The Elves
Jun 25, 2016 22:27:04 GMT
Post by Admin on Jun 25, 2016 22:27:04 GMT
The Elves
The elves of Elfquest differ greatly from elves in other fantasy lore (ex. Lord of the Rings, Dungeons and Dragons, etc.). You can read up on canon tribes, the elves' genetics, reproduction, and spirituality below.
Canon Tribes
Wolfriders
The Wolf-riders are a hunter-gatherer society of nocturnal elves who possess wolf blood, which gives them characteristics unique from other tribes. In addition to having keener senses, they are mortal. Wolfriders live by a code of conduct called "The Way." It is based on the natural cycle of the wolf; it glorifies the wild freedom of a hunter's life, and the "now" of wolf-thought.
Sun Villagers
The Sun Villagers are a peaceful, largely agrarian desert-dwelling tribe whose dark skin helps protect them from the powerful sunlight of their home. Sun Villagers can work soft metals, such as copper, silver, and gold. They are excellent weavers and are capable of building elaborate homes of sun-dried clay.
Gliders
The Gliders are a tall race of elves, almost all of whom possess the power of gliding (see List of Magics). They cloistered themselves inside the hollowed-out Blue Mountain, devoting themselves to art and contemplation. In the process they became arrogant and decadent. Because they lived so long in claustrophobic isolation, the Gliders ceased having children. Eventually, they found themselves worshiped by a human tribe that dwelt at the foot of Blue Mountain. A race of giant hawks were bred to bear the Chosen Eight, the hunters and providers for Blue Mountain who received tokens and live offerings of human tribe members on behalf of the Gliders.
Blue Mountain was destroyed at the end of Siege at Blue Mountain.
Go-Backs
As their name suggests, the Go-Backs possess a desire to return to the Palace. They live in the frozen Northern mountains, near where the Palace was buried under ice and snow. The way to the Palace had long been blocked by trolls, and in response, the Go-Backs became a race of brutally barbaric warriors, constantly fighting until war became their "meat and milk". Their life is short and harsh, and they rarely possess or use magic (even sending), because it makes life "deceptively soft". They value offspring, but believe in a warrior's early death. The Go-Backs domesticate giant elk for use as mounts, and primarily dwell in lodges built into the mountains.
Wavedancers
The Wavedancers are a tribe of elves who took refuge in the oceans of Abode. Thanks to flesh-shaping magic, the Wavedancers have undergone physical alterations such as fins and webbed fingers and toes, to help them adapt to an aquatic life.
Physicality
The true form of the elves is that of the cone-headed aliens they descended from; the physical form they take on Abode is a result of the physical changes the High Ones took on when they first made contact with humans (see: Hidden Years #6). The main differences between elves and humans are their large pointed ears, large eyes, and four fingers and toes on each appendage (a total of eight fingers and eight toes). They are lighter than humans of the same size, and move with a grace that humans do not possess. Elves typically stand between 3'7" - 4'3" for Wolfriders and Go-Backs, and 4'7" - 5'3" for Gliders and Wavedancers.
Skin, eye, and hair colors vary according to tribe; most elves descended from the Wolfriders or Sun Villagers are colored in the same natural shades found among humans (ie. pale to dark brown skin, black to blonde hair, etc.). The Go-Backs and Gliders are paler-skinned by comparison, and though they are also colored in natural shades, the Gliders' hair colors generally lean towards lighter shades of blonde, silver, and white. The Wavedancers are the most vibrantly-colored tribe, with skin, eye and hair colors falling under every color of the rainbow.
Genetics
Genetics among the elves are classified according to canon; the only tribe that has the blood of an animal (or other native creature of Abode) are the Wolfriders (ie. there are no cat-blooded elves, hawk-blooded elves, etc.). The jackwolfriders of the Windrunners are descendants of the Wolfriders that settled in the Sun Village, and also have wolf-blood. Any child born to two wolf-blooded parents will have wolf-blood, unless it is magically taken from them. However, a child born to a wolf-blooded parent and an immortal parent has a 50/50 chance of being wolf-blooded, and not every child is guaranteed to be the same (ex. Joren and Selen are full brothers; Joren is wolf-blooded and Selen is immortal). Wolf-blood does not skip a generation (ie. an immortal child born to one wolf-blooded parent does not carry 'wolf-blood' as a recessive gene); you either have it or you do not.
Wolf-blooded Elves
Wolf-blooded elves are the only mortal elves on Abode, and have a typical lifespan of 3,000 years, regardless of whether they come from one or two wolf-blooded parents. Only elves with wolf-blood are able to grow 'facefur' (ie. facial hair), and are the only elves known to 'go gray' in old age (ie. immortal elves keep the color of hair they were born with). Wolf-blooded elves typically have heightened senses: sharper vision, better hearing, an acute sense of smell and taste, and may be able to sense changes in the weather better than immortals can (ie. knowing when a rainstorm is coming, due to a drop in atmospheric pressure).
Childhood and Puberty
Elves have a very short stage of youth in relation to their overall expected lifespans; they mature and reach full height around age 18-20. The ability to reason as adults, however, begins earlier around age 12-15; it is not unusual for elves this age to begin exploring their sexuality or begin thinking about the role they may want to take up in the tribe.
Sex and Reproduction
Because of their extreme longevity, elves generally have a very low birth rate. Stable and peaceful elf societies such as the Sun Villagers and the Gliders typically have no deaths for long periods of time, and therefore no births; the Wolfriders and Go-Backs, plagued by centuries of war against humans and trolls respectively, have a higher birth rate in order to stabilize their populations, although still very low by human standards. Elves have a very long gestation period - about two years.
Please note: Pregnancies/births must be discussed and agreed upon between two (or more) players before contacting the Admin; such major events require coordination in the larger plot. We restrict pregnancies/births to once per character.
Elves have no sexually transmitted diseases, and sex is regarded as mostly recreational, rather than reproductive. All elves are pansexual, though some have preferences for one gender above another. Most elves are polyamorous, taking on as many partners (lovemates or lifemates) as desired, though it is not unheard of for some elves to choose to remain monogamous (this, however, is a personal preference, as opposed to a cultural norm). There are few taboos among elves, and nakedness is not exclusively seen as sexual in nature.
Furmates
Furmates is a term for elves that regularly share sexual experiences with each other, without emotional attachment.
Lovemates
Elves who form casual relationships with partners of either sex are called lovemates, and it is fairly common for an elf to have more than one lovemate at a time. Although this is not like marriage, lovemates can be very close, and the loss of a lovemate can be very traumatic.
Lifemates
Some elves choose partners, usually of the opposite sex, for life, called lifemates. This is the elves' closest equivalent to marriage; however, there is no bar against one or both lifemates taking other lovemates (or even other lifemates) of either sex, as long as the other does not object. While lifemates may choose to share soulnames, lovemates usually do not. While elves tend to remain emotionally loyal to their lifemates, they can be very free with their sexuality.
These arrangements usually run smoothly, although possessiveness and jealousy are not unknown.
Orgies
Among the Go-Backs one further form of sexual relationship exists: the orgy. In Go-Back society both sexes fight in wars. Thus the night before battle is usually marked by frenzied dancing followed by group sexual activity. This is partly in order to celebrate life before risking it in battle, and partly to scatter seed as widely as possible so that those females who survive can replenish the tribe.
Recognition
Among the elves there is the phenomenon known as Recognition. Two elves of the opposite sex that have exceptionally compatible qualities for reproduction may experience a sudden and immediate compulsion to mate. A Wolfrider who experiences Recognition involuntarily surrenders his or her soul name to the other recognized elf. This is described by the phrase, "soul meets soul when eyes meet eyes."
The purpose of Recognition is to produce healthy offspring that has the maximum beneficial inherited characteristics. Children conceived through Recognition have greater physical, mental and magical gifts than those who are not. For example, the children of the recognized lifemates, Cutter and Leetah, Suntop and Ember have considerable magical potential and physical hardiness respectively. However, gifted offspring resulting from non-Recognized parents do occur; one example is Kahvi and Rayek's magically endowed daughter Venka.
Recognition is a purely involuntary urge that has no regard for pre-existing relationships. This can cause considerable tension between one or both of those experiencing it and their established partners; while Recognition does not dictate the formation of a lasting relationship, it is very common. This is very likely due to the two elves involved knowing the other's soulname, removing all barriers to essentially knowing everything about the person. Generally, even if a longer relationship does not develop, a new-found level of respect is formed. Some elves have tried to resist Recognition, but this only causes them to experience increasing physical and mental distress. However, unconsummated Recognition is not fatal.
Emotional reactions to Recognition can vary widely. For instance, Leetah's parents were close for some time before they Recognized, and they immediately complied with the biological imperative without any argument. By contrast, Leetah attempted to resist her Recognition with Cutter, but the combination of Cutter's patience with her reticence, her growing appreciation for Wolfrider culture, and her elder's counsel on the matter convinced her to cooperate, until Recognition faded in favor of a strong love. On the other hand, Dewshine and Tyldak of the Gliders were mutually resistant until they were convinced to fulfill the physical requirements before agreeing to go their separate ways. However, when Dewshine's lifemate, Scouter, recognized Tyleet, Dewshine was delighted at this development, and in turn they formed a triad.
Please note: Recognition must be discussed and agreed upon between two players before contacting the Admin; such major events require coordination in the larger plot. We restrict Recognition to once per character.
Soulnames
Only wolf-blooded elves have a soulname; the nature of their wolf-blood leaves their soul susceptible, and thus they have soulnames to protect themselves.
Immortal elves have no soul name, though they may feel the effect, advantages, or disadvantages of a soulname exchange - either through Recognition, or voluntary exchange. For example, Vashti is immortal, and therefore has no soul name. However, she still has the ability to open her soul to another person, such as Hazaan. Hazaan may say her name at any time without it triggering her soul, but when he wants to touch her soul he can say (and mean it) to do so. The name is not the important part; it is the meaning behind the name. The same applies to wolf-blooded elves' soulnames: anyone can say the word 'aria' (def: an expressive melody performed by a singer), but unless they say it with the correct meaning behind it, they will not trigger Dusksinger's soulname; they would need to already know the meaning (ie. know her soul) before being able to say the word in a way that touched her soul.
You can think of this as a back-door hack of an immortal soul using their name as a network proxy. A wolf-blooded elf's soulname is like a password to their soul.
Elves with soulnames know them from birth, as do their parents. Siblings generally do not know each others' soulnames, unless they are twins or share them voluntarily.
Please note: We do not accept same-sex Recognition on The Windrunners; the only canon example is the bond between Cutter and Skywise, which has been explained in Final Quest as Recognition between Skywise and Timmain's soul present in Cutter. Voluntary exchange of soulnames between same-sex lifemates is accepted on The Windrunners, however, we encourage players to consider the ramifications of a voluntary soulname exchange before choosing to do so in game; sharing your soulname binds you to the other person for your lifetime, and you feel their joy, sorrow, and pain as your own. The Admin account should be notified of all voluntary soulname exchanges.
Magic and Sending
When the High Ones landed on Abode, they brought with them alien powers. Humans were the first ones to use the term 'magic', as a way to describe what they could not understand, and over time the elves adopted the word for themselves. Elves who are born with magic have powers focused in one or a few specific areas; no one but the High Ones themselves have ever been able to command all of the powers known to the elves.
Sending is a form of telepathic communication between elves. Sending connects one mind to another, which means you cannot deceive or hide your emotions from the receiver; however, what one person believes to be truth may differ from the facts (ie. 'truth' is subjective), and emotions can 'dampened' (though not hidden completely). These shared emotions are as integral to the message as words themselves. Sensory experiences can also be shared in sends: sounds, sights, smells, tastes, touches, etc.
For more information, see List of Magics.
Spirituality
The elves are spiritual beings, but follow no religion; they revere the High Ones as their ancestors, but do not worship them.
Palace
Astral Plane
When an elf dies, their spirit survives. Most spirits journey to the Palace after death, but wolf-blooded elves can choose to stay and watch over their people; they are the only elves who are able to go where they wish after death, while all others are involuntarily drawn back to their ancestral home.
Information gathered from the Wikipedia entry on Elfquest elves.