Sylfae

Sylfae
Race
Pronunciation	Sil-fay
Archetype	Elven
Nicknames	Woodfolk, Wildkin, Sylphs
Languages	Elvish
Vampiric Conversion	Possible
Aetherial Affinity	Level 3 - Can Cast Magic
Roleplay Difficulty	Hard
Racial Traits
Aetheriality	Physical
Max Age	320 Years
Strengths	Fast, Flexible, Nurturing
Weaknesses	Passive, Forgiving, Gullible
Height	5' to 6'
Weight	90 to 200 lbs
Eye Colors	Sky Blue, Brown, Hazel, Green, Blue, Purple, Lilac, Magenta, Amber
Hair Colors	Blond, Brown, Black, Gray, Red
Skin Tones	Ranging from Pale to Tan
Average Physique	Slender to Toned
Aetherial Limit	Class 3 Delta
Significant Demographics
While this doesn't mean your character has to come from one of these places, it's recommended they do. Arcadian Wilderness

The sylfae are the most common variant of elf, from primitive tribes in the Arcadian Wilderness to the sprawling cities of human civilization, they can be found almost anywhere. The sylfae are believed to be an ancient offshoot of the aesir race, over time becoming the highly nimble 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 form their own civilizations, and even 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 and eye colors as humans. Their body possesses a thicker build then the aesir, but are still slim by human standards. They fall under Elven Physiology and therefore do not visually age past full maturity or accumulate excessive body fat.

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 humanity. 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 villages. 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 along 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 elves 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

Fae'Naru maintain a natural equilibrium with nature, and prefer to live peacefully in the ancient forest as opposed to a civilized life. These elves own very few possessions, and normally don't even acknowledge the concept of owning something. They are very happy with their minimalistic lifestyle, and have learned to co-exist with the great beasts and animals present in the ancient forest. The largest known population of wildkin is in the depths of the Arcadian Wilderness, the final frontier of the Exodian Continent. The wildkin are very zealous in defending their forest home from outsiders, and if the great beasts fail to kill the trespassers then the elves will. The wildkin were not always this hostile to outsiders, it was the consequence of their home being taken from them that led to their animosity. When humanity cleared the vast majority of the ancient forest during the Exodian Era, the wildkin were devastated by the atrocities that had been committed and by the general lack of sensitivity humans had for nature during that time period. The elves have a special relationship with Celestia, and hold a ceremony every year beckoning her to return to the ancient forest. Centaurs and fairies are revered in wildkin society due to their connection with Celestia, and often they are the only way for outsiders to communicate with the wildkin.

Politics

When politics are mentioned, wildkin are the last thing that comes into mind. The elves refuse to speak with outsiders, and the few successful conversations that have been had are with centaur emissaries. While these emissaries are able to hold a conversation, the elves have no intention of doing any favors for outsiders aside from centaurs and fairies. The wildkin have no interest in manufactured commodities, instead preferring things that come directly from nature. The wildkin have no centralized government, instead existing as many small tribes that coexist. Among these tribes, there is no clear leadership figure. Typically the elders maintain a set of traditions that all of the elves follow, and these traditions have not changed in many decades if not centuries. All of this means that while it may be possible to form an agreement with one tribe member, its almost impossible to form an agreement with the whole tribe. This has led most nations to disregard dealings with the wildkin completely, instead focusing on other potential groups.

Culture

The Fae'Naru live simple lives that are free of economic struggle or excessive hardship. Their homes are made from dead branches and leaves from trees, and their food is foraged from the many kinds of plants present in the forest. All wildkin are sworn to protect the forest and all the creatures within, which means they don't kill animals or even monstrous beasts. In fact they coexist peacefully with even the most dangerous of great beasts, for by some unknown reason do not bother the elves at all and may even be friendly towards them. If an animal dies of natural means, the elves bury it near a tree or it is left for predators as a sign of respect for nature. Wildkin clothing is made of crude woven cloth derived from the bark of certain trees. Their society is driven by a set of ancient traditions that are remembered by the elders and enforced by the rest of the tribe.

Every wildkin has an animal companion which accompanies them throughout life which signifies the bond they have with the ancient forest. The elves have ways of communicating with their animal companions, and can hold full conversations with them. When their animal companion dies, the wildkin will select a new companion from the offspring of their old animal companion or from the forest if their companion did not have a mate. In many cases wildkin children inherit an animal companion from the offspring of their parent's animal companions. Some of the elves even have more then one animal companion, which is a greater responsibility and also signifies a greater bond with the forest.

Fairies have a special place in wildkin society, since they directly originate from Celestia herself. Dryads are even more revered, the elves will often do whatever the dryad tells them. In some cases fairies and wildkin will get together, and their children have a special place in society. These children have the ability to mend damage to the forest (using magic), and are usually placed at the same level of esteem as the elders themselves. However these children do have a lot of expectations placed on them, and sometimes they may abandon the forest if they aren't able to fulfill their obligations.

Magic

Wildkin consider magic to be and evil and corrupt practice that endangers the security of their forest, mostly due to the atrocities that Exodian Era humans committed towards the forest dwelling elves in the past. There is one type of magic that the elves consider to be blessed by Celestia herself. This magic involves the healing of living organisms, which is used to heal wounded animals and repair damaged sections of the ancient forest. There are only a few among a wildkin tribe who are able to perform magic, usually lesser fairies and gifted wildkin. This practice is considered most sacred and the wildkin have great levels of respect for those who practice it.

Military

The arsenal of the forest elves consists of primitive spears made from dead tree branches and pointed stones, and shields made from tree branches and thatch. Possibly the most ineffective military force in all of Amestria, the elves rely on guerrilla tactics to eliminate intruders of their territory. A great portion of their effectiveness and survival relies upon the great beasts that still roam the ancient forest, which can easily kill intruders in a single attack. The great beasts that roam the ancient forest have declined in the past few centuries, leaving the forest elves more vulnerable then ever before. The elves have recently been forced to use primitive magic to drive back intruders when beasts fail to eliminate them.

Technology

Forest Elves are possibly the most primitive race on the Exodius Continent. The most advanced technology they have are the clothes they wear, along with primitive obsidian spears. The wildkin's ability to survive has a lot to do with their environment being abundant with food. If the elves were placed in any other natural environment they would likely die of hypothermia or malnutrition given the fact they don't hunt, rely on naturally occurring fruits and vegetables, and can only fabricate clothes from a specific kind of tree.