Elven

All Elves tend to be shorter and slimmer than humans, ranging from five to six feet in height and weighing roughly between eighty to one hundred and twenty pounds. Alluring features that are delicate and refined, seemed sculpted at times with smooth cheekbones, small lips, elliptical eyes and efficient noses, in addition to their trademark tipped ears. Hypnotically serene eyes come in all manner of colors: lavender, ice-blue, clover and jade, periwinkle, all the shades of the good earth, all the streams of the rainbow, all the tones of the night sky, from the marble white of passing clouds to the absolute darkness of a moonless, starless midnight. Their hair colors tend to mingle in range within most normal tones and hightlights.

Drow are the dark mirrors of Elves, more so than even Trolls are to the Ursa. Drow are nearly identical to Wood Elves in every physical respect, save that Drow are slightly weaker and smaller than Elves, and the skin of a Drow is the black of nights after the stars have all died. Their eyes are generally deep red, violet or black, and their hair only grows on the grey scale, most often seen in white or varying shades of grey. Black hair is rarely seen on a Drow, though according to myth it was once their only color, in the times when they were warriors supreme. Most give these myths little credit, believing them to be nothing more than Drow lies to try and build some legend of past power they never had. These skeptics are sometimes shaken by the revelation that those dark-haired Drow that do exist are often superior killers, but this is eventually named nothing more than coincidence. Drow are a subterranean race, living in caverns beneath the earth, and their vision in the dark is second to none. Drow are faster than humans and more agile, though their dexterity cannot outmatch that of Elves. Their society is matriarchal, with females heading each family and standing as the high priestesses to all the gods. Males are typically trained as warriors and mages, though many turn to thievery when they fail in their apprenticeships.

Human traits rarely seem to come out on top when mixed with more mystical blood, as is evident in both Half-orcs and Half-elves. In the case of Half-elves, though, this mixture is quite beneficial, granting them both the strength and hardiness of humans, or close to it, and the handsome, or beautiful, features associated with elves, along with their agility, dexterity, and affinity with nature. They mingle relatively well with humans, but are not always well accepted by their elven kin, who have been known to consider such half-bloods abominations, mostly dependant upon which side of the coupling was elven, and whom the parents were according to class. Still, their exclusion from either side of the racial pool is nowhere near so extreme as it typically is for Half-orcs. They are slightly taller than most elves, and heavier, and as they are more freely brought into human communities they typically speak human tongues and follow their trade sense, rather than Elves’.

High elves consider themselves to be the purest of all the elven races, their pride besting even that of the proudest drow. Because of this, they are often thought of by other elves as being unbearably haughty. They tend to take this pride in their purity to such extremes that one of their numbers caught dallying with a lower race is often punished harshly. High-elf females that give birth to half-breeds are exiled entirely from the society, often after a severe whipping. In some cases, the half-breed child is killed to prevent high-elf blood from mixing with that of the lower races when it grows to an adult. While they see the other elven races as impure, the double this opinion of the drow, often seeing them as the lowest of the low, and there is a hatred between the high-elves and the drow that often erupts into skirmishes and at times minor wars. Because of their racial purity, the features of high-elves are more pronounced. Their ears are longer somewhat, their limbs more lithe and agile, and their facial features more elven in appearance. Most all of them have lightly colored hair, white to yellow-gold. Their eyes are almost always blue or green, though the occasional golden-eyed high-elf is born.

Moon-Elves come in two varieties, those who were born upon the moons of Tirradyn, and those that choose to dwell in the moonlight that covers the world at night. Some speculate that the latter revere the moons so much because at some point in their history, their ancestors dwelt upon them, but moon-elves are notorious for living in the moment and tending to ignore, and thus not keep histories on, such things as ancestry and origin. As they tend to move about mostly at night when the moons are shining, they have very fair complexions, and their hair color tends to be darker shades of brown and black, though some lighter-haired moon-elves are occasionally born. Their choice of dwelling seems not to be very important to them, though their homes do tend to be near open fields where the moons shine down unhindered by trees. Some communities choose living in the trees as their wood-elf cousins do, while others choose to build small homes on the ground if there are no large trees near the spot they have chosen to make home. Being a spontaneous elven race, they revel in the present, and their society reflects this, with leadership of them being passed around seemingly at a whim to outsiders, and though it does have a structure, the intricacies of it are lost on those of other races.

The Shikigami are an off-shoot of the Elven race, much like the Drow. This is obvious by their appearence, bearing lithe, graceful forms that is natural to the entire Elven race. Also like their High Elven cousins, the Shikigami Elves have long, pointed ears. They differ, however, in that their skin tends towards more bronzed complexions as opposed to the standard Elven fairness, and their hair favors shades of red and brown compared to standard Elven blonde. The Shikigami range between five to six feet in height and weigh between eighty and a hundred and fifty pounds. They never develop significant fat, but have been known to be able to hold more toned, muscular builds than their High Elven counterparts, though still not to the degree a Human could reach.

Snow-elves have chosen to make their homes in the colder places of the world, usually out of the snow and ice that make up the environment, often crafting wondrous homes of ice crystals and solid blocks of frozen snow. They have a high resistance to cold, and warmer climes tend to make them somewhat sweaty and uncomfortable, but if they spend enough time in warmer weather, they adapt fairly well. Their physical appearance tends to mirror their environment, leaning toward fair complexions and lighter colored hair. It is said that if one walks across a flat field of snow, you could walk past a dozen snow-elves hiding against the white of it and never notice them. Since they cannot farm, they have become hunters through generations, often forming large hunting parties to track large herds of beasts wandering the snowy lands, and are known for utilizing trained timber wolves in their hunts. Their leadership is a well structured hierarchy with both men and women holding seats of power among them.

Sun-elves are the most mysterious of elven kin, and little is known about them outside of their communities. At times they seem to be tribal, and at others a fine-tuned creation of democracy. With their tanned skin, and their hair of red to blonde colors, they are often mistaken for their shikigami cousins at first, and while they do resemble them in appearance, they hold a little more pride in what they are as a race. They revere the sun, and bask in its rays, often choosing climes where the sun shines most often without cloud cover or rainy weather, sometimes even dwelling deep in the deserts where clouds are scarcist. They are the least agile of the elven races, though they make up for it with some added strength and durability. As a society they are hunter-gatherers in most climates, as farms tend to require rainfall which they dislike. They have no dislike for outsiders, and will openly interact with them if occasion arises, but they will not seek out such interactions.

Sylvan-elves are the more mystical kin of all the elven races, often excelling in the magical arts be they druidic, clerical, or mage-like. They make their homes near to what they call 'magical ley lines', where magical powers are said to be the strongest, and those dwellings depend on the environment, be it within trees, fabricated homes, underground caverns, or anything in between. Their appearance varies widely as well, with skin tones, hair color, and eye color running the whole spectrum of possibilities. One thing that most of the sylven-elves have in common though, are their tattoos, usually of magical runes or other mystical symbols and patterns, and some say that these markings both increase their spellcasting abilities, and mark their places in the hierarchy of society. They are a mysterious race, often secretive about their arts and culture, but they are welcoming of outsiders as long as those people do not pry too deeply into their secrets.

The Sekhym Elves are an offshoot of the Sylvan Elves common to Tirradyn. They are not a new people to Tirradyn, but they are secretive. Decades of negligence by the former Goddess of Magic led to them retreating into the deep, dark and wild places of Tirradyn, often eschewing large cities and the company of their elven cousins. Despite being solitary, they are a friendly people, willing to go out of their way to help a stranger in need. They are the self-proclaimed guardians of the leylines, the mortal lorekeepers of magic, rumored to include knowledge lost to the mortal races long ago. With the ascension of a new God of Magic, one that seems to treasure the Art, as well as troubling portents seen among the stars, they have begun to make an appearance again on Tirradyn, with a select few venturing out from their secluded homes to understand the new world they find themselves in.

Water-elves choose to dwell around as much water as possible. Though they prefer lakes and rivers, they have been known to dwell on oceanfronts as well. They excel in diving and swimming, and their bodies have adapted to this over generations, allowing them to hold their breath for very long periods of time. Some have developed webbing between their fingers, though not all have, and some are even said to possess gills, though whether this is true or not isn't clear. They are a fishing people, no matter the body of water they are near, and lake-dwellers are well-known for their boat-making abilities, and for sailing the lake's surface to fish deeper waters. In appearance, they are much like their wood-elf cousins, and those dwelling along riverbanks often make homes in the trees along the banks.

Oak Kin - The oak being the oldest tree in the forests and by far the largest, the Oak Kin carry the weight of the history of their people on their shoulders. It is because of this that they are considered the storytellers of the Marenwae people, passing on the legends and traditions to each new generation. They are often more serious than other Marenwaes, and at times prone to long stretches of solitude. Oak Kin are primarily warriors, though the occasional mageborn can be found. Most have very dark brown skin and vibrant green eyes.

Birch Kin - Those born to the Birch Kin are the most ethereal of the Marenwaes, with a tendency towards white skin and hair, and extremely pale colored eyes. With very few exceptions, they have strong mystical powers, and are often gripped with terrifying visions, which, if the Marenwae is left untrained to handle such things, can be permanently crippling, or even deadly. They have ties to the dead, and can be called upon to communicate with deceased ancestors and other spirits. Birch Kin are primarily priests and occasionally druids. They are extraordinarily rare, and the smallest of the Seven Tribes.

Rowan Kin - If an errant fireball goes whizzing past your head, followed by an "oops" from somewhere in the forest, chances are it was a Rowan Kin. Though nearly all are mageborn, their magical abilities take many years to tame due to the large amount of wild magic inherent in their kind. This, coupled with an insatiable curiosity about everything they encounter, often leads to situations where they find themselves apologizing. Their magical strengths are focused in the realms of earth and fire, and many go the route of elemental magic. Though their skin is dark, it has a burgundy tinge to it from the red rowan berries, and their hair will retain much of its red color through the different seasons.

Ash Kin - The eyes in the forest that are never seen, but always felt, usually belong to a member of the Ash Kin. Known for being incredibly skilled rangers and trackers, nearly all become waywatchers, scouts and Ilterendi. So great is their talent at finding their way through the forests, and hiding among them where necessary, that even another Marenwae may have difficulty finding one that does not wish to be found. Consequently, they have a stronger and slightly thicker build than other Kin, and while they are most often friendly, their moods can be as temperamental as the weather. Ash Kin have skin the color of rich milk chocolate, with crystal clear, sky blue eyes.

Yew Kin - Also rare among Marenwaes, though not so much as the Birch, those born to the Yew Kin follow the path of the shaman and healer. Marenwaes of all Kin give Elders of the Yew immense respect, and other Elders often consult them in times of difficulty. Though they can seem tough on the outside, and perhaps even cold at times, they are truly the most compassionate of the Marenwaes, going to great lengths to save the lives of whoever has been put in their care. They are unfailingly fair and non-judgmental towards everyone they meet, but a Yew Kin betrayed is an enemy whose wrath few could survive. With eyes that change colors from green to blue, or even grey, depending on their mood, Yew Kin have been described as the most enchanting of all Marenwaes.

Willow Kin - Perhaps the most like brownies and sprites, Willow Kin are the trickster spirits of the Marenwae people. They are smaller and thinner in build than most other Kin, with large eyes and a larger smile. Willows are innately magical, and it is unusual to find one that does not have very strong mageborn talents, particularly with the elements of air and water. Fond of riddles and jokes alike, Willow Kin are also known for being entertainers, and their outgoing nature means they will talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime. If you hear giggling, and find your belt missing and your sword replaced by a twig, chances are good there is a Willow nearby.

Alder Kin - The least specialized of all the Marenwae Kin, Alders are often considered to be Jacks of all trades: good at everything, but only very rarely mastering any particular skill or art. They are an easy-going sort, and seem to get along with everyone, thus making them excellent mediators in times of conflict. Alders vary in height, weight and build more than any of the other Kin, but all share the same coffee and cream colored skin, lighter than any save the Birch. Every once in a great while, an Alder child will be born with black