Sylvan

Children of the Forest

The Sylvan are a very superstitious people that believe trees are a sign of the Fae's presence and protection. Trees provide them safety beneath their shade, and any land outside of that should always be avoided.   They are a very isolationist society that are seldom seen outside of the forest; and hold a strong sense of pride in themselves due to their people changing very little when their ancestors fled from the The Crusades in Tregaron.

Magical Society

While oil is burnt to run machines and twist gears in complex machines, the Sylvan hold a harmonious relationship with the Fae, which is used in technology's stead.   Homes are not made from lumber lopped at a noisy mill, but instead created from spun roots and tree-trunks that are twisted by a Dryad's magic. Lamps and lights are not lit by electric or oil, but by wisps that heed the command of their master. Vehicles are not made of steel, but are instead small ents that delight in being piloted by their Sylvan masters. This unique development is entirely symbiotic; the Sylvan benefit greatly from the Fae's boons in constructing their homes, and the Fae, in return, are granted temples and shrines across the Sylvan country side.

Guardians of the Grove

Sylvan are notoriously territorial to outsiders and hold stringent expectations to ensure the safety of their forest -- and the joined reverence of the Fae.   Everything beneath a tree or brush's shade is considered the scared home to the Sylvan, and their home is to be fiercely defended. They are very protective over their culture and how others interact with their home. A walk through the woods should never be simple and leisurely; it should always be done while scattering seeds to ensure the forest's continued growth. Rivers should always be filtered and cleaned of scum to keep them flowing with the purest of water.   Anyone that refuse to follow Sylvan doctrine is to feed the forest.

Fae & Coexistence

Fae and Sylvan live together in complete coexistence.   It isn't uncommon for shrines to house Fae so that they can provide their magic in exchange for gifts or tokens of worship. The spirits also possess objects to allow the Sylvan to enjoy modern conveniences; vehicles are created from golems constructed entirely of lumber, and Sylvan restaurants are often maintained not by people, but by spirits that possess an entire kitchen.

Wood Elves wear clothing based off their status, occupation, and standing. It is often easy to tell a Sylvan's role and status based upon what they're wearing. Much of their clothing is shaped by magic, made from hunted leathers, or adorned by bone trinkets and alchemically treated wood.

Leafweave

Leafweave is a special form of clothing made by Sylvan tailors. With the help of Dryads, Leafweave allows plant fibers, woods, and twigs to be shaped into comfortable clothing. It is among the most common form of clothing found in Sylvan society; Hunters often prefer leafweave cloaks due to the camouflage they provide, and they remain lightweight, thin, and breathable for the humid climates.   Standard leaftweave always covers the thighs and torso, and it is typically seen as the clothing of a commoner.

Leathers

Wood Elves are avid hunters; leathers are typically reserved for the Hunters or higher status while ivory and bone is used for decorative ornaments or trophies.  

Precious Gems

  Wood Elves are fond of precious gemstones; particularly colored ones like Emeralds, Rubies, and Sapphires. Precious gemstones are a mark of wealth and high standing, and jewellery is always held at a premium price in the Sylvan trade. Amber is also uniquely cherished by the Wood Elves, as it's seen as a blessing from the Dryads to provide longevity.

Sylvan architecture is often shaped from the environment rather than directly constructed. A home on a cliffside is carefully built into the cliffside, and their towns and cities are, preferably, always high up in houses interconnected by bridges that web through the canopy of trees.   Gigantic tree trunks are hollowed out and shaped into towers while rocky coasts are made from fused coral and rock along the shores of the sea.

Paintings & Literature

Most Sylvan societies forbid sculpting in all forms and prefer to leave that work to the Fae; stone shaping is seen as vain and wood sculpting is outright barbaric.   Art to the Sylvan is generally always written; poetry, paintings, and literature.   It isn't too uncommon for Sylvan households to be lined with oil paintings or stocked with heavy book shelves that line their walls.

Meat and eggs make up a vast majority of the Sylvan diet.   Plants and crops are generally very uncommon in Sylvan cultivation, but the plants they do cultivate are often sweet fruits born from trees -- grapes and citrus being the most common. Sylvan Wine holds a legendary status and can be sold at a premium price to outsiders.   The Sylvan have absolutely no grains or breads in their diet; instead, they grow starchy root vegetables that are capable of being mulched, ground, and pounded into sweet cakes.

Careful Sowing

The Sylvan are incredibly superstitious regarding their farms. While sowing seeds is always permitted, they never till the soil and leave their plants to grow in an open field. Prayers and trinkets are given to the Spriggans for a bountiful harvest that will allow their crops to overcome the reeds; those that do not supply enough gifts to a Spriggan are cursed with a poor harvest.   Similarly, tilling the land is an egregious taboo. Land is to never be shaped by mortal hands without the assistance of the Fae, and that includes the earth. Tilled plots of lands are doomed to rot and wither.   Saplings and orchards are the most common form of Sylvan farm; these orchards are always filled with trinkets that dangle with hanging grapes or citrus. Most crops are often seen as a luxury gifted to them by their Gods.

Organised Hunts

Hunting is a very important part of Sylvan society. Protein is abundant in their diet, and it is one of the few things done freely.   Every week, a revered Huntsman will rally a Calethrin; a special hunt that organises a mob of willing citizens to be armed with bows, spears, and swords. The Calethrin is made to hunt one of the megafauna that populate the chain of fire, where they're eventually brought down and taken to the village to be distributed among the families that participated within the hunt.

Cherished Livestock

Sylvan farms are often livestock farms; this practice is a revered and even noble occupation, as they view livestock as the perfect cycle of Life and Death represented by The Norns.

Beast Tamers

As with the Fae, it isn't too uncommon to find all manner of exotic beasts living within their society. The most popular Sylvan mount is by far the hammerbeak; gigantic flightless birds that are surprisingly swift in spite of their massive size. Flighted beasts are also common in their society, particularly gigantic bats.

Hospitality

Sylvan find that hospitality is one of the most sacred parts of working society. Guests are to always partake in a host's customs and respect them regardless of how much it may go against their own beliefs and doctrine. They are walking upon land that is not theirs, and thus should work with the rules of that land rather than the rules of their own. Doing otherwise is a grave offense -- often literally.   Offenders are killed and left to rot in the woods so that the forest may grow.

Welcome to Outsiders

In spite of their harsh treatment of offenders, the Sylvan are a welcoming people that usually act as guides and aids to those that wander too deep into their forest. Scouts and barracks are often arranged throughout their forest home for the sole sake of finding and rescuing weary travelers so that they may have a chance to return to civilization -- but must always follow the Sylvan code, lest they be left to die within the woods.