Sylfae

Sylfae
Race
Pronunciation	Sil-fay
Archetype	Elven
Nicknames	Woodfolk, Wildkin, Sylphs
Languages	Elvish
Vampiric Conversion	Possible
Aetherial Affinity	Class B - Can Cast Magic
Roleplay Difficulty	Hard
Racial Traits
Aetheriality	Physical
Max Age	420 Years
Strengths	Fast, Flexible, Nurturing
Weaknesses	Passive, Forgiving, Gullible
Height	5' to 6'6"
Weight	90 to 200 lbs
Eye Colors	Brown, Hazel, Blue, Green, Amber, Red
Hair Colors	Black, Brown, Blond, Gray, Red
Skin Tones	Pale to Tan
Average Physique	Slender to Toned
Aetherial Limit	Power IV - Control V
Significant Demographics
While this doesn't mean your character has to come from one of these places, it's recommended they do. Human Societies Arcadian Wilderness

The sylfae are a variant of elf most commonly found in the Arcadian Wilderness but also found infrequently among human societies. The sylfae are believed to be an ancient offshoot of the aesiri race, over time becoming the highly nimble and culturally iconic elves we see today. They have a deep seated respect for nature, their original heritage being the once sprawling expanse of the Ancient Forest. With the advent of Exodia, their home was desecrated and some of them were forced into servitude. These servants never returned to their ancient way of life, and instead would go on to live among their former masters as equals.

Physical Characteristics

Millennia of living in the forest have made sylfae far more resilient then their aesiri forebearers. While still not as strong or as tough as a human, sylfae are considerably less prone to serious injury compared to that of an aesir. While lacking the superior motor skills of the aesiri, sylfae are agile and quick on their feet. They can maneuver across obstacles with ease, and have a massive range of flexibility. In fact they are so flexible that they can get into tight spaces which other elves would never be able to access. When it comes to physical features, sylfae have the same range of hair colors as humans. Their eyes may be blue, brown, hazel, green, and amber. If they have a mixed human heritage then they can also have red eyes. Pure-blooded sylfae have the longest pointed ears of any elven race, with mixed heritage elves having shorter slightly rounded ears. Their body thicker built then the aesir, but is still slim by human standards. A sylfae's childhood is longer than that of humanity, with them being fully recognized as an adult at age 90. They fall under Elven Physiology, please visit the link to learn more.

Mental Characteristics

Sylfae are similar to humans psychologically, with a few notable differences. They are far less aggressive and confrontational then their human peers, and have a deep desire to nurture those close to them and their society. This desire to nurture is a key feature of the sylfae mind, a reminder that these elves had lived among nature for countless generations before some of them were thrown into a more civilized lifestyle. This desire to nurture has led many an elf to neglect their own needs in favor of the group, and they usually need a friend to remind them of their own needs. Their aversion to violence makes them easy to befriend or negotiate with, however this also keeps them in a lower socioeconomic status then the more exploitative races such as humans. The sylfae's aversion to violence should not be mistaken for a lack of resolve, these elves are known to fearlessly stand up for or even fight to the death in order to protect their friends from harm.

Befriending Animals

Sylfae have the unique ability to befriend and communicate with animals, a gift from Celestia in exchange for tending to her forest. Most hostile animals will not harm a sylfae unless they harm or threaten the animal in question, or are clearly aiding someone who has harmed or threatened the animal. Elves who live a more civilized lifestyle still have the ability to befriend and communicate with animals, but it is not as effective and only some of these individuals are able to actually use the gift. The ability to communicate with animals requires immense amounts of practice, most civilized sylfae do not have time to master the ability and thus only receive the benefit of animals not being hostile towards them.

History

It is commonly believed that the first sylfae were aesiri who chose to live in the ancient forest. These forest communities were befriended by Celestia, who was considered the mother and guardian of nature by some of the elves. Celestia formed a pact with the sylfae ancestors, granting them her protection in exchange for tending to the forest that was under her care. A result of this pact was the sylfaen ability to befriend most animals, allowing them to peacefully coexist with nature.

It is believed that the sylfae had already lived in the ancient forest for many millennia before the Exodian Era. After humanity learned magic in the centuries leading up to Exodia, the ancient forest was cleared for farmland and cities. Many sylfae tribes did not take kindly to the desecration of their forest home and fought desperately against humanity, but they proved no match for humanity's mastery over the aetherial arts. Some of the elves were captured and forced into servitude, the rest were forced to recede further into the ancient forest.

The sylfae who were forced into servitude during the Exodian Era originally served hard manual labor, but their frail bodies were not able to handle the work load and many perished as a result. Later, some exodian families in the middle stratum saw potential in the race, and decided to acquire the elves as personal servants. The sylfae became a novelty and before long, countless middle class families and businesses throughout Exodia and even other major cities would adopt sylfaen clerks for their businesses and also as servants for their families.

The sylfae were elevated to a considerable status in Exodian Society, but were always associated with the middle class. The upper stratum of Exodian Society saw the sylfae as inferior to their kitsune and elite human servants, and thus never adopted the novelty as a whole. After the fall of Exodia, the sylfae fled from the chaos with their human masters. Unlike kitsune servants who had completely severed ties with humanity after the chaos, the sylfae had a closer bond with humanity due to their regular exposure to the lower and middle stratum as clerks and public servants. Over time their distinction as servants would disappear completely and they would have equal standing among their human peers.

Modern sylfae are separated into two primary cultures, the Fae'Naru and Syveri. The Fae'Naru are the sylfae which receded further into the ancient forest to live in the present day Arcadian Wilderness, still adhering to their ancient way of life. The sylfae who were captured by humanity during the rise of Exodia are referred to by the Fae'Naru as Syveri, an elven word which roughly translates into common as "civilized". The term was never dropped and all modern sylfae who are not of Fae'Naru origin are referred to as Syveri by the Fae'Naru. The Syveri themselves do not associate with the term and instead associate with whatever culture they have integrated with.

Society

For information on Fae'Naru society, visit the corresponding page.

The sylfae have had close ties to humanity ever since they became a novelty in Exodia. With their previous status as servants having been erased by the passage of time, most sylfae now occupy clerk and specialist positions among human societies. They are few in number, and frequent interbreeding with humanity over the course of centuries have blurred the lines between pure-blooded sylfae and sylfae with a mixed heritage. Most humans still view the sylfae as a rare novelty, giving them an elevated level of respect and adoration. The sylfae's tendency to be selfless and aversion to conflict has inhibited their ability to occupy the upper class, with more exploitative races stepping over them to reach the top of any given society. This is possibly why they never created a society of their own, and will likely never attempt to do so in the future. Despite this, the sylfae have made a permanent impact on human culture, specifically within the area of fine arts.

Politics

Sylfae rarely occupy the upper stratum of any society, therefore their direct political influence is limited. Their frequent occupations as clerks and specialists have made them well known to most of humanity, and their rare and novel status has lent them the adoration of many people. The sylfae image of being selfless and non-violent has led to them being idolized as proponents of peace and prosperity in human works of art, song, and literature. One could say that the sylfae's indirect cultural influence has become a staple of many human societies.

Culture

Civilized sylfae live a completely different life from their Fae'Naran kin, but share the same respect for nature due to Celestia's pact. Most sylfae follow the cultural traditions of the society they belong to, however their rare and novel status has made them a sensation among human artists and craftsmen. Many artists have made paintings portraying the sylfae as an image of peace and prosperity. This has led to the elves' presence in other artistic fields such as music and literature. It is not unheard of for a sylfaen maiden to be engraved on a knight's sword or as part of a noble family's crest. High culture has served to help elevate the sylfaen image, giving them an increased level of respect and adoration wherever they go within human society.

Interbreeding

Human

Half-human sylfae are actually quite common, perhaps even more common then pure-blooded sylfae. The maximum age of such an individual is somewhere between the two races, usually determined by the ratio of sylfaen and human blood in their family tree. A half-human sylfae will have shorter and more rounded ears, and will also have a more human-like frame. Their strength will fall somewhere between the two races, and their physical range extends to muscular. Eye colors will include the full range of both races, allowing for the otherwise impossible natural eye color of red in a sylfae. Psychologically, they will retain their unique sylfae traits until their bloodline is 80% predominantly human.

Assorted Info

• Humans distinguish sylfae from aesir by their longer ears and kind personalities.
• Some people have given sylfae the nickname sylphs, which is commonly confused with a mythical type of fairy.
• Some noble families in human societies have intermarried with sylfae for no other reason then their beauty and iconic presence in human culture.