As a citizen of the Viszudar, much of this would almost certainly be unknown to you. If you are an elf adopted in to the Viszudar, much of what is contained within this post would be closely guarded secrets. Overview of Elves Elf life is closely linked to their goddess, Syr-Liandria. Their goddess grants them eternal rebirth, as long as they remain faithful to her. Each elven settlement contains a heartbough, each of which has unique name and unique properties. When an elf dies, they are reborn as a young adult when the heartbough fruits in the spring. Elves in the heartbough's community are tasked with its protection and nutrition. The needs of each heartbough differ somewhat, but all demand sacrifice and require magic to sustain itself. In return, the elf community are reborn when they die. Each heartbough births a different variety of elf. Upon rebirth in the fruit of a heartbough, an elf retains all the memories of their past lives, but few of the skills, with some exceptions. If an elf loses their faith in Syr-Liandria, they are not reborn. For rebirth to occur, a portion of the elf's body must be interred in the soil of the heartbough. If an adherent of Syr-Liandria who is not an elf dies, they are reborn as an elf in the fruit of a heartbough, with none of the memories of their past life. This is a joyous event to the elves, who welcome the new inclusion to their society with open arms. A newcomer is immediately recognizable, because instead of being born as a young adult, they gestate in the heartbough's fruit as an infant. This only applies to adherents of Syr-Liandria who truly worship their goddess, and are within one alignment step of her alignment (CG, TN, CN, CE). Elves who are reborn normally in a heartbough are of the alignment they were previously. This means alignment shifts to any alignment is possible among especially old elves, whereas 'young' elves of few lifetimes are almost always chaotic. To elvenkind, a heartbough is a direct, physical manifestation of their goddess. Each heartbough is a fragment of her presence, and births elves anew. At times, a exceedingly old heartbough will die, or is destroyed. In this event, one among the population of elves volunteers themselves to serve as the new heartbough. The elf will swallow ritually prepared seeds, and will offer themselves to be buried alive to fertilize the new growth. The heartbough will carry a special, secret name in memoriam of the elf who offered their life for the continued rebirth of their brethren. This process makes it difficult to efficiently snuff out populations of elves, despite their slow method of multiplying. One would need to poison and destroy the heartbough, while simultaneously slaying every elf of the population to an individual. Elves can mate with some other races, creating half-breed offspring, but cannot mate with each other. Elves will often have companionships and relationships spanning several lifetimes, but due to the nature of their propagation, it is impossible for elves to have children with each other. Universal Elven Cultural Practices Few cultural tenets are universal among elves. There are a scant few that are, however, leading some to speculate if these are the will of the goddess. Perhaps the eldest merely think these are the right ways to live, or perhaps the line between the will of the goddess and the will of the elders is blurred. Some elf populations are staunchly xenophobic and insular. Some are not, but hold the traditions their goddess demands to the letter. Herein there are two groups: isolationists and traditionalists. Even the most liberal leaning elf populations, of which there are some, fall in the traditionalist category. Isolationist elf populations, such as the Fortisskari, believe other kinds bring nothing but hardship, war, and bloodshed, and seek to preempt conflict with total extermination of outsiders. Isolationist populations of elves by default treat other populations of elves as traditionalists treat non-elves. Traditionalist populations such as the Silverglade, are extremely wary of outsiders, but may trade with other races and even form short-term alliances with outsiders, if they are advantageous. This dichotomy is often the product of the views of the population's elders, which often have complex and alien worldviews, born from generations of perspective. Outcast elves live in nomadic populations of disparate collections of elves from different tribes at times, and among other populations more rarely. Elves tend to find other elves more socially and culturally agreeable. The few nomadic populations that persist are populated with half-breed varieties of elves, who may grant safe harbor for outcast elves. One notable group fitting these characteristics is the Wayfarers. The Wayfarers are a friendly group of nomadic outcast elves and half-elves who are known to sell their crops at various markets around Rennisilon grown in their wheeled gardens. The Wayfarers have a martial tradition of archery, and take up arms to defend themselves when needed, often against their former kin. Elven elders are always a trio of physically distinct elves of at least one male and one female. In the rare event an elder dies and their remains are not recoverable, within five years another elf is born with the physical characteristics marking them an elder. Of the three, one of the elders is considered the eldest, and thus is considered the primary decision maker of the three. The eldest elves have unrecognizable, incongruous intellects to many. Even older elves struggle to relate to the eldest; the gulf is as wide as it would be comparing a human to an old elf. Religious doctrine and law are kept only an oral tradition by the elders. This practice makes criticizing the elders difficult, at best, and espouses internal stability. Among traditionalist populations of elves, miscegenation is permitted, but is vaguely frowned upon, as it is not permitted for the elf parent to raise their child, unless they voluntarily exile themselves. Voluntary exile means the elf can no longer be a part of the cycle of rebirth, which is heretical to elvenkind. Thus, half-elves are doomed to be orphans, raised by their non elf parent, or having to live with the knowledge their elf parent gave up eternity for them. Isolationist elf populations are extremely oppositional to outsiders, and the punishment for miscegenation is exile, and the consequence of having a half-breed offspring is self-fulfilling. Crimes such as murder, theft, and kidnapping, as elves see it, are only applicable when those crimes apply to other elves. When those crimes are committed against other elves, the punishment is severe. Often, execution in a painful manner is for the least offenses, as the elf will be reborn. However, this isn't the last the executed elf will hear of their crimes. Each individual elf carries a history spanning back many generations, and often, most of that is known to their tribe. Their good deeds as well as their crimes are known to the whole village, so to speak. For more serious offenses, offenders are exiled and forced to leave the cycle of rebirth. It is elven nature not to fear death, but being known for ones misdeeds is an eternity of being branded. Kinslaying is common among elves, especially as they grow older. Succession to an elder is, by nature, tanistry of the goddess. This fact is lost on many elves, who see the process fallaciously as primogeniture. Simply, it is often older elves who are chosen by their goddess. Some older elves inevitably decide to speed along the process of succession, as they see it. Naturally, this is expected, and must be done in the utmost secrecy, with the utmost care, as even a trace of the slain could uncover the crime as that is all that is needed to rebirth the individual. Perhaps surprisingly to some, those who succeed in slaying their elder or eldest kin are often chosen to replace them by Syr-Liandria, as it requires an enormous amount of ability and cunning. This lends the top rungs of elven society to be utterly ruthless, extremely socially connected and conscious, conniving, and unfathomably precise. Once every hundred years, a gathering of elves is held in honor of Syr-Liandria called the Elfblót. The location of this event is shrouded in secrecy, and is oversaw by the Oracle of Syr-Liandria, a being of apocryphal identity. The Elfblót is not for all to attend. All elders of each tribe are called with five of their chosen warriors. Occasionally, notable spectators will be summoned as well, personally. The precise circumstances of the Elfblót are not widely known, as secrecy is required of all who attend, but it is rumored to be a bloody spectacle witnessed by the goddess. After the outcome of an Elfblót, one population of elves is assimilated into another. The conquered peoples heartbough withers and dies. After which, after some time has passed, a new heartbough may be sown in another place. Fortisskar Far to the south, in the land of haunted ice, there is a lush island amidst the freezing blizzard winds. This island is known as Fortisskar. The elves who call Fortisskar home are known as the Fortisskari. The Fortisskari are among the eldest of elven populations, ancient even in elven memory. The isle of Fortisskar is dense with a twisting jungle, starkly contrasted against the frozen backdrop. It is said the soil of Fortisskar is touched by magic drawn from the goddess Syr-Liandria. Very few know the truth. Deep in the jungle, there is a ziggurat. Interwoven into the very foundation of the Fortisskar ziggurat is the heartbough of the Fortisskari, the Boreal Heart. It is said none other than the Fortisskari have laid hands on this ziggurat, as the Fortisskari are fiercely territorial. The Fortisskari are isolationists, and have been as long as there have been Fortisskari, which is a very, very long time. The Fortisskari are known to trade and ally with no other peoples, and only attend the Elfblót reluctantly. They patrol the shallow sea with warpwood icebreakers. These vessels are alive and magically formed by Fortisskari shipwrights, and are the terror of any mariner of the southern waters. Even among their own people, it is not well understood why the Fortisskari are so hostile to outsiders. Only the elders know the history and purpose behind their traditions, but it is easy for outsiders to speculate that at least in part their hostility serves to dissuade others from approaching the forbidding frozen mountains to their south. It is said frost giants, living in tandem with their venerated dead, haunt the mountains of the deepest southern reaches. Banehollow Banehollow is the home of the Silverglade elves. It is a carefully hidden fortification, located somewhere in the salty Glimmer Wetlands north of the Glimmerlake. It was not always so well hidden, nor always called Banehollow, but necessity and tragedy shapes many stories the world has to tell. Somewhat far in the past, but still quite recent in elven memory, the Glimmer Dwarves burned the silver bough, and poisoned the source of the many rivers leading into the wetlands with salt, causing the flora to wither and die. They failed to slay the Silverglade elves to the man, and that proved a fatal flaw in their plan to secure their hinterlands. The dwarves tell a different story and have a different perspective on the conflict, but isn't that a universal trope with all wars? Ashes sprung to new life, and measures were taken by the survivors to protect the location of their hideaway. It is said only those invited in to the Banehollow may enter. It is called the Banehollow because of the oath of bane Alathea Uuviathu swore against the Glimmer Dwarves. Thus began a feud which will only resolve in the extermination of one of those groups of people. It is said the fortification itself is build out of the burnt and warped hollow of the silver bough, twisted and unrecognizable, but protecting the Silverglade elves even in death. The Salt Willow, the new heartbough of the Silverglade elves, is many generations old, and still a sapling. The Silverglade elves are named as such after the location of their former home, the Silverglade. Over the years, with the terraforming of the wetlands, the Silverglade is no more, and the Banehollow remains. The Silverglade elves hold onto the name, and hold onto the legacy of their past. With that legacy clings the oath of bane, and a promise of vengeance against the dwarves who despoiled their home. Silverglade elves are known to burn and destroy every dwarven structure, idol, or even road they construct around the Wetlands. This has lent the title 'Iconoclast of the South' to their eldest. Despite all their hardship, the Silverglade elves are traditionalist. It is perhaps because of their hardship, they seek to receive any aid they can from outside sources. The Silverglade elves are known to trade with the Viszudar, even if it comes to paying ransom for their kind bought as slaves from dwarves. They remain civil, but certainly not friendly to the people of the Viszudar. At times, they will attack trade caravans from the Viszudar, if they are near enough to dwarven patrols. It is said the Silverglade elves throw themselves into battle, even at great disadvantage, against the Glimmer Dwarves. This has garnered them a feared reputation in the area, and among some, a grudging respect. Elves in the Viszudar Elves are a rarity in the Viszudar, but are, without exception, touched by the practice of slavery. Few elves are citizens of the Viszudar, and all of those that are have been adopted into house Thal. Some elves of the Fortisskari and the Silverglade wind up in the slave markets of Rivenport, and eventually find their way to the Viszudar. Elves are not often long kept in the mines, and are often hand picked by the Matriarch of the Thal to serve as personal servants. As a member of house Thal, you may or may not be properly exiled from your home. If you are, elves are exiled for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you had a half-elf child with a member of another race, or your actions were interpreted as sacrilege to your bloodthirsty goddess by the elders. Perhaps you left voluntarily, or perhaps you were captured by enemy forces, and seek to return to your kind. Regardless of your background, it is likely you either manipulated or blackmailed the Matriarch of the Thal, Kiristiana, known to be a licentious woman, or greatly distinguished yourself to be adopted. Some half-elves are among the ranks of the Thal. Generally, half-elves are the spawn of a scandalous coupling of a citizen of house Thal and a slave. It is possible, although somewhat less likely due to the few elven citizens, you may be a natural citizen of the Viszudar. Half-elves are rare among the Thal because they are typically bred out in a few generations, and are not numerous to begin with. Either way, you are a natural citizen of the Viszudar, and may either have resentment towards the majority due to your differences, or may seek even harder to conform and prove your worth.