Elves

Origin

Elves were created by god Nimar in his daughter's Sissiannas image for approx. 45.000 years ago. The purpose of their creation is carefully described in Genesis : Sissianna wanted a people who could protect nature; who could care for the plants and animals that her father had put on the plate and could sing and dance under the stars.

Definition Edit

There are four kinds of elves: Højelvere, wood elves , vildelvere and half man. A højelver defined by having two højelviske parents, while a forest elf from being classed as such if it has just one skovelvisk parent. If the child has only one wild elf as a parent, it becomes a classic case of this yourself. A half-man has only one elvisk parent, while the other is a human.

Habits Edit

Most of the elviske population live in tribes, ranging from ten to two hundred members, though most lie somewhere in between in number. The tribes live as nomads in the forest, where they usually are 4:00 to 5:00 settlements, as they switch between by about one year. They earn their living as hunters and gatherers, a lifestyle that gives them all an intimate knowledge of nature.

Some elves, especially højelverne, live in cities. Most villagers work in various crafts, which comes back to society, while others work with the distinctive form of agriculture and farming, which feeds the elviske cities' inhabitants: you are doing is not even ground, but harvests like fruits, berries and grains from self-seeded trees, bushes and fields, often get little help with production in the form of magic. Also keeps the elves are not pets behind fences and a leash, but at the large, open meadows around the cities of grazing deer and other prey freely, so that both chasing elves and also ensure that caring individuals who are injured or become ill.

The elfish society starves no or suffer otherwise want, for any according to his ability and consume according to need. Some craft requires more services in return than others, but neither poverty or distress found among the elves who did not use the money as payment.

Each family counts usually several generations as an elf can be more than 1.200 years old, but then rarely get more than four children during his lifetime, usually with several hundred years apart. There is usually complete equality within families, although each family often has a patriarch or matriarch, whose wisdom enjoys great respect from the rest of the family.

Although elfin children usually end up going in one of their parents' footsteps, they can freely choose their future profession, and if they want a career like no other in the family follows, it is usually easy to obtain an apprenticeship to the aspirant in a relative or friend, even though the young elf sometimes must leave his tribe to time to receive training if it is a rare task.

Religion Edit

Elves worship the elviske pantheon, an assembly of gods who are celebrated in concord and harmony. Religion fills generally much in an Elvers everyday and Sissiannas people have built many beautiful temples to the gods honor. Every elf is brought up to have respect for all gods, even Fanabina and Ragil would otherwise have caused them much grief, but also to nurture a strong hatred of all evil forces such as shadows , demons and undead.

Celebs elves Edit

There are several elviske celebrities, the most famous is the Wise, ærkemageren and head of Cristaliana. Also Keladonslægten widely praised, particularly its latest højkonge, Aencar Keladon that has ruled Eislonien for hundreds of years of wisdom and justice.

Taras patriarch Alastyn is also known, but he is more infamous than famous, for he is expelled from the elviske people.

Traditions Edit

As one of Nirahams older people have a lot of elves traditions that they are very devoted to keeping alive. These are often linked to either religion, community or heritage.

Birth Edit

Births are very rare among elves and therefore always a happy event. Friends and family visit the newborn and give the parents gifts that the child can use either in infancy or later in life, and the child will also be brought to a priest to the gods' blessing.

Naming Edit

An elf is named at birth, mostly by his parents but sometimes also by a close friend, as one parent owes his life. It is considered a great honor to be able to name a child, and therefore also as a paid life debt.

Wood elves are often given names associated with nature, especially some associated with the moon as a symbol of Sissianna. Such names can be anything from simple animal or plant names as Ma, T., Honor, or nightingale, the actual phenomena as the morning frost, fog or Dagskær. Other woodelfish names are composed of several parts that Solvid, Night Singer or Lightdancer.

A distinction is rarely between masculine and feminine names among forest elves, but there is nevertheless larger tradition of giving girls "gentle" names such as. refers to harmless flowers, music or prey, for example, Rose, Vårsanger or swallow, while boys more often get a name that is associated with strength and protection, Storm, Wolf or White Thorn.

Highelves mostly name their children after relatives or by the name meaning, but also names worn by admired elves like. members of the royal family or famous preachers are given to newborn elf children. Also forest elves names from time to time their children in this way for many wood elves have a højelvisk relative somewhere further up the tree, but the Highelves call only very rarely their children Woodelfish names.

Masculine highelfish names often ends in-or,-an,-ar,-ir, or-il, who Tiandor, Illuvian, Aencar, Valendir or Iodril.

Feminine højelviske name often ends in-a,-e,-IEM and one that Ithía, Aderie, Eladriem and Elethrien. Especially girls and younger boys are called nicknames instead of their full name as a way to show affection, for example. "Elah" for Eladriem, "Lye" for Lyennaeth or "Fera" for Fielthena.

Regarding surnames, so it is in turn much more normal to højelvere bears a name that has one or more elements from nature in itself. More families are named after a deed or trait carried or worn by one of their ancestors, as Torn Silver or White Blood. Elviske children usually have only one surname, but may at any time call themselves by any of his parents' names. Among the nobility, however, it is common to have two surnames, as one would like to promote his noble birth as much as possible.

Engagement

When an elven couple gets engaged, a priest binds them together at the wrists with a golden ribbon to symbolize their eternal commitment to each other. The pair then carries this band until May celebrations, where they get married. If the tape is broken, it is considered that the engagement has been highlighted, but this occurs very rarely in very exceptional circumstances. Often the golden ties between the two betrothed together a considerable length, up to two meters, so the couple can extend the distance between them after having been linked quite closely the first few weeks.

Marriage Edit Elviske marriages, almost without exception place during the annual May celebrations. Often, each tribe its own wedding traditions, but it recurs in all marriages, the couple will be blessed by a preacher of love Lady, Sissianna, and of a priest of the bride and groom's primary deities, if not Sissianna. Elves choose only mate once in their lifetime, and therefore there are no such things as divorces among them. Elves distinguish strongly between the terms "mate" and "girlfriend" and it is perfectly normal for married elves to have one or more girlfriends beside her husband. Some elves marry never with their mate, but most people want Gods blessing on their relationship and therefore promise each other eternal faith in Gods sight.

Equally it does not matter whether a child is born outside marriage or their parents at all skinny, though it is seldom that a connection results in a child if it has lasted for many years.

Death Edit

Elves bury their dead in the woods, where the corpse again become one with nature. The corpse wrapped in thin white cloth and placed in the grave, then thrown on the ground. After singing the bereaved together an elegy, which is usually either describes grief and loss, or ask the deceased god be welcoming soul. Usually planted there flowers on the grave, which is allowed to grow wild. Elves do not visit the place then, because from then on is the late part of the whole nature and not merely the spot where the body is buried.

Face Painting Edit

Most elves wear face paint day to beautify life. Among højelvere is the use of blue, white and silver colors of spirals and scrolls widespread, while the wood elves likes to paint with brown and green colors, depicting branches with fresh leaves and flowers in all sorts of colors.

May celebrations Edit

This is the elves' greatest solemnity. It is held in May in about a week, sometimes two, and is also the only annual occasion, which brings together the tribes into larger flocks of sometimes several thousand individuals. May celebrations dedicated all elviske gods, but first and foremost Sissianna. Music, singing and dancing elves are way to praise their mother, but also several places of worship takes place during May celebrations. Moreover, playing elves, dancing about the Maypole, telling stories and eating together, and often they are being joined by forest creatures who come Sissiannas children to celebrate elfin lady with them.

Festival of Lights Edit

Festival of Lights takes place in midwinter, when nights are longest. Since teeth elves candle to remember that darkness will not last forever and that warm spring is not far away.

Generation Trees Edit

Almost all residents elf tribes have a generationstræ. This tree is blessed by the gods and symbolizes the tribe's welfare. Often it will be adorned with ribbons and beautiful objects, while the elves take good care that no damage to the tree. When there is something important in one of the tribal members' lives are a person subject to the generation tree that reflects the incident, for example. a bag with a lock of hair from a newborn child, a golden ribbon at an engagement, an inherited piece of jewelry when someone passes away or a warrior's weapon if he has decided never to fight again. Thus says the tree is also the tribe's history.