Long ago, the elves of this world lived in the
Summerlands. They were closer then to their fae and dryadic cousins. They lived
in accordance with nature and they worshipped the goddesses of their ancestry.
When the Summerlands were taken by the evil Xyglia and
her sister Rauina, the elves fled their home. The Summerisles sunk into the
hungry sea and the magic there faded into darkness.
Millennia later, we can find four tribes or castes of
elves currently existing in the Shadowdrift.
Wild Elves
aka Wood Elves, Ferals (derogatory term)
Wild Elves shun civilization and live in dark woods and
hills. They have a great mistrust of human folk and are the fierce enemy of
trolls and goblins. Some fae beings live among the wild elves and they will
often barter for peace and resources with dwarves and giants.
Wild Elves believe that the forest is their mother and
will defend it at all costs. They fear that any separation from the forest
sickens the soul and they’re fiercely opposed to trespassers in their woods.
Deities: The Forest Who Walks (powerful chaotic nature
god), Adria (moon goddess of the elves), Churlathoton (Forest Mother and also
Goddess of Entropy and Sunsets)
Analogue: anarchistic and fanatical environmental
terrorists, living off the grid with nature
Symbology: An oak tree. Vines choking a ruined tower.
Hayasails
aka Grey Elves
The Hayasails or Grey Elves have no tribal structure or
society. They live among men and have no sworn allegiances. Their dream of
Summerland is dead and they prefer to live for themselves as loners and
wanderers. They live by their wits, have no magical prowess, but are cunning
warriors and mercenaries.
Analogue: Lone wolves, mercenaries, travelers, thieves.
The elves of Drew Hayes’ Poison Elves series.
Deities: generally none, although some do worship Garm
Gorak – God of Wolves and War. Some others will call upon Adria in times of
upmost duress.
Symbology: A dagger, a bottle, a wolf head
White Elves
aka Moon Elves
The white elves get their name from their blonde to white
hair. Their skin is pale and sometimes a grayish blue color. They live in lavish castles and cities of their own
construction and rarely venture into the worlds of men. Some of them become powerful clerics or sorcerers. They
worship the many moon gods of their antiquity. They seek the powers and artifacts of their past and
obsess over their ancestral loss. Many write brooding and sorrowful songs or
poems.
They can be powerful and loyal allies when there is a mutually
beneficial arrangement, ie: seeking out and destroying the worshipers of
Xyglia or the Mother of Trolls.
Deities: Original pantheon of Moon Gods (names too
numerous to list), Adria, Churlathoton
Analogue: Ennui-ridden poets and philosophers.
Symbology: A white crow on a black shield. An owl and a
moon.
The Children of
Mur
aka The Seven Tribes of Summer
aka Pastorals
In the rolling plains and fields many elf tribes have
organized communes and small villages. They have red or brown hair and laughing
eyes. They live a simple life by the wheel of nature and are farmers,
fishermen, and artisans.
They are steadfast in their beliefs and their devotions
to their tribes and families.
When their lands are threatened, they are quick to
defend, but they are also articulate and measured negotiators and keepers of
peace. Many emissaries of the tribes will travel to cities and towns with gifts
of swords or apples in exchange for their continued peace and safety of their
lands.
Fewer men know magic than the women.
The tribes live in peace, but there are often rivalries
and squabbles that the council of elders will settle.
Deities: Churlathoton,
Adria, Falloch – Goddess of Field and Flower
Analogue: commune-dwellers, tribal people, healers,
stout-hearted folk
Symbology: Harvest moon surrounded by seven stars, a fish
and a flower
