Yu'Lorei

Dark Elf
Race
Pronunciation	Dah-rk eh-lf
Archetype	Elven
Nicknames	Machine Elves, Fanciful Elves, Spice Elves, Ashen Elves
Languages	Common (Change Later)
Vampiric Conversion	Possible
Aetherial Affinity	Level 1 - Hard to Cast Magic
Roleplay Difficulty	{{{roleplay}}}
Racial Traits
Aetheriality	Physical
Max Age	280 Years
Strengths	Intelligent, Dark Vision
Weaknesses	Starvation, Vulnerable to Cold
Height	5' to 5'6" Homogeneous
Weight	90 to 180 lbs
Eye Colors	Green, Blue, Lilac, Purple, Amber
Hair Colors	White
Skin Tones	Grey
Average Physique	Slender to Athletic
Aetherial Limit	Class 1 Alpha
Significant Demographics
While this doesn't mean your character has to come from one of these places, it's recommended they do. Island of Ae'Tezan

Physical Characteristics

Dark elves are a curious race, in which they possess traits not commonly associated with the other elven races. Their most distinct feature is likely their exclusively gray skin and white hair, some humans have mocked dark elves for all looking the same. Another noteworthy feature is their considerable strength, which rivals that of a human and is unheard of in the other elven races. Their height is around 5' at full maturity and is homogeneous between both sexes. Their eye colors are predominantly green but can also be blue, lilac, purple, hazel, and brown. On extremely rare occasions their eyes may be silver. Like all elven races, the dark elves fall under Elven Physiology and will not visually age past full maturity (age 18) until the day they die. Their unique physiology also prevents them from gaining excessive fat, however there are downsides to this. Dark elves can live up to 280 years, which is the shortest lifespan of any elven race. Unlike the high elves, dark elves are incredibly vulnerable to cold temperatures and can die of hypothermia far more quickly and at warmer temperatures then even a human. Dark elves also have great vision in the dark and only need minimal lighting at night, however they are capable of seeing in bright environments just fine.

Mental Characteristics

The dark elves are incredibly expressive and energetic, the complete opposite of their high elven cousins. Everything a dark elf does comes from their heart, and they love to express themselves in every possible way. Dark elves can be considered the most intelligent elven race and the second most intelligent race overall(pureblood vampires are the most intelligent). They have a natural gift for solving problems that other races would find excessively difficult, especially ones that involve a combination of creativity and logic. Dark elves can hardly sense aether and have an even more difficult time trying to channel it, which has effectively resulted in them abandoning the practice and favoring the pursuit of technology. Dark elves form very close and strong bonds full of empathy, and as a result are far more cohesive as a group then any other sentient race. They have also been considered the most erotic race in Amestria, no other race comes close.

History

The origins of dark elves leads to the tales of seafaring explorers encountering them while sailing in the Exodian Sea. They were considered mysterious and were thought to bring good fortune upon those who encountered them. They made their first connection to the continent of Exodius when the Kingdom of Rivera made a trade with travelling dwarf merchants from the Island of Thandolin. The dwarf merchants had sold intricate small trinkets capable of keeping track of time to a wealthy merchant who lived within the Kingdom of Rivera. These 'clocks' proved to be a very profitable item within the kingdom, and it did not take long for the king himself to demand where these devices had come from. The wealthy merchant referred the king to the dwarf merchants, whom a decade later had returned. The dwarves were hesitant to divulge the origins of their goods, but the king ultimately offered considerable wealth to them. The dwarves accepted the deal and told them of an island in the Exodian Sea where the goods had come from.

The Island of Ae'Tezan is a large post-volcanic landmass located in the Southwestern Exodian Sea. Abundant in resources, the dark elves have lived here for millennia. They claim to have originated from the Exodius Continent, and migrated to the island thousands of years ago. There are no dark elven ruins or traces on the Exodius Continent however, so their claims are still under investigation by historical societies. The dark elves have since provided all their historical accounts to the various historical societies of Amestria.

Dark Elven History

Dark elves are said to have migrated to the Island of Ae'Tezan thousands of years ago, and made the island their permanent home. Over many centuries the elves transitioned from a tribal society living in thatch huts to a sprawling civilization nestled at the base of the island's volcanic mountains. Over the years they have dug mining tunnels through every mountain, and have farmed every open plain on the island. They constructed sailing vessels and rediscovered the Exodius Continent, even establishing trade with kitsune villages during the clan wars period. Their connection to the feudal kitsune villages was severed after the clan wars approached it's climax and the villages they traded with were destroyed. Some kitsune have been integrated into dark elven society, in fact there are more kitsune living in Ae'Tezan then there are on the entire Exodius Continent.

Around the same period of time, the dark elves established contact with the Dwarven Island Kingdom of Thandolin. Trade was quickly established between the two races. The dwarves would provide raw materials, while the dark elves would provide countless goods made from said materials. Dwarves are known to all as masters of brewing, and dark elves society fully benefits from a broad assortment of exotic alcoholic beverages provided by the dwarves.

todo change from race centric to political entity centric references

Society

Dark elven society is full of personal expression and innovation at every level. New discoveries are quick to be implemented regardless of how small or large they were. Dark elven society evolves as a much faster rate then other societies, trends are quick to appear and disappear without a moment's notice. These elves are strangers to the concept of aristocracy and stratified economies, and tend to be very communal and group centric. They have very little interest in purely functional objects or trends and embellish everything they create with their culture and identity. Dark elves have the greatest collection of art, music, dance, theatrics, social mannerisms, courtship rituals, and ways to say hello of any race in Amestria. All this freedom of expression is throttled by a very complex bureaucracy and law system that ensures the integrity of their society. Dark elves will often find themselves in a constant struggle between the system of rules and their own personal whims, luckily dark elves dislike persecuting their own people and tend to avoid giving harsh criminal sentences. Dark elves will have an incredibly hard time adapting to other cultures due to the unique nature of their society.

Culture

Bath Houses

The dark elves have a curious kind of building called a bath house. The structure contains a pool that is separated into two halves by a wall in the center on the room. Genders are segregated and each enters a side of the bath house. Considered to be an important daily social event and essential to hygiene, all dark elves partake in this tradition.

Economy

The dark elven economy has become entirely dependent on exporting produced goods in exchange for raw materials and wealth in recent years. Many commodities are only produced on the Island of Ae'Tezan, the quality and design of which are superior. Even common items produced everywhere are produced by the dark elves in greater beauty and variety then anywhere else. There is high demand for dark elven goods as a result, and the dark elves are more then happy to export their beautiful works of art and science to other nations. The dwarven Kingdom of Thandolin is responsible for transporting and selling dark elven goods elsewhere, and make a handsome profit doing so. Internally, the dark elven economy is a vibrant exchange of wealth that changes hands on an hourly basis. (todo no aristocracy)

Technology

Considered the heralds of technology, dark elves are without question the most technologically advanced race in Amestria. On the Island of Ae'Tezan, every mountain stream is mechanically harnessed by waterwheels and countless windmills scatter the tropical farmlands. Dark elves are the original inventors of timekeeping devices called clocks, and their knowledge of mechanical gears and chemistry has lead to multiple discoveries over the last century. Noteworthy discoveries include Steam Power, Rubber, Porcelain, Cement, and Concrete. Despite their significant advances in technology, the dark elves are still inconsequential compared to the more powerful nations because of their lack of aetherial knowledge. The absence of magic in their society has not been beneficial, rendering them ineffective as a major military power.

Interbreeding

Human + Dark Elves will result in a person who has physical characteristics between the two races. They will inherit human skin color and dark elven white hair color. Their eye colors may be dark elven or human. They have an easier time using magic then normal dark elves but still not as proficient as a normal human. They can live 120 years.