Virellan Elves

"Aye, the elves o'Virella be a wild-lookin' lot! I crossed paths with one from The Fingers, skin a shade o'green like the marsh itself, & hair that looked for all the world like a tangle o' moss. Shite at cards, they were"

— -Tovrek Lannem, Captain of the Drengr's Resolve

As a whole the elves of Virellan are extremely connected to the land they live in. Some even taking on aspect forms related to their respective homestead. Skin and hair changing color and texture. These features can and shift over time as they travel and connect with their new homes. Their ears come in all shapes and sizes but always end in a sharp point. As Virellan Elves age, their ears lengthen and eventually droop.

While their appearance CAN be directly influenced by the biome in which they have made their home it doesn't mean all Elves carry these traits. Some seem to be nothing more than tall humans with pointed ears- while others bear features influenced by the magic they use and train in. These traits seem to vary greatly based on focus and family lineage.

Cultural Traditions

While traditions vary greatly from region to region, one thing persists throughout Elven culture, Broskalforren wide. That being that all elves wear markings, trinkets or items that show their true homes with certain familier marking heritage or strong family lines. Elves tattoo, pierce or otherwise pass on markings when Elves leave childhood and enter young adulthood. For a people that lives 3-400 years. Generally done between the ages of 80-120 cycles.

Almost all settlements on the continent of Virella are made up of many Ancestries. No one group has yet been able to trace their true origins, including the long-lived, long-remembering Elves. Stories are told among Elven families of the first Elves falling from the stars and settling on Broskalforren eons ago. Others claim they were placed here by Virella herself at the dawn of creation, while still more say they grew from the land itself, born to care for and protect it.

Wherever Elves are found in great number, the seasons are welcomed with festival and feast. The Saltvein Coast may know only gentle shifts in climate, but the folk there still gather to honor the passage of time. Some holidays are old as memory, others no more than local tales grown into yearly rites, yet each is celebrated with laughter, song, and the sea at their side.

"The people of Moonstone Bay are excited for the Elven festivals each season. Their strong sense of loyalty to ones traditions rings clearly in their songs. As if the tide itself dances to the rythem of their words & instruments!"

— Angus McGregor, High Speaker of the Council of Moonstone Bay

Lineages & Clans

Family lineage is a cornerstone of Elven society. An elf's lifespan typically ranges between 300 to 400 years, and a couple will produce no more than two offspring in their lifetime. This limited fertility and generational brevity make each family line a finite and precious resource.

As a result, family histories are not merely records of the past but are considered sacred and closely guarded. The reasons for this practice are both cultural and practical. Genealogies are meticulously maintained to ensure the integrity of bloodlines and to prevent their extinction. They are often kept in secret repositories or held solely in the memory of designated family elders, passed down verbally to maintain their exclusivity.

This emphasis on lineage has led to some issues with taking partners from other ancestries, but most communities have pushed away this old way of thinking. Instead, they now focus on the importance of creating and strengthening bonds with other peoples to ensure their survival and growth. As a result, family history is no longer solely a record of elven blood but a testament to the diverse and powerful alliances that have allowed their family lines to endure and thrive. For the Elven people, a family line is a living entity, and its preservation is considered the highest duty of each generation, regardless of its origins.

...to truly understand elven architecture, you must recognize that they do not build on the land; they guide the land itself in an act of profound collaboration. It is a slow, patient revelation of the world's own innate forms, a quiet conversation where a stone arch becomes a home and a living tree becomes a library. Their work is not a monument of will, but an exquisite study in harmony.

— Brekkan Mossback,

Settlements & Architecture

Elven architectural principles are deeply rooted in their reverence for nature, resulting in structures that don't just exist in the environment, but become a seamless part of it. This design philosophy prioritizes harmony and integration over dominance.

Elven structures often use living materials, such as shaped trees or stone formations, and are built with minimal disruption to the surrounding landscape. Their buildings often grow with the environment, adapting over time.

Examples

Tree-city Integration: Rather than felling trees, Elves might guide a cluster of towering oaks to grow together, weaving their branches into platforms, walls, and roofs to form a multi-tiered city. This creates homes that are living, breathing extensions of the forest itself.

Woven Wood & Stone: A bridge might be crafted from a fallen log, its surface smoothed and adorned with moss and carved runes, while a doorway is cut directly into a naturally occurring arch of rock, its entrance framed by vines that are encouraged to grow in specific, decorative patterns.

Subterranean Integration: When building underground, Elven architecture still reflects nature. A hall carved from a cavern might feature columns left as they were, resembling stalactites and stalagmites, with polished crystal veins used as natural light sources.

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