long as they remain useful. Knowledge is hoarded, and betrayal is expected. The only currency with any permanence is secrets—who holds them, and how they are wielded.   Despite this, the deep elves are not mindless or wantonly cruel. They are pragmatists, and their cruelty is always sharpened toward an end. Children are taught discipline. Magic is revered. Even their architecture is efficient, though draped in shadowed beauty—ornate in places, but never soft.

Religion and Cosmic Exile

The deep elves do not follow the gods of their forebears. They rejected Eredhan, and in doing so, were cut off from the ancestral communion that unites other elven races. In his place, they turned to entities that dwell beneath the divine—a pantheon of forgotten kings, ancient mothers, and things that slithered in the dark before the first dawn. These beings offer gifts, but always at a price. Deep elf priesthoods are transactional, power-hungry, and dangerous, channeling magic that burns not with light, but with echoes of shadow.   To the surface elves, the deep elves are anathema, their existence a wound upon the elven soul. To the deep elves, the surface is not a homeland lost, but a symbol of false weakness—a garden that softens the will and deadens the spirit. They do not seek return. They seek ascendancy.

Interactions and Worldview

Few deep elves travel to the surface, and fewer still are welcome. They are feared even in places where they are unknown, for the scent of ancient curses lingers on them. Those who do emerge often work as assassins, necromancers, or emissaries bearing poisoned gifts. Some defect from their kin and attempt to live among other races—but even these are often watched with caution, if not hunted by those they left behind.   Yet not all deep elves are irredeemable. Some philosophers among their kind speak of “The Shattered Light”—the belief that even in darkness, fragments of divinity remain. These heretics, if they are not silenced, sometimes escape to the surface, seeking not forgiveness but new truths.

Naming Conventions

Deep Elf names reflect the harsh syllables of the Underworld, blending sibilant sounds, glottal breaks, and arcane overtones. Their language is structured to command, intimidate, or beguile, and names are often designed to be as much a weapon as a designation. Family names denote allegiance to ruling houses, fallen lineages, or arcane institutions—many of which hold histories steeped in murder, ritual, and conquest.   Most names include apostrophes, suggesting guttural or reverent pauses in their language. Common phonemes include Xy, Xal, Zha, Nyx, Vael, Vel, Zyl, Vyl, Xyr, Drex, Vor, Kyr.

Feminine Names

Common patterns include using either an Arcane root or a root based around Power or House, followed by a soft and melodic or icy suffix, such as -ra, -ria, -ndra, -zara, or -shira.

Masculine Names

Common patterns include a harsh root following by an abrupt suffix, such as -or, -ak, -zul, -ion, -drik, or -thar.

Family Names

While not necessarily family names in truth, the surnames of the deep elves reflex the house to which they swear loyalty. They tend to be a root related to founders, spiritual patrons, or house-bound demons followed by an apostraphe and a title or domain related to territorial control, bloodline prestige, or ancestral curses.