Ancestries of Enelis
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Elven Ancestries
The Elves of Enelis have a rich and extensive history, going back to the earliest days of the world where they originated in the great forests of Ularin. They were the most prolific of the First-born descendants, facing off against the dominate dragons for the eastern regions of Ularin. Like many of the First-born descendants, elves have longer lives than humans, often lasting two to three centuries, with the eldest elves living for up to four centuries. Many also believe that the elves were the very first of the First-born, if there was such a thing, as they seem to have more innate magic than other ancestries. Additionally, while most of the First-born descendants acquired static forms after adapting to their initial surroundings, the Elves seem to continuously adapt and evolve with their environments, creating many very distinct ethnic groups within their broader ancestry. The ancient elves, much like the dragons, were obsessed with celestial bodies and the world above them, thus the ancestries of the Elves were named after these celestial forms. Their draconic names are a combination of the celestial body and the Elven word for the Elves: ‘mar’, derived from the draconic name, ‘Marie’.
Ethmar (Moon Elves)
Skin: Pale to tawny beige tones, often with a tinge of blue or silver.
Hair: Wavy hair of browns, blondes, blacks, and sometimes red, gold, or platinum hues.
Eyes: Blues, cyan, and turquoise eyes, speckled with gold.
Size: Taller heights and thinner builds.
The Ethmar are the People of the Moon, or sometimes called moon or silver elves by humans, due to their skin tone. The Ethmar are the most common elf seen outside of the Aegis Forest. They originally settled along the rivers of the Aegis Forest, forming a network of trade-towns along the banks. They connected the many isolated Thunmar villages with the Sulmar cities in trade-networks that spanned the great forest. The Ethmar are known as master traders, diplomats, explorers, and travelers. They tend to prioritize learning about the wider world, often with fits of wanderlust and adventure. Much like the moon, the Ethmar are almost always in motion, rarely staying in one place for more than a decade. They are also known to be quite friendly and agreeable. They are great conversationalists, eager to absorb interesting stories from others and spread those tales wherever they go. Ethmar are also known for their optimistic attitudes and general ability to help disparate groups find common ground. Ethmar tend to value cooperation and a sense of unity above all else.
Sulmar (Sun Elves)
Skin: Beige to sienna skin with a tinge of gold.
Hair: Shimmering mostly-straight hair of platinum, white, red, black, or even gold hues.
Eyes: Various shades of brilliant blue eyes speckled with silver.
Size: Taller heights and thinner builds.
The Sulmar are the People of the Sun, or sometimes called sun or gold elves. The Sulmar settled along the shores of the Lake of Stars (Steleshia) in Enaarvis. They built grand cities of crystal and stone and helped to unite elf-kind under a single kingdom. The Sulmar do not often leave their cities, and are rare outside of Enaarvis. The Sulmar are known as intelligent scholars and masters of arcane magic, as well as disciplined knights and warriors. They are known to blend swords and magic into a deadly dance. They were the first humanoid beings to understand, codify, and formulate the art of wizardry. As such, magic is a more common element in the lives of the Sulmar, making these elves and their civilization all the more enigmatic and wonderous to those outside of it. Most Sulmar tend to be very pragmatic, but often vain and pompous. Due to the extensive history of their civilization, many Sulmar believe themselves to be the superior ancestry of elf-kind, and therefore of all humanoids. Although they tend to have good intentions overall, many Sulmar often look down upon other humanoids as children in need of parental guidance.
Thunmar (Twilight Elves)
Skin: Amber to bronze or copper skin tones.
Hair: Wavy hair of browns, blacks, reds, and sometimes green hues.
Eyes: Brown, gold, green, or hazel eyes speckled with copper.
Size: Average heights and thinner builds.
The Thunmar are the People of the Twilight, often called wood elves due to where they tend to live. To the unobserved outsider, the Thunmar might seem less civilized than the other elves, living in their small, mostly isolated villages scattered across the Aegis Forest. However, that is simply not the case. While most Elves have learned to live in peace with the natural world, the Thunmar have taken this philosophy even further. They are masters of primal magic, working with the spirits of the natural world harmoniously. Their homes often take the shape of massive trees that they have carefully grown and cultivated with rooms and chambers embedded within the expansive trunks and branches. The Thumar are known for their natural wisdom and respect for the natural world. They are more reserved than the other Elves, but once one earns their trust, they’ll find them to be a joyful people. They often value the simpler things in life and prefer not to mettle in the affairs of others. Their days are often unstructured and their nights usually end in merriment, with the community gathering for food, drink, and music. A typical Thunmar values their community and family above all else.
There are two major offshoots of the Thunmar lineage, descended from those Thunmar that left the Aegis Forest in ages past. The Aulathunmar, also known as wild elves, live in the Forest of Spears in the mountains and forest-clad foothills to the west of Kalrua and Loyolla. They closely resemble their northwestern brethren, however, their culture has a much more war-like and seemingly neolithic bent. The constant threat of war has turned them into a semi-nomadic people, living in small clans and tribes, struggling to maintain their way of life against the constant threat of Gnolls and Toldrie humans.
The other offshoot of the Thunmar is the Skintathunmar, or frost elves. These elves long ago migrated to the Whitepeak Forests of the far north, living in semi-nomadic clans. Unlike their brethren, they have very pale, almost white skin tones. Their rarity has led the Noradrie to refer to them as ‘ghost elves’.
Shadmar (Shadow/Dark Elves)
Skin: Gray, mauve, to ebony tones.
Hair: Straight hair of blonde and platinum white hues.
Eyes: Black eyes speckled with platinum.
Size: Shorter heights and thinner builds.
The Shadmar are the People of the Starless Night, often called dark or shadow elves. The Shadmar originally settled in the Eriasha Mountains and expanded into the caverns to create underground dwellings and cities. They were known as master smiths and metal-workers in the ancient days. However, due to their magical banishment into the Deep Underground, modern Shadmar are often associated with the other dark and evil things of that underworld. However, the surface-dwelling Shadmar of Valraen are full-fledged members of the Elven Kingdom of Enaarvis. These Shadmar are actively trying to dispel their association with the dark elves that still live in the underworld. However, their former reputation has been hard to break for these surface-dwelling Shadmar, so they do not often venture away from their homeland. Shadmar are known to be pragmatic, if not calculating. They tend to be slow to speak their mind and are careful with their words when around others. Surface-dwelling Shadmar are known to have an outwardly antagonistic view of religion and faith, they are often stalwart atheists and focus their attention on the here and now in an often rational and joyless way.
Stelmar (Star Elves)
Skin: White to ivory tones with a silver or platinum tinge.
Hair: Wavy hair of shimmering black hues.
Eyes: Dark-brown eyes speckled with gold.
Size: Average heights and thinner builds.
The Stelmar were the People of the Stars, or star elves. They once had a great and mighty empire, Astrearvis, that once stretched from Aelgard to Kalrua along the eastern coasts. However, the Stelmar were exterminated by the dragons many millennia ago. They were the most productive of the elves, delving deep into the mysteries of magic, science, and engineering. Their white, crystalline structures were a marvel to behold, their cities appearing like glass bathed in magical light. The Stelmar had unparalleled magical knowledge, leaving only some of their legacy to their Sulmar brethren. As an example, it was the Stelmar archmagi that helped the Sulmar to construct the Stellobras, the magical barrier that draws in starlight to keep the Enaarvis region free from seasonal variation. They had the ability to truly reshape the world with their magic, and it is unknown how much of the topography and history of the eastern coasts were actually shaped by their civilization. Their greatness, however, was also their downfall, as the dragons saw these elves as their greatest threat.
Eshmar (Half-Elves)
Skin: Pale to tawny beige tones.
Hair: Blonde or light-brown hair, sometimes black.
Eyes: Blue, green, or hazel eyes, speckled with amber.
Size: Average heights and builds.
The Eshmar, or People of the Lake, are the half-elves. Although, calling them half-elves is a convenient shorthand for the men of the east. In truth, the intermixing of elves and men was so prolific and prolonged on Enelis, that the Eshmar are truly an ancestry of their own. It would be impossible for any typical Eshmar to know exactly what proportions of their heritage was truly elven or human, unless, of course, that union was quite recent. The homeland of the Eshmar is Eshlien, a nation that celebrates their combined progenitor heritages and create a new culture that is truly their own. The Eshmar are known to be quite pragmatic and material-minded. They often pursue science and engineering, if only to learn how to profit from their work. They have also mastered the science of alchemy, creating near-magical effects from seemingly mundane components. Most Eshmar value trade and wealth above all else, believing that personal prosperity and economic prosperity are one and the same. They are often very diplomatic and people-pleasing, always interested in learning about other cultures and ways of life, much like the Ethmar from which they descended. They usually prefer to solve problems with diplomacy and intrigue rather than combat and warfare.
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