Elf, Wood
Contrary to their nomadic cousins, Wood Elves live in well established cities settled in the heavily forested Towerlands, a damp valley filled with monumentally tall sandstone pillars with foliage growing from every possible crack and crevice. In part thanks to the environment in which they live, and in part because of their somewhat xenophobic culture, Wood Elves rarely interact with other people groups. Wood Elf societies managed to just barely survive the Time of Giants, being that the area they lived in was and still is largely impassable to those who are not who are not familiar.
Wood Elf tribes have survived by being cautious of outsiders, and most tribes will do what they can to discourage encroachment on their territory. This does not mean that all Wood Elves share this distrust of foreigners, but such members of Wood Elven society are rarely seen in positions of authority. In the rare Wood Elf tribe that does interact with outside influence, trading, particularly exporting wooden items made with renowned Wood Elf carpentry and importing precious metals such as gold which are considered spiritually important.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
Wood Elf culture stems from High Elf culture, and as a result there are certain similarities between the two. Specifically, Wood Elves and High Elves share a tongue--Elvish, and have slightly different interpretations of the same religion.
Shared customary codes and values
In Wood Elf culture, materials that come from mines such as metal are considered hurtful to the Spirit of the World, and as a result many Wood Elf cultures use as little stone, metal, and other minerals as they possibly can, though some is allowed for the sake of survival.
Common Etiquette rules
It is considered rude in most Wood Elf societies to call a person by their given name unless they explicitly allow you to do so. It is believed that by calling someone by their given name without acknowledging their last name is insulting to all those who share their blood. Most Wood Elves only allow family to call them by their given name alone, and expect all others to address them either by their full name or their family name.
Common Dress code
Much like many High Elves, Wood Elves traditionally dress in hide outfits, while some tribes who farm sheep are seen with cloth garb. It is common for Wood Elves to accessorize with plant leaves, flowers, or trophies harvested from animals, often hooves.
Art & Architecture
Archaeological evidence suggests that Wood Elf habitations are adapted from huts very similar to those used by the Wood Elves' cousins, the High Elves, suggesting that High Elves came together as a society long before Wood Elves did. Wood Elf structures are typically made of a standard, tent-like tarp design. Usually, the outsides of these structures are covered completely with foliage and twigs to help camouflage structures from malicious invaders. Many, though not all, Wood Elf tribes construct these buildings on the sheer cliff faces of the Towerlands' characteristic sandstone pillars. The technique for keeping these structures there usually results in tents of this sort being smaller and flatter than their ground based counterparts.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Wood Elves typically bury their dead far from village centers, believing that dead bodies which are treated improperly can result in angering the spirits of their ancestors. Generally, a body is dressed, washed, and decorated in beautiful jewelry when it is buried, with the idea being that these gifts might please the spirit, and convince them to help protect the village in the afterlife. If the deceased in question was considered a malicious person, their body is instead burned. Wood Elves see a connection between body and spirit. Without one, there can not be the other.
Parent ethnicities
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