High Elves

High Elves are a subgroup of Elves.

The high elves have organized themselves into a few separate kingdoms throughout Istellan with ancient bloodlines and traditions. The high elves have colonized Laridha and are its most numerous inhabitants.

The High Elven Groups include:

Ice Elves - pretty reclusive

Sun Elves - conservative, staunchly stubborn, refiners, improvers,

Moon Elves - preservationists, improvers, refiners

Sea Elves - more adventurous High elves live in large, advanced cities. They have knowledge of agricultural techniques and the world at large garnered from the Ancients and developed over the long lifetimes of individuals who devoted their lives to the learning of a specific craft or trade.

High elvish cities usually have at least limited indoor plumbing or water supply system including aqueducts and reservoirs equipped with filtering tanks. High elves almost understand germs. Their metallurgical knowledge rivals that of the dwarves. They can make mechanized timepieces. They have moderate knowledge of refrigeration and insulation.

High elves are expert beekeepers. They utilize removable-comb beehives that are specially crafted. Their cities are adorned with numerous flowers which both beautify the city and feed the bees. High elves consume much of their calories through honey. A stereotypical common high elvish meal is a spiced honey dip with vegetables, fish, and apple cider. Red meat (venison, mutton, or beef) and cherry wine are also common but slightly less so.

High Elves do not use currency. They utilize a palace economy. Each elvish city is ruled by a prince or a king. In day-to-day matters, the prince rules his city autonomously but submits to the authority of his king on matters of foreign policy, traditions and culture, laws universal to the entire kingdom, and military orders. Trade between high elves and other races revolves around bartering goods (or occasionally services). However, this can include trading coins made of precious metals, which the elves immediately convert into some other form. This kind of trading is

High elves have fair skin. Their hair color ranges from platinum blonde/white (in the case of the ice elves) to dark brown. Their eyes are mostly blue or green, with some grey and hazel and purple in some bloodlines. High elves are generally taller than wood elves, but still only rarely exceed 5’10”.

High elvish names are formed as acrostics and portmanteaus. High Elvish children are given a ‘quality’ name by their parents. The child is then usually addressed by some sort of nickname derived. from this word. Upon reaching adulthood, an elf crafts his/her name (usually with some guidance) as an acrostic of qualities or a portmanteau. The initial name always incorporates the name given to the elf as a child, traditionally as the first letter in they acrostic.