Ynnar

Elves are a humanoid species, typically possessing a slender and graceful physique adapted for agility and endurance rather than brute strength. They have the standard design of four limbs: two arms and two legs, with elongated fingers and toes that enhance dexterity and balance. Their skeletal structure is lighter than that of humans, with bones that feature a hollow core. They are strong yet less dense, contributing to their nimble movements and often exceptional speed. The musculature is lean and wiry, optimized for endurance and flexibility, allowing for remarkable acrobatics and stealth. Elves are characterized by their elongated ears, which enhance auditory perception, and their sharp, angular facial features. Their visual systems are adapted for low-light conditions, with large, sensitive eyes capable of discerning subtle details in dim environments. Elves’ physical design reflects a harmony with their environments, particularly in arboreal or natural settings, where their anatomy allows for swift traversal and predatory grace.

Elves have a significantly slower growth rate compared to humans, reflecting their extended lifespans. They typically reach physical maturity around the age of 30 but are considered culturally and emotionally immature until around 50 years old, at which point they are regarded as fully adult within their societies. Their childhood and adolescent stages are prolonged, allowing for a deeper assimilation of knowledge, skills, and cultural traditions. Elves can live to roughly double the age of a human and later stages of their lives are marked by an increase in wisdom, with their connection to their chosen specialisations deepening.

The Ynnar live in harmony with a variety of biomes, adapting their lifestyles to the unique ecosystems they inhabit. In forests tribes rely on abundant game, practice slash-and-burn agriculture, and use trees for building houses and crafting tools. In plains biomes, nomadic tribes follow vast herds of mammoth and other large herbivores, utilizing nearly every part of the animal for food, clothing, and shelter, while employing controlled burns to manage grasslands and attract wildlife. In swamps and wetlands, tribes construct elevated dwellings, fish, hunt, and forage for aquatic plants. Coastal and marine environments support elves who rely on fishing, shellfish harvesting, and cedar trees for canoes and housing. Across all biomes, the Ynnar develop sustainable practices—hunting selectively, rotating crops, and respecting the balance of their ecosystems—rooted in spiritual beliefs that their people are stewards rather than masters of nature.

The Ynnar's diet is primarily plant-based, consisting of foraged nuts, berries, fruits, and wild greens, alongside cultivated crops like oats, peas, and root vegetables. However, they also incorporate protein from hunting game, fishing, and gathering eggs, always taking only what is needed and offering thanks to the spirits of the animals and land. Elves use methods like smoking, drying, and fermenting to preserve food for lean seasons, storing their supplies in intricately woven baskets or underground caches to protect against spoilage and pests. Hunting is conducted with reverence and precision, using silent, efficient methods such as bows or traps to minimize disruption to the ecosystem. Foraging is carried out with deep knowledge of the land, ensuring that plants are harvested in ways that allow regrowth, and seeds are often replanted as they gather. Food-sharing rituals, communal meals, and seasonal feasts reflect their belief in the interconnectedness of all life, making their dietary habits both a spiritual practice and a means of survival.

Elves experience a biological cycle that is intricately tied to the passing of time and the changing seasons. Their physiology adjusts harmoniously with nature, with spring marking a period of renewal and heightened vitality, where their energy surges and their senses sharpen, aligning with the budding of life around them. Summer brings peak physical strength and a robust connection to the earth, enabling them to gather, hunt, or create with increased vigour. In autumn, elves enter a reflective state, their biological rhythms slowing as they prepare for the introspective dormancy of winter, a time of deep meditation and spiritual renewal where their metabolic rates drop, mirroring the hibernation of some animals. Even ageing in elves is cyclical, with their appearance blooming and fading in cycles akin to perennial plants, embodying the idea of continuous renewal rather than linear decay.

Elves exhibit behaviours rooted in harmony, respect, and interconnectedness with the natural world and their communities. Among their own kind, they emphasize cooperation, mutual respect, and collective well-being, often fostering strong communal bonds through rituals, storytelling, and shared labour. Elves value diplomacy and emotional restraint, preferring to resolve disputes peacefully and viewing their community as an extension of their own identity. Toward predators, they adopt a balance of caution and reverence, recognizing the role of predatory creatures in maintaining the health of ecosystems; while they may defend themselves if necessary, they see predators not as enemies but as fellow participants in the cycle of life. With species they predate—be it animals they hunt or plants they harvest—they display a profound sense of gratitude and ritual, often offering prayers or gifts to honor the spirit of the life taken. This behavior reflects a psychology grounded in the belief that all life is interconnected and sacred, fostering a worldview where survival is a reciprocal relationship rather than dominion over nature.

Elves possess heightened sensory and extrasensory capabilities that surpass those of many other species, enabling them to interact with their environment with extraordinary precision and awareness. Their vision is exceptionally acute, with a heightened ability to see in low-light conditions, making them adept at navigating shadowed or moonlit terrains. Their elongated ears grant them superior auditory sensitivity, capable of detecting subtle shifts in sound frequencies and distant noises. Some elven individuals may exhibit magical attunement. While unconfirmed, it is rumoured that elves are said to possess an innate "forest sense" or biokinetic awareness, allowing them to feel subtle changes in their environment, such as shifts in air currents or vibrations in the earth, akin to a natural form of echolocation. Together, these sensory and extrasensory traits make elves formidable trackers, scouts, and mystics, uniquely attuned to the world around them.