Elves

The oldest and most long-lived of the four major races, with a lifespan of several hundred years. In an era predating the Age of the Wizard-Kings, the Elves commanded a vast empire that spanned all of Esoa. Centered in the modern-day Evermarch, this empire was the most dominant force in Rhodenia for nearly two-thousand years, until a magical catastrophe resulted in the destruction of its capital, the desolation of its heartland, and the fragmentation of its people. Ever since, the Elves have remained a divided race, as distrustful of each other as they are outsiders. While some advocate reunification of the Elven diaspora, others find this goal a pipe dream, and others still but folly in denial of modern geopolitical reality.

Elves possess an inherently magical nature. Even without training, Elves can make use of cantrips; however, while magic comes easily to them, they are limited in their potential by their volatility to mana. Elves are highly reactive to their environment, and in a relatively brief period of time will adapt to their surroundings; the longer an Elf remains in a particular ecosystem, the more fully they will acclimate to it. This trait has led to a handful of subdivisions within the Elven race, the most notable being the High Elves, the Wild Elves, and the Desert Elves.

Regardless of sub-race, due to their environmental adaptability, Elves make for superior hunters, rangers, and rogues. Once they have harmonized with their surroundings, they are nearly impossible for most other races to spot, and are capable of dispatching prey before their mark is aware of their presence. Elves excel in espionage, and many of the greatest and most notorious of Rhodenia's spies have come from their race.

The High Elves
The High Elves are the descendants of the ancient Elven aristocracy, and have withdrawn from the world to the lands of Sanctuary in the far north. The High Elves do not permit outsiders in Sanctuary; any intruders, including fellow Elves, are killed on sight. Unsurprisingly, little is known of the ways of the High Elves, as they rarely leave the boughs of Sanctuary; those who do are typically exiles, and loathed to speak of the lands they left behind. High Elves regard themselves as the branch that most closely approximates the Elves of old, and generally regard all other races as inferior.

Upon reaching maturity, High Elves seem to largely cease aging, only to resume and rapidly age as death draws near. They enjoy lifespans even longer than their fellow elves - typically in the range of 750 to 800 years - and a degree of health rivaled only by the Orcs; High Elves are, by and large, immune to disease, and profoundly resistant to toxins. On average, they stand roughly a foot to a foot & a half taller than their Elven peers, and are more muscular and broad shouldered than their kin.

The Wild Elves
The Wild Elves most closely resemble the Elves of folklore - the forest-dwelling, arrow-slinging, fleet-footed, long-eared children of nature. Heavily concentrated in Turia, they are the most numerous of the Elven diaspora. Left to their own ends, the Wild Elves prefer to build towns and outposts elevated in the trees; however, they are no strangers to urban environments, and seen frequently in the cities of Turia. They are the least xenophobic of the Elves, and often serve as guides, huntsmen, explorers throughout Rhodenia.

Many - certainly not all - Wild Elves are nocturnal, and have consequently developed night vision. Although relatively uniform of height and build, they are otherwise physically diverse, and can be found with hair, eye, and skin colors no less varied than Humans. Wild Elves are known for their athleticism, and are widely capable of breathtaking acrobatic feats; the forest, it has been said, is their gymnasium.

The Desert Elves
The Desert Elves are native to Ast'Aria. As the descendants of the ancient empire's scholars, the Desert Elves primarily concern themselves with the preservation of history and knowledge. Although reclusive, the Desert Elves are known to travel to libraries and academic institutions throughout Rhodenia. They also have a tradition of fine craftsmanship, and excel at precision arts; gemcutting, goldsmithing, and calligraphy are characteristically Desert Elven trades. The Desert Elves have a strong relationship with the Dwarves due to their shared interests in metalworking and related fields.

While all Elves have an affinity with nature, the Desert Elves excel at animal husbandry, and are capable of domesticating exotic creatures. The Desert Elves alone retain knowledge of training war hawks - a breed once widely used for travel throughout the elven empire - and have mastered air-to-ground combat. Desert Elves are particularly adept with the spear and javelin, and prefer these weapons to bow & arrows.

The Forest Elves
The Forest Elves inhabit only the Gilden Islands; they are by far the majority race there, and they are found nowhere else in Rhodenia. A millennium of isolation from their elven brethren, cordoned in the Gilden Islands by the human city-states of Amarus and later by Vllaistrae, shaped the forest elves from Wild Elves into an entirely separate subdivision entirely. These Forest Elves lost their nocturnal nature, and became much more uniform in appearance, with most Forest Elves possessing light skin, light hair, and colorful eyes, though they maintained their athleticism and propensity for the outdoors.

The Forest Elves are not fighters nor hunters; the Gilden Islands are rich in natural resources, and they were able to carve out a niche for themselves among the abundance of the forest. Consequently, the Forest Elves are the most peaceful of the four elven races, and specialize in natural healing magic, and the manipulation of the forest around them. These Forest Elves are the most respected among Vllaistrae's general population.