Sea Elves
A subgroup or "tribe" of Elves who make a maritime living. They are the second-smallest elf subgroup, after Blood Elves.
Originally an offshoot of Blood Elves, they served as the navy during the end stages of the Everwar, patrolling the coasts for signs of Goblin and Orc movements, and aiding migrations of populations or military forces to other parts of the continent. Since the surrounding lands became inhabited with Dwarves and later Humans, many began to ply trade instead of war.
Today, most Sea Elves work as traders or couriers, either within the Elven Empire or around it. Among themselves, there is a distinction between those who work in freshwater, mainly ferrying cargo and passengers along the many rivers of the Elven lands, and those of saltwater, either transporting goods to other lands or serving in the current navy. Though there is sometimes rivalry between these two groups, they hold in solidarity more often than not and outsiders, including other Elves, can seldom gauge the difference between them.
Transformation: Naiad
Those who spend long enough among the tides and waves gain an affinity for them, becoming a type of Nymph known as Naiads. Gaining a blue or grayish cast to their skin, they are able to sense motions of aquatic currents and manipulate them to some extent. For their ability and experience they are given great respect, often serving as captains or admirals of fleets among merchants and navy alike.Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Assalan, Hurundil, Usshunir, Murindal, Eliendere
Masculine names
Rallahan, Ilrun, Rundur, Morotur, Oronon
Unisex names
Orondin, Runallan, Lannan, Allienda, Orunda
Family names
Inildir, Orehasselan, Shurumne, Uruhumne, Calatassan, Selessantin, Oroconton, Sarrantan, Assashan, Tolorran
Culture
Shared customary codes and values
Being an offshoot of the martial tribes of Elves, they tend to be very disciplined in their action, and this is enforced by the fact that most work as part of a ship crew. They idealize teamwork, companionship, and social awareness. Each individual is expected to know their role in a group and its responsibilities. While engaging in a group task, they tend towards stoicism and straightforward interaction; however, when not at work, they are capable of great carousal, and a crew can cause a huge ruckus by collectively searching for merriment.
Common Etiquette rules
A Sea Elf introducing themself will state, in addition to their personal and family names, the name of their home vessel, and the organization to which it belongs, if any. They regard their ship name as more important than their family name, and addressing them by the latter can be seen as insulting.
Art & Architecture
Though they spend most of their lives on ships, they maintain coastal settlements entirely for the purpose of raising families. Built by commissioned Wood Elves, these are less cozy than the customary "glades" and resemble forts, with significant walls made of closely grown and interwoven trees, and simple structures within for habitation. The populations of these enclaves are small, seldom exceeding a hundred, and populated by those who are expecting children, raising children, or have retired from maritime life due to injury or extreme age.
By convention, ships are grown in singular pieces by skilled Wood Elves. These tree-ships are still alive as they sail, capable of repelling barnacles and other minor hazards, and of gradually repairing damage to themselves. They form a strong bond with their crews, who can sense their heading and speed, as well as any damage they accrue.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Sea Elves expect to give birth in water, and special tubs of clean water are built for the purpose. After a child is born and ensured to be in good health, it is placed in the nearby sea to get its first taste of seawater: those present ensure that at least some seawater is ingested, but retrieve the child after a few moments so that it does not drown.
Coming of Age Rites
A child is considered an adult when they secure work on a crew, and take a ship name for themselves. A short ceremony involving the parents and crew takes place, in which the captain bestows the ship name to the individual, as well as a talisman that symbolically represents the crew and bears its name. A small advance payment is typically included.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Burial at sea is considered necessary, and any other form of funeral is anathema. If a person dies at sea and their crew is able to retrieve them, they are wrapped and tied in their bedcloth with all their gear and belongings (save any specifically left in their will to others), and placed with great ceremony in the water as near to their point of death as can be safely reached. If the ship was damaged during the same event, the broken pieces will be divided among all casualties and buried along with them.
If a person dies in a coastal settlement (usually an aged retiree), they are similarly bound and sunk with their belongings, often including a piece of their own home.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Unsurprisingly, they tend to decorate themselves and their belongings with the bounty of the sea, most particularly shells, which can be gathered without directly harming any creature. In addition to using whole shells where their shapes are considered appealing, they are skilled at removing the nacre from various forms of shells and coating other objects with it, using this technique to create jewelry and accented tools in all manner of shapes. Pearls are common accessories, as they are farmed in several locations. They are also fond of loose trails of colored fabric woven into their hair or clothing which stream in the wind; these have a practical benefit, though a Sea Elf is unlikely to forget the direction of the wind at a given time.
Courtship Ideals
As there are no taboos about different sexes working on ships, couples often form from coworkers on a given crew. While it is not uncommon for couples to form among crews who often work together, this is not considered ideal, though it is not discouraged. Couples are expected to keep their relationships discreet, purely to avoid compromising their quality of work, until they announce their engagement to the rest of the crew. They name a marriage date, at least a year in advance, at which point they will withdraw from the crew indefinitely in order to move to a coastal settlement and raise a family. Once they have reared at least one child to adulthood, they are expected to return to their original crew(s), though in some cases this is not possible because the position has been filled or the crew has been killed or disbanded, in which case they will seek work on a new crew. The couple are subsequently allowed to withdraw to raise more children as they wish, provided they give a year's advance warning to their captains.
In preparation for their marriage, the couple are expected to collect the funds they need to sustain them while living on the coast and out of work. It is customary for their captain(s) to give a large gift at their wedding ceremony to complement this.
Nicknames (least to most pejorative): Water Elves, land-stitchers, water-striders, seahearts, stormkin, boat-dwellers, swimmers, boat-lovers
Height: 1.4-1.7m (4'6"-5'8")
Skin colors: Medium to dark brown with blue or olive sheen
Hair colors: Gray or black with blue sheen
Eye colors: Gray, blue, green, or hazel
Lifespan (Average/Maximum): 820-1500
Height: 1.4-1.7m (4'6"-5'8")
Skin colors: Medium to dark brown with blue or olive sheen
Hair colors: Gray or black with blue sheen
Eye colors: Gray, blue, green, or hazel
Lifespan (Average/Maximum): 820-1500
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments