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	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	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. Human Societies 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 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. 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 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

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. 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.

Politics

Sylfae rarely occupy the upper stratum of any society, therefore their political influence is limited. Their frequent occupations as clerks and specialists have made them well known to most of humanity, and their novelty status has lent them the adoration of many people. In this regard one could say that the sylfae are "protected" to a certain degree from human society, but at the same time are partially excluded from it. Their rarity gives them very little ability to change a society that mainly consists of humans.

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.