Most elves reside in the Southwest and Central regions of Lower Ohm. Subgroups whose ancestors settled in different regions gradually took on their own defining physical and cultural characteristics. These will each get their own ethnicity articles expanding upon their culture and evolutionary traits.
Blood Elves
Live in the forest bordering Muha and Saram. Primal, feral, and fiercely territorial, but alienated from Muharan society as aggressive, kill-on-sight survivalists, with long ears and olive skin painted in blood (hence the name). Their ears are the longest of all elven subtypes. They regularly shear their hair just short enough to protect them from the wood but without impeding movement, vision, or concealment (aka lil fuzzy heads). Their nails are kept long enough to sharpen a point at the end, as a cat might for their claws, but again, not so long as to pose a problem.
Blood Elves are stealthy and reside in treetops and hidden shelters throughout the forest. They are limber and incredibly skilled with a bow and arrow, as well as bone daggers, and can make precision strikes from both close and distant ranges. The eerie silence of the wood may fool a heedless wanderer until he is shot with an arrow through the skull or pounced on from above/behind.
Blood Elves are known cannibals. They will take any creature as their prey, no matter the species, consuming their flesh and utilizing different body parts for various purposes, such as clothing, armor, and insulation (skin, hair, feathers, and fur -- yes, human leather is a thing weaponry and tools (bone, enamel, sinew medicines, poisons, and paints (blood and several others. No part of the victim goes unused.
One big mistake witless travelers make is underestimating an unarmed Blood Elf. A Blood Elf's extensive knowledge of anatomy enables her to strike, claw, and bite at various pressure points and vulnerable locations of vital organs. Unless they escape, the victim will be knocked unconscious and/or die of internal bleeding before they are harvested for their organs and flesh.
Many Blood Elves live and hunt in isolation, but some form small groups or tribes. Some larger prey may be harvested at the kill site to simplify transport, but small hunting parties of 2 or 3 sometimes keep one or more of their prey alive and "fresh" so they may bring the maximum amount of meat and resources to the tribe -- and to ease the burden of the return trip. Prey may be killed immediately upon arrival, or held until their parts are "needed" so the meat, skin, and organs can be used without waste.
A live, captured traveler will have to think fast and smart if they want to escape, though for most, their death sentence is written in blood the moment they enter a Blood Elf's field of vision. Reasoning with a Blood Elf is infeasible; they do not speak Common languages, and will not even attempt to communicate with a humanoid captive any more than they would a wild boar. The rare fellow who does escape and lives to tell the tale is likely traumatized for life after the horrors they have witnessed.
The following ethnicities will later be described in further detail:
Spirit Elves
Live in the Hatanese Woods and Secluded Groves throughout Central Lower Ohm. Peaceful but powerful, stoutly bonded to the animals of the wood, with sharp ears and shimmering skin in varied shades of green. (There are also Mountain Elves living on Mt. Hatan; I will write about those later.)
Water Elves
Live on Saram's Coast and integrated with Sarami culture, working at and enjoying the sand, sea, cenotes, and orange groves. They have flexible ears of varying lengths ("wiggly" ears), and skin tones range from pale to dark brown and assorted shades of blue.
City Elves
Elves whose ancestors migrated to Thoril from Lower Ohm. Stereotypically stand-offish and blunt, with delicate ears and skin tones of pinks and greys.
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