Aelf
| Strain | Aelf |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🔊 ALF |
| Scientific name | Homo Aestheticus |
| Plural | Aelfes |
| Possessive | Aelfen |
| Substrains | Brimaelf, Dunaelf, Friggaelf, Wodaelf, Wyrmaelf |
| Patron Deity | Woden |
| Eyesight | Farsight, Lowlight |
| Lifespan | 100 years |
| Language | Common, Aelfen |
| Climate | Moderate |
| Terrain | Forests |
| Height | 4′7″‒5′5″ (140‒170 cm) |
| Weight | 82‒152 lb (37‒68.9 kg) |
| Skin Color | Variable |
| Hair Color | Variable |
| Eye Color | Variable |
| Build | Slender |
| Distinctions | Comely, Agile |
The Aelfes (🔊 ALF) are a northern strain occupying the mountains, forests, and seas. Legend tells that the first Aelfes were created by Woden the All-Father.
Overview[edit]
The Aelfes were created and scattered upon the lands of Otan by Woden the All-Father. The Aelfes soon found that they were driven by their preferences and a schism developed between them. The Wodaelfes preferred the forests granted to them by Woden, decrying that nothing on Otan was more beautiful than Woden's creation.
The Friggaelfes, had meanwhile come to the conclusion that art was the dominant aesthetic and that Aelfen art was certainly more beautiful than Woden's creation; Woden simply provided the tools to create art. The schism advanced until the two main tribes separated completely. Wodaelfs stayed mainly in the forests while Friggaelfes preferred coastal shores.
Society and Culture[edit]
Aelfen society is heavily vested in aesthetics. The bodies that form Aelfen governments concern themselves with aesthetics above all but the most dire needs of their charges. Securing a village from an impending attack, for example, would involve two parts setting up defensive archers and blockades. One part would be devoted to making those blockades and ambuscades "look visually interesting".
The governments of the two nation-states controlled by Aelfes are Aelfgarad and Aelfwode. Aelfgarade's Council of the Arts makes all but a few decisions for the nation, the remainder of which are made by the king (or queen). Decisions too small for the Council of the Arts are made by smaller and smaller councils. Few decisions in Aelfgarad are made by a single individual.
In contrast, Wodaelfes are satisfied to let nature take its course. Believing that the only true aesthetic is that which is produced by nature itself, they are content to let things slide. Individuals in Aelfwode are more likely to take initiative in big decisions and trust in those decisions is handed over to nature or the gods.
Physical Characteristics[edit]
Aelfes could easily be mistaken for Humans if not given a second look. They are generally more slender than their Human cousins and sport small pointed ears. Their biology is similar to humans and they are able to survive on both plant and animal protein. Aelfes are more agile than Humans, though this is a generalization as they do not possess super-human agility.
History[edit]
For Aelfes as all the people of Otan, history began in the first year IM. After the Great Erasure, the Aelfes woke to find their people split into two countries. They quickly realized why as the Wodaelfes and Friggaelfes had very different views about how an Aelf should live.
The Wodaelfes did eventually side with Humans in the Grendel War, where the Grendel had ravaged Human settlements in the North. The Aelfes may have acted from compassion or possibly because they believed that they would be the next victims of Grendel aggression. Since that war, Aelfes and Humans have been less reluctant to trade and interact.
Aelfen Substrains[edit]
Brimaelf[edit]
The Brimaelfes (🔊 Brim-alf) live undersea, primarily off the coast of Aelfgarad. They prefer to stay beneath the waves and as a result, have little to do with their Aelfen siblings ashore.
The Brimaelfes inhabit the coastal and undersea areas off the coast of Aelfgarad. They are expert swimmers and can remain underwater for extremely long periods. Some Brimaelfes have been known to stay underwater for indefinite periods. Because they prefer to spend their time on or beneath the waves, they rarely socialize with their Aelfen siblings ashore.
Dunaelf[edit]
The Dunaelfes (🔊DOON-alf) grew distant from their Aelfen cousins due to a difference in aesthetic sensibilities. They reside primarily in Aelfgarad.
The Dunaelf broke from Friggaelfes from what began as an aesthetic preference. They preferred darker colors and features in their art, eventually coming to prefer darker features in skin tone. Over a great many years, through aesthetically driven selection, it came to pass that the Dunaelf were routinely born with darker colored skin.
In many other matters of their aesthetic sensibilities, the Dunaelf are still not too distant from their Friggaelf cousins. They believe that true beauty can only be achieved through artistic endeavors. They differ again when it comes to the nature of their art. Dunaelf art is somewhat terrifying to all but those who have learned to appreciate it.
Friggaelf[edit]
The Friggaelfes (🔊 FRIGG-alf) grew distant from their Wodaelfen cousins due to a difference in their art-driven aesthetic sensibilities. They reside primarily in Aelfgarad.
The Friggaelfes is the predominant race and culture in the country of Aelfgarad. They were once intermixed with their Wodaelf and Dunaelf cousins until rifts in their sense of the aesthetic came to the forefront of their culture and politics. The Friggaelfes believe that the only true aesthetic is found in art, which should be sought and praised above all things.
Friggaelfes create the most beautiful and amazing architecture on Otan, the most beautiful ships and vehicles and the most beautiful clothing and garments, rivalling even that of the Sigis Empire. Eschewing their Wodaelf cousins, they left Aelfwode and moved west to create the new country of Aelfgarad, where they could practice their artistic endeavors (many of which involved the cutting of trees) in peace.
Wodaelf[edit]
The Wodaelf (🔊 Woah-dalf) are unsurprisingly, the preeminent race and culture to be found in Aelfwode. For a time, most believed them to be the only variety of Aelf to exist. Their love for Woden and his creation extended to the forests and nature in which they lived. A common Wodaelf saying is, "Nothing can be more beautiful than a tree."
While this is very possibly true, as trees do possess a powerful aesthetic, a time came when not all [Aelf]]es agreed. Friendly disagreements became heated arguments, which grew into political upheaval and even in some cases, war. The Wodaelfes eventually bade their art-loving cousins to leave the forests of Aelfwode and put an end to these powerful disagreements. The new tribes dedicated themselves to Frigg and the arts, moving west to find peace.
With their political troubles behind them, the Wodaelfes have enjoyed a long peace. They are happy to trade with their human neighbors and have only had one occasion to spar with their Grendel neighbors, during the war. The Grendel soon learned the power of the Ælfen bow and steered clear of Aelfwode during the entirety of that war.
Wyrmaelf[edit]
The Wyrmaelfes (🔊 VERM-alf) are a variety of the Friggaelfes, but infected by Draconic Essence. They resist becoming full Aydahar through prayer and force of will.
The strain of Wyrmaelfes has been entirely infected by Draconic Essence. This makes them relatives of the Aydahar and by extension, Dragons. The Aelfen penchant for the aesthetic, however, caused them to carefully manage their genetic lines. This has enabled them to both preserve their draconic origins and maintain their Aelfen aesthetic.
The first of the Wyrmaelfes, as legend recounts, moved as far from the source of the dragons as possible to prevent further accidental contamination. Thus they avoided such traits as claws, scales, horns or fluked tails such as one might find on an Aydahar or Ungir individual. Wyrmaelfes do retain much from the appearance of their draconic ancestors, however, draconic blood makes the Wyrmaelf natural spellcasters.
The Wyrmaelfes are far too few in number to control any country. Adventuring Wyrmaelfes can be found nearly anywhere, but the settled variety are most commonly found in remote areas of Aelfgarad.
Half-Aelf[edit]
The Half-Aelf are half... Aelf. Because any of the 49 human-based substrains can interbreed with any other, there are 1,176 possible half-races. The offspring of a Friggaelf and Wodaelf would certainly be Aelfen in nature, but whether that individual tended toward one aesthetic or the other would put the Norns into confusion.
Editor's Note: The expansion rules for Aelfen and other half-strains will be covered, after the first edition of the Will to Power: Role-Playing Game is released to the public.
Aelfen Territories[edit]
Aelfwode[edit]
Aelfwode Home of the Wood Wodaelfes.
Aelfgarad[edit]
Aelfgarad is a country in the northwestern corner of continental Otan. It is predominantly populated by the Friggaelf substrain of Aelfs. It is governed by a royal council, the Council of the Arts the chief counselor of which bears the title of King. Aelfgarad is also home to the slightly more mysterious Dunaelfes and their coastal areas are often demarked in the fashion of land territory as they are inhabited by the aquatic Brimaelfes
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