Snow Elves

Those Who Fled

History

History of the Elvenkind

Physical Description

The Snow Elves, much like the other elves, are shorter, slender humanoids. Like other Elves, they wear clothes that compliment their habitat and, like their ancestors, tend to take colors from their surroundings. Snow Elves are often seen with pale blue eyes and white-blonde hair, though it isn't impossible for a Snow Elf to have darker color hair, such as browns or blacks; however, no pure blooded Snow Elf has ever had hair any shade of red. Although described as platinum blonde, Elves of the Snow may have white hair, or even as blue as the Arctic waters. Their eyes are occasionally green, but rarely ever brown. Unlike the Elven kin, their sharpened ears are slightly shorter than that of the average elf. Their skin is quite pale, not that a Snow Elf will ever show much skin outside of their face, due to their snowy habitat. They are also known to have baby-blue skin, and other lighter blue hues.

The Snow Elves often wear thick furs and hoods, which cover most of their body, but generally prefer to wear colors that would blend in with their surroundings. These furs are often accumulated from both small game, and the larger game such as bears and other dangerous predators are seen as badges of honor within their hunt. Their strength, speed, agility and other senses are comparable to their Elven brethren.

• Common Height:
  • Male: 5'6" - 6'
  • Female: 5'4" - 5'11"
• Common Build: Ectomorph, Mesomorph, Endomorph
• Common Eyes: Blue, Green
• Common Hair: White, Blue, Platinum Blonde, Blonde, Uncommonly Brown or Black
• Common Skin Tone: Pale with Pink Tint, Pale with Blue Tint

Culture

As a tribal society, the Snow-Elven community commonly has one chief, as well as many hunters and fishermen who double as guards for the settlement when necessary. Females and males alike have to work hard in the Snow-kin tribes; if one doesn't, the chance of survival is almost null. Even the chief must work; the chief, commonly male, generally has a wide range of experience in all aspects of tribe life and lead as well as training others in order to survive the Hinterlands. Unlike the Desert-Elves of the Southern sands, the leadership of the tribe is not passed through family, but instead chosen by the tribe as a whole; the individual who the tribe deems to be most suited is pushed into the seat of power. Snow Elf chiefs are easily recognizable; they wear their hair in one long braid on their back whereas the other members of the tribe usually keep it in multiple braids or loose. Snow-kin never cut their hair unless they have been decided unworthy by their tribe. Children of the snow-kin are mostly kept in their homes, safe and warm from the harsh outside, until they have reached an age where the parents do not fear for the child's safety in the snow, which is usually until they reach the age of five.

The snow-elves, like most elves, speak Elven; however, the Snow Elves have a slight accent in their speech, which sets them apart from their Elvish kin. The difference in speech is most apparent by the way they move their mouths; when they speak they do not move their mouths much, which is thought to be a result of their chilled habitat. The accent itself is rough, straying greatly from the elegant tone of the Elven tongue.

Every snow-elf lives by a certain set of unwritten rules:

• Never waste any food gathered.

• Live on rations even during feasts.

• Never travel alone through the Hinterlands, for whoever enters them alone will be presumed dead.

• Always bring the following items wherever you go: a coil of rope, a knife, a meal, tinder and a fishing spear.

A Snow Elf tribe often functions similarly to a family unit. Their temporary settlements generally consist of large interlinked tents with a central bedroom where the tribe fire is lit and the elves meditate together around the fire during the harsh nights, with the exception of a few guards, depending on the size of the tribe.

Affectionate greetings are rare for the snow-elves, and due to this, other races often perceive them to be aloof; however, when snowkin wish to show affection for loved ones they will rub their noses together. Snow-elves generally never kiss, not even their spouses; this is due to a deeply ingrained belief of the people-- kissing in the Hinterlands will lead to death from the cold. In fact, this is so devoutly believed that for most Snow Elven couples their first kiss is also their last; when a couple has reached an elderly age and are ready to accept death, they will travel together, alone, out into the icy plains, where beneath a whistling pine they will share a kiss, which is often referred to as "The First and Last Kiss." It is unknown what truly happens to the elderly couple, but they don't return to the tribe, often assumed to have succumbed to a snowy death.

The birth and conception of offspring is generally done outside of the Hinterlands-- the couple journeys to the Southern Plains of the North and stay until the child is old enough to return to the North to be kept in the warmth and safety of the tribe tents. The journey, however, has been known to claim the lives of many Snow-kin babes, which is why it is very uncommon to ever see a Snow-kin child.

Every summer on the longest day, the Snow-kin tribe come together and show the other members of the tribe what they have learned that Hexianno; this often is a celebration where the chiefs are praised and the children ridiculed, it's a mostly happy celebration, until someone shows that they have learned nothing in the entire cycle of seasons. If someone does this the celebration of learning becomes a celebration of shaming; their hair gets cut and they get left in the snow to freeze. The Snow-kin do not take kindly to the ones not willing to help them survive and thrive.

The Snow kin are primarily hunters of the North. A surprisingly vast amount of meat, including fish, arctic sea mammals and birds. They rarely eat any vegetation since it is very sparse and hard to grow within the Hinterlands; however, it is not rare for them to go out and search for berry bushes in the Alswelth Forest to the south.

This race used to be highly migratory, always moving about to stay away from major snowstorms and gales in the Hinterlands. Their homes are made of animal skins and sticks to hold them up. Currently, the Snow-Elves reside in the extremities of the north-- crevices, mountains and cliffs, staying in isolated places and keeping their backs to a wall for any dangers that may sneak up on them, hiding in the shadows of the Northern Mountains.

The snowkin have a different way of showing their pious side, they do not praise their gods but instead fear them and thank them whenever they show mercy.

The gods the Snow elves show the most fear towards and often thank are: Morto, Venti, Bahari and Oklamat for the fears of death, harsh weathers and unlucky hunts.

Mechanical Differences

• Lifespan: 375 years old on average.
• Snow Elves are naturally adept at surviving in their northern homeland and its hostile, icy environments. They are capable of enduring the cold far better than any other race.
• Their pale flesh allows them to blend in with northern terrain, but it makes them stand out anywhere else.
• A Snow Elf's hypersensitive eyes allow them to far more easily distinguish and note both movement and color, however it makes it far more difficult for them to see in areas of dim lighting and in darkness.
• Snow Elves are capable of causing frost to appear and severely chill anything they touch, if they put direct focus (High Concentration) onto it. After 3 Emotes of contact with exposed skin, they can cause frostbite. 4 for fur or furs which protect from such things. This does lower the body temperature of the snow elf, however.

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