Elves

I saw the beauty of the world
But life’s undying spring uphold
Allowed for people too remote
And elf, who’s strolling through the trees,
Is by no means forlorn, yet sprees.
An ancient beech - his friend and brother,
They will be glad to meet each other.

Octon Magicassy

Elves are the most majestic race inhabiting Atlans. Their native lands spread across the central and northern parts of the island. These peaceful people have always lived in harmony with nature, believing themselves as an integral part of the great cycle. They are no strangers to the ways of crafts, science and magic. They excel at everything to which they have turned their hands and minds. They approach it with an exceptional ease, infused with diligence and determination, and they share a deep love of nature.

One of the hallmarks of elven appearance is their long and pointed ears, big eyes and the high cheekbones. Elves are endowed with straight, thick hair similar to humans, though elven hair can on occasion be snow-white and green of all tints.

Elves are agile and dexterous. They are keen runners, and they favor nimble games and dancing. Their innate playfulness led to their early development of such disciplines as fencing, archery and acrobatics, and this in turn led to their mastery of the military arts. Skills elves honed from their games became useful in their struggles with the neighboring orcs who often encroached on elven territories.

Elvish lands are marvelous yet mysterious. These long-eared beings adore their forests, which are millennia-old and infused with the might of ages. Despite this, many of them dwell on the foothills and plains. Forest elves' settlements differ from those on foothills and plains. Their stone towns are noted for their high terraced towers, striking galleries, and decorative terraces entwined in lush forest greenery. They like bright rooms with plenty of windows. The most noticeable peculiarity of an elvish town is an absence of streets and houses; an elven town is a huge building resembling an ant hill, which harmoniously blends into the surroundings. Elves who inhabit it, never linger in one place - they always move from one part to another.

Elven occupations are diverse and fluid. For Elves, even the most basic craft is an art form, and fencing, for example is seen as a dance. Any activity is performed with their characteristic grace and élan.

Since the beginning of the time the elves have been a free people. They have had the liberty to do as they wished, but always under the supervision of the Druids Council. The Council consisted of sages, and their centuries-old knowledge, passed from one druid to another, conserved the balance so fundamental to world peace.

Druids were assisted in their tasks by a few well-chosen fellowships, the most renowned of them being the Fellowship of Rangers - tireless frontiersmen, the collectors of information and experts on the ways of the forest. Due to the efforts of the Council and the Rangers, the tranquility of Atlans has been maintained.

The only enemies of elves are the militant tribes of orcs and gnolls that inhabit the Wasteland. These nomads often breached the boundaries of the elven territory, but the elves endeavored to keep them far from their realm. However, the winds of change soon began to blow and their harmony began to be disrupted by strangers who came from far away.