High Elf (Race)

The High Elves are a race of Elves that inhabit the continent of Enthuiah, among other places.

History
The High Elves are thought to have been the original race of Elves on Dormunyr. They hailed from an unknown continent across the vast seas, and upon finding the continent of Enthuiah, settled it. There, they established The Realm, a mighty empire which would rule over all of elvenkind; the High Elves' relations with the native men of Enthuiah have been shakey at best and at worst, hostile. The Realm's technological superiority often lead to their victory, and over the centuries some of the tribes and kingdoms of men had been pushed all the way over the Obeks Mountains and into the more temperate northern regions of Enthuiah.

At some point thousands of years in the past (will be edited once timeline has been established) the Realm's higher branches of government fell under the influence of a new religious movement which followed the Gods of Order. This religion however, unlike many previous to it, personified all of the Gods of Order as mere aspects of one supreme God, Elemiah (whom in other pantheons is regarded as simply the highest God of Order). In a few short centuries, the entire society of the Realm came to follow the teachings of Elemiah and value order.

When ancient Precursor ruins where discovered all over the continent (date will be established once timeline is), the High Elves rushed to find out all they could about this long-dead civilization, in hopes that they would not somehow return or otherwise harm them. It was found that the Precursors where the ancestors of the High Elves, and that they where somehow linked to Elemiah. The High Elven Emperor of the Realm, Merith, foretold that the Precurors where gods on earth, and that their artifacts held great power and could allow the Realm to enter a new age of prosperity. It was believed that the precursors where punished by Elemiah for not following his teachings and having a disorderly society. He then stripped them of their power and scattered them around the world. The Realm then began a new crusade to find the lost artifacts or the Precurors in order to recieve their power.

However, not all elves believed the words of the Emperor. The Chaotic God of Revolution, Phobiahnezhar, contacted the elf Valyn, and gave him new truths about not only the precursors, but also the very ways in which all elves lived. Valyn went on to start a massive religious cult which was seen as nothing less than herecy to the Emperor. Eventually, it was ordered that all followers of this new cult would be eliminated (women and children, too) or face exile. Thus, many elves left Enthuiah all together and sailed to the south-east, eventually finding the continent of Exorterra and founding Spookeshire.

Physiology
High Elves are a tall race of humanoids. They are taller than their dark elf cousins on average, with individuals 6 feet tall or higher been quite common. They usually have light brown to tan skin tones, though individuals with bone-white skin have been recorded. Men grow beards once they reach adulthood.