The Races of Troimoira's Fane

Many races make their home in the lands that were once the Elanii Empire. This huge diversity of conflicting cultures and interests is what makes the region so volatile - and such a land of opportunity.

The Elves

The Elven peoples have divided into two distinct groups; the Elanii and the Ythaldin.

The Elanii or "The People of Empire" are by far the larger group. They inhabit the remains of their once great Empire, trying to maintain the magnificent cities and hold together the splintering baronies. They have become obsessed with politics and maintaining their own glory.

The Elanii are a physically diverse people, though they do share some characteristics. They tend to be shorter and lighter than humans (4 ½’ – 5 ½’ tall, weighing 85 to 135 pounds), with there being no size difference between the sexes. They have pale, delicate skin and their features are refined, even fragile. Their hair and eyes are typically dark, although some have auburn or red hair. The men are clean-shaven and wear their hair short, while the women usually grow their hair long, and wear it in elaborate braids.

The Elanii live for around 800 years, and they retain their youth until near the end of their lives. Their bodies then age and decay rapidly, leaving them weak and ugly at the end. And so the Elanii fear old age, though in the current times few live to see it.

The Elanii do not sleep. Instead, they meditate for about 4 hours a day. They use this time to reflect on their lives and deal with their unresolved thoughts. An Elanii meditating in this way receives the same benefit as a human would from 8 hours of good sleep.

The Elanii practice many crafts, though they are most adept with politics, warfare and magic. Their command of battle has started to wane, as their will for it weakens. Their magic is usually flamboyant, showy and devastating, though they also appreciate the value of more subtle magics, when in the right context.

Elanis, the modern language of the Elanii, is sophisticated and complex. The Elanii appreciate long heroic epics, although they have a habit of continually retelling old, favoured stories. The Elanii script is elegant and beautiful, and is the favoured script for most writings on vellum, papyrus or paper. It is, however, totally impractical for work on stone or wood.

The Elanii all tend to treat the peoples of other races as inferiors, though their nobles are the worst offenders. They regard social position, reputation and manners to be of the highest importance. Every Elanii, be he the humblest farmer, is secure in the knowledge that he is infinitely better than any human, dwarf or gnome.

The Ythaldin, "The Outcast", broke away from the Elanii many centuries ago. Their very different life-style, in the wilds of the land, has given them a unique appearance amongst the elves. Although short, they are well muscled and always physically trim. Their skin is always tanned and their hair and eyes are almost always dark. The men frequently grow facial hair and they allow their hair to grow long and wear it loose. Women usually keep their long hair in simple braids, but tend to wear it loose on special occasions.

The Ythaldin live for about 1,000 years, and they usually slip peacefully out of life. Like the Elanii, they restore their energies by meditating for 4 hours each day.

When the Ythaldin first broke away it was because of their refusal to harm their new land. They now consider themselves to be the active protectors of that land. They have grown to love the wild places that have made them as they are, and they will resist anyone’s attempts to change them.

The modern Ythaldin tongue is Ythaldis. Clearly from the same root as Elanis, the language has evolved separately to serve the needs of the Ythaldin. It’s written form is angular and simple, since it’s most common use is for carving into wood, either in elaborate "story-trees" or very simple runic sticks.

The Ythaldin are truly Outcasts; detested by the Elanii, they are also mistrusted by all the other races, who cannot ignore their relationship to their oppressors. So they keep largely to themselves, preferring to live peacefully, away from the attention of the other races.