Island Elves

The Islanders

A long time ago, before the great nations of the world existed, even before the first kingdoms had been born, the elves took to the water. And over rivers, and across the sea, they found a new world, a green place of grass, trees, and freedom.

It was these elves who first settled the islands, and their descendants are now known as the island elves, or, as they call themselves, the high elves.

On this island, they discovered the first horses. Noble creatures that, when domesticated, forever changed the course of not only these elves but also the whole of Veskar.

As time went on, they spread to the nearby islands, taking their horses and their ships with them. To this day, they are seen as the world's masters of both horse and sea, due to their long history of conquering both.

Physical Appearance

The island elves are distinctly fair-skinned when compared to their kin, as well as giving exclusively light hair colors, such as light blond and platinum, which are most common among them. Their bright eyes come in a variety of colors, such as blue, green, orange, yellow, and grey, and they have long, angular features, with high cheekbones.

They are also the tallest of all the elves, and this is made even more obvious by their culture of wearing heels.

Homeland

Their two main islands both feature vast plains, with rolling hills, and blue rivers, the perfect landscape for these sea-faring horse lords. Additionally, they have a number of smaller islands, most notable of which is Sekhanmye, the volcanic island between Trianmye and Quianmye, their two biggest landmasses.

The western islands can be divided into two main regions, the Tianamnyan archipelago, and the Quianmyan rock islands. The Tianmyans are very distinct, having long been removed from the rest, and they have developed a distinct culture. The same can be said of those living on the Quianmyan rocks.

Being an island people, naturally, fishing is a common profession among them, along with horse ranching, especially on Trianmye. They do most of their fishing on the White Sea, which is rich with fish.

Ethnicities

The islanders are not a monolithic culture, and there are several distinct people groups.

Trianmyan

This is the main islander culture, they are marked by their warm climate and their love for horse riding. Most of the other cultures are descendants of this one.

Rethen
The Rethens live on the easternmost side of Trianmye. They have their own river system, their own city, and they are one of Anmye's most important harbors and economic hubs. This has given them the impression that they should be the leaders, even if they are still outweighed by the Rest of the Trianmyan elves.

Woodlander

Besides horses and fish, the Island elves also have forests, the most notable of which is in the interior of Trianmye, here people live differently, this is a region strange to the average islander, and therefore feared, and shrouded in mystery, the woodlanders are considered a strange people, the wood elves of the isles, although they are very closely related to their sea faring kin.
They have taken much more to the forest life, building much more with wood. This is also reflected in their appearance, as their skins are more tan, and their hair is darker. This has also led them to dye their clothing in darker shades, namely green and brown.

Quianmyan

The Quianmyans are the cousins of the Trianmyans. They remain very culturally interconnected, and ther very simular landscape has allowed them to stay very close culturally. Still, the temperatures on Quianmye are colder, especially further north, leading them to prefer thicker clothes. They are also the palest of all the island elves.

The Quianmyans are known for their jewelry industry, since their mountains are rich in many precious minerals, such as diamonds, emeralds, and many more. This has allowed them to become very wealthy, and they produce some of the best cut stones and jewelry in the world, rivaling even the dwarves.

Rocklander

These are the people of the Midwest. They live on small rocky islands just off the rocky western coast of Quinmye. This is a hard life, as the seas here are wild, and it is easy to accidentally sink your ship by allowing it to enter shallow areas, where there are sharp rocks hiding just under the surface of the water.
Still, these elves survive, and even thrive, even if it is in relatively small numbers. They make money by diving for pearls, and they are renowned for the quality of their oysters and raw seafood dishes.

Tianmanmyan

The Tianmanyans are the furthest removed from the islander heartland. These lands have always been a refuge for those who didn't fit in in elven society, and it has always been a place for those who love the quiet, and those who want to be free. These islands are known to produce some of the best elven sailors and generals, at least they did, until recently.

The Tianmanyan homeland has since been overrun by human, dwarven, and orcish immigrants, caused by growing population pressures on the continent, and the islander natives have been pushed to the interior, into the mountains, making them a race in danger of extinction. Since then, the new inhabitants have declared independence from the Anmyan kingdom, starting the Anmyan civil war.

Cuisine

Being a horse people, and horses being their primary domesticated animal, their diet includes a lot of horse meat, in addition to chicken.
Their favourite dish is stewed horse ribs, with peppers.

They also eat a variety of fish and shellfish, which are common in their seas, but their favourite type of seafood is octopus, braised with garlic and onions, and a variety of spices.

While they have ample farming space and fertile land, they farm grains on a small scale only, as they prefer vegetables, especially peppers, which is a vital component of most of their traditional foods.
They do grow a large amount of Potatoes, which are one of their primary sources of starch.