Elf

6fa3d1a5ac0b8a4d60ce605cb72d748d — Elf (Art by Ina Wong)

“	They're not the shortstack, candy cane, toy-buildin' on Christmas kind. They're more like uh...demigods. Except they don't have a human side to them, so they're kinda like lesser gods. Or fairies on steroids. Really pretty on the eyes, though. Trust me, it's better to have 'em as friends.	„
	~ Hellboy

An Elf, also known as Álfar, is a mythical creature, sometimes referred to as a demi-god even, of Germanic Mythology/Paganism which still survives in northern European folklore.

They were originally a race of minor gods of nature and fertility and are luminous beings said to be “more beautiful than the sun,” whose exalted status is demonstrated by their constantly being linked with the Aesir and Vanir gods.

Appearance

Elves are a humanoid race distinguished by their pointed ears which provides them excellent hearing, and slight builds with little sexual dimorphism. Elven hair was dark, either brown or black, with copper red or blond hair also found amongst wood elves, although orange or even green hues were not completely unheard of. Elven eyes are commonly brown, hazel, or an emerald green. Elves, like their cousins the Fay, were fair and beautiful, handsome, and had pointed ears and no body hair except eyebrows, eyelashes, and hair, but some say they are empty from the back, like a hollow tree.

They are also adorned with stunning pieces of jewelry like necklaces and such. Like humans, Elves choose to wear a variety of different clothing styles, although Scoia'tael are known to favor furs and hides, particularly those of squirrels and other forest dwelling creatures. They also are known to wear make-up, itself being an elven invention. Elves are also often pictured as youthful men and women of great beauty living in forests and other natural places, underground or in wells and springs. They have been portrayed to be long-lived or immortal and possess magical powers that are attributed specifically to them.

History

Background

The origin of elves are shrouded in mystery as not even they could fully discern their backgrounds. However, Sylvan elves claim that their creation was by Cernunnos' hands. According to the creation myth of the elves, known as the Ainulindalë, Cernunnos picked the most unsullied foliage found throughout the four seasons and Beltane, his consort the Moon Goddess, took seeds that appeared by their end. From each seasoned foliage he smeared his blood or semen in some cases on them, wrapped them around the seeds, and from there emerged the first elves who were sometimes considered to be the earliest known fae. These elves were the first generation of fae that lived alongside Oberon and Titania after they defected from the the Tuatha Dé Danann and as the centuries pass, their species began to divulge from one another into various types of fae like Sprites and Pixies.

Elves have walked among humans for many an age, but were particularly wary of them and have even held them in contempt for their barbarity and savagery. As such the elves opted to not have any relations with humans. They held similar views towards other races, especially dwarves and dragons. Despite this, elves are relatively peaceful creatures and would only fight if they or their homeland is threatened.

However, the elves began their own inner conflict which escalated sometime during the Flood Age. Many elves were corrupted by the growing evils that was nurtured by the Watchers, cultivated by the Nephilim, and utilized by humanity. They were drawn by their use of dark sorcery and weapons which led to the rise of malevolent elves like the Dökkálfar who were blamed for many misgivings and ill omens by humans but worse among them were the Svartálfar who warred with their better halves the Ljósálfar. During the Great Flood, the Dark Elves took shelter deep beneath the Earth while the Light Elves barred themselves in Álfheimr. Because of the Light Elves confinement in Alfheim, they separated into two different races, one whichever lived among the golden fields of Alfheim and the other the obsidian forests of the realm. These two races came be known as the Artelálfar and the Teutelálfar respectively.

Mythic Age

After the Flood Age, the elves were reintroduced to the human realm when they stepped through a tear created by the Convergence and became a prominent race during the Mythic Age where magic became one of the societal norms. They created magnificent towns and palaces accessible only to them but were willing to take in humans who craved the understanding of magic and its Ten Spheres. Elves were one of the foremost practitioners of magic, so much so that that humans who tutored under them became extraordinary mages in their own right. The elves found themselves at the risk of total annihilation when the Dark Reign began, an age of darkness and horror where sin festered into the spirits and minds of human and creature alike and the gates to Hell swung wide open. Some of the elves were hunted by Orcs and other creatures that served the forces of Hell to use their power either as a means of fuel or unspeakably horrific acts for the deranged as their palaces and cities were toppled and taken over.

After the Dark Reign's end by Sparda, the elves were less prominent than they were during the Mythic Age but still acknowledged considerably. Modern human cities including Novigrad, Oxenfurt, Vizima, Tretogor, Maribor, Cidaris, and the city of Cintra are built on the ground of destroyed elven cities. Many elves and half elves have managed to integrate into human society but are often still faced with prejudice. Others have chosen to live in the wilds in secluded clans, living off the land and avoiding all contact with humans if possible. Back during the Dark to Middle Ages, elves were usually found in small tribes throughout the forests of Europe, as well as on windswept plains and in mountain vales.

The elves, as a whole, preferred these secluded places of nature to the cities and nations of the civilized world, living in harmony with their natural surroundings. But even then, the danger that looms over their lands usually involves humans wishing to expand their kingdoms over the lush lands as well as the properties it provides them. Humans were known to invade elven lands for their fertility and utility, although they would simply drive out the elves the latter would fight back against the invaders resulting in wanton slaughter from both sides. This conflicted ended during the days of Sparda, when the Dark Knight would come to the defense of the elves and would even destroy any human oppression against them while declaring to the humans that they never again seek out and plunder elven lands for their own benefits. As the Age of Man and his technological advancements grew, the elves were now completely separated from humanity, instead living in the Feywild which was sealed away by Sparda after he severed the Erdtree and they could even be found in Agartha.

Description

Elves matured at roughly the same rate as humans, though they were not usually considered past adolescence until they reached 110 years of age. Unlike humans, elves did not age dramatically as their lifespan came to a close, with the most obvious changes being a change in hair color, alternatively graying or darkening. Most elves remained healthy and full of life up until their death, which, if age-related, was usually between two and nine centuries.

Some elves commonly cause human illnesses, but they also have the power to heal them, and seem especially willing to do so if sacrifices are offered to them. They are likened to demigods and are superior to humans, with more arrogant elves usually taking advantage of this superiority to have humans worship them. Cautious and cunning warriors, particularly of the bow, elves secured these homelands through guile and tactics. Before such ages and afterwards, they resided in realms normally inaccessible to humans such as Álfheimr, Avalon, the Feywild, the Otherworld, and even Agartha.

They would also develop a religion similar to that of the Abrahamic tales but with several differences. For the elves, they interpret God as Eru Ilúvatar and his angelic children were called the Ainur. In the creation myth of the elves, known as the Ainulindalë, they believe that Ilúvatar instructed the Ainur in the arts of music, until he brought them together to make the Music of the Ainur: the great song that created the Vision of Ilúvatar and ultimately the real world and the universe as a whole.

The elves also have ambivalent relations with humans. Humans and elves can interbreed and produce half-human, half-elven children, who often have the appearance of humans but possess extraordinary intuitive and magical powers. The most prominent feature of such a hybrid are their pointed ears and angelic appearance. It is believed that humans can apparently become elves after death, and there was considerable overlap between the worship of human ancestors and the worship of the elves. They were also known to mate with other mythical beings though humans were the most prominent which only had controversy surrounding such unions.